Northsider Vol. 2 | Issue 6 | No. 21 | June 2015 by The Northsider Monthly Newspaper

june 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6 / Life & Culture 45223

a free community publication

5 COMMUNITY NEWS 10 NCC NEWS U. C. Men’s Soccer Team Takes on Dumpsite

The Northside Porch Tour Returns This Fall

11 FEATURE THE 2015 NORTHSIDE 4TH OF JULY PARADE

12 MUSIC MAKERS

Dawg Yawp and Wussy Album Reviews

15 SPOTLIGHT

Hero Gym Opens New Location

14 ARTIST CULTURE THE COMMUNITY WRITER

COVER ART | FEATURED ARTIST

LIVE MUSIC ALMOST EVERY NIGHT OF THE WEEK. SHOWS ARE FREE! CHECK INDIVIDUAL LISTINGS FOR SHOWTIMES. 4163 HAMILTON AVE CINCINNATI, OH 45223 (513) 542-3603 NORTHSIDE-TAVERN.COM HOURS: MON – SAT: 5:00PM – 2:30AM SUNDAY: 7:00PM – 2:30AM HAPPY HOUR: MON-SAT 5-8PM

JENI JENKINS

In person, on the phone, online, or on-the-go...

eni Jenkins is a graphic and printmaking artist. Since April 2013 she has operated Uncaged Bird Print Design Studio, a graphic design and print studio created to assist local non-profit organizations and local small established businesses and startup businesses. She is also the current managing editor and publisher of the Northsider and Director of Communications at Our Daily Bread in Over the Rhine. She moved to Northside nine years ago where she currently resides with her adoring husband and brilliant children.

Monthly Cover Art submissions:

The Northsider is seeking monthly cover art submissions from local artists. Artists will be paid $40 for published covers. All 2 dimensional pieces will be considered. One stipulation of publication is that the piece or a print be donated to The Northsider Annual Art Auction Fundraiser. A portion of the proceeds from the auction will be reinvested in a fund to support art projects in Northside. The remainder will help support the paper. If you are interested in having your artwork considered:

email: northsidermonthly@gmail.com Subject line: Cover Art Submission 2 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

Colerain 9315 Colerain Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45251 (513) 385-8190 Delhi 633 Anderson Ferry Road Cincinnati, OH 45238 (513) 347-0700

To view more of Jeni’s work: www.uncagedbirdstudio.com Facebook.com/Uncagedbirdstudio Twitter.com/uncagedstudio www.etsy.com/shop/UncagedBirdStudio www.behance.net/uncagedbirddesign

CALL TO ARTISTS | COVER ART

Blue Ash 9407 Kenwood Road Cincinnati, OH 45242 (513) 936-8800

A N D

T R U S T

Finneytown 906 North Bend Road Cincinnati, OH 45224 (513) 242-3200

C O M P A N Y

Bank LOCAL with

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T R U S T

C O M P A N Y

Download our new mobile banking app available for iPhones and Android devices Member FDIC

www.northsidebankandtrust.com life & culture 45223

NOW OPEN Hyde Park Center (The Pointe) 2739 Madison Road Cincinnati, OH 45209 (513) 533-8000 Northside (Main Office) 4125 Hamilton Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45223 (513) 542-7800 Springdale 11628 Springfield Pike Cincinnati, OH 45246 (513) 671-3800 West Chester 8615 Shepherd Farm Drive West Chester, OH 45069 (513) 551-5000

EQUAL HOUSING LENDER

VOLUME 2 ISSUE 6 | CONTENT

SNAPSHOT 45223 -RIDE FOR READING DAY -NORTHSIDE CHILDREN’S PARK PARTY

5 6

EDUCATION -MAKING IT HAPPEN IN NORTHSIDE -SUMMER 2015 AT WORDPLAY

FOOD CULTURE - NORTHSIDE FARMERS MARKET - APPLE STREET MARKET

COMMUNITY NEWS -U. C. SOCCER TEAM TAKES ON DUMPSITE

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NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL NEWS| -2015 PORCH TOUR RETURNS THIS FALL FEATURE -NORTHSIDE 4TH OF JULY PARADE MUSIC MAKERS - DAWG YAWP RELEASES DEBUT EP -WUSSY’S LIMITED EDITION RELEASE

CULTURE -THE COMMUNITY WRITER 14 ARTIST -HERO GYM OPENS NEW LOCATION 15 SPOTLIGHT | HAPPEN NORTHSIDE -HAPPEN’S FILM CRITICS 16 SCREEN HEALTH & WELLNESS THIS: NO PAIN 17 -IMAGINE OPINION -BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE: 18 THE CARING CULTURE

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COMEDY SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEWS NORTHSIDE SCENE -EVENTS CALENDAR-JUNE MAP OF NORTHSIDE

CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS: Matt Luken, Ursula Roma, Ana Bird, Stefanie Sunderland, Jessica Gresham, Geoff Tate, Mimi Rook, Tim Jeckering, Chuck Brown, Nick Mitchell, Jen VanLandingham, Alisa Balestra, TT Stern-Enzi & the Happen Film Critics. Larry Wells, Steve Sunderland

Artwork: Jeni Jenkins, Northside Farmer’s Market, Happen Inc., Wordplay, Chris Glass, Veronica Smith., Tommy Reuff, Michael Wilson, Wussy, Jen VanLandingham, Stefanie Sunderland.

Volunteer advisory committee: Jeni Jenkins, James Kinsman, James Heller-Jackson, Barry Schwartz, Karen Andrew, Mark Christol.

Publisher, layout, Design and management Jeni Jenkins of Uncaged Bird Design Studio

paper rollers Happen Inc. Volunteers led by Tommy Reuff

delivery team

Riccardo Taylor, Karen Andrews, Sue Wilke, Stephen Davis, SaraLynne Thoresen, ThoraLynne McKinney, Mati Senerchia, Noeli Senerchia, Jacob Walker, Daisy Walker, Evan Hunter-Linville, Owen Hunter-Linville, Lauren Shockley-Smith, Meredith Shockely-Smith.

Contact us: northsidermonthly@gmail.com northsider.northside.net Mission statement: As an independent monthly communication, The Northsider’s mission is to engage and inform about life and culture in the Northside Neighborhood. As such, The Northsider is committed to providing timely, quality and informative community news and opinions while embracing the diversity of the neighborhood.

Organizational structure: Northsider, LLC. is a Nonprofit Limited Liability Company overseen by the Northside Community Council. The Northside Community Council is a volunteer, community-based organization that provides an opportunity for all individuals and groups in the community to participate in Northside’s present and to chart Northside’s future. As such, it is committed to bringing people of diverse backgrounds and opinions together in an atmosphere that fosters cooperation and communication.

The Northsider Monthly newspaper is published on the first Friday of the month and is distributed to businesses and residents in the 45223 zip code.

Schaeper Pharmacy, Inc. 4187 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45223 513-541-0354

Your Family’s Good Neighbor® Pharmacy… *Ranked #1 by JD Power for Customer Satisfaction over ALL Chain Drug Stores in 2014! Save the Date: 2015 Health Fair is Friday, October 9th!

Richard A. Schaeper, R.Ph.

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Tricia Rice, PharmD

SNAPSHOT 45223|MONTHLY PHOTO ENTRIES

Friday May 8 Ride For Reading Day Chase Elementary in Northside. Bookworms and bicycle enthusiasts partnered up to beef up home libraries of hundreds of local elementary school students. WordPlay Cincy launched in Ride for reading partnership with Northside’s own Spun Bicycles and MoBo in addition to Queen City Bike and the UC Bike Kitchen. Nearly100 cyclists delivered 3,000 books to Chase Elementary. After delivering books, riders were invited to be a part of reading circles with young readers at the school. Photos: Cincinnati Public Library staff, Veronica Smith.

The Northsider Monthly is a community development project of the Northside Community Council. This grassroots community newspaper is published on the first Friday of the month and is distributed to businesses and residents living in the 45223 zip code. YOU CAN HELP BY DONATING ONLINE AT: northsider.northside.net

OR BY MAIL TO: Northsider Monthly 4128 Langland St. Cincinnati, OH 45223 4 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

Sunday May 17 Northside Children’s Park Party, Chase & Fergus. Over 160 people came out to to the Children’s Park party hosted by Northside Community Council, to celebrate Northside’s record low crime levels with Cincinnati Police Department and District 5. Police Chief Blackwell attended and thanked District 5 leadership for their partnerships with Northside over the years. Photos: Tommy Reuff. life & culture 45223

community news| U. C. MEN’S SOCCER TEAM TAKE ON THE AMMON AVENUE DUMPSITE

before

pril 11, 2015, 20 young men from the University of Cincinnati (U. C.) Soccer Team converged on the Ammon Avenue dumpsite intent on and succeeding at removing the mountain of debris from the hillside in response to a plea for help at the site described as exceptionally strenuous work requiring strong, able-bodied individuals to help neighborhood volunteers abate. The dumpsite, itself, had languished undisturbed for a considerable amount of time; since prior to the first litter complaint submitted in November, 2014. Individuals, with no respect for the neighboring property or the community, and too lazy and too cheap to haul the entire household contents and gutted building materials and carpets, tossed everything over the back fence, literally, into the yard of the house below. The house where the stuff had been tossed is abandoned, and Litter Patrol couldn’t prove exactly who on Colerain was responsible. The debris was difficult to reach, had to be hauled down the hill to the street, and the city estimated in would take a 6 person crew, 3 to 4 days to

after complete; which they didn’t expect to have anytime soon. Those of us in Northside who knew about it didn’t think our volunteers would be able to easily handle it either. When U. C. sent out requests for student and staff community service projects we were right on it. U. C. was, too, but thinking the task would require individuals in top physical condition asked the athletic department if there was a team interested. The Men’s Soccer Team immediately stepped up. Arriving at 10 am on the 11th, they met 10 Northside volunteers and by 12:45 pm absolutely everything, even the small stuff, had been hauled

and/or bagged and hauled to the driveway on Ammon. Keep Cincinnati Beautiful provided bags, gloves, drinks, sanitizer and arranged that the Department of Public Services dropped off a roll out the next day. The day following a Sheriff’s adult work crew filled the roll out, which held approximately half the debris, and hauled the rest to the front of the house which the city loaded by the end of the week. Residents on Ammon were ecstatic it had been taken care of…finally. Some helped during the clean-up, others offered to help load trucks and/or roll-outs when they arrived, and everyone whole

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heartedly appreciated what the student team had accomplished. All of us knew/know that had they not been willing to help the dumpsite would very definitely still be there. It’s reassuring to know and nice to be reminded that there are younger people in this world, in Cincinnati, who wish to lend a hand and are willing to give up their time to do so! Thank you U. C. Men’s Soccer Team and Northside volunteers!

BY Stefanie Sunderland Executive Director of the Cincinnati Northside Community Urban Redevelopment Corp

June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

education|MAKING IT HAPPEN IN NORTHSIDE

ummer is here and Happen, Inc. has planned even more activities to benefit both families and businesses in Northside. This summer Happen is back with

more grill-outs in Fergus/Children’s park on Thursdays from 3:00pm to 5:00pm starting June 18 through August 6. Happen invites the whole community to join in the fun with activities and free food. Northside Happen will Children’s also expand it’s outreach to teens Playground with Sunday Partys night grill outs in Happen’s Flower Garden on Chase from 4:30pm to 6:00pm. Neighborhood teens from Happen’s Teen Hall and Happen’s Bread Thursday June 18 3:00pm to 5:00pm Winners will be grilling out for the Thursday June 25 3:00pm to 5:00pm neighborhood. We invite everyThursday June 25 3:00pm to 5:00pm one to stop in and meet the teens in Thursday July 2 3:00pm to 5:00pm the neighborhood that are making a Thursday July 9 difference. 3:00pm to 5:00pm You will also Thursday July 16 see the Happen 3:00pm to 5:00pm crew as they work Thursday July 23 with teen groups 3:00pm to 5:00pm from Youth Works Thursday July 30 and North Church 3:00pm to 5:00pm to help clean Thursday August 6 and beautify our

Free Food & Fun

3:00pm to 5:00pm

6 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

Happen Nature Team working in Happen’s Garden. Photos: Happen Inc. business district. Every Tuesday for eight weeks teens will pick up trash and sweep both sides of the sidewalks starting at North Church on Hamilton Ave, and ending at Visionary and Voices on Spring Grove. “This is the first time that such a continuous and concentrated clean up effort has been established for our business district” said Jim Swafford, Northside Business Association (NBA) President. “And to have Happen teens making the difference is inspiring. The NBA received a Safe And Clean Grant from Keep Cincinnati Beautiful to purchase tools and equipment for the teens to be successful this summer,” he added. “Every Tuesday we have 8 to 10 teens signed up to spend seven hours to help keep our neighborhood clean this summer” said Happen Executive Director, Tommy Rueff. “It’s an amazing partnership between North Church, Youth Works and Happen, Inc. that will make a big difference this summer.” Happen will also be providing Happen Nature Teams activities for kids this summer in the Happen gardens and will continue to provide free art activities for families in the Happen studio and science and tech-

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nology sessions in the Happen Make It space. “We have also expanded our kids film critics sessions with a teen group that meets twice a month and created a teen animation and video club starting this month. If you would like your child to get involved with any of Happen programs you can call us at 513-751-2345” Rueff added. Lastly, be sure not to miss Happen’s Cardboard Carnival and kids music stage at Hoffner Park right after the Forth of July Parade. “This all reinforces Happen’s theme that community is not just where you live,™ it’s how you live with other people” said Rueff. FOR MORE INFO: If you would like to get involved in any of the Happen programs or learn more please contact us (513) 7512345 or info@happeninc.org. www.happeninc.org Happen Inc. Art activities for parents & children 4201 Hamilton Ave (& Chase) HOURS: 3:30 - 7:30PM (Tue.-Thu.) 10am - 5PM (Sat.)

Matt Luken

education|SUMMER 2015, THE WORDPLAY WAY!

ANOTHER EXCITING SEASON OF LEARNING AND FUN

Northside resident and long-time WordPlay volunteer, Pat Agnew, enjoys a good book with a Summer Scholar in the 2014 program. Photo: WordPlay.

ordPlay Cincinnati’s summer programs are back for another exciting season of learning and fun. Each of WordPlay’s 3 core summer programs, Summer Scholars, WordUP and STEAM Scholars, provide students with an innovative blend of academic and creative problem-solving skills and social-emotional learning to further develop their unique identities. Now in its fourth summer of programming, WordPlay continues to collaborate with a number of community organizations to provide engaging, multi-disciplinary opportunities to area children. New this summer, WordPlay is proud to partner with the Price Hill youth orchestra non-profit MyCincinnati to provide creative and expository writing instruction for 10-12 MYCincinnati student musicians twice a week. Workshops will be led by WordPlay composition instructors Dr. Theresa Kulbaga, an Associate Professor of

English at Miami University – Hamilton, and Dr. Kate Spencer, who has taught writing and literature courses at various universities spanning the last 4 decades. WordPlay’s Summer Scholars workshop is a six-week program that promotes a love of learning while encouraging creative exploration and community-building. The program is open to students entering grades 1-8 in the 2015/16 school year and students can choose to attend Mondays and Wednesdays OR Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. The program reinforces students’ academic skills and the development of interpersonal skills through handson learning and community-building activities. The program also offers weekly “walking field-trips,” led by WordPlay staff-members, to local destinations like the WordPlay community garden hosted by Urban Artifact, the public library, and the NorthSide farmer’s market. Expanding on a partnership started in early

2015, Visionaries and Voices will be bringng their Teaching Artist Program to Summer Scholars one day a week for multi-disciplinary art-making experiences, building on themes of diversity and inclusion. The Summer Scholars program will be led by Kirsten Zook, WordPlay’s Program Director. WordPlay’s Saturday program will continue to run through the summer to provide students with fun, educational and creative activities for students in grades 1-8. Prior enrollment for WordPlay’s Saturday program is NOT required although WordPlay asks that parents come in to fill out a registration form when they drop off their children. WordPlay Saturdays will take place every Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. and will run from June 14 – July 19. WordPlay is again offering their signature WordUP creative writing and spoken word workshop for area high school students. The workshop will be led by WordPlay Teaching

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Artist Desirae Hosley. Also known as the Silent Poet, Desirae is the WordPlay spoken word coach for the citywide youth poetry slam, Louder Than a Bomb, and will have guest performance poets and writers visit to work with the teens each week. WordUP meets every Wednesday from 3 p.m. – 5 p.m. and will run from June 11 – July 16. WordPlay is excited to team up with Northside-based performing arts non-profit, Dramakinetics for two “Play in a Day” workshops this summer, open to students ages 12+. Desirae Hosely will also lead the writing portion of both 2-part sessions, helping the students craft autobiographical page-to-stage performances. The year-long STEAM Scholars program (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math) continues into June and July for Jr. and Sr. High School students. Meeting on the 2nd and 4th Saturday of each month, the year-end project for our budding engineers and designers is a bike-powered generator that will power an LED light show - just in time for the 4th of July pardade. Huge thanks to partners Against the Grain Scholars and MoBo Bicycle Co-op for this fantastic collaboration. Space in WordPlay’s summer programs is limited, and parents are asked to register their children by calling the WordPlay office directly at 513-260-8129 or by emailing info@wordplaycincy.org. The deadline for summer program enrollment is June 8. For other news about upcoming WordPlay events, activities, and programs: Visit: 4041 Hamilton Ave. Call: (513) 541-0930 Online: www.wordplaycincy.org Facebook: wordplaycincy

Jessica Gresham University of Cincinnati student and WordPlay summer 2015 intern June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

food culture - Northside Farmer’s market| ART, DRINKS AND STRAWBERRIES

(Left) Fresh strawberries from the farmers market. (Right) Dietician Mary Pat McKee leads a cooking demonstration. Photos: Northside Farmers Market.

Shoppers will find a few jewelry, painting, sewing, and other art vendors each month, along with the market’s regular farmers and food (NFM) can’t offer the experience of producers. The addition of regular art both at the same time—but in June it vendors makes the market a perfect gets pretty close. stop for gift shopping. Starting in June, NFM opens the And then, on to the drinks. The market to artists and crafters on the Northside Farmers Market can’t sell alcoholic beverages, but is partnering third Wednesday of each month. with restaurant and bourbon bar The Littlefield to create a special alcoholic drink “The Farmers DK PLAY-IN-A-DAY Market,” offered Dramakinetics is partnering with WordPlay Cincy to offer a new during the month of program for children ages 13-18. DK Play-in-a-Day provides kids the opportunity to write and perform a play in two sessions. The first June. Each month, session will partner with Word Play to help students write the script. The The Littlefield offers second session will be held at the Dramakinetics studio where students will perform the play they wrote the previous week. a drink created DK PLAY-IN-A-DAY SESSIONS ARE JUNE 20 & JUNE with a non-profit as 27, JULY 18 & JULY 25, AND MORE COMING SOON! a fundraiser for the DK Play-in-a-Day would not be possible w/out the generous organization. Cuscontributions of community contributions to ArtsWave. tomers can head FOR MORE INFO: Contact Dramakinetics at over to The Little(513) 389-1721 or at info@dramakinetics.org field (3934 Spring www.dramakinetics.org Grove Avenue) ipping drinks while browsing through local art at a show: how swanky is that? The Northside Farmers Market

8 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

anytime during June to sample the drink. $1.00 from each drink purchase of “The Farmers Market” goes to NFM and supports local foods in our neighborhood. Located just a few blocks from Hoffner Park, The Littlefield is a social gathering spot for farmers and market staff and you’ll see them there grabbing a bite and hanging out on Wednesdays after the market closes at 7pm. If art and drinks aren’t enough to bring you to the market on Wednesdays, fresh berries might! June is strawberry and blueberry month. Shoppers will find strawberries at several vendors’ stalls, and towards the middle of June (whenever the blueberries ripen!) Bee Haven farm joins the market to sell buckets of fresh blueberries. While munching on freshly picked delicious berries, check out the market’s cooking demos offered from 5-6pm led by Cincinnati chefs and dietitians, where customers can become inspired by lessons, recipes, and demonstrations on cooking

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with local foods, or try a free yoga class from 5:45pm-6:45pm. MORE INFO: The market invites local artists to apply for a craft vendor spot for the 3rd Wednesday of each month. Interested artists should email northsidefarmersmarket@gmail.com or call 513-6143671 for more information. Market Location: May - Oct 15: Jacob Hoffner Park, 4101 Hamilton Ave Northside. Visit us Online: www.northsidefm.org For more information about The Littlefield and to view their menu, visit www.littlefieldns.com

ANA BIRD Ana Bird works at Northside Farmers Market as Market Manager, and at Imago, as program coordinator in environmental education, and authors Cincinnati food blog Our Local Kitchen. She also teaches youth ballet classes at UC and Baker Hunt Cultural Center.

food culture - apple street market| ONLY 300 MORE OWNER SHARES NEEDED!

pple Street Market only needs 300 more owner shares and $200,000.00 to access the Cincinnati Development fund which will allow construction to begin on Northside’s first grocery store cooperative. Northside

resident/volunteers are hard at work with Cincinnati Union Cooperative to do so. Once that funding is in place, Apple Street Market can open within the following year! PROJECT ACCOMPLISHMENTS : • Raised $313,000.00 • Formed a Cooperative Board and created bylaws • Incorporated as a co-op • Signed up over 700 community owners • Identified a general contractor • Agreed to AWG as the store’s primary distributor • Worked with local Northside architects to complete Apple Street Market’s design and layout • Completed the necessary feasibility and business plan for investors

ADDITIONAL EXCITING DEVELOPMENTS FOR THE MARKET: • Northside resident Heather Sturgiil was elected as the New Community Owner Board Representative for Apple Street Market. Heather has been a tireless advocate and volunteer for the market since this effort. • Northside Bank gifted $5,000.00 to CAIN to help with subsidized market shares for low income residents who want to be owners in Apple Street Market. That works out to a little more than 50 shares for low income Northside residents! • Apple Street Market will be tabling at the Northside Rock n’ Roll Festival at Hoffner Park and also featured as part of the annual 4th of July Parade. • Look for Apple Street “Greets!” this summer at your favorite Northside

hangouts. Volunteers will be tabling on summer nights as the street scene revs up for summer action, working hard to promote the market to both visitors and local residents. • Metrocards for the bus - Anything Metro sells will be available at Apple Street Market, complementing the new hub Metro is creating for Northside’s business district. MORE INFO: Join us at the Northside Farmer’s Market on Wednesday (4-7pm), or at Happen, Inc. on Tuesday at 7pm! Email: info@applestreetmarket.coop For more info on owner shares, owner loans and tax-deductible gifts go to: www.applestreetmarket.coop

Mimi Rook

Beautiful Strands LaTisha P. Tunstull -Owner/Operator

FULL SERVICE SALON & BARBER SHOP Mon-Sat 9a.m.- 6p.m. Booths Available

873-3664 4031 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45223

Serving Northside lunch + dinner Monday–Friday & dinner Saturday

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June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

northside community council news|2015 PORCH TOUR RETURNS THIS FALL

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could simply call them, and now the telephone is now being replaced by text. Meet your neighbors! The safest neighborhoods and streets are those in which the neighbors look out for each other, so the Porch Tour has historically served as a conduit for neighbors meeting and getting to know each other. Preparation for the Tour brings everybody out to spruce up their front yards in anticipation of the Porch Tour, and parties need to be planned for Front Porches for the evening. Live music will greet your ears at Jergenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park, the Citizens on Patrol will be grilling dogs, and I am sure there will be sweet treats. Two, 20-person carriages will again tour the route, complete with an architectural interpretation of the houses and porches.

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he NCC Porch Tour returns again this year on October 10th, 6-9 pm, departing from Jergenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Park. Mark your calendars and plan on attending a neighborhood streetscape celebration unique only to Northside. Thousands of luminaries will light the pathway along yet again another new route including the full length of Haight Avenue, North and South Argyle, and portions of Hamilton Avenue. Returning for the tenth time, the NCC Porch Tour has danced around the neighborhood celebrating our unique architectural streetscape that is shaped by the continuity of Front Porches on almost every home within the neighborhood. The Front Porch was once the gathering place for adjacent neighbors and friends to gather in the evening hours of the day, prior to the days of air conditioning and TV, with the cool breezes of the evening being a welcome guest. Crime continues to drop in Northside, and the Porch Tour aims to continue its assistance in that momentum. Our Front Porches are close enough together it allows adjacent neighbors the ability to talk to each other without leaving your home, but then came the telephone so you

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NORTHSIDE COMMUNITY COUNCIL APRIL 2015

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2015 NORTHSIDE PORCH TOUR

feature| GET READY FOR THE 2015 NORTHSIDE 4TH OF JULY PARADE Northside 4th of July 2014 (Far left) Dancin’ in the street! (Top) You never know who will show up! (Bottom) Parader with his best friend in the sidecar. Photos: Submitted by NCC Parade Committee.

ed Alert! (Or maybe Red, White and Blue Alert!) Here it comes! By now every Northsider should be getting ready for the 2015 Northside 4th of July Parade. This event just gets better every year, thanks to the enthusiasm and creative energies of Northside residents, businesses and Northside fans everywhere. Whether you are planning to be in the parade, volunteering or watching, the excitement is already beginning to build. This year the parade will be on Saturday, July 4th at 12 noon. It will follow the first two nights of the Northside Rock N Roll Carnival in Hoffner Park and, since many people will have Friday off for the national holiday, there should be a nice, smooth take-off for the parade Saturday morning. As you probably know, the Northside 4th of July Parade originated over a hundred years ago and has been a tradition for local residents for generations. While there is always plenty of red, white and blue, there is also bound to be a large dose of Northside wackiness. Each year the parade has a Grand Marshal, someone from the community deserving special recognition. That special person (or persons) will be very close to the front of the parade. For the past five (or more) years the parade has concluded with an

entry called “Danceteria”. This is without a doubt one of the best parts of the parade. It also sets Northside’s Parade apart from all others. Danceteria literally dares you to dance. While playing the most danceable of jams, the enthusiastic participants entice the crowd to join. While many resist, some join for a block or two, others become a part of the moving party. The effect is amazing! Starting with only a few dancers the numbers continue to build until there are literally hundreds of people dancing their butts off down Hamilton Avenue! It is hard to say whether it is more fun to watch, or be in the Parade. If you have never actually participated, maybe this is your year. There is still time to get a group of friends together, hatch an idea, and create an entry. Simply register online at www. northsidejuly4.com. There is a registration deadline of June 25th, (but don’t let that deter you too much since late entries are rarely turned away.) For those planning on being in the parade there are a couple of things you should know, especially if you’re a newbie. First, the parade staging area is in the parking lot of the Greater Bethlehem Church at the corner of Ashtree and Hamilton Ave, so give yourself time to get yourself, your group, your props, your float, whatever… up there. And even though the parade

officially begins down Hamilton Avenue at noon, getting a hundred entries organized takes a while. So remember to try to arrive at the staging area by 10:45am. Another very important point is parking. The parade is large, involving many groups of people, floats, marching bands, etc. On that morning the organizers will need ALL of the space in the parking lot to sequence the parade. There is NO room for participants to drive to the staging area and park their car in the church lot. Only vehicles that are going to be IN the parade can stay. For many years now the helpful folks at the McKie Rec Center and Cincinnati Recreation Commission have been kind enough to provide a shuttle on parade morning to bring participants to the staging area. The pickup area is in front of McKie Recreation Center on Chase. Groups are welcome to drop off people, props, instruments, etc. at the staging area, but the driver will need to take their vehicle to one of

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the parking areas near McKie and ride the shuttle back up the hill. The shuttle should be operating from about 9:30am to 11:15am. This year there is an actual email address for the Parade Crew (committee): NorthsideParade@gmail. com. This is a good place to get questions answered, to make suggestions, give us ideas about groups, people, or organizations that would be awesome in our parade. But don’t wait for us, if you know of anyone that you think would be make an amazing addition and would be willing to bring their brilliance to our parade, invite them! Again they just need to sign up at www.northsidejuly4.com. For example, if anyone has a way to get the All Star Game promoters interested, please do! Every year five winners are selected for our Creative Entry Awards, and for many years these winners were selected by a group of judges. But now these have become the Peoples Choice Awards, selected by the crowd through Facebook. So be sure to make your favorites known! For those amateur (or professional) photographers in the crowd, there is our annual photo contest. Submit your favorite photos for the chance to win a prize. Look for more information on the website. FOR MORE INFO: To Register or form more information go online to: www.northsidejuly4.com Questions? Email us at: NorthsideParade@gmail.com

Chuck Brown June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

music makers | I SOUND MY BARBARIC YAWP OVER THE ROOFTOPS OF THE WORLD

Dawg Yawp Releases Debut EP “Two-Hearted”

very so often, a band comes along that pushes the boundaries of music in a way that you never thought possible. Don’t let the light-hearted name fool you, Dawg Yawp creates folk music overflowing with serious artistic flare. The first time I saw this duo perform live, I described them as “Simon & Garfunkel collaborating with Shannon Hoon and Ravi Shankar”, but after picking up their debut EP “Two-Hearted”, I’ve realized their sonic range and artistic vision are distinct to their rock star predecessors. “Two-Hearted” was recorded in February by co-singer/songwriters Tyler Randall (sitar, mandolin) and Rob Keenan (acoustic guitar, synthesizers). On the surface, the album is a six-song folk, pop, and blues album. However, the duo’s unique influences and instrumentation, compounded with the production prowess of Rob Fetters (Psychodots), make for an album that is not only well-crafted songs, but aesthetically moving ones, as well. “He brought a piece we were missing to get our music into a concise work,” Dawg Yawp’s Tyler Randall says about the enlightening process of recording “Two-Heart12 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

ed” with producer Rob Fetters at his Sayler Park Sound studio. “We grew as musicians and as people while working with him. His experience with music gives him this wisdom that I quickly learned to take to heart.” Despite the percussive nuances and sitar-led instrumental departures, every sound and section is purposely subservient to the life of the song. “We had a ‘synth day’ where we went through what we had done and added some textures to the music where we heard them,” says Randall. “That was a lot of fun.” These textures are especially prevalent on “Not So Sure”; the second song from the album. On this one, Keenan’s ethereal keyboard pads and psychedelic synth-arpeggios are a fascinating complement to Randall’s mock-upright bass/sitar stylings and Jim James-like crooning. The fourth song “Lou” is one that Yawp’s Rob Keenan showed to co-conspirer Tyler Randall when they first met ten years ago. Randall and Keenan first me in 2005 as chorus students at Turpin High School. “That song was magical for us coming together,” Randall explains. “We were backstage in one of the dressing rooms when Rob showed me this

song. I immediately heard a place for the mandolin in the song, an instrument I started playing that year. I loved the song so much that for the next few years I was skeptical he had even written it.” Ten years later, Keenan and Randall find themselves together again, citing an old african proverb as their motto, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” These two truly go together, as shown by their rapidly growing fanbase. On May 6, Dawg Yawp threw a party at Maudie’s in Over-the-Rhine celebrating their “Two-Hearted” release. “They’ll be playing Coachella in three years,” claimed one fan, crunched very sardine-like between several other attendees. Fellow Northside ambassador bands HATEFLIRT, Nanny, and BIG’UNS shared a diverse bill performing to a capacity crowd. Dawg Yawp was generous enough to donate their performance to The Northsider’s Lovefest fundraiser last month, sharing a bill with Miss Marjorie, Mark Utley’s Bulletville, Margaret Darling (Seedy Seeds), and a handful of others. “Lovefest was a great time! We were so lucky to be involved,” boasts Randall. “NYPD Pizza was so good.”

life & culture 45223

(Left) Dawg Yawp is Rob Keenan (l.) and Tyler Randall (R). Photograph courtesy of Michael Wilson. (Right) Album cover for Dawg Yawp’s “Two-Hearted” EP Design by Cody Gunningham.

A fascinating sidenote, Randall has shared a comedy bill hosted by wellknown comedian Hannibal Buress. “I was touring with the band Sonnymoon for a while before I moved back here, and one of our shows was in Brooklyn at The Knitting Factory,” explains Randall. “Before we went on, Buress got on the mic and said something like, ’Okay, sometimes you just gotta do something weird, so here comes some music.’ Sonnymoon really pushes music in a unique way; some would call it experimental. So when we played, some people were a bit confused, some were amazed, and we had a good time nonetheless. I thought to myself, ‘What a cool guy to just book a band he loves even if it is not what people are used to or expecting.’” More delicious humble pie from Dawg Yawp. FOR MORE INFO: Dawg Yawp performs every Monday night at Chameleon. You can pick up a copy of their debut EP “Two-Hearted” from their official website, dawgyawp.com.

nick mitchell Nick is a touring musician and the co-founder of Grasshopper Juice Records. He and his wife moved to Northside three years ago in appreciation of its alternative culture.

music makers|WUSSY’S LIMITED EDITION SCRATCH & SNIFF VINYL RELEASE OF STRAWBERRY

“

Strawberry” is the fourth studio album by local heroes, Wussy. Although originally released in 2011, “Strawberry” was given a limited edition scratch and sniff vinyl release this past Record Store Day. Just imagine it smells like strawberries. While this vinyl version might be for die-hard collectors, the album itself is necessary for any fan of rock and roll. Wussy transcends any genre-typing. I can’t tell what they are. Grunge Pop? A Detroit rave up crossed with the Beach Boys? If those descriptors intrigue you, good. Go check them out. If they don’t, don’t worry about it. Still get the album. I’m probably wrong anyways. The point is, they’re a great band that makes great albums, and “Strawberry” is certainly no exception. Wussy slides effortlessly from

Wussy goodies available in April at Shake It Records for Record Store Day, including Strawberry on bright red vinyl + their new release, Public Domain, Vol. 1. Photograph courtesy of Wussy.

should have it on heavy rotation. Those reading this will especially dig it. Local references abound and not in a shoehorned forced way, either. Streets we grew up on and places we go get name dropped as casually and with the same “you should just know what this is already” attitude that other singers do with places like New York City and Los Angeles. Reminds me of when the Old 97’s namedrop stuff from Dallas. Who would ever know unless they’re from there? Well, we’re from here. Wussy gives that to us. They make music for everyone who likes music, but they’re ours and we should be grateful.

geoff tate

the heavy fuzz of “Chicken” into a folky song about a prize-winning bull without mocking their audience. The band treats each song equally. The imperfections are endearing, actually what’s imperfect sets them above most other bands. They go from

great to memorably great, like Cindy Crawford’s mole or Sam Malone’s terrible jackets on Cheers. The angst, joy, heartache, love, nostalgia and homesickness can be felt throughout. This album (all their albums) is fantastic and any rock and roll fan

Geoff Tate is a writer and comedian who lives in Northside. He’s performed all across the country as well as at Bonnaroo, South by Southwest and on Comedy Central and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He’s probably eating breakfast at the Blue Jay right now.

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4179 Hamilton Ave. Northside, 45223 (513) 541-4668 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

artist culture|THE COMMUNITY WRITER

the Crazy Ladies Book store. ere in Northside, I believe we pride ourselves on the concept of community. At So, what does this have to do with least, that is what I see. As I travel along creativity? Well, there is something Hamilton Avenue, or walk down the street about community that inspires involveon which I live, or step into a Northside establishment, not only on an individual level, ment such as Melt or Sidewinder, I am immersed but on a level in which everyone bein a feeling of comes a part connection with of something Creativity beckons the eyes, the ears, greater. everyone. I knew the hearts and the souls of everyone that this concept Commuof community has it comes in contact with” nity is someexisted for years, thing I believe which was why, is quickly beamong other reasons, I chose to purchase my first coming overlooked in our ever-changand current home in Northside. ing and ever-increasingly individualistic The concept of community has always been society. Without community, it would important to me. When I was a child, our Kentucky be impossible for creativity to flourish. home, our backyard and swimming pool were Creativity beckons the eyes, the ears, always open to our neighbors. This instilled the the hearts and the souls of everyone it importance of community into my heart at a very comes in contact with. Creativity finds young age. As I aged into my 20’s and embraced meaning not only in creation, but in my sexual orientation, I became involved in the lessharing. Where would we be without the sharing of William Shakespeare, of bian community. I used to find social and emotional Mozart, of Albert Einstein? support every Tuesday night within the four walls of

SENTIENT

The Interactive Novel Experience

Where

YOUR Voice Matters!

I am a writer. My creativity does not come from me, it comes from a place far beyond myself, a place that I cannot describe save it must be something Universal and/ or spiritual. Recently, a story idea came to me that envelopes the concept of community; a story about our responsibility to one another and to making this world a better place. A voice within encouraged me to shape this story not into just a novel, where the writing process is singular and often times lonely, but it spoke to me with an opportunity for community. I would like to invite you to participate in a new and exciting writing process called the Interactive Novel, titled, Sentient. The process brings YOU the reader, into the development of a novel. I develop the characters, the plot, but you tell me

HOW the plot unfolds. This experience will be provided 100% online with an option for participants to vote, as with a Create-Your-Own-Adventure concept, and to provide feedback for Sentient. The first Season begins October 18, 2015. An episode will be downloaded onto our website: www.thecommunitywriter.com once a week with an option to vote for the outcome of that episode, FREE of charge! It’s time to bring Community back to the creative process! I want YOU to be a part of my writing process. Let’s do this together! Who’s with me?! FOR MORE INFO: Online: www.thecommunitywriter.com Facebook @ sentientstory Twitter @ sentientwriter

Jen VanLandingham

spotlight|NORTHSIDE’S NEIGHBORHOOD GYM GETS NEW HOME

HERO GYM OPENS NEW LOCATION AT 4025 HAMILTON AVENUE

Hero Gym details: **Class Training as well as Personal Training. **Class hours: Monday@ 7am, Noon, 5:30pm 6:30pm, 7:30pm Wednesday@ 7am, Noon, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm Friday@ 7am, Noon, 5:30pm, 6:30pm

ark Regner of Hero Gym is a proverbial “jack of all trades” – certified mechanic, carpenter, former elementary school teacher, personal trainer and fitness guru. For the past eight years, Regner has focused exclusively on training and nutrition, first serving clients in the AboutSpace building on Cherry Street and now at his gym’s new location at 4025 Hamilton Avenue. A Cincinnati native, Regner developed an interest in “movement and health” during his many years skateboarding and practicing martial arts, transitioning to training with a focus

programs that emphasize isolating muscle groups or the use of “fancy machines.” And because “training is science,” Hero Gym provides clients with programs that employ “scientific principles” based on Regner’s broad understanding and application of biomechanics, movement patterns, “muscular chains,” and even corrective methods. Since opening Hero Gym in 2009, Regner has built his practice on a belief that programmed training and goal setting lay a foundation for good health in ways many fitness trends can’t, even for someone new to fitness. Small classes and individualized (one-on-one) training offer Northside res(Top Left) Mark Regner (Right) with Rob idents an alternative to the Macdonald from Gym Jones. The new Hamilton “big box gym,” which Regner Avenue Location. believes is important for a community such as Northside. on the “non-specialist,” or the “There aren’t any gyms around here, person able to do as many activiand a small community gym where ties as possible. For Regner, training real training is actually done [. . .] is should be connected with goals; at good for any tight knit community.” Hero Gym, clients train, not exercise. Within 3-5 years, Regner hopes “If you have a goal, there is by naHero Gym can continue to offer ture a most effective way to achieve residents programmed training, but that goal,” Regner noted, “and that is he’d also like to see the gym become why the importance of training trumps an “adult playground” that “promotes [most fitness trends]. Identify your play and movement and freedom, goal, make a plan, and work at it. [that instills] the concept of ‘practice’ That’s training.” into the minds of its members, [that It is this focus on training as goal brings] a simplicity to the movement setting that distinguishes Hero Gym of training so that people can bring – and Regner’s philosophy on fittheir own complexity of expression, [that advances] the physical develness – from “big box gyms” or fitness life & culture 45223

**New members ARE REQUIRED to go through intro course (Ramp Up) which is being offered mid June (these hours are different so they need to contact me) ** New Facility is 2500sqft and has two bathrooms and two showers Phone: (513) 307-9666 Email: theherogym@gmail.com Online: herogym.com

opment of those who join [the gym], [that strengthens] the mind through movement complexity, and [that brings] to the forefront an awareness of physical body and its deeply rooted connection with the mind.” Currently, Hero Gym offers classes on Mondays and Wednesdays at 7am, 12pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, and 7:30pm and on Fridays at 7am, 12pm, 5:30pm, and 6:30pm. Ramp up hours occur every three months on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 12pm and 6:30pm and on Saturdays at 10am. Ramp up is required for anyone interested in group classes (unless done through private training).

BY Alisa Balestra Alisa is a Northside resident and is a Specialist-Project Management and Clinical Research Professional at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. You can find Balestra running the streets of Northside, hiking in Parker Woods, biking in the Spring Grove Cemetery, or eating delicious vegan eats around the neighborhood. June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

screen|HAPPEN NORTHSIDE: HAPPEN’S KID FILM CRITICS

REVIEWS OF LABYRINTH (1986) “Journey into the world of the labyrinth: one young girl’s adventure in a magical maze. This film pretty much has everything; including scary puppets and some really messed up hair. A must see for family movie night that will impress both kids and adults with the appearance of David Bowie and some ferocious characters. I would give this film 3.7 out of 5 stars.” -Henry “Funny and interesting. Jim Henson makes the puppets for this movie. If you’re a fan of “The Neverending Story,” you should try this one out. However, it is somewhat weird. This is a good family. 4.5 out of 5 stars.” -Luci

LABYRINTH (1986)

whole new generation has been introduced to The Muppets in a pair of movies (The Muppets & Muppets Most Wanted) thanks to director James Bobin and screenwriting partners Nicholas Stoller and Jason Segel, but the whole movie franchise is based on a host of engaging characters created by the legendary Jim Henson. While his most famous creations will end up returning to

television, Happen’s Kid Critics surfed the way-back machine (Netflix) for a chance to explore one of Henson’s early directing classics. Labyrinth featured an early performance from Academy Award winner Jennifer Connelly as a teen who foolishly gives up her baby half-brother to a goblin king (a glam David Bowie who also adds original music) only to realize she must take responsibility for saving him from harm. Labyrinth, for adult viewers will likely recall Sam Raimi

(Evil Dead) and Guillermo Del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth, but Henson strives to strike a balance between the scares and keeping things family friendly. Our Kid Critics let you know if he succeeded. - TT Stern-Enzi, Cincinnati Film Critic

Each month, Happen’s Kid Film Critics received their own official Happen film critic packet and a press badge. TT Stern-Enzi,

Cincinnati film critic, provided insight about the film and guided the children as they wrote this month’s film reviews. Read the reviews, and be sure to watch LABYRINTH [PG]. Art activities for parents & children 4201 Hamilton Ave (& Chase) HOURS: 3:30 - 7:30PM (Tue.-Thu.) 10am - 5PM (Sat.) www.happeninc.org (513) 751-2345

event|CELEBRATING CONNECTING CULTURES AND COMMUNITIES CINCINNATI HUMAN RELATIONS ANNUAL LUNCHEON

he Cincinnati Human Relations Commission (CHRC) is pleased to announce that our Annual Luncheon, Silent Auction & Awards Ceremony will be held on Friday, June 26, 2015 at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza. There will be a light reception and silent auction from 11am-12pm followed by Lunch. Individual tickets and corporate sponsors are available. This year’s keynote speaker will be Rev. Dr. Otis Moss, Jr., theologian and activist. The Bishop Herbert 16 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

Thompson, Merlin D. Pope, Jr. Diversity Leadership, Youth Services and Champions for Connecting Cultures & Communities awards will be presented. This year’s honorees include: Alphonse Gerhardstein, The Cincinnati Bengals, The Ohio Innocence Project, Mary Stagaman, and Vishnu Paranandi. To register or for more info please visit www.chrc.us or call the office at 513352-3237 Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook @CHRC

Established in November of 1943 as The Mayor’s Friendly Relations Committee, CHRC’s mission is “to help our community to overcome prejudice and discrimination, build mutual respect and understanding, and to become more harmonious and cohesive.”

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health & wellness| IMAGINE THIS: NO PAIN LEARN COMFORT, UNLEARN PAIN

wo far out questions for you: Can we learn comfort? Could we unlearn a disease? Actually, these ideas may not be that crazy. In a recent Nautilus article entitled “How to Unlearn a Disease” (http://m.nautil.us/issue/24/error/ how-to-unlearn-a-disease), Kelly Clancy recounts the story of a physician who had severe back pain. The “pain-sending nerves” to his lower extremities had been severed, yet the pain persisted even years after the surgery. This learned pain or remembered pain is the same sensation known as phantom limb pain, the pain some people experience in a limb that no longer exists.  We now understand that the neurological connections that originally created the pain fired so strongly and so consistently that the nervous system

learned to send the pain signal even with no stimulus. Movement, touch or whatever was no longer required to trigger pain. So I ask, if the nervous system can learn pain, can it not learn comfort? Given the right opportunity, I believe it can. In fact, I have watched this happen many times. As Clancy states, “The power of the nervous system lies in this ability to learn, even though adulthood.”  In his recent book, The Brain’s Way of Healing, Norman Doidge tells how a number of people with chronic pain learned to eliminate it for good, with no meds and no unwanted “side effects”. It took weeks and months, but they successfully created for themselves a pain-free life–a life of comfort. Of course they still felt pain when injured, but they eliminated the chronic debilitating pain they had experienced for years and was no long helpful in promoting health. How?  Over time they eliminated pain by visualization. They were shown brain scans of a brain “in pain” and a “brain in comfort”. The parts of the brain that were lit (showing brain activity) were different in each picture. They were instructed to begin visualizing their brain “in comfort” with the first twinges of pain. Jan, a nurse who was on disability because of a

If the nervous system can learn pain, can it not learn comfort? ”

work-related accident, had been in constant pain and spent most of every day in a recliner. She began visualizing nearly all day, every day. For the first two or three weeks, nothing much happened. Eventually she began to experience a few minutes of total comfort. In time, the minutes became half an hour, then an hour, then a few hours until she was comfortable nearly all the time and even returned to work.  There are other studies showing that when people visualize the painful body part growing smaller and smaller, they experience a reduction in pain and an increase in comfort. Since the same part of the brain that pro-

Low Back Love

cesses pain also processes vision, by visualizing persistently, the brain becomes so involved in the visualization that it no longer processes the pain that it had learned. Not an instant fix, to be sure, but a pathway out of pain that just might be worth the effort.

BY larry r. wells Larry R. Wells, M.Div, MSW is a partner in Future Life Now and Master Practitioner in Neuro-Linguistic Programming. He has also trained extensively in the Sounder Sleep System® approach to insomnia. He may be reached at (513) 541-5720 or futurelifenow.com

June 6, 9 - noon

In each of three sessions, Cynthia Allen will lead Feldenkrais-based lessons for the back, and Larry Wells will provide NLP-based tools to cultivate positive change.

Stress Less, Sleep More WITH LARRY WELLS

Wednesdays, July 1, 8, and 15 | 6 - 7:45 pm Register at futurelifenow.com or call 513.541.5720

4138 HAMILTON AVENUE, CINCINNATI, OH 45223 life & culture 45223

June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

opinion| BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR JUSTICE: THE CARING CULTURE “My friends ask: ‘How could you not question?’ And I tell them: “That’s part of the indoctrination. You obey. You do not question. And the better you obey, the better person your are.’” It took me a long time to start questioning at all, and then it took me even longer time to think that some of the of the rules are just inhuman.” - U. Hegi in Tearing the silence: On being German in America. Touchstone (1997).

ecently I met with two groups considering two questions: “What can be done to reintegrate the schools?,” and “What can be done to change the violence in our community.” Of course these questions were related by a common condition of silence about the assumptions and histories of our community. We believe that schools and our communities can be safe, productive, caring, and respectful. And that poor education, segregation, joblessness, and poverty are important but minor factors in our lives. After all is said and done, we had the privilege of looking down on unsuccessful lives lived in a culture of danger. But our discussion contained surprises: we didn’t know how failure got started in our communities or how to reverse what seemed like an inevitable evolution of despair for increasing numbers. Our commitment to a philosophy of success for ourselves seemed to have little meaning in suggesting changes for schools, parents, or communities facing increasing violence. Stumbling from one point to another in the conversations only increased our frustration about ever seeing a path to justice for our schools or communities. We agreed that “oppression and inequality are violence in another form. When people are undereducated, impoverished, malnourished, un-or-under-employed, or underpaid and working there jobs, their lives are diminished, as are their opportunities. As are the opportunities of their children.” (M. Bittman(5/13/15). No justice, no anything. NY Times.) We could not answer what should be done until we changed the framework. “Considering this worsening con18 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

dition,” it was asked, “what was your last act of kindness?” Our conversation stopped. We had to approach this question and see if there were any linkages to the bigger questions. Slowly, people ventured an recent example of caring: “I mentor a child because I think that reading is everything;” “I explain how our library works at the technical level;” “I bring food to our local pantry;” “I write checks to Dakota Indian reservations;” and so we continued around the circle to offer an alternative picture of our community: a place colored with kindness. Very carefully, the stories of caring emerged without any questions about how important these activities were to the person and/or their community. Like a breath of fresh air, the stories of compassion breathed new life into our discussion. We began to realize that there were so many individual acts of touching the problems that we were no longer above or away from the problem or its solutions; we were connected at the heart level. The conversation led to drawing pictures of what we had learned and could share with others who might want to join our story-telling. With a few markers, pieces of cardboard, and with a new energy, we were able to create a wall of pictures of caring, a gallery of insights into the hearts of people who were continuing to foster and create a culture of caring. Justice in our schools and communities starts from many directions. We have learned that a compassionate culture can be started in very simple, basic, and persistent actions that construct a new personal purpose in our society. There are lots of signs pointing to justice. They

require a disobeying of the general cultural rules of silence, the sound of accepting the false perspective that nothing can be done as a society or personally to change what is inhuman. Our groups did not come up with a grand plan. That path seemed crowded with pessimism. Instead, we wandered off the path and shared a different and personal perspective. “I can make a difference by making a humane act.” I see this caring culture emerging in hospitals as people with cancer, too often lost in a maze of hopelessness, find fellow cancer patients or patient navigators that simply offer a hand to steady the journey. “No one should be alone in the crisis of cancer,” Harold Freeman, MD, a former president of the American Cancer Society, has said. Creating caring health teams, little communities of lay and medical staff, can reeducate everyone in the process to the importance of caring and serve as a model for how a caring culture can persist after the disease has been overcome. As we broke our silence and our habitual way of closing our minds, our groups found a sweetness in a community of caring that could share examples of health. The pictures of a healthy community gave us a jolt of happiness, a feeling that around our circle of diversity, many seeds of caring were sprouting in a perpetual spring of acts of kindness. We need to join in these exercises of singing the praises of caring citizens in our community, finding in our voices that special sound that makes for a livable community for all. What would it be like in our public and private discussions of schools, for example, if we celebrated true acts of generosity by our teachers, parents, communities, and children? What if we really meant, “All children embraced in a hug.”

Steve Sunderland Steve Sunderland is director of the Peace Village Cancer Project.

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SUPPORT the northsider The Northsider Monthly serves residents of the neighborhood, as well as visitors to the neighborhood by providing ongoing communication, a forum for diverse voices and the opportunity for dialogue. This community newspaper was created as a tool for building community and increasing the neighborhood’s social capital, in an effort to increase community involvement, and improve the quality of life of our residents. The Northsider also enhances existing economic activity in the neighborhood by strengthening the neighborhood’s identity and increases economic activity by providing small businesses with a forum to advertise and increase their visibility. The Northsider Monthly is a community development project of the Northside Community Council. This grassroots community newspaper is published on the first Friday of the month and is distributed to businesses and residents living in the 45223 zip code. YOU CAN HELP BY DONATING ONLINE AT: northsider.northside.net

OR BY MAIL TO: Northsider Monthly 4128 Langland St. Cincinnati, OH 45223

comedy|SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEWS FEATURING COMEDIAN GEOFF TATE We here at The Northsider do not have access to advance screenings, however, we do not want you, the movie going public, to go into this summer’s movie season uninformed. Here’s what we could gather about the upcoming releases based on the posters and titles. Get out there and enjoy a movie and a beer! Those are the only two things left made in America by Americans.

it matter? Who isn’t going to see this? This installment finally answers the question of whatever happened to that asian scientist from the first one.

MAY 29

Inside Out - Osmosis Jones for feelings.

San Andreas - The Rock tirelessly tries to save two people from a massive earthquake while the rest of the world is swallowed whole by a spiteful earth. Aloha - Aloha means hello and goodbye. This looks like more of a goodbye.

The Wolfpack - Alan from The Hangover gets his own movie! Me & Earl & The Dying Girl unless the girl is dying because dinosaurs are eating her, I’m not interested. JUNE 19

Dope - I hope this is about what I think it is about Manglehorn - Al Pacino plays a nevermind.

JULY 10

Balls Out - Sports? Sequel to Get Hard already?

Minions - the word is too close to onions so don’t see this, just in case.

Southpaw - no idea except one of the characters is likely left handed

Self/Less - Ryan Reynolds is a zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Vacation - Rusty Griswold takes his family to Wally World. And just like Cincinnati’s own, The Rusty Griswolds, nothing here is original.

Entourage - The boys are back, finally! My life has felt empty these last few years without the Entourage gang to ignore.

Creep - Josh Duggar biopic. I saw half of this last summer and it freaked me out for real. I had to leave the theater. I can’t wait to see it again the whole way through.

JUNE 5

JUNE 26

Spy - Melissa McCarthy plays an old lady or maybe a lady dressed up like an old lady. Jason Statham is in this so Spy gets however many stars is the most.

Ted 2 - this sequel weirdly also answers the question of what happened to that asian scientist from Jurassic Park

JUNE 3

Insidious: Chapter 3 - like a scary kid, maybe? Ghosts? Love & Mercy - a Brian Wilson biopic based on the Barenaked Ladies’ song, If I Had A $1,000,000. JUNE 12 Jurassic World - Starlord is friends with the velociraptors somehow! They make a new dinosaur! Does

Escobar: Paradise Lost - Pearl Jam funded documentary about Pablo Escobar being falsely convicted of killing that kid in West Memphis JULY 1 Terminator Genisys Schwarzenegger is the Terminator again, but he looks old now. Why? Isn’t he a robot or something? Magic Mike XXL - Balls out

The Bronze - not a great strategy naming your movie after third place What We Did On Our Holiday Ugh! british vacation recaps JULY 17 Ant Man - a man gets all the powers of all our aunts! Casseroles! Cheek pinchings! Afghans! Trainwreck - just see this. JULY 24 Pixels - Adam Sandler! Kevin James! Peter Dinklage! Pac Man! Donkey Kong! It’s like if one of those terrible Bud Light commercials became real

JULY 29

JULY 31 Mission Impossible Rogue Nation - I have been camping outside a theater for this since the trailer premiered. Please bring me water.

geoff tate Geoff Tate is a writer and comedian who lives in Northside. He’s performed all across the country as well as at Bonnaroo, South by Southwest and on Comedy Central and The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. He’s probably eating breakfast at the Blue Jay right now.

northside events calendar – june ONGOING EVENTS: First Monday – Northside Business Association Monthly Meeting @ Happen, Inc. 4201 Hamilton Ave. (6PM) The Northside Business Association is a resource for all Northside Businesses and works to continually improve the neighborhood. More info: call 513-5414745 or email: bdemske@ella.net

Third Monday (Fourth Monday January and

February) – Northside Community Council Monthly Meeting @ McKie Rec Center 1655 Chase Ave. (7PM) Get involved with issues that directly affect our community! The NCC is a volunteer, community-based organization that provides an opportunity for all individuals in the community to participate in Northside’s present and to chart Northside’s future.

Every other Monday – The Qtet @ Northside Tavern 4163 Hamilton Ave. (9PM) Influences range from Miles Davis to Van Halen. Jazz. Front room. Cost: Free www.northsidetav.com Every other Monday – Northside Jazz

Ensemble @ Northside Tavern 4163 Hamilton Ave. (9PM) From Funk, Reggae and Soul to Rock, Free Jazz, Blues and straight-ahead Jazz and back again, this tight four-piece puts familiar tunes in a brand new bag. Jazz. Front room. Cost: Free. www.northsidetav.com

Every Monday – Afternoon Games @

Northside Branch of the Cincinnati Public Library 4219 Hamilton Ave. (3PM) For information, call 513-369-4449

Every Monday – Toddler Times @ Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center 4244 Hamilton Ave. (10:30a.m. to 1p.m.) FREE. www. theplaceforfamilies.com

Every Monday – Crawlers & Climbers @

Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center 4244 Hamilton Ave. (10:30-11:15am) $10 per class. Children are offered an array of fun motor activities in an encouraging, safe, soft environment. www.theplaceforfamilies.com

Every Monday – Whale of a Tale / Storytime

@ Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center 4244 Hamilton Ave. (12:00 - 12.30pm) FREE. Interactive bilingual story time. Instill the love of reading within your child from infancy upward by participating in our multi-sensory story time. Weekly themes incorporate story telling, singing, and a simple take-home craft, if desired. www.theplaceforfamilies.com

Every tuesday– JitterBugs @ Cincinnati

Family Enrichment Center (10:30-11:15) Ages 18 months to 3 years. $10 per class. This unique movement class for beginners introduces basic terminology and the fundamental movements of ballet, modern, African and creative dance! www. theplaceforfamilies.com

Every tuesday– Crawlers & Climbers @ Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center (10:30) www.theplaceforfamilies.com

Every Sunday – Comet Bluegrass Allstars @

Every first & third Thursday – Comedy

EVERY OTHER SUNDY – Dance & Draw w/

Every Tuesday – Zumba @ McKie

LAST Thursday – Folk & Fiction @ The Listing Loon 4124 Hamilton Ave. (6-11PM) Reading and musical performances. Cost: Free. More info: facebook.com/folkandfiction

Cincinnati Family Enrichment Center (11:30) 3/24 - 5/26. www.theplaceforfamilies.com Center (6PM) 1655 Chase Avenue. ”If you are perfect don’t come”- you’ll ruin our demographic.

Every Tuesday – Bike Night @ The Comet

4579 Hamilton Ave. (7pm) Motorcycle enthusiasts gathering. Free. Bikes, Burritos and Brews. www.cometbar.com

Every Saturday – Signing Safari @ Cincinnati

Family Enrichment Center (11:30-12:15) Ages 6 to 35 months. $10 per class. Join your child in singing, signing, playing, & rhyming! www.theplaceforfamilies.com

Every Tuesday – Artist In Residency w/ Jennifer Simone @ The Comet 4579 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. Indie/Folk. www. cometbar.com

Every SATURDAY – Zumba @ McKie

Every Tuesday – Juan Cosby @ Chameleon,

Every Saturday – International Folk Dancing

4114 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. Hip-Hop/ Electronic. Every Tuesday

Third Tuesday– Square Dance @ Northside

Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave. (8-10:30 pm) All dances taught. Live music by the Northside Volunteers. Beer on tap. Suggested donation $5-10 to caller.

First wednesday– The Chris Comer Trio @ The Listing Loon 4124 Hamilton Ave. (8PM) A piano based jazz trio. Cost: Free. More info: www.ChrisComerTrio.com Every Wednesday – Northside Farmers Market @ Northside Presbyterian Church 4222 Hamilton Ave.(4-7PM) This twelve-month market brings tri-state farmers to the city of Cincinnati to sell their produce, meat, eggs, crafts and fruit. NFM prides itself on bringing fresh and locally produced food to the vibrant community of Northside. www.northsidefm.org Every Wednesday – Karaoke @ Chameleon,

Center (12PM) 1655 Chase Avenue. ”If you are perfect don’t come”- you’ll ruin our demographic. @ Twin Towers’ Hader Room (8-10:30 PM). Line and circle dances from Eastern Europe/ Middle East. No partners necessary, no experience necessary. Teaching available 8-9 PM. For information, call 541-6306 or e-mail kspencer1@zoomtown.com. Cost: $5.

Every Second Saturday – Northside Second Saturdays (6-10PM) Come see art, shop, imbibe and eat in one of Cincinnati’s most creative and diverse neighborhoods. Every Second Saturday – Hook & Ladder (Vinyl Night) w/ Margaret Darling (The Seedy Seeds, Devout Wax) @ Chameleon 4114 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. Vinyl / Variety. www.thechameleonclub.com Every Second Saturday – Jill Cleary Galaxie Art Show & Skate Park Fundraiser @ Galaxie Skate Shop, 4202 Hamilton Ave. (6pm) Free. Art. galaxieskateshop.blogspot.com Every Second Saturday – Basement Reggae

4114 Hamilton Ave. (8pm) Free. Karaoke. www.thechameleonclub.com

w/ Abiyah & Grover @ The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. www.cometbar.com

Every Wednesday – Sexy Time Live Band

first sundays – Bulletville @ Northside

@ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave. Free. Rock/electronic. www.thechameleonclub.com

Every Monday – The Marburg Collective @

Every Thursday – Zumba Class @ Northside

4163 Hamilton Ave. (8PM) Cost: Free. www. northsidetav.com.

Every Thursday – Karaoke with Bree @ Boswell’s, 1686 Blue Rock. (8pm) Free. Great food, great drinks, great karaoke! www.facebook.com/hotwheelsentertainment

Every tuesday– Movers & Shakers @

Karaoke @ Northside Tavern 4163 Hamilton Ave. (9PM) Live band karaoke. Back room. Cost: Free. www.sexytimekaraoke.com

Every Monday – Trivia @ Northside Tavern

Front room. Free. www.northsidetav.com

Night w/ Andrew Rudick @ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. www. thechameleonclub.com

Every Monday – Dawg Yawp (Vinyl DJ Sets)

The Comet 4579 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. Indie/Jazz. www.cometbar.com

Line/circle dances from Eastern Europe/ Middle East. No partners necessary, no experience necessary. Teaching available. For information, call 541-6306 or e-mail kspencer1@zoomtown.com. Cost $3.

Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Live music. Front room. Free. www.northsidetav.com

Presbyterian Church Thursday (7PM) 4222 Hamilton Ave. ”If you are perfect don’t come”you’ll ruin our demographic.

third sundays – Vegan Potluck @ Clifton United Methodist Church 3416 Clifton Avenue, Cincinnati, 45220 (2pm potluck|3 pm program) Please bring a vegan dish. www. veganearthus.org

Every Thursday – International Folk Dancing @ Clifton Community Arts Center, 7-9 PM.

Final sundays – The Tillers @ Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Live music.

every sunday – SUNIGHT w/ Josiah Wolf (of Why?) @ The Comet 4579 Hamilton Ave., (10:30 PM) Free. Indie/Improvisational. www.cometbar.com

The Comet. (7:30PM & 9PM) The Comet house band plays two sets every Sunday. Cost: Free. 4579 Hamilton Ave. MULAMBA (Cinthesizer) @ Chameleon 4114 Hamilton Ave. (9pm) Free. Art/DJ/Indie/ Electronic. thechameleonclub.com

UPCOMING EVENTS: Friday, June 5 – DJ Nicolas Perkins @ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Hip-hop. www.thechameleonclub.com Saturday, June 6 – The Victorious @

Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Hip-hop. www.thechameleonclub.com

Friday, June 12 – Under New Order @ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Funk/Soul/Jazz. www.thechameleonclub.com Friday, June 12 – HATEFLIRT @ The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Rock. www. cometbar.com Saturday, June 13 – Emily Ann Art Gallery

Opening @ The Comet, 4579 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Rock. www.cometbar.com

Friday, June 19 – #freshlist @ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Electronic/EDM. www.thechameleonclub.com Friday, June 19 – Electric Citizen w/ John Krautner (of The Go) @ Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Free. Rock. www. northsidetav.com Saturday, June 20 – Promedy @ Chameleon,

4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free.Comedy/HipHop/Funk. www.thechameleonclub.com

Sunday, June 21 – Us, Today w/ Deaf Scene @ Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Free. Indie/Jazz. www.northsidetav.com

Friday, June 26 – Vinyl Frontier @ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Vinyl/Variety/ Electronic/Hip-Hop. www.thechameleonclub.com Saturday, June 27 – Cinthesizer w/ Shaun

Fauste w/ Dots and Boxes @ Chameleon, 4114 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Electronic/ Hip-Hop. www.thechameleonclub.com

Saturday, June 27 – Stella @ The Comet,

4579 Hamilton Ave., (9pm) Free. Rock. www. cometbar.com

Friday, June 26 & Saturday, June 27 – Northside Music Festival @ Northside Tavern, 4163 Hamilton Ave., Free. Indie/Rock. www. northsidetav.com

June Events at the Northside Library • June 1 at 6pm. Join Raptors Inc to learn about hawks, owls, and falcons • June 3 at 10am. Preschool storytime for ages 3-6 and their caregivers • June 3 at 3pm. Decorate your own flower pot and plant a flower at Afternoon Gardening. • June 9 at 2pm. Join the Amazing Portable Circus for Mad Science • June 10 at 10am. Preschool storytime for ages 3-6 and their caregivers • June 11 at 3pm. Learn how to recycle and reuse your plastic to make shrink dink jewelry. • June 13 at 1pm. Join Cool Critters Outreach for a live animal program. • June 15 at 6pm. Come for interactive family storytime where we break apart the storytime into separate elements. • June 16 at 3pm. Lego Lunacy!! Explore and create with Legos and win prizes for

your unique creations! • June 17 at 10am. Preschool storytime for ages 3-6 and their caregivers • June 24 at 10am. Preschool storytime for ages 3-6 and their caregivers • June 27 at 12:30pm. Join SPCA for a program on pet ownership and a few furry friends. • June 20 at 6pm. Learn all about wonderful worms with the Department of Water and Soil. • June 1-July 31 Join our Summer Learning Program where you earn prizes just by reading!!! Open to all ages!!!!! Feel free to contact the Northside Library at 513-369-4449 or Marni Blanken (Children’s Librarian) at Marni.Blanken@CincinnatiLibrary.org for details! Northside Library|4219 Hamilton Ave. | Mon.-Tues. 12-8pm | Wed.-Sat. 12-6pm

JUNE FEATURED DRINK: Buy this drink and support the Northside Farmer's Market!

3934 Spring Grove Ave Cincinnati, Ohio

(513) 386-7570 littlefieldns.com HOURS MONDAY 4pm - 2am TUESDAY 4pm - 2am WEDNESDAY 4pm - 2am THURSDAY 4pm - 2am FRIDAY 4pm - 2am SATURDAY 4pm - 2am SUNDAY 11am - 10pm

4114 Hamilton Avenue Northside | 513-541-2073

Live Music, Spirits, Suds, and Fun!

MAP OF NORTHSIDE

designed & provided by Chris Glass 22 June 2015 / volume 02 / issue 6

life & culture 45223

downloadable at chrisglass.com/northside/

Visit Cincinnati’s ONLY

GREEN DENTAL OFFICE* Brokering Fine Homes Since 1946

Keeping Northsiders smiling since 1982!

Emily Buzek Valentino Sales Vice President

2716 Observatory Avenue Cincinnati, Ohio 45208 Cell (513) 602-7414 E-mail evalentino@comey.com

Thielen Dental Practice

Christopher Thielen, D.D.S. LLC General Dentist Cosmetic, Implant & Family Dentistry 513 541-5655

“Northside’s most prolific Realtor” – Cincinnati Enquirer, June 2013

4254 Hamilton Avenue www.CincyDental.com

* Environmentally conscientious: Proud to be the only OHIO-EPA DEED GOLD AND GREEN compliant dental office in Cincinnati!

comey.com

Progressive Faith Community All are welcome at God’s table Sunday Worship 10:30 AM A Reconciling Congregation: LGBTQ-Friendly Methodist Church

We will be marching in the Pride Parade Saturday, June 27th. Look for our float!

Pride Interfaith Service Thurs June 25th 7 pm, Christ Church Cathedral

Vacation Bible School August 3rd - 6th, 9 AM - Noon

Look for us in the Northside Fourth of July Parade! 3416 Clifton Ave, 45220

513-961-2998

www.cliftonumc.com

facebook.com/CliftonUMC

@CliftonUMCOhio

The northsider, JUNE 2015

volume 2 | issue 6

northsider.northside.net

a free community publication