Middletown Ohio Blog

This Blog is moving to http://blog.middletownusa.com/

2011-01-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

This Blog is moving to http://blog.middletownusa.com/

Middletown City Schools goes Social

2010-12-23T15:07:00.003-05:00

As recently as this fall, Middletown City Schools has jumped into the local social community with Twitter and Facebook. I think Debbie Alberico is to blame.

Debbie Alberico is the Director of Community Relations / Communications at Middletown City Schools. Ms. Alberico has always reached out to the internet as a way to communicate to and from parents, students and the public

She sees her top most important job is to "Develop and supervise the implementation of strategic
communication plans". Source: Linkedin profile

The Middletown City School District is expected to see a reduction in state funding for next year. The reduction could be up to $5 million. The impact of the 20% reduction to the general operating budget could cause a reduction in services and programs offered in the schools. So how does Middletown City Schools communicate to the community while seeing a potential hit to her budget?

The answer is social communication. For years Debbie Alberico has informed the community via press releases to the local newspaper as well as other media outlets such as television, radio and local web sites.

Here are a few examples of important school news provided to MiddletownUSA by Debbie Alberico:

Budget Priority Workshop To seek Community Input
Elementary Students Celebrate Rosa Parks With Essays, Prizes And Role Model (0 Comments)
12/2/2010 Immediate Release Elementary students celebrate Rosa Parks with essays, prizes and role models Details: 1:30 PM, Friday, December 10, Rosa Parks Elemen...
Students With Special Needs Involved In Volunteer Community Work Program (0 Comments)
November 29, 2010 School or Department: Middletown High School Special Education Who: Students with special needs involved in volunteer community work program and staff assigned to pro...
WHASSUP WITH CHARACTER? (0 Comments)
WHASSUP WITH CHARACTER? Nov. 18, 2010 For Immediate Release Middletown High School Boy’s basketball players, along with other st...
COMMUNITY PEP RALLY (0 Comments)
COMMUNITY PEP RALLY Thursday, November 4 at 6:30 pm MHS - Paul Walker Gym Help the Middies celebrate their 10-0 season and build the excitement for the playoff games. C...
Red Ribbon Week “Say Boo To Drugs” (0 Comments)
Say “Boo” To Drugs Word Of The Day Each morning during the week, a riddle will be read during the morning announcements, the answer to which has the ...

Now Middletown City Schools is adding to their communication efforts by adding social accounts.

Follow Middletown Schools on their Twitter Account: http://twitter.com/#!/middletownOH
They have 143 Tweets and 200 followers at the time of this posting. With this feed you can hear as it happens such things as Middie Scores: EX: Middies over Beavercek - 61 - 41. GO MIDDIES!!
Also announcements and links to school news and spirit initiatives.

Follow Middletown Schools on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MiddletownCitySchools.
According to the Facebook Page: This is the official Facebook page for the Middletown City School District in Middletown, Ohio, Where Every Student is a Star! MCSD is an Asset Building District.
See what kids need to succeed.

Middletown City Schools also has a blog: http://www.middletowncityschools.com/blog/

The Middie Buzz Blog

The Middletown City School District is committed to open and honest communication with our community. In an effort to further that commitment, we have created the Middie Buzz Blog. We invite you to participate by submitting your thoughts using the box on the right.

An on-line SWOCA managed progress report and report card called Progress Book.

The School District has a very nice, updated website located here: http://www.middletowncityschools.com/

Kudos to Middletown Schools and their social initiatives. Also kudos to Debbie Alberico. I'm sure she is behind many of these initiatives along with many others she has encouraged to communicate the important news of the school.

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Mike Webber of W. Middletown Makes Exotic Pet Film

2010-11-05T11:49:00.002-04:00

Exotic Pet Film May Lead To TV Series

Posted by jkiesewetterNovember 5th, 2010, 7:09 am

Today a movie…. next year a reality TV show? Mike Webber’s documentary about the dangers and subculture of exotic pets called “The Elephant In The Living Room” opens today at the Rave Motion Pictures 18 in West Chester Township. Channel 12 would call it ”Pets That Kill!”

Much of the 94-minute documentary looking at all sides of the exotic pet situation was shot in Ohio with Tim Harrison of Springboro, who has been rescuing dangerous pets for 36 years, and with Terry Brumfield of Piketon, Ohio, whose lion attacked cars on US 23 near Portsmouth two years ago. Here’s a link to my story about the movie. Harrison and Webber will discuss the film after the 7 p.m. screenings Friday and Saturday.

Webber, a West Middletown native and 1988 Middletown Madison High School graduate, has so much footage (more than 200 hours) that he’s also talking to TV channels about a possible reality series about exotic pets, their owners and Harrison. In a way, that would bring the issue full circle for Harrison, who says calls to rescue/capture dangerous pets escalated from a handful to a hundred from all the exposure about dangerous exotic pets on Animal Planet and other channels.

Harrison says that everyone tells him the same thing: “I watch Animal Planet, and I thought I could do it myself.” Here’s what Harrison says: “There’s no happy ending to anyone owning a large predator. As soon as you get a python or tiger cub, you’re just signing a death certificate for you or someone you know.”

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No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency at Middfest International

2010-09-29T09:08:00.001-04:00

by Christina Papakirk

Middfest International's Literature and Language Exhibit is sure to be a show-stopper this year. Under the direction of Middletown actor and director Christine Brunner, this exhibit will literally bring the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency to life during Middfest weekend. Four area actors will portray the well-known characters of the HBO series--Mma Precious Ramotswe, her assistant Mma Grace Makutsi, her companion and owner of Speedy Motors, Mr. JLB Matekoni and the Orphanage Matron Mma Sylvia Potokwane--in a set designed especially for the event.

The exhibit is located next to the Manchester Inn, and the lot has been turned into the Kgali Shopping Center from the HBO series. Visitors can purchase books by Alexander McCall Smith and others, DVDs, and register for prize drawings for the Books of Botswana Reading Challenge. The HBO series will be shown in the Speedy Motors Garage, and there will also be an area for book discussion and a fan meeting area. Best of all, visitors can interact with the characters! They will be there 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, 1 to 9 p.m. Saturday, 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.

Ms. Burgess Byrd (Cincinnati) as Mma Precious Ramotswe (Detective)
Ms. Edina Ndebele (Cincinnati via Zimbabwe) as Mma Grace Makutsi (Assistant)
Mr. Alan Bomar Jones (Dayton) as Mr. JLB Matekoni (Mechanic)
Ms. Marlene' Johnson (Indianapolis) as Mma Sylvia Potokwane (Orphanage Matron)
Project staff:
Christine Brunner...Producer
Helen Raymond...Scenic Designer
Angela Banks...Production Assistant
Joan Boring...Literature Committee Chair
Denise Bieleki...Literature Committee Member

Middfest's weekend celebration of Botswana will include an array of exhibits featuring many cultural, art, literary, science, history, and business aspects of the country. Live entertainment will be provided by groups from Botswana and local and regional acts, International Bazaar, Food Court, Youth Park and much more.

Friday, Oct. 1 - 6pm-10pm
Saturday, Oct. 2 10 am-10pm
Sunday, Oct. 3 12 noon-6pm

Admission is $5 per person and good for the entire weekend. Children 12 and under are admitted free.

For additional information, please visit Middfest's website, www.middfest.com or Facebook page www.facebook.com/middfest or call Executive Director Virginia Ritan at 513-425-7707, email middfest@siscom.net.

For media inquiries, please contact Christina Papakirk at 513-460-6647 or christina.papakirk@gmail.com.

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Gov Strickland "Steel town Speech" at SunCoke Bricklaying

2010-08-25T16:53:00.000-04:00

Wednesday August 25, 2010 from 2:30pm to 4pm SunCoke Energy celebrated the new facility with the theme, "Laying the Foundation for the Future."

Note: This is the short version of Gov Strickland's speech.

Here is an excerpt from Governor Ted Strickland's speech at the bricklaying dedication.

"Middletown is a steel town and Ohio is a steel state and this coke plant will help keep it that way."

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Ohio Proud at the Ohio State Fair

2010-08-01T22:07:00.005-04:00

If you're planning on visiting the Ohio State Fair this week, you'll definitely want to visit the Ohio Proud areas to get a taste of some homegrown Ohio goodness!

Chefs from across the state will be gathering for the annual Heartland Cuisine demonstrations, where they will showcase their best recipes. The demonstrations will take place at the Taste of Ohio Cafe and will feature many products from Ohio agriculture. They are sponsored by Ohio Proud, as well as Ohio's commodity organizations, agribusinesses, top chefs, and other Ohio-based supporters.

You'll also receive a free copy of the Heartland Cuisine cookbook, which will provide you with the recipes from the demonstrations. Categories in the cookbook include: Apple, Beef, Dairy, Fish, Lamb, Pork, Poultry, and Ohio Proud.

Finally, you can sample and purchase fresh produce, jams, ice cream, and salsa at the Ohio Proud Farmers Market located just inside the Cardinal Gate at the fairgrounds.

The Ohio State Fair began on July 28 and will run through August 8, 2010. It takes place at the Ohio Expo Center in Columbus, Ohio. Gates are open from 9:00 AM until 10:00 PM each day except for August 8, when gates close at 8:00 PM. Tickets are $10 for adults, ages 13-59; $8 for youth, ages 5-12; $8 for seniors, ages 60 and over; and children under five get in for free. Parking is $5 per vehicle.

Ohio Proud began in 1993 and serves as the Ohio Department of Agriculture's "marketing program that identifies and promotes food and agricultural products that are made in Ohio and grown in Ohio."

Right now, there are 410 Ohio proud partners in 77 counties across the state. Purchasing locally grown products help support the state's agriculture business and provides one in seven of your fellow Ohioans with a job. According to the Ohio Proud website, agriculture is the Buckeye State's biggest industry and each year, it contributes over $98 billion to the state's economy. You can learn more by visiting OhioProud.org.

Butler County Dog Lincenses

2010-07-25T00:28:00.004-04:00

Each year, Butler County licenses about 36,000 dogs. Dog licenses are required by law and can be the key to a safe return home when your dog is lost or runs away. If you've lost your dog's tag or are not sure how to get one, you'll find all the information you need below.

Obtaining a License
If you have a new dog and haven't yet licensed him or her, you'll want to visit Butlercountyauditor.org and print out the application. You can mail the application and fee to the following address:

Butler County Auditor
130 High Street, 4th Floor
Hamilton, Ohio 45011

Lost Tags
In the event your dog's tag is lost, you can purchase another tag for a quarter through the auditor's office. Simply make a copy of your original receipt, tape the quarter to the copy and send it along with a self-addressed stamped envelope to the address above. You can also visit the auditor's office in person to get replacement tag.

License Transfers
Should you give your dog away or sell him or her, your dog's license can be transferred to the new owner. Visit Butlercountyauditor.org for the license transfer application and send the application, along with a quarter, to the address listed above.

Death of a Pet
In the event your dog dies, you'll need to contact the office so you will not be expected to renew your pet's license. The phone number is 513-887-3160.

Moving
If you move to a new home, you'll also want to contact the auditor's office to correct your information. In the event your dog is lost and found, it will be returned to the address listed on file and you will want that information to be as up-to-date as possible.

Kennel Licenses
If you want to obtain a kennel license, you'll need to make sure you meet the following requirements: you must be zoned A-1 Agricultural, you must have at least five acres of land, and the kennel must be at least 200 feet from all property lines. A letter from your local zoning board is also required. If your license is renewed by January 31, the cost is $70, however after January 31, you will be forced to pay a $70 penalty. The fee includes five dog licenses and up to five more can purchased for $1 each.

For more information on dog licenses, contact the Butler County Auditor's Office at 513-887-3160.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

2010 Summer Fun in Middletown

2010-07-21T18:39:00.009-04:00

Summer may be half-way over, but there is still tons to do in Middletown and the surrounding area over the next month or two. Below you'll find all types of activities from sports to the arts, from activities for grown-ups only, to activities for the whole family.

July 6th - August 15th, 143rd Annual American Watercolor Society Exhibit: The exhibit takes place at the Middletown Arts Center on Monday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM.

July 24th, Greek Festival: Visit the Sts. Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church for the Middletown Greek Festival! From 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM, enjoy Greek foods, pastries, music and dancing.

July 25th - 31st, Butler County Fair: The Butler County Fair will take place at the Butler County Fairgrounds in Hamilton, from July 25 -31. Tickets for adults are $6, children ages 6-12 are $1, and multi-day passes are available. This is the 160th year for the fair that includes livestock, rides, food, music, and antiques.

July 28, Broad Street Bash: Visit Governor's Square on Broad Street and Central Avenue for BBQ, beer, food, and free live music from the band, After Midnight. Concert starts at 6:00 PM.

July 29, Children's Summer Reading Program: Bring your 5 - 12 year old along every Thursday at 2:00 PM to the Middletown Public library for summer reading fun. On the 29th, the program will feature Jim Kleefeld: A Splash of Magic, along with a water, beach, and fish magic show.

August 3rd, 2010 National Night Out Festival: From 5:00 to 9:00 PM at Jacot Park, the Middletown Police Department and other local business sponsors will be promoting community friendship and safety importance, while handing out free hotdogs, chips, pop, and water!

August 6th - 7th, Giant Radio Controlled Aircraft Show: Visit the Middletown Regional Airport from 8:00 AM on August 6th to 5:00 PM on August 7th, for the Giant Radio Controlled Aircraft Show. This is a great activity for the entire family!

August 11th, Broad Street Bash: Visit Governor's Square on Broad Street and Central Avenue for BBQ, beer, food, and free live music from the band, The Cleavers. Concert starts at 6:00 PM.

August 14th, Main Street Art & Music Festival: From 2:00 to 11:00 PM, you can visit downtown Middletown for the Main Street Art and Music Festival. See local and regional performers, purchase arts and crafts from local and regional artisans - there's even a kid's area.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

What's Coming Up at the Middletown Arts Center?

2010-07-12T14:36:00.004-04:00

There is a lot going on at the Middletown Arts Center this summer! From exhibits you can view to classes you can take, here is a look at what they have to offer in July and August.

Exhibits:

- Currently, the 143rd American Watercolor Society Exhibition is set up until August 15th.

- The Lobby Gallery is currently showing the artwork of botanical artist, Diane Harm, also through August 15th.

- The Atrium Dining Room is currently showing the Middletown Arts Faculty Show. Selections from the Middletown Arts Center Faculty show are currently being shown at the Gallery at the Atrium Medical Center as well.

Classes:

- Ceramics classes are held for both English and Spanish speakers. Tuition is $65.

- Drawing classes, using pencil, colored pencil, pastels, pen, and ink, are also offered. Tuition for these classes are also $65.

- If you wan to learn to make jewelry, the jewelry-making class will cost you $55 for six weeks or $65 for seven weeks. Lab fees are $10 and tools are about $100. You'll learn how to design, saw, file, solder, and finish various pieces of jewelry. Advanced students may use brass, copper, silver, and gold.

- Enameling classes are also offered at the Middletown Arts Center, for $55 for six weeks and $65 for seven weeks. Learn to manipulate power, lump and thread glass, as well as firing in the kiln to create jewelry and framed art. The lab fee is $10.

- Stained Glass classes are a great way of learning cutting glass, leading, assembly, and soldering with various types of tools and glass. Prices are $55 for six weeks and $65 for seven weeks, with the purchase of tools being necessary.

- Glass Fusing/Slumping is offered for $65 with a lab fee of $10. Students will have the opportunity to choose from several products and be instructed on glass-cutting as necessary.

- Glass Painting will be offered for $65 with a $10 lab fee. This "dying art" has been used for centuries and is still as beautiful as ever.

- If you want to learn to paint, the Middletown Arts Center offers those types of classes as well. Tuition ranges from $55 - 65 and classes include: Decorative Arts (with tole painting), Medium of Your Choice, Mixed Media, and several Watercolor classes.

- A digital photography class is offered for $65.

- If you want to learn about Art Journaling, tuition is $65. You'll learn to create a journal through art!

- Techniques in Collage and Assemblage teaches you how to create assembled artworks on paper, canvas, and wood frames, using found objects, papers, ink, and other mediums. This class is $65.

- If you have a child and they're wanting to take some art classes, never fear! The Middletown Arts Center offers these as well. Drawing, Clay, Pottery, Digital Photography and more are available for kids of various ages and range from $50 - $80.

Workshops:

- Doug Dawson, a master pastelist, will be holding a Pastel Landscape workshop From August 23 through August 27, 2010, from 9:30 AM to 4:00 PM each day. It will cost members $500 and non-members $550. To reserve a space, you'll need to make a $150 deposit, with the remainder of the tuition due July 31. Upon registration, you'll be sent a list of supplies needed, as well as a list of local motels, restaurants, and a map.

The Middletown Arts Center is located at 130 North Verity Parkway in Middletown, Ohio. They are open on Monday from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM; Tuesday through Thursday from 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM and they are closed Friday through Saturday.

For more information on times and dates of classes, as well as when each term starts for various classes, visit the Middletown Arts Center website at MiddletownArtsCenter.com.

For more news about Middletown, Ohio, visit Middletown USA.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Steel Magnolia Nomination Deadline Extended

2010-07-05T02:18:00.004-04:00

The deadline for the 2010 Steel Magnolia nominations has been extended through July 30, 2010.

For the second year in a row, the Middletown Community Foundation is accepting nominations for the Steel Magnolia Award. The award is for women who, according to the Middletown Community Foundation website, "have overcome obstacles to positively impact an AK Steel U.S. community." The award is funded by the AK Steel Foundation. Each year, up to ten awards are given out and the recipient's charity of choice receives a $1,000 donation. The award is available for women of all age, who, according to the website, "have faced personal adversity and have shown exceptional strength, courage, compassion and leadership through their work in support of their communities."

Nominations should be submitted in the form of a 500 words or less essay and should be sent to the Middletown Community Foundation by 5:00 PM on July 30, 2010. While nominees must live in the vicinity of an AK Steel facility, they do not have to bee affiliated with the company. This includes Ashland, Kentucky; Butler, Pennsylvania; Columbus, Indiana; Rockport Indiana; and Coshocton, Mansfield, Middletown, Walbridge, West Chester, and Zanesville, all in Ohio.

For more information, call the Middletown Community Foundation at 513-424-7369, or visit their website at www.mcfoundation.org.

In 2009, the award went to eight magnificent women: Eleanor "Elle" Berry of Ashland, Kentucky and her charity, Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital Foundation; Etta J. Carver of Fairfield, Ohio and her charity, Citizens Against Domestic Violence; Martha Fitts Clark of Owensboro Kentucky and her charity, Impact 100 Owensboro; Kimberly Rae Fairchild of Mansfield, Ohio and her charity, Upward Bound Youth in Wooster; Jean Hooper of Zanesville, Ohio and her charity, the Ohio Genealogy Society; Shelly L. Reigle of West Lafayette, Ohio and the American Cancer Society Relay for Life; Tammy Robert of Middletown, Ohio and Berachah Baptist Church's Hands and Feet; and Renee Spohn of Butler, Pennsylvania and her charity, Special Olympics Pennsylvania Butler County.

You can watch a video of last year's ceremony below:

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Summer Fun & Festivals in Ohio

2010-06-30T10:42:00.000-04:00

If you're looking for something to do this summer, Ohio is the place to be! Lots of fun festivals will be taking place, helping you celebrate and get into the summer mood. Below you'll find just a few activities for your family, whether you're looking to learn about history or celebrate the arts.

July 16 -17, the Marietta Sweet Corn Festival is the place to be! Fresh hot buttered corn on the cob will be served alongside delicious foods from local restaurants. You and your family can participate in or watch cornhole tournaments, historical re-enactments and more. You'll have the opportunity to pet your favorite farm animals, or take a hayride around historic downtown Marietta, along the Ohio River. Many local and regional artists will be performing, including Matt First Band, the Faculty, Todd Burge, and Odd Urges.

If you have twins, triplets or other multiples in your family, the Double Take Parade in Twinsburg is a must-attend event! With over 2,000 sets, this unique event is the world's largest annual gathering of twins and takes place this year from August 6 - 8.

If it's good German food you're looking for, the Bucyrus Bratwurst Festival is full of German heritage and takes place August 19 - 21. In addition to open-fire-roasted brats, you can watch parades, visit art shows, and participate in rides and games, or you can cheer on the annual bicycle race and the Bratwurst Festival Queen.

In the heart of Cincinnati, the Macy's Music Festival takes place from July 30 - 31 and has so much R&B, jazz, hip-top, and soul music to offer. Performers will include Charlie Wilson, Maze, En Vogue, Jill Scott, and others.

The Dublin Irish Festival is one of the biggest Irish festivals in the entire country. Attendees will experience over 60 musical acts, Celtic sports, hands-on workshops, an area to research genealogy, and a 10th-century authentic Irish village. The Irish Festival will take place August 6 - 8.

Another musical celebration that will take place that weekend is the Lebanon Blues Festival on August 7. You'll get to see live performances from groups including No Saints No Saviors, Bryan Lee, Robin Lacy, Them Bones and DeZydeco. In addition you'll want to check out the Blue, BBQ, and Bumpers car show for delicious food, hot cars, and more! Admission is free to this exciting event.

The Juneteenth Cincinnati festival in Eden Park celebrates the end of American slavery and fight for freedom. You'll see a unique parade of flags of the African Diaspora, as well re-enactments of speeches from Abe Lincoln and Frederick Douglass. There will also be live musical entertainment from jazz, gospel, blues, reggae, and R&B performers. this event takes place July 19 - 20.

August 6 - 8, Zanesville infamous Y Bridge will turn into an outdoor gallery, which showcases multi-media artwork and contemporary crafts from over 50 artists. In addition to the art, the Y Bridge Arts Festival will include live entertainment, gourmet treats from local restaurants, pottery, blacksmith, fiber arts demonstrations, and a children's activity area.

Festival Latino in Columbus' Genoa Park will take place August 14 - 15 and will feature Ohio's Hispanic culture. There will be multiple stages of continuous salsa, cumbia, meringue, norte no and banda music. You can dance to the Mexican beats or explore the marketplace for Ecuadorian crafts and Mayan Jewelry.

If history is your thing, the Tall Ships festival returns to Cleveland July 7 - 11. You'll see vessels representative of maritime history from the Revolutionary War and War of 1812, Great Lakes trading Schooners, Baltimore Clippers, and so much more! The event is great for the entire family, and even offers a children's play area in addition to live entertainment and the maritime marketplace.

The Summer Moon Festival in Wapakoneta will take place July 15 - 17. Wapakoneta is the hometown of Neil Armstrong. The Festival features a moon rock hunt and a rocket building demonstration among other fun, unique activities. Participate in the moon pie eating contest, wiener dog races, festival rides, live music entertainment and more.

Celebrate Dayton's aviation heritage at the Vectren Dayton Air Show July 17 - 18. Watch as the United States Air Force Thunderbirds display skill, power, and precision in their F-16 Fighting Falcons. You can also watch world-class aerobatic champions, military jet demonstrations, and other entertainment for the entire family!

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

PAWS Adoption Center in Middletown

2010-06-06T15:14:00.004-04:00

The PAWS Adoption Center is located on Cincinnati-Dayton Road in Middletown. They are a no-kill, non-profit shelter for unwanted dogs and cats and their goal is to provide care and homes for those animals, as well as to promote adoption and responsible pet ownership, which includes spay or neutering your pet. At any given time, they have 80 animals looking for a good home. PAWS has been around for over 25 years and offers many community events to help serve their purpose.

In addition to the PAWS Yard Sale that was held last month, the shelter does traveling mobile adoptions several Saturdays each month. For June, adoption days are on the 5th at Voices of America Park, the 19th at the PetSmart in Mason, and the 26th at the PetSmart in Bridgewater.

The weekend of June 12th and 13th, from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM, the shelter will hold their annual PAWS Dog Fest. The event will take place at Voice of America Museum Park in West Chester, on the soccer fields behind the museum. Cost of attendance is $8 per person. The goal of Dog Fest is to educate families about how many animals are in shelters across the Cincinnati area. Dogs of all shapes, sizes, breeds and ages are on exhibit at the event and many are adopted each year. In addition, there is lots of fun to be had at Dog Fest. You can have your own dog participate in games, contests and even the doggie parade!

In addition to taking donation, PAWS is always in need of volunteers and there are many ways you can help. Some of these include: walking and playing with dogs, bathing dogs before adoption events, brushing and providing human contact for cats, helping around the shelter in the office or by doing maintenance, helping take pets to various adoption events, helping with big events such as Dog Fest, and helping with technical things such as grant writing and computer issues.

If you'd like to volunteer with PAWS, you can contact them by email at volunteers.paws@gmail.com. Volunteers much be 16 years or older. Those 7-15 must be supervised by a parent or guardian.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Site is One of State's First Job Ready Sites

2010-05-25T19:43:00.001-04:00

Ohio's Job Ready Site program is aimed at creating and building more development sites that can be readily offered to companies who would like to move to or expand within the state and a new Middletown office development by Al Neyer Inc. is one of the first sites to be certified.

The program was approved by Ohio voters in 2005 and was started with a $2 billion bond issue.

In a press release, Lisa Patt-McDaniel, the director of the Ohio Department of Development said, "The Job Ready Site certification requirements have heightened standards, making Ohio an attractive choice for leading industries to relocate for job expansion and company growth"

Smart Offices at East Point Centre, located in Middletown, was among the 18 sites first selected for a grant about four years ago. The state awarded $2.2 million to what is being marketed as a "technology district" near the Atrium Medical Center.

The area includes a 50,000 square foot office building and it has been awarded a Gold certification for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. In addition, there is room to build two more buildings of up to 90,000 square feet each. Right now, 114 jobs have been created from the site.

In addition to the Middletown site, another technology site has been built and certified in Clark County. Named the Nextedge Applied Research and Technology Park, the 55,572 square foot building is open for leasing and there is room to build an additional 111,000 square feet.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

What Next? Ohio Career Sim for Students

2010-05-13T13:12:00.004-04:00

Earlier this week, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland announced the launch of "What Next? Ohio Career Sim for Students. What Next? is an interactive career website designed to encourage students to explore career opportunities in the high-growth industries in Ohio.

Of the website, Strickland said, "Today's students are tomorrow's creators and entrepreneurs. By encouraging our young people to match their interests with potential career paths, we're helping them discover growing industries right here in Ohio while also preparing them for a purposeful and productive future."

The website allows students in middle school and high school to explore and try careers interactively. It focuses on "STEM" careers - those in science, technology, engineering and math, and what steps in education students need to take to reach those career goals. It was created in collaboration with Scholastic, a leader in educational technology, as well as a large publisher and distributor of children's books.

The hope for the website is that it sparks students aspirations and helps them prepare for a career by matching their passion and curiosity with particular high-growth industries and careers in Ohio.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Housing Prices Up in Metro Cincinnati

2010-05-11T18:43:00.003-04:00

Today, the National Association of Realtor (NAR) reported that the median price of homes in metro Cincinnati are up from year-over-year first quarters. That said, prices have dropped from 2009's fourth quarter. In the first quarter of 2010, the price of a home in the Cincinnati-Middletown area was $121,900. Compare that to 2009's first quarter, when houses were $106,500. That's a 14.5% difference. In the last quarter of 2009, the median home price was $125,000.

The median home price for the entire country is $166,100, which is down 1% from 2009's first quarter. The NAR looked at 151 metro areas across the country. 91 of these saw higher prices in the first quarter of this year compared to that of 2009 and 29 even saw a double digit percentage increase.

Even so, NAR's chief economist said this is a positive sign for the economy. "This flattening in home prices is something we’ve been seeing in all of the home price measures lately, and quite clearly in this metro area price report. The tax credit has been very effective in drawing down excess inventory, with about 1 million additional sales resulting directly from the stimulus," Yun said in a press release.

The state of Ohio as a whole saw prices rise from 2009's first quarter. In Akron, the median price of a home jumped an astonishing 90%, while the Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor area saw an increase of about 54%. Dayton saw a 23% increase from 2009, while Toledo saw a 13% jump. Even Columbus, whose housing market wasn't as bad off as other cities in the state, saw a 6% increase.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Levy Vote Down to the Wire

2010-05-03T07:25:00.007-04:00

The levy will be decided tomorrow, Tuesday May 4 during the Ohio primaries and it's down to the final push for parents and students who are in struggling Ohio school districts. It's less than 24 hours from election day and Middletown residents are urging each other to vote while Middletown City Schools officials cite their fiscal responsibilities in tough economic times. The most important issue about this vote is whether school officials and levy supporters are correct in their claim that rejecting this issue will have a devastating impact on the district and the city as a whole by essentially eliminating 26 percent of the district’s approximately $70 million operating budget.

“If this levy doesn’t pass, it will be a death knell to a city trying to turn itself around,” said Marcia Andrew, school board president. “Schools make the community what it is. Without this levy, we are looking at some big changes.”

Since the fiscal year 2007, Middletown has cut nearly $4.8 million in costs for the district but is currently at risk of losing more than 20 percent of its total revenue. Middletown currently has two emergency levies totalling $18.3 million but they expire at the end of this year. That is why Middletown is asking district voters to approve a $18.3 million substiute levy that would cost individual taxpayers approximately $575 every year per $100,000 in property value. The substitute levy will be a continuing levy, which means the district will no longer have to return to the ballot every three to five years for what voters could perceive as more money.

There have been many warnings across Ohio from School districts saying the levy is an absolute necessity. Franklin school district is considering cutting the amount school days to state minimums, reducing bus transportation, increasing class sizes and increasing sports, music and other extracurricular fees should the levy fail.

“When you take away more than $4 million — nearly 20 percent of our operating budget — then you’re going to have to make some significant cuts in personnel and programming. Our first priority, of course, is to not impact the quality of education in our classrooms. We try to hold off on those cuts as long as possible but there really won’t be an area that will be untouched should this fail.” — Superintendent Arnold Elam

Areas like Reynoldsburg Ohio, where the schools have lost nearly $20 million in the last five years, are the most likely to have the strongest advocates for the levy. Karen Wilson, who's son and daughter face school days without proper physical education, art, or music, desperately wants this levy to pass.

"The day for our kids is pretty much sitting in the classroom. No extra activities -- nothing to stimulate them as far as physically and creatively," Wilson said.

If the levy were to pass, several programs and services would be phased back into the school day in Reynoldsburg. Busing for all students would return in the fall and students in grades K-6 would be able to expect art, music and physical education. The district also said they would not be returning all programs and services immediately, instead choosing to be a bit more judicious with taxpayer funds.

In our own hometown of Middletown, which saw an operational levy voted on three times in 2007, the consequences may be more apparent. After the levy failed in May and August 2007 the district cut nearly $6 million in staff and services, including transportation, athletics and academic programs and even shortening the school day to lessen operational costs. In the case of tomorrows vote however, over $18 million will be decided by a democratic vote.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Greater Miami River Clean-Up

2010-04-26T16:18:00.003-04:00

If you'd like to make an impact on your community, there's a great volunteer opportunity for you on Saturday, May 1st.

The Sixth Annual Clean Sweep of the Great Miami River will take place this Saturday from 8:00 AM until 12;00 PM. The clean-up consists of the lower 54 miles of the Great Miami River, which includes the area from Middletown to the Ohio River near Lawrenceburg, Indiana and the work site at Shawnee Lookout in North Bend.

Volunteers should meet at the part at 2012 Lawrenceburg Road. You will receive a free t-shirt and bottled water. Gloves and trash bags will be provided. For more information, contact Brian Bohl at brian.bohl@hamilton-co.org or 513-772-7645, extension 15, or Kristine Roselle at 513-728-3551, extension 245.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Youth Symphony to Perform Tuesday April 27

2010-04-24T01:16:00.004-04:00

The Middletown Youth Symphony’s spring concert will be held at the Middletown High School and will be free and open to the public. As usual, there will be a short showcase preceding the main concert featuring soloists and small ensembles which will begin at 7:00pm. At 7:30 p.m., the Middletown Youth Symphony will serve up some of the most challenging pieces these young musicians have ever played.

The program is coordinated by co-director, Deborah Dornon and will open with “A Mighty Fortress”, arranged by Vaclav Nelhybel, which will be “a big, massive workout for the orchestra.” Another quite difficult song being performed is called "Scheherazade" by the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and based on the famous “Arabian Nights.”

“I’m very excited about that." said orchestra co-director Lucy Firlie Ginther "It’s a piece a lot of youth symphonies are afraid of, but we have the personnel to do it,” he said. “We have a really talented and very well-developed bunch of kids.”

Also on the roster is “Poem” by C.T. Griffes, for flute and small orchestra, and Mendelssohn’s “Octet,” which is for eight string players. The show’s finale is a work by Robert Smith called “The Great Locomotive Chase,” which tells a story in music about the theft of a train during the Civil War.

One of this year’s graduating seniors, Alex Lindon of Middletown, who plays first trumpet with the Middletown youth symphony had this to say about the concert. "It’s definitely going to be a good show,” he said, citing “Scheherazade” as a piece he thoroughly enjoys. “It’s mostly strings, but it sounds really cool".

Remember, by attending this free concert you will be supporting the Middletown community and the Middletown Youth Symphony. Hope to see you all there!

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

The Ohio Council on Women and Girls

2010-04-11T16:29:00.001-04:00

Last month, Governor Ted Strickland established the Ohio Council on Women and Girls. He signed the executive order at Momentum 2010 - the Ohio Women's Summit. The purpose of the Council is to work to advance the health care, economic development, and education for women and girls.

Upon signing the order, Strickland commented, "I am pleased to announce the creation of this council, which will bring together voices from across state government to help develop a coordinated policy response to issues that affect women and girls. Over the past decades, women have carved out opportunities in politics, business and society that will impact women and girls for generations to come, but we still have work to do. This council will play a vital role in helping engage individuals, organizations, and communities across the state to further strengthen the role of women in our society."

The Council will meet each quarter and will include a number of representatives from all across the state's government. Together, they'll work on policy that has an impact on the issues females often face. They will also work on recommendations to the governor regarding legislation and policy that affects women, support public outreach, and work with local governments and non-profit organizations.

Momentum 2010 was a two-day event that brought hundreds of Ohio women and girls together to promote their own health, economics, and education Attendees were given the opportunity to network, be educated, foster collaborations, and come together to support women's policy. Speakers included the Governor and the First Lady, advisor to President Barack Obama, Valerie Jarrett, Pulitzer Prize-winner Connie Schultz of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, and diversity and inclusion expert Audra Bohannon.

Fore more information on the Ohio Council on Women and Girls, visit OhioWomen2010.com.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Robot Joins Surgical Team at Atrium Medical Center

2010-04-03T11:42:00.003-04:00

The name da Vinci may be synonymous with art, but for Middletown residents the name may soon mean so much more.

Atrium Medical Center is expanding its surgical options through the acquisition of a da Vinci Si HD robot, which utilizes a minimally invasive approach to assist surgeons in operation. The robot boasts the use of smaller incisions when compared to traditional open surgeries meaning shorter hospital stays, reduced pain and faster recovery times, according to hospital officials.

Dr. David Miller, a urologist at Atrium and one of two surgeons capable of operating the da Vinci Si gives his opinion about the robot. "(Robotic surgery) is better for the patient, better in a lot of ways. What used to land patients in the hospital for three days, they are now going home the next day. I can see better and have better control.”

Of course, the da Vinci robot was a major investment for the hospital costing nearly $2 million. The da Vinci Si HD comes equipped with state of the art technology and an intuitive interface with breakthrough surgical capabilities. There are four arms that control up to three surgical instruments and a high-definition camera which allows for up to 10x magnification and provides highly accurate depth perception. In addition, Intuitive® motion technology replicates the experience of open surgery by preserving natural hand-eye coordination and intuitive instrument controls. When coupled with the EndoWrist® instrumentation, which gives the surgeon a far greater range of motion and dexterity than a human hand, the da Vinci Si HD is an unparalleled piece of medical technology that provides enhanced precision, dexterity and control for many complex surgical procedures.

For David Miller, robotic surgery is the future of medicine.

“I don’t plan to do another open prostatectomy again,” he said. “Patients aren’t afraid of (the robot). They are demanding it, so we are preserving the amount of patients that would otherwise go somewhere else.”

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Madison Girls Go to State Championship

2010-03-18T16:25:00.004-04:00

The Madison High School girls basketball team has had a phenomenal season and now they'll be taking it to the state championship game. The girls 50-43 win over Ironton in the state semifinals at Ohio State University puts them at 27-0 for the season. They'll face Findlay Liberty-Benton or Smithville in the title game on Saturday at 10:45 at the Schottenstein Center at Ohio State.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for
Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

2010 Census Form - 10 Questions in 10 Minutes

2010-03-15T10:16:00.005-04:00

After months of preparation the United States government is finally ready to put the census in the hands of local residents and will mail over 120 million census forms across the United States within a month. Even though the 2010 census will contain only 10 questions and take approximately 10 minutes to fully answer, the residents of Middletown will be affected by the outcome for the next 10 years to come.

During the last census 10 years ago, nearly a quarter of Butler County residents failed to complete and return this form. In Hamilton and Middletown the census response rate was 70 percent and 67 percent respectively. Of course this is absolutely normal as there are challenges reaching every single person in Butler County and there are those who mistrust the federal government. Donna Marsh, regional Census Bureau spokeswoman, expects the rate to be higher this year. “That is a challenge,” she said. “So we spent more time trying to educate them on why the census is important.”

Apart from determining how many Ohio representatives will be in congress, an accurate count is important due to the $400 billion in federal funds that will be awarded based on the census data. In addition, completing and mailing back the form in a timely manner will save taxpayer money and local residents a hassle. "Enumerators” will begin going door to door in late April visiting the homes of those who haven't yet returned the form.

For people who would like help filling out the form, the Census Bureau will open 31 questionnaire assistance centers in Butler County by Friday, March 19. There will be 12 in Middletown, 13 in Hamilton and 4 in Oxford. These will be conveniently located in places such as senior centers, libraries, government offices and churches.

Residents needing Braille or large-print questionnaires, or needing a foreign language assistance guide, may call toll-free (866) 872-6868. Residents are also encouraged to call that number if they fail to receive a form by April 12.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Ohio Attracts the Most New Businesses

2010-03-07T22:50:00.006-05:00

For the fourth year in a row, Ohio beat out every other state in the country in attracting new businesses. This according to Site Selection Magazine, who has awarded the state its annual Governor's Cup Award for "leading the nation in new and expanded facilities in 2009."

The Ohio Business Development Coalition, which is a nonprofit organization that markets the state for capital investment, says the award, "demonstrates that Ohio's purposeful redesign of its business climate is making the state an ideal location for businesses to compete in a 21st century global economy," according to a press release.

The March issue of Site Selection Magazine highlights Ohio's achievements. Not only does it show how the state leads development and expansion in both the micropolitan and metropolitan categories, but it also points out the state's overall achievements in economic investments.

Governor Ted Strickland believes the award can be attributed to a number of efforts made by the state, including lower taxes, less regulations, and more, "One of the reasons I believe in Ohio is that companies know Ohio is a great place to do business. We have reduced taxes and regulations, we have increased the skills and education of our workforce, and we have been recognized once again by setting the pace for the nation in new and expanded capital investments."

The magazine arrived at the ranking by looking at the number of private capital investments for new or expanded facilities. They had to have an investment of at least $1 million, create at least 50 new jobs, or added at least 20,000 square feet of new floor area. Ohio had 381 of these types of projects. Texas came in at a close second with 374 projects, followed by Michigan with 371, and Pennsylvania and Tennessee rounded out the top five with 333 and 234 respectively. Ohio has won the award eight times, in the years 1993, 1994, 1995, 2003, 2006, 2007 and 2008.

Ohio Business Development Coalition Executive Director Ed Burghard had this to say about the award, "Winning the 2009 Governor's Cup for the last four years in a row means that, after completing due diligence, CEOs decided Ohio was the ideal location for their business more often than any other state in the country. What's also appealing is the lack of congestion in Ohio allows executives and employees to enjoy professional success without having to sacrifice personal aspirations. Ohio provides people the opportunity for a life in perfect balance."

In addition to winning the award, Ohio had a number of cities that ranked in the top ten metropolitan and micropolitan categories. Cincinatti/Middletown ranked sixth among metropolitan areas with a population over one million. For the second year in a row, Dayton came in second in the mid-sized metropolitan areas with a population between 200,000 and one million category. In the category for micropolitan cities with a population of 10,000 to 50,000, Wooster, Ashtabula and Findlay ranked 2nd, 6th, and 10th respectively.

For more information, visit SiteSelection.com

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown in March

2010-03-04T12:21:00.004-05:00

If you're tired of snow and cold weather and need to get out of the house, never fear; March is a busy month for the city of Middletown! From concerts to events that will get your hearts pumping, get yourself or your family out of the house and out on the town with these fun events!

March 5th: On the first Friday of each month, the First United Methodist Church and Middletown Community Foundation sponsor a concert that is free to the public. The March performance, which starts at noon, will feature Ron Esposito playing Tibet singing bowls, thumb pianos, drums, and vocals!

March 6th: On March 6th, The Middletown Symphony Orchestra will perform at Finkelman Auditorium at Miami University. The concert starts at 8:00 PM and will include music such as Samuel Barber's "School for Scandal Overture," Beethoven's "Symphony No. 2," and Brahms "Double Concerto for Violin and Cello." Tickets are $25.00 for adults and $20.00 for students.

March 7th: The Southwest Ohio Symphonic Band will perform at the Finkelman Auditorium at Miami University in Middletown. The concert is free and it starts at 2:30 PM. Refreshments will follow.

March 11th: Keep your health in check with a free blood pressure screening at the Middletown Community Center. Sponsored by Hospice Care of Middletown, the event lasts from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM.

March 12th: Help raise money for earthquake victims in Haiti at the Machester Inn. The Rescue Haiti Charity Ball begins at 6:00 PM and features dinner, guest speakers, music and more! It cost $25.00 to attend.

March 20th: Mayhem & Mystery presents: "Are You Brighter Than a Night Light" at the Manchester Inn. The show plus dinner will cost you $26.95 plus tax & gratuity. Seating and cash bar open at 6:30, show starts at 7:00 and dinner is served at 7:30, upon the completion of Act One.

March 20th & 21st: The Middletown Spring Blast Soccer Tourney will take place that weekend from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. 200-300 teams will play! The event takes place at Jacob and Smith Parks in Middletown.

March 20th: The St. Patrick's Day 5K Run/Walk is a great way to get outside and get some exercise! The race starts at Middletown High School and circles to Breiel Blvd, North to Manchester Rd, East to Marshall, South to Rosedale, West to Breiel Blvd, and back to the high school. The event starts at 10:00 AM.

March 27th: The Tea, Vintage Style Show with the Middletown Symphony Orchesta will take place at 2:00 PM at the Manchester Inn. The event is designed to help raise money for the orchestra and will feature tea, a fashion show, silent auction, and Vintage Style by Linda Van Arsdal.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Schools Experiment with Recess

2010-02-24T08:59:00.004-05:00

Students at Rosa Parks Elementary School in Middletown are shaking up their daily schedules a little bit. Instead of heading for the playground after lunch, teachers are taking their classes out for recess before lunch, and many say it makes a difference in everything from attentiveness to healthy eating.

According to the school's nurse, Shane Allison, before the switch, students weren't eating the healthy meat and vegetables from their school lunches and they were rushing through lunch so they could go play. "Every day after they would eat lunch they'd come in and separate all their food waste. The food they didn't eat would go in the food bucket and drinks they didn't drink would go into a drink bucket, and they'd throw the trash trays away," Allison told WLWT in Cincinnati.

For one week, 62 fourth graders went to recess before lunch. The results were very positive. Allison said, "The kids have a lot less malaise, fatigue, (but) they're more focused because they have more calories on board." It also allowed students to talk about what they did on the playground during lunch, instead of during classtime, which cut back on classroom disruption.

The kids were even involved in the "scientific experiment." After lunch, the student weighed the buckets of food to see if they were eating more of their healthy lunches or less. The findings were that when going to recess before lunch, they ate about 32 percent more. School lunches are designed to meet one third to one half of a student's daily dietary needs. This is especially important for students on free or reduced lunch and who many not receive proper nutrition at home.

Next year, all Middletown schools will begin scheduling recess before lunch, due to the success of the experiment. Even students think it's a great idea. "If we run around, we get more hungrier and we come back in and can eat all our food," fourth grader Nathaniel Jones told WLWT.

For more information and to watch the WLWT newscast about the experiment, visit their website here: Playing Before Lunch Makes Kids Hungrier, More Attentive

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Poasttown First Church of God Moves Forward After Roof Collapse

2010-02-22T20:11:00.000-05:00

Around 2:00 PM on Friday, February 19th, the roof of the Poasttown First Church of God's gym collapsed, but thankfully no one was hurt. And because of this, the church plans to move forward as soon as possible. Pastor Kenny Brewer tells the Kentucky Post, "We're going to rise above this and come out stronger than we've ever been. A lot of people walked up and saw the building and it was discouraging to them and I'm just going to try to give them a lot of encouragement."

The collapse was caused by the weight of snow that accumulated. The gym had been named for the late pastor Randy Wallace, who died in August from leukemia. On Monday, February 22nd, engineers and insurance representatives will gather at the church to determine what will be the best option for the church. Church board president George Hollon said it's up to the insurance company as to whether or not the gym will be torn down.

Fire Chief Kent Hall says the building is probably a total loss, but he's just glad no one was inside. “We vote here, have breakfast and dinner. Kids are always inside, in the gym on the stage. I know this is a church, but I have to say God was watching over this because it’s a miracle no one got hurt," he told the Middletown Journal.

On Sunday after the collapse, services went on as schedule in the church's new sanctuary. Ironically, during construction, the roof on the sanctuary collapsed as well.

"We will trust the Lord to go with us and we will built it back," said Brewer.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Division of Fire Receives Grant

2010-02-20T23:18:00.003-05:00

The Middletown Divison of Fire will receive a $79,560 grant from the United States Department of Homeland Security's Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. It plans to use the money to advance its firefighter health and safety programs.

Fire Chief Steve Botts said the Middletown Division of Fire is "thrilled" to receive the money. "This grant will have a real impact in our community, it will be cost effective and it will directly impact public safety," he added.

Congressman Boehner announced the grant last week, "The Middletown Division of Fire has a long history of service and dedication to the people of Butler and Warren counties. I am pleased to announce this award, and congratulate everyone at the Middletown Division of Fire for all of their hard work throughout this highly competitive grant process.”

The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is a highly competitive process, overseen by fire service experts. The purpose of the program is to provide grants that will help local fire departments and emergency medical service organizations enhance preparedness and capability. This includes equipment upgrades and training. The Operations and Safety grants, like the one awarded to the Middletown Division of Fire, supports training, equipment, personal protective equipment, and health and safety modifications to stations and facilities.

The Middletown Division of Fire, led by Botts, has 85 members and provides fire suppression, ALS paramedics, pre-hospital emergency medical services including transport duties, fire prevention, hazardous material response, confined space entry and other technical rescue actions. It have five stations located on North Clinton Street, Dixie Highway, Tytus Avenue, Central Avenue, and Roosevelt Boulevard.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Beagle & Puppies Found in the Snow

2010-02-17T22:28:00.003-05:00

Last Wednesday, Chris Demoret was walking across his farm when something caught his eye. It was a beagle, outside his barn, along with her newborn litter of seven puppies. The emaciated beagle was trying to keep the puppies warm in the snow, but Demoret knew they would not survive in the cold temperatures, so he called the Animal Friends Humane Society.

The shelter's director, Meg Stephenson, told the Middletown Journal the dog had made a nest of straw on top of the snow. "She was keeping the tops of the puppies warm, but the bottom half of their bodies were in the snow and straw. We had gotten 13 inches of snow that week," she said.

The shelter took the dog and the puppies in and while there, she gave birth to an eighth one. Unfortunately, three of the puppies died, but the other five are being cared for - along with their mother, who has been named Valentine - at a foster care home.

The dog had been dumped in the snowstorm just a day before she was found. A man has come forward to admit he was the owner of the dog and he had indeed dumped her at the farm. Stephenson said the dog weighed only 23 pounds, which is extremely underweight for a dog of her size, especially one who has just given birth and is nursing puppies.

The puppies will be up for adoption in April.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Has 2nd Highest Jobless Rate in the Region

2010-02-09T13:52:00.000-05:00

According to data released by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services, the area's unemployment rate continues to stay at 9.9%. This area, which includes the Cincinnati area and Northern Kentucky, consists of Brown, Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren Counties in Ohio; Boone, Bracken, Campbell, Gallatin, Kenton, Grant and Pendleton Counties in Kentucky; and Dearborn, Franklin and Ohio Counties in Indiana.. Even though the number of workers filing for unemployment declined in November 2009, December 2009 saw an increase of of 3,700 people who are out of work or actively seeking employment.

In December 2008, the unemployment rate in the region was only 6.7%. The good news is that 9.9% is actually lower than the 10.3% rate from July 2008. The highest unemployment rate for the area on record is 12.5% from January 1983. The rates do not take seasonal hiring into account, which can affect the numbers.

For the state of Ohio as a whole, the unemployment rate for December 2009 was 10.7% and for Kentucky, it was 10.4%. This is higher than the national average which was 9.7%.

The region did see a growth in jobs in the service industry, with a small bit of growth in the finance, professional, and business services, as well as leisure and hospitality. Manufacturing lost only 200 jobs, and goods-producing industries were down only 100 jobs.

Looking at the various Ohio counties in the region, Clermont took the lead with a 10.6% rate, followed by Butler County with a 9.9% rate, Hamilton County with a 9.5% rate and Warren County with 9.3%. As a matter of fact, 84 of Ohio's 88 counties saw an increase in unemployment with Southeast Ohio's Morgan County registering a whopping 17.5% rate. The lowest rate was 7.4%, which occurred in Holmes County, which is considered part of Amish Country.

As for cities, Hamilton had the highest unemployment rate in December, 11.5%. Middletown followed close behind with 11.3%. Both Cincinnati and Norwood had 10% and Fairfield and Mason came in next with 9.3% and 7.2% respectively. As for cities in the entire state, Youngstown had the highest rate with 14.6% and Cleveland Heights had the lowest rate with 6.1%.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown is 4th Best Place to Buy a House

2010-02-06T18:57:00.000-05:00

If you've been thinking about making the jump from renting to home ownership, now is the time to do so. Or so says Forbes Magazine. Middletown was named one of the top cities (number four to be exact) for renters to become buyers. The government has been encouraging this kind of behavior by introducing and extending a tax break for first-time homeowners, as well as keeping federal tax rates at their lowest rates since the 1940's.

According to Forbes, the premium to buy - the spread between what they'd spend to rent and what they'd pay for a mortgage - is a lot lower than the fifteen-year average in a number of cities. To compile the list, Forbes computed the premium and combined that with locations where economists predict home prices will go up the most in the next five years.

Below, you'll find the rest of the top ten:

1. Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, Massachusetts

2. Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord, North and South Carolina area

3. Chicago-Naperville-Jolet, Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin area

4. Cincinnati-Middletown, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana area

5. Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, Colorado

6. Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, Minnesota and Wisconsin area

7. Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland area

8. Portland-Vancouver-Beaverton, Oregon and Washington area

9. San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, California

10. Washington-Arlington-Alexandria, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, and West Virginia area

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Lyric Theatre

2010-02-04T08:43:00.000-05:00

If you're looking for entertainment in Middletown, the Middletown Lyric Theatre could be the place for you! In its 31st season, the Middletown Lyric Theatre has, according to their website, "always strived to bring quality community the community theatre to the Middletown area and beyond."

The theatre's Board of Directors consists of seven members: Managing Artistic Director, Charley Shafor; President Ex-Officio, Cheryl Landen; Member at Large, William "Kip" Moore; Chair of Production, Jennifer Shafor; Chair of Publicity/Front of House, Pam Harris; Chair of Technology and Design, Edwin R. Toy; and Secretary/Historian, Kathy Milbauer.

If you're interested in auditioning for the theatre, it's a great opportunity for students or anyone looking to build their acting resume. Each production consists of a two and a half week rehearsal process. Non-cast stage members act as production stage managers for the opposite production at the time. All actors are paid a stipend for their services.

If you're not an actor but would still like to get involved, the theatre needs volunteers to do things such as constructing and painting sets, selling tickets, handing out programs, and more. And of course, you can always make a donation. Donations help keep ticket prices down, ensure quality programming, and more.

In February, the theatre plans to put on the musical, "Ruthless!" "Ruthless!" is the story of an eight year old girl who will stop at nothing to play Pippi Longstocking in the school play, even murder. Showtimes are as follows: February 11 at 7:15 PM, February 12 at 8:00 PM, February 13 at 8:00 PM, and February 14 at 3:00 PM. All tickets are $15.00.

The Middletown Lyric Theatre is located at 1530 Central Avenue in Middletown. You can contact them at 513-425-7140 or info@middletownlyric.org for more information.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

February Family Fun at the Middletown Library

2010-02-01T09:27:00.001-05:00

If you've found yourself stuck indoors this winter, you've probably been looking for things to do - especially if you are a parent. The winter weather and frigid temperatures don't leave a lot of options. Never fear! The Middletown Library has several great activities for kids each month and February 2010 is no different.

If you have a two or three-year-old, you might want to consider attending a Tales for Tykes event. This storytime is for toddlers and their parents or caregivers and last for half an hour. Sing songs, read stories, participate in learning activities and have fun. Tales for Tykes takes place ever Monday and Tuesday from 10:15 - 10:45, however the library is closed on February 15th for President's Day.

If you're looking for something to do with your infant, Mother Goose Laptime may be for you. More stories, songs, and playtime aimed at children ages 6-24 months. This event takes place every Monday from 11:00 - 11:30, with the exception of February 15th.

For older children, ages 3 1/2 - 5, Preschool Storytime held on each Tuesday from 11:00 - 11:30 may be a great choice! Children will sing songs, hear stories and take part in activities. Parents are not required to sit with their child but they must remain in the children's area of the library.

On Wednesday's, children of all ages are welcome to take part in Family Story Time, which takes place from 11:15 - 11:45. Registration is not required for any of the above mentioned storytime events.

For students over twelve, the Teen Anime/Manga Club will take place on Saturday, February 27th, from 2:00 - 4:00. Teens can meet in the Community Room to discuss their favorite anime and manga, watch new shows, and see what kind of new Manga material is available in the library.

On Saturday, February 13th, from 2:00-2:45, students from the ages of five - twelve can meet in the Community Room for the Jedi Training Camp. Students can practice their Jedi skills with challenges and fun games. Registration is not required.

For more information on any of these events, you can call the Middletown Library's Children's Department at 513-424-8042.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

AK Steel Helps with Emergency Relief in Haiti

2010-01-27T17:50:00.003-05:00

On Tuesday, January 12, 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the island of Haiti. The country was left devastated and the Haitian government has confirmed that over 150,000 people were killed. In the days and weeks that have followed, the United States government and citizens have donated time and money to help the victims. Ohio-based AK Steel has also made a substantial donation.

On January 22nd, in a press release, AK Steel announced that they would be donating $100,000, through their foundation, to help support the emergency relief efforts in Haiti. The money will go to both the American Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders. The company is also encouraging its 6,200 employees to donate, as well. If an employee chooses to donate, AK Steel will match the gift as part of the AK Steel Matching Gift Program.

"We share the concern of countless others for the safety and well-being of everyone in Haiti. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and families affected by this disaster," said James L. Wainscott, the AK Steel chairman, president and CEO.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Ohio Energy & Climate Conference

2010-01-21T02:26:00.001-05:00

The Ohio Liberty Council, together with the Dayton Tea Party, are inviting the public to the Ohio Energy and Climate Conference on Saturday, February 6, in Middletown. They say the public can learn the "truth about climate change."

The event will take place in the Dave Finkelman Auditorium at Miami University's Middletown Campus, from 1:00 PM to 5:00PM. Guests from the Heritage Foundation, Cato Institute, and the Institute for Energy Research will be on hand for discussion on a number of topics including, current and future policy, the science of climate change and energy sources, and practical applications of energy sources with a focus on nuclear energy.

These guests include Ben Lieberman, Senior Policy Analyst for the Heritage Foundation, Patrick Michaels, Senior Fellow in Environmental Studies at the Cato Institute, Mary Hutzler, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Energy Research, and William Tucker, author of Terrestrial Energy.

The event is sponsored by the Ohio Liberty Council’s Cincinnati Tea Party, Cincinnati 9/12 Project, and Dayton Tea Party. Only 750 tickets will be sold. They are $12 and can be purchased at American Junto. Because American Junto is a 501(c)(3) organization, tickets are tax deductible.

For more about the sponsors, you can visit their websites:
Ohio Liberty Council http://www.ohiolibertycouncil.org/
The Cincinnati Tea Party http://www.cincinnatiteaparty.org
The Cincinnati 9/12 Project http://www.cincinnati912project.com/
The Dayton Tea Party http://www.daytonohioteaparty.com

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

February Fun in Southern Ohio

2010-01-17T16:11:00.006-05:00

There is a lot to do in South and Central Ohio in the month of February. Whether you are looking for some family fun, an educational experience, or just a romantic day with your significant other, there's something for everyone!

Valentines by Candlelight (Ohio Village, Columbus, February 12-13) Enjoy what is one of the most romantic times of year with dinner for two at the Ohio Village and greeting at the American House Hotel by costumed interpreters. Before dinner, the Ohio Village singers will present a concert of historic love songs, including songs performed on the violin and hammered dulcimer, and humorous songs, as well as romantic poetry readings. You will also receive a handmade valentine. Call 614-297-3200 for more information. Reservations are not required, but are recommended.

United States Air Force Band of Flight: Hearts, Heroes, and Heritage Concert (National Museum of United States Air Force, Dayton, February 13) The United States Air Force Band of Flight presents a concert to celebrate three holidays at once: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Valentine's Day, and President's Day. Enjoy the patriotic music, along with a free tour of the museum. The concert is free but seating is first-come, first-served. The concert starts at 7:30 PM.

Sweethearts Hike at Ash Cave (Hocking Hills State Park, Logan, February 13) What better way to spend Valentine's than hiking with your sweetheart? Hold hands as you enjoy the beautiful landscape as dusk sets. The hike includes a stop at the famed Ash Cave, as well as refreshments and a cozy fire afterwards.

Appalachian Culture Fest (Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, February 13 - 14) Celebrate the unique Appalachian culture with skilled mountain crafters selling their handmade wares, traditional arts demonstrations, storytellers, bluegrass performances, and more! Learn about the music, folklore, crafts and other aspects of the Appalachian culture with hands-on experiences or purchase woodcrafts, jewelery and art to take home.

Maple Sugaring in the Hills (Hocking Hills State Park, Logan, February 13-14) Behind the Hocking Hills' Old Man's Cave Visitor's Center is the Naturalist Cabin which will be hosting this year's Maple Sugaring event. Watch the process of maple being extracted from the trees and boiled down to make syrup. Learn about how maple syrup is made and try a free sample before you go!

Central Ohio Home and Garden Show (Ohio Expo Center, Columbus, February 27 - March 7) This year's theme is "Art in Bloom" which is appropriate considering the event features full-size gardens! Enjoy over 400 exhibits, events, attractions, yards, and gardens, and tons of home decorating tips along with cooking demonstrations, workshops, and several celebrity appearances.

Fine Arts Fund Sampler Weekend (throughout Cincinnati, February 20-21) For the 24th year in a row, the Fine Arts Fund offers a weekend of over 100 free events. The take place throughout Cincinnati and most of them are at popular area attractions. Free admission or free events are available at the Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ballet, Cincinnati Opera, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, Cincinnati Pops Orchestra and more.

For more ideas on how you can have fun in South Ohio in February, visit DiscoverOhio.com!

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Monore Reinstates Membership in The Middletown Based Chamber

2010-01-15T15:36:00.003-05:00

Last year, Monroe city council voted to leave the Middletown Based local area Chamber of Commerce which covers Monroe, Middletown and Trenton.

This week at the Monroe Council meeting, council voted to renew membership in The Chamber of Commerce.

This was considered in part due to the point that Bill Brock made that by being members, at least we have a seat at the table.

The Chamber of Commerce is headed by Bill Triick who serves as it's president. Also prominent staff members are Kathie Wassenich and Ann Banks. Their office is located at 1500 Centeral Avenue, Middletown, Ohio 45044.

For information on how you can become a member, contact Kathy at: 422-4551.

Indian Artifacts Found at Factory Site

2010-01-08T16:28:00.000-05:00

According to the Associated Press, an interesting discovery was made recently at the future site of SunCoke Energy Inc.'s new plant. Several hundred Native American artifacts were found at the site and are thought to be thousands of years old.

SunCoke Energy, which is building the plant to help supply coke for AK Steel's Middletown Works, found a few artifacts and later hired an archaeological firm to excavate two areas. Among the findings were fragments from arrowheads, spearheads, and evidence of stone tool-making.

Experts say the artifacts probably date back to between 8000 B.C. and 1200 A.D. The items will most likely be given to the Cincinnati Museum Center.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

2010 Census Portrait of America Tour Comes to Middletown

2010-01-04T01:00:00.005-05:00

The 2010 Census Portrait of America tour will be in Hamilton and Butler Counties this week. It will begin on Monday, at 7:00 AM, at the Duke Energy Convention Center in Cincinnati. Displays will help people become familiar with the significance of the census form that should begin arriving in mailboxes in March. The tour will also be promoting jobs, according to even coordinator, Theresa Brundage, "We want to make sure people are hired to work in their own neighborhoods." Each location will offer testing to see if people qualify for a job.

Brundage says it's about, "political power and money." The census results determine the number of congressional seats in Ohio and how federal dollars will be distributed to states and communities.

NBC's "The Today Show" plans to broadcast live from the convention center and it has been described as a two hour "pep-rally." Speeches will be made by a number of local celebrities and dignitaries, including Cincinnati Mayor Mark Mallory and funk bassist Bootsy Collins.

Once the tour leaves the convention center, it will stop at Cincinnati State college on Monday afternoon before making three various stops in Butler County on Tuesday, January 4, 2010. The first event is at 9:00 AM at the Richard Allen III Academy in Hamilton. A fire truck will then escort the tour into Middletown around 1:50 P.M. The trailer will make a brief stop at the Area Senior Citizens Center on Central Avenue before heading to the Middletown Community Center on Lafayette Avenue. Exhibits open at 4:30 P.M. at the Community Center and 5:00 P.M, a parachutist will drop from an airplane into Douglas Park.

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

ProgressBook Debuts in Middletown Schools

2009-12-14T11:59:00.004-05:00

A new software product that allows educators to record, retrieve and use student information for progress-based education is making its debut in three Middletown schools. ProgressBook will be available in Middletown High School, Vail Middle School, and Verity Middle School.

The program also allows parents and students to review grades, homework assignments, attendance, report card information, student progress, teacher comments and more, opening the door for more communication amongst students, teachers, and parents.

"Communication is the key. Better communication, between home and school, equals a better educational process," said Debbie Houser, the Middletown Schools' Curriculum Coordinator.

Funding for the program came through a federal stimulus grant. According to the Senior Director of Learning, Betsy Carter, the school system was only given enough funding for three schools but hopefully there will be enough for more in the future. "When the grant runs out in two years, the district will have to fund the program through the General Fund. Better communication with our parents is a vital part of our strategic plan, so perhaps in the future we can add the program to the entire district," she said.

Parents at the two middle schools have already been made aware of the program and were sent letters with their username and password information. Middletown High School plans to do the same the week students return from winter vacation.

A training demonstration for parents and students is scheduled for January 12 at 4:00, 5:00, 6:00, and 7:00 PM in the Manchester Building Banquet Room at 4420 Manchester Road. No reservation is required to attend.

ODOT & Walmart Say Stay Safe this Holiday Season

2009-12-14T11:23:00.007-05:00

The Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Wal-mart are teaming up this year to help you have a safe holiday shopping season. Their message to Ohio drivers? "Ice and Snow...Take it Slow." In a campaign that started last week and will last throughout the holiday season, the ODOT's safety message will appear in the 150 Walmarts and Sam's Clubs in the state. This is the second year that a public and private partnership has formed to encourage driver safety.

"Being safe is a team effort. Through this partnership with Walmart, we will be reaching millions of Ohioans with an important message of safety," said Jolene M. Molitoris, the Director of the ODOT.

Walmart Safety Fleet Manager, Jim Murphy said of the partnership, "We want to take care of our employees and our customers, that's why we decided to partner with ODOT. While obvious, the message to all drivers, in 'Ice and Snow... Take it Slow' does not grow old."

Both the ODOT and Walmart are champions of safety. In the state, Walmart's delivery truck drivers have been recognized and awarded numerous times for safety by the Ohio Trucking Association. This year, Walmart even received the "Safest Fleet in America" award.

Last winter, there were 44,725 accidents on Ohio roads. 3,415 people were injured and 80 people were killed. Many of these accidents were the result of speeding or following too close.

The ODOT says that all drivers need to realize that winter road conditions can change from minute to minute within less than a mile. This goes for everyone driving vehicles that have four wheels or eighteen wheels and especially in snowy or icy conditions.

To access up-to-date and 24-hour road conditions, visit the ODOT's map-based website http://www.buckeyetraffic.org/. And remember, in Ice and Snow...Take it Slow!

Remember to call 513-422-1907 for Security Camera Systems in Middletown, Cincinnati, or the Dayton, Ohio areas.

Middletown Among Fastest Recovering Cities

2009-12-04T17:06:00.004-05:00

According to Forbes magazine, Middletown is one of the top cities that is recovering quickly from recent economic woes. Ranked at number 55, Middletown was just one of three Ohio cities on the list. The others were Dayton and Columbus. Ironically, Forbes named Middletown one of the fastest dying cities earlier in the year.

Omaha, Nebraska topped the list that included several Texas metro cities, a few other Northeastern manufacturing bases, and a few Southern cities. According to Forbes, "diversified industry and relatively stable housing fundamentals" are what is helping these cities with recovery. Cities where home prices don't fluctuate at extremes and where multiple industries thrived seemed to fair the best.

The list was made by ranking the 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas in five categories that included home prices, sales rates, foreclosures, size of a city's economy and unemployment rate.

Light Up Middletown Set to Begin November 27th

2009-11-26T10:30:00.000-05:00

On Friday, November 27th, the drive-through light display in Smith Park in downtown Middletown will light up at 6:00 PM. This is the eleventh year for the event that will run every night through New Year's Eve until 10:00 PM, regardless of weather.

If you're looking for an inexpensive holiday activity for the family, Light Up Middletown is a great opportunity. Admission is a donation of any amount. Bring the whole family out to tour the 100 acre park, see the tunnel of lights, the floating sea serpent, a huge Santa's workshop, the penguin village, an airplane, hot air balloon, this year's new candy-cane entrance, and so much more. In addition to the animated lights displays, Santa and Mrs. Claus will greet children every Friday and Saturday evening through December 19th, from 7:00-9:00 PM. For a suggested $10 donation, you can have photos made with Santa.

On December 8th, the annual hot air balloon glow will be added to the display. Ten balloons will inflate and glow like giant ornaments. There will also be entertainment and food on those nights, from 7:00 - 8:30 PM.

Light Up Middletown is constructed and maintained by a group of seventeen volunteers known as the Grandpa Gang. With local businesses providing assistance, such as heavy lifting equipment, the men work from mid-October until opening day to make each year's event is unique and better than ever. For the second year in a row, the group is working to exchange incandescent bulbs with LED bulbs that use less electricity.

If you're interested in bringing a large group, motor coaches, buses, and motor homes are welcome. All arches will accommodate large vehicles. Smith Park is located at 500 Tytus Avenue and every entrance into the city has "Light Up Middletown" signs pointing the way. For more information, call Flo Randall at 513-423-1877 or 513-267-2789.

Middletown to Receive Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund Grant

2009-11-23T03:02:00.002-05:00

Last week, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland and Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel announced $28 million in Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund grants to be awarded throughout the state. The funding will allow for the usage of of idle industrial and commercial properties and is expected to create over 1,400 jobs for the state.

Middletown will receive a $1.6 million grant to conduct remediation and demolition at the STM Redevelopment Project property. The property, which started out as the Sutphin Wrenn Union Paper Mill in the 1850s, was purchased by STM Partnership in 1979 and several industrial operations have occurred there since. Today, four small storage and light manufacturing operations make up part of the property, but part of it is vacant and owned by the City of Middletown. Once remediation is complete, the city and another owner hope to attract a commercial project that will help the city with economic growth.

"Too many of our workers and businesses are reeling from this global economic recession, which makes our partnerships with local communities and our efforts to improve Ohio's business climate even more important. Clean Ohio investments encourage business development and job creation by revitalizing our communities and previously-used industrial properties," Governor Strickland said in a statement.

The Clean Ohio Revitalization Fund is a statewide competitive program that provides grants to acquire property, demolish structures, conduct environmental cleanup, and improve infrastructure on or serving a brownfield property. It has served 80 projects since it began. Read more about the various Ohio city projects here: Dayton Minority Biz.com

Holiday Affair on the Square

2009-11-18T21:33:00.002-05:00

On November 22, Middletown will kick of the holiday season with the fifth annual A Holiday Affair on the Square. The event will take place from 3:00 - 6:00 PM, with a traditional holiday brunch at the Manchester Inn from 11:00 - 2:00 PM. What began as the opening of the Got Art! exhibit has grown into a daylong celebration of the Art Central District and Middletown's arts community.

The Middletown Art Center will be open from 12:00 - 4:00 PM and it will feature the work of graphic artist and Middletown resident, Sam Ashworth. Central Avenue (between Verity and Main) will be closed to traffic so that guests may experience free horse drawn carriage rides. From 3:00 - 5:00, attendees may visit "Homelessness: Telling Our Own Stories," which is a traveling art exhibit that shows guests what real homeless people experience in their own words.

The Miami Middletown Downtown facility at 4 North Main Street will host a reception for work by the Gerilla Arts Collaborative. They will also be serving free warm beverages and entertainment will be provided by local musician, Chuck Evans. If you'd like to do a little holiday shopping, Fair Trade Goods from over ten different countries will be for sale at the We Can Business Incubator at 1011 Central Avenue from 3:00 - 5:00. A large percentage of the profits go directly to rescuing artists from poverty and homelessness.

At 5:00 PM, the show will shift gears and live entertainment will take the stage at Governor's Square Park on the corner of Central and Broad. Kip Moore and friends from the Middletown Lyric Theatre, the Angel/Wesley Choir from the First United Methodist Church, the GATE music class from Middletown Public Schools and others will perform. The evening will finish with the lighting of the city's Holiday tree.

Butler County National Philanthropy Day

2009-11-06T09:58:00.000-05:00

The Community Foundations of Butler County and Butler County Development Roundtable will host its third biennial National Philanthropy Day later this month, on Friday, November 13. The luncheon will take place from noon until 1:30 PM at the Marriott in Hamilton. It is being sponsored by gold level sponsors: Duke Energy, First Financial Bank, Miami University Hamilton, and Cox Ohio Publishing and silver level sponsors: Atrium Medical Center/Premier Health Partners and US Bank.

National Philanthropy Day (NPD) is recognized all over the country and is a day to pay tribute to people who are active in the community and have impacted our lives, work, and community through their philanthropic work. Butler County nonprofit agencies have been invited to the luncheon to honor volunteers and donors who contribute to their organizations and the Butler County community. The agencies will have the opportunity to publicly recognize those individuals.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. O'Dell Owens, a native of Cincinnati. Dr. Owens is a graduate of Woodward High School and Antioch College and is no stranger to making a difference. He spent his years as an intern, resident, and chief resident at Yale and later went on to accept a position with Harvard Medical School as a clinical instructor in the OB/GYN department, as well as a Fellow in reproductive Endocrinology and infertility. In 1982, he returned to Cincinnati and established an in-vitro fertilization program, achieving the first successful conception, pregnancy and delivery from a frozen embryo. In 2004, he was elected as Hamilton County's coroner. He has won numerous awards and actively serves on a number of boards. He also spends time working to motivate disadvantaged young people to reach full potential.

The emcee for the event is John Lomax, co-anchor of Good Morning Cincinnati on WKRC-TV. The Knoxville, Tennessee native began working at the channel in 1983 as the Northern Kentucky Bureau Reporter. He serves on a number of boards and volunteers with many organizations. This is his third year as emcee for the NPD event. He has also hosted the Middletown Community Foundation's Crystal Apple Awards, Butler County MRDD and the Atrium Medical center's Hospital Gala in 2007.

For more information about the luncheon, contact Kelli Kurtz at 513-863-1717.

Middies to Make Fourth Playoff Appearance

2009-11-02T18:24:00.003-05:00

The Ohio School Athletic Association announced, on Sunday, the 32 teams who will be part of the state football championships. The Middletown High School Middies, who are currently 9-1, made the cut. It's their fourth playoff appearance and the first time they've made the playoffs since 1990. On Saturday, November 8th, they'll play Moeller. Tickets will be $9.00 at the gate and $7.00 at participating schools.

The Monroe Hornets also made the cut. They are currently 8-2. This is their eight playoff appearance and in both 2005 and 2007, the team made it to the state semifinals. They will play at Chaminade Julienne on Friday night, November 6th.

Other nearby teams who made the playoffs include Valley View and Carlisle.

PPMD: Leading the Fight to End Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

2009-10-20T15:51:00.004-04:00

Every year, 20,000 new cases of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy are diagnosed in infants and children. Duchenne is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in childhood and typically affects males, though it can occur in all races, genders, and cultures. It can be passed from parent to child but over a third of cases happen spontaneously, meaning there is no rhyme or reason as to why one person will contract it and another will not. There are many medical treatments that will help slow it down, but there is not yet a cure. That's where PPMD comes in.

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy is a non-profit organization, headquartered in Middletown, whose mission is to "improve the treatment, quality of life, and long-term outlook for all individuals affected by Duchenne muscular dystrophy through research, advocacy, education, and compassion." The group has a number of objectives including identifying promising research, making state-of-the-art information about treatment options available to everyone, creating a supportive community for people affected by Duchenne, and encouraging policymakers to afford the same priority to Duchenne as they do other disorders.

PPMD focuses on research, advocacy, education, and compassion to help meet their goals and objectives. They also sponsor and take part in a number of campaigns and events that promote family empowerment and community awareness. Some of these events include a race called "Run For Our Sons," a monthly donation campaign called S.T.I.R, several annual national and regional conferences, and supporting grassroots efforts to raise money and awareness.

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy's corporate office is located at 1012 North University Boulevard in Middletown. To get more information or find out how you can help, call 513-424-0696 or visit their website at www.parentprojectmd.org

Take a Fall Foliage Tour in Ohio

2009-10-06T22:30:00.004-04:00

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) has introduced a new feature on its website called "Hit the Road." The new map feature on the Ohio Fall Foliage website allows Ohio residents and visitors to the state to choose from 32 mapped routes that are known for their beautiful autumn views. The routes were chosen by natural resource professionals.

The map shows highlighted routes with place markers at the starting points of each route and identifies nearby state parks, forests, wildlife areas and nature preserves. To further help plan outings this season, the ODNR will update the website weekly with color updates.

Ohio is home to over 100 species of trees which makes for beautiful scenery when the leaves begin to change. To learn more about Ohio's fall foliage, you can call 1-800-BUCKEYE or visit the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Middletown Teachers Know Their History

2009-10-05T09:55:00.001-04:00

Just because school was out for the summer, doesn't mean the learning stopped. But this summer, the teachers were the ones being taught. In July, several Middletown teachers visited New York City to learn about and experience several notable locations such as the Statue of Liberty, the Tenement Museum, and Ellis Island. Much of the trip was focused on the historical aspect of immigration to this country and learning what many of our relatives went through to get to the United States.

The teachers were able to take part in this trip through Teach American History (TAH), a program set up by the federal government to help improve teachers' knowledge, understanding, and appreciation for American history, in order to help student achievement. The program provides grants to various school systems in hopes that they will improve quality and promote the teaching of United States history as a separate academic subject. The grant also provides school districts with the money to purchase books, DVDs, online subscriptions to educational website and student materials.

Future trips, paid for by the grant, are planned to Boston, Massachusetts and Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, where teachers will learn about the Civil War and America's early settlers. In addition to the federal program, Middletown Schools have partnered with the Ohio Historical Society's Ohio Social Studies Resource Center to provide classroom materials and resources focused on Ohio's state history.

This year, several Middletown teachers are involved with TAH. They are: David Hiteshew, Christina Pierett, Rachel Robinson, Megan Mihal, Barb Florence, Anna Bowman, Tiffany Aponte, Troy Rees, Michele Cochran, Lisa Slone, Cindy Centers, Jenny Clark, Joe Howard, Tara Kueker, and Michelle Puckett, Chad Bowers, Angie Bogenschutz, Matt Butler, Scott Colliflower, Greta Popp, Tara Kueker, Joe Howard, Ray Banks, Chris Brandt, Ray Banks, Anna Bowman, Michelle Puckett, Jenny Clark, Barb Florence, Richard Packert, Christina Pierett, Mary Lou Mooney, David Hiteshew, Joyce Leifheit, Cindy Centers, Jennifer Moon, Josh Shaffer, Rachel Robinson, Michelle Cochran, Cathy Hodson, Terry Shores, Tammy Roberts

Middletown Haunted House Voted One of the Best in the Country

2009-09-28T08:28:00.000-04:00

With fall officially here and October just around the corner, people are already starting to make their Halloween plans and what better way to scare yourself silly than attending one of the best Haunted Houses in the nation? According to Hauntworld Magazine, Middletown's own "Land of Illusion" is one of the top 100 Best Haunted Attractions in the United States. Land of Illusion came in at number 31. Cincinnati's "Dent Schoolhouse" also made the list whose top honor went to "13th Gate Haunted House" in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

This is not your average haunted house! Attractions include the Middletown Haunted Trail, "one mile of night terror;" the Temple of Terror a "winding catacomb of suspense;" Dr. Psycho's Haunted Estate, "a demented dwelling of madness;" 3-D Killer Klowns, a "maze of madness" and much, much more! Every Saturday, from 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM, you also can experience live music and entertainment.

Land of Illusion is located at 8762 Thomas Road in Middletown and is open until November 1, 2009. Hours are dark until 2:00 AM on Friday and Saturday, and dark until 11:30 PM on Sunday, rain or shine. Visit their website to learn more about ticket prices and the various attractions they have to offer: Land of Illusion Haunted House

Local Area High School Football

2009-09-09T14:57:00.006-04:00

Summer is coming to an end and the fall is creeping in. The leaves are starting to fall, the weather is cooling down and football season is starting up. All the local teams are gearing up for their seasons and each one is hoping to come out on top. Most teams are already two games into the season and some are doing pretty good.

Middletown is off to a good start this season. The defensive play for the local team has held strong leading them to two consecutive victories over Aiken High School (48-6) and an out of state team, East St. Louis Senior from Illinois (27-16). The Middies are away at Lima senior this Friday night with kickoff commencing at 7:30 pm.

Middletown Christian, who is playing as a club team this year, struggled with their first game against visiting Clark Montessori ending in an Eagle loss (6-37). But the Eagles stepped up the intensity in their second game against the Landmark Christian Eagles, also a club team. Middletown Christian played hard and had a terrific all around game ending in the Eagles' first victory of the season (34-10). The Eagles have their third game at Franklin's Atrium Field this Saturday night with a 7:30 pm kickoff.

Monroe's Hornets started the season off on fire cleaning out Meadowdale High School (41-0). However, the Hornets were unable to keep their momentum going for their second game against the Falcons if Fenwick High School ending in a loss (30-42). The Hornets play again this Friday night at home against Valley View with kickoff at 7:30 pm.

Madison High School's Mohawks started the season off rocky playing against Heath ending in a loss for Madison (14-41). But the Mohawks came into their next game hitting hard against Troy Christian. Their drive and determination lead the Mohawks to their first win of the season (42-13). Madison is away this Friday night at Finneytown with kickoff at 7:30 pm.

Franklin has also had a rough start going 1-1 in their first two games. The Wildcats fell to the the Indians of Carlisle in their first game (7-20) but followed up strong the next week with an impressive win over Ross (34-18). The wildcats are at home this Friday night hosting Greenville High School with kickoff at 7:30 pm.

Lebanon High School is yet another undefeated team in the area. The Warriors have two consecutive victories against Kings High School their first week (45-17) and then taking down Loveland in week two (28-14). The Warriors play host to visiting Trotwood High School this Friday night with kickoff at 7:30 pm.

The football season has already started off strong in the area and will only continue to get bigger. So go out and support your local high school's football team this season. With the way most of these teams are playing the season is shaping up to be a good one. Congratulations to all the teams that won last week and good luck to all the teams this coming week.

Fenwick has started off strong this season going undefeated through two games. The Falcons downed their first opponent Mariemont (54-13) and then pulled a close victory against Monroe High School the following week (42-30). The Falcons play at home this Friday night against Talawanda High School with a 7:30 pm kickoff.

Bill Becker: Deerfield Township's New Interim Administrator

2009-09-02T09:33:00.000-04:00

Bill Becker, a Middletown City Councilman, former police chief, and city manager, was appointed as Deerfield Township's new interim administrator on Wednesday. After being chosen from three potential candidates, trustees approved a contract that will start on September 1, 2009 and end on January 31, 2010. Becker will continue to serve the Middletown City Council.

Becker, who told the Middletown Journal that he was "looking forward to an exciting challenge," says his main focus will be controlling the growth in the Interstate 71 corridor. Trustees President Dan Corey says he believes Becker will provide leadership needed over the next five months. Dan Evers, the Township's previous administrator resigned on July 10, 2009.

Becker served in the United States Army in the Military Police Unit and has devoted his life to public service ever since. He went on to become a police officer and took on a number of roles in that capacity. He was a member of the SWAT team, Water Rescue Unit, Recruit School Instructor, a detective, and eventually became Chief of the Middletown Police Department, where he was responsible for 93 officers, 49 employees, and a $10 million budget. Eventually, he would become the Middletown City Manger. In 2007, he was elected to the Middletown City Council to serve a four-year term.

A Middletown resident, Becker has been involved with Fenwick High School boys and girls basketball, has served as a youth sports coach, served on the TV Middletown Board, the Butler Behavior Health Services Board, and the Warren County Municipal League Executive Committee. He is a graduate of Hamilton Badin High School and the University of Virginia's Weldon Cooper Center for Public Administration. He is also a member of several law enforcement and civil service-related associations.

5 Dollar Meals On The Fith Of September And October

2009-08-26T23:41:00.002-04:00

Join us on the 5th as A special menu item will be featured on this one day as a part of Middletown Pride in Action Participating restaurants are:

56 Degrees 1045 Central Ave

Brownies Café 55 S Broad St

China Garden 616 N University Blvd

Dad’s Family Restaurant 3131 S Main St

Friends American Grill 6147 SR122/Ramada Inn

Gold Star Chili 3214 S Main St

Grecian Delight 1300 Cinn-Dayton Rd

Java Johnny’s 3534 Central Ave

Lakeside Inn 2019 Tytus Ave

LaRosa’s 4900 Roosevelt Blvd

Manchester Inn 1027 Manchester Ave

Meadows 2102 Yankee Road

Taste Of Memphis Bar-B-Q University at Marsh Store

Micomanaco’s Pizza 3320 Dixie Hwy

Shaddock’s Pizza 4713 Central Ave

Stefano’s 2200 Central Ave

For other Middletown Pride in Action projects, email RMort@cinci.rr.com

For more information about this project email 5onthefifth@gmail.com
To discuss this and other happenings in Middletown visit our forum at

Rolling Thunder 1st Annual "Celebration of Our Veterans" 2009

2009-07-22T09:48:00.003-04:00

Rolling Thunder Inc. is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to educating the public about many American prisoners of war that were left behind after all previous wars. The group is also dedicated to trying to correct the past as well as protecting future veterans from being left behind should they become POW/MIA's.

The Rolling Thunder 11th Chapter out of Dayton is hosting it's first ever "Celebration of Our Veterans". The event is 3 days long which includes a motorcycle ride Franklin to Middletown and then back to Franklin. The ride will stop only once at the Veteran's Memorial at Woodside Cemetery in Middletown. The Rolling Thunder will then present a wreath and place it on the memorial in remembrance of all our fallen veterans. There will be a festival that lasts from July 24th through July 26th at the VFW Park in Franklin Ohio which is located on Claude Thomas Road. The festival will include food, music, refreshments, a multitude of vendors, and special celebrations honoring our veterans with a special candlelight vigil Saturday evening. July 25th is also "POW/MIA Awareness Day" in Middletown.

There will be a gate cost which is undetermined as of now. There is also limited camping available at the park for those interested. For all the details on the ride and the festival go to the Rolling Thunder Chapter 11 website. The members of the Rolling Thunder are looking forward to seeing everybody there to support our Veterans and to remember those who were captured or lost in war.

2009 Midfirst Ohio Challenge

2009-07-10T17:03:00.004-04:00

The 7th annual Midfirst Ohio Challenge is set to be held in Middletown, Ohio on July 17-19. It will be held at the gorgeous 100-acre Smith Park. This event features hot air balloon competitions and lots of festival fun such as the Team Fastrax professional skydiving team, live musical entertainment, a classic car show, arts and craft vendors, hot air balloon rides, a variety of fun festival food, airplane and helicopter rides, carnival games, and so much more.

It only costs $5 per carload or $2 per person if you walk in for everyone 13 and up. 12 and under are free. There are a variety of events that will be held throughout the festival ranging from early morning balloon launches to the Mega Arena set up for a mess-free version of paintball to an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast served by the Guinness World Book of Records “Fastest Flipper” Chris Cakes.

Come out for a fun-filled weekend with the family at the 2009 Midfest Ohio Challenge! Click here for more information concerning the Midfest Ohio Challenge.

Vortex Struck Down By Diamondback?

2009-07-09T10:12:00.005-04:00

The newest thrill seeker sensation at Cedar Park's King's Island is on it's way to becoming the most popular debut for a ride at the park in over 20 years. Diamondback is the biggest investment in the park's history, coming in at $22 million. This 230ft high, 5,282ft long hypercoaster tops out at speeds of up to 80mph with 10 drops and a splashdown area at the end of the ride.Diamondback is one of only five rollercoasters in the world to feature a splashdown area.

As of Tuesday, July 7, the ride had attracted over 800,000 riders. The current record holder for the biggest debut is Vortex, which opened in 1987. When it opened, Vortex had an hourly rider count of 1,500 people and topped out at an incredible 2,183,642 riders in its first year. However, Diamondback is hot on it's trail, amassing and hourly rider rate of 1,600 people. Diamondback has accumulated 15,000 more riders than Vortex did at this point when it opened some 22 years ago.

Diamondback is the second attraction to be added to the park in two years following the transfer of the ride Firehawk. Firehawk was originally located in Six Flags worlds of Adventure under the name X-Flight. It was moved in 2007 to King's Island and given a new name and a new paint job. Firehawk has also seen big success at King's Island but nothing comparable to what is happening with Diamondback. At the rate it is going now, Diamondback could very likely be the biggest debuted ride in King's Island history. The ride has been getting very high praise from riders saying it is doing for riders now what The Beast and Vortex did for riders of their times.

Visit the official website for Photos of the Diamondback Roller Coaster

Fun Things To Do In Middletown on July 4, 2009

2009-06-29T09:38:00.004-04:00

July 4th is approaching, and fast. The day we take to honor our nation's independence is a day of remembrance and pride in our country. But it is also a day I look forward to to spend with friends and family. With everybody getting ready for their cookouts, parties, and family gatherings and looking for fun things to do, I thought I might give you a list of some of the fun things I like to do during the 4th of July.

Go to a Parade - Going to a parade is the easiest things to do, and its free. I always love going to a parade, hearing the marching bands, seeing all the floats and people. I just love getting that sense of pride from seeing all the patriotism that's right here in our local community. No matter where you live, there will undoubtedly be a parade in your town or one near by.

Middletown holds an annual parade on July 4th. The parade starts between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., beginning at Woodside Cemetery and ending at Smith Park. Other parades include the City of Hamilton 4th of July Parade, which begins at 10:00 a.m. The parade will begin at the Butler County Fairgrounds, proceed to Route 4, and end at High Street. Following the parade is a patriotic ceremony which will take place at the historic Butler County Court House. Go to the City of Hamilton Website for more information.

Have a Cookout - The good 'ol backyard cookout is one of the simplest and most enjoyable things to do on the 4th of July. Dust of the grill and break out the apron because its time to start cooking. Invite your friends and family for a good time of fun and fellowship. Nothing is more 4th of July than throwing some burgers and hot dogs on the grill (or steak and chicken if your fancy) and relaxing while enjoying some good food.

If you don't want to have it at your house, or can't, then go to a local park. Take the family out to a park, grab a picnic table and have fun. The playground equipment and wide open spaces in local parks is also a great place for the kids to play. Give them a soccer ball, a football, a baseball, anything and they can go out and have a blast! And if it's hot, then a park is a good place to pull out the super soakers. Most of the parks in Middletown have playgrounds, numerous picnic areas, and now they even have splash pads for the kids.

Have a Block Party - You all remember block parties right? It's where you gather all your neighbors on your block, they all bring food, you block off the street, and you all gather to eat, socialize and meet your new neighbors. Block parties used to big a big thing some years ago, but now everybody seems to busy. But this 4th of July, try something new, have a block party, especially if you, like myself, have a few new neighbors you haven't met. Get together with a close neighbor and plan out something that will be fun for everyone.

Take a Family Trip - Nothing extravagant is necessary, just a small weekend trip. Go camping, go to a lake, somewhere close but relaxing. Just getting away from the house and the busy day-to-day of life and going off somewhere and enjoying your time away from work and school is one of the best ways to spend your time. It is also a great way to become closer as a family. Spending that quality time with your family is one of the best experiences you can have.

Some great places to go and relax are places like Hueston Woods, Caesar's Creek, or Put-In-Bay. Hueston woods has a marina, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, paintball fields, and tons of other things to do. At Caesar's Creek you can enjoy camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, and other nature activities. Put-In-Bay offers some of the most fun and interesting things to do. You can sail in the marina, go fishing or even serve on the US Brig Niagara, a restored 1812 Naval War ship designed for the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.

Watch/Do Your Own Fireworks - The most time honored tradition of any 4th of July celebration, fireworks are one of the best ways to celebrate your holiday weekend. Most cities have a fireworks celebration the night of July 4th. Sitting outside watching the colors explode before your eyes is a very beautiful sight to see.

The city of Hamilton will be holding a fireworks celebration after it's 4th of July celebration, visit the Hamilton City Website for more details on those. Monroe also has their own celebration, "Light Up The Sky". I went to this last year and it really was quite good. Monroe promises this year to be abundantly better than last years. Also at "Light Up The Sky" are a number of different food stands, a ton of games and rides for the kids, and live bands. Go to Light Up The Sky Monroe.com for all the details. But maybe one of the most amazing fireworks displays is at Cedar Park's Kings Island amusement Park. Kings Island puts on their fireworks display every year and it is always a spectacle to watch. Kings Island really takes pride in their fireworks and aims to please every year. If you have never been to one then I suggest you go this year because it is definitely worth it. Fireworks start at 10:00 p.m. and the park is open until midnight. Visit the Kings Island Website for all the details.

Between picnics, camping, block parties, parades and fireworks I hope you agree there is something fun for everybody. Hopefully this ideas will come in handy for your holiday and I hope no matter what you do this 4th of July weekend, that your weekend is safe and fun!

Bull's Run Sanctuary and Arboretum in Middletown

2009-06-26T11:44:00.001-04:00

The Bull's Run Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum in Middletown features eleven acres of woods and rolling hills with short nature trails throughout and provides a relaxing get-away from the city, no matter the season. Within the sanctuary is the last free-flowing section of Bull's Run Creek. The creek was used as one Middletown's original boundaries and the area as a grazing pasture for bulls in the 1800's. The park is currently managed by a non-profit corporation, Bull's Run Corporate, which is, according to their website "dedicated to developing and maintaining the Sanctuary as an educational and visual establishment for the benefit of the community."

A visit to the park will bring you closer to nature as you may see squirrels, birds, maybe even a deer or a turtle. In the springtime, see a variety of woodland wildflowers or a garden of plants native to Ohio blooming in the fall. During the winter, the park maintains eight bird-feeding stations. At the front of the park is an arboretum with specific species of trees labeled with information. Inside, you'll find a picnic shelter and mulched trails along the creek that run about 1/3 mile as well as a meadow area that is under restoration. They also offer several nature-based education programs for students of all ages and offer free school field trips.

The Bull's Run Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum in Middletown is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free. The park is located on Rosedale Road.

Kings Island Shuts Down "Son of Beast"

2009-06-23T10:36:00.004-04:00

The Cincinnati area amusement park Kings Island has temporarily shut down its Son of Beast roller coaster. A spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Agriculture says a woman who was visiting the park on May 31 has come forward, saying she was injured while on the ride. An investigation is currently pending.

The roller coaster opened in 2000 and is said to be the world's tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster. In July 2006, the ride closed for a year to repair and remove a vertical loop that caused an accident that sent 27 people to local hospitals.

Kings Island Spokesman, Don Helbig says the park closed the ride immediately after being contacted by the reportedly injured woman because Kings Island "takes all guest comments seriously." He also added that he did not know why the woman waited so long to say anything or how long the ride would be shut down.

Ohio Deparment of Health Prescribes Summer Safety

2009-06-15T16:28:00.005-04:00

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is focused on keeping Ohioans safe this summer. At their website, Ohio.gov, they have listed several ways to help make sure you have a healthy but fun-filled summer.

Healthy Swimming: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the ODH regularly tests state parks and Lake Erie beaches for the presence of bacteria that may be harmful to your health. They recommend that beaches that receive results with higher levels of bacteria post warning signs, and results can also be found at the Ohio Department of Health website or by calling 1-866-OHIO-BCH (644-6224). If you are swimming in a lake, reduce your chances of getting sick by staying away from visible discharge pipes, keeping your head out of the water, showering after swimming, and waiting 24 hours to swim after heavy rainfall.

Mosquitoes: Take extra steps to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. West Nile Virus has infected people of Ohio for the last seven years and is spread only by mosquito bites. Be aware that mosquitoes are the most active during the early morning and late evening hours. If you must be outside during those hours, wear extra bug repellent and protective clothing - mosquitoes are least likely to bite people wearing lighter colors. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Around your home, remove discarded tires, unused flower pots, and other water-holding containers. Keep roofs and gutters clean and outdoor pools and saunas chlorinated. Change birdbaths weekly.

Cookout Safety: Every year, about 140 cases of E. coli are reported in Ohio. Most of these cases come from eating undercooked , contaminated ground beef, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Wash your hands often, especially after changing a diaper, using the bathroom, touching animals, and before cooking. Cook your ground beef to 160 degrees and do not eat beef that is pink in the middle. Keep raw meat away from other foods while you are cooking. Drink only pasteurized milk and juice and drink water only from safe sources that have been treated with chlorine. Do no swallow lake or pool water while swimming. Make sure you wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Middletown CodeRED Emergency Notification System

2009-06-12T15:30:00.004-04:00

Middletown has implemented the CodeRED Emergency Notification System, a communication service that notifies residents by telephone in the event of an emergency. The system is very high-speed with the ability to call up to 50,000 phone numbers per hour. Once a live person or answering machine has picked up the call, it delivers a recorded a message.

The system makes three attempts to call each phone number and the number "999-911-9999" will appear on your caller ID. If you use any type of "Privacy Manager" service on your home telephone, it is possible that it will block the CodeRED telephone call. Residents who use those types of services are encouraged to use a different phone number such as their cell phone.

CodeRED telephone calls will only notify you in the case of an emergency when rapid information is necessary for community safety. Some examples of when this notification could take place include contaminated drinking water, utility outages, evacuation notices, missing persons alerts, fires, floods, bomb threats, hostage situations, chemical spills and gas leaks.

Sign up for CodeRED's Middletown Residential Notification Enrollment.

Middletown Christian Selects New Head Coach For '09 Season

2009-06-12T10:02:00.005-04:00

Six year coach Eric Gwinn has stepped down as the head varsity basketball coach at Middletown Christian. Gwinn, who led the team to a 14-8 season last year, will continue to teach at the school.

Stepping in to take over for Gwinn is 18 year coaching veteran Ed Davis. According to athletic director Ray Cox, "We had seven applicants for the position. After discussing things with our board and several other coaches. we decided Davis was the best fit for us." Davis has spent a good portion of his coaching career in Christian schools, coaching two seasons at Cincinnati Christian and three seasons at Landmark Christian. I love the Christian school environment" said Davis, "When this opportunity became available I decided to go for it."

Coach Davis had his first face-to-face meeting with his players for next season and their parents. Davis gave a brief testimony in his life and his coaching experience, which includes a sectional and district championship, an induction into the Lockland High School Hall of Fame for coaching, and numerous Coach of the Year awards. Coach Davis then gave a quick rundown of how he coached and how he wanted to play the game. Davis likes to play a more fast paced get-up-and-go style game.

The varsity squad graduated seven of its eight players this year, giving Davis a fresh start with the team. Next year's team will be made up of primarily sophomores. I asked coach Davis how he felt about the younger team, "I'm excited. I know we are young and with that inexperience comes some mistakes, but I feel that all the guys are hard workers and that if they work at it then we can do some great things this season." Another way the MCS team will differ from previous seasons is in its size. The past two seasons for MCS has yielded a strong post presence and having players with some good size about them. This years players are on the smaller size, being made up of primarily guards and shooters. When asked about the drop in size in the players, Davis was optimistic. "I think we are going to be o.k. MCS has had some good post players in the past but in my experience, some big guys have trouble getting up and down the floor. These smaller guys have a lot of speed and quickness, which goes along perfectly how I like to play. I plan on using that speed and quickness to our advantage."

Nate Cox, who is the only returning player from last year's varsity squad and who played under Gwinn for the last three seasons, is happy with the decision made in choosing coach Davis. "I like him, I think he's a good coach and that he is going to be good for our team. I look forward to playing with him." Cox said. When asked about the season, Cox was also optimistic. "I think we are going to have a good season. We have a lot of good players and we all seem to fit together pretty good and play well together."

It is going to be a different season for the Eagles next year. Players and fans have become accustomed to Gwinn and his style of coaching and it will be interesting to see how the season goes.

Middletown High School Graduation 2009

2009-06-09T09:48:00.005-04:00

The 134th graduating class of Middletown High School received their diplomas Monday June 8th, 2009, at Princeton Pike Church of God in Liberty Township. The more than 330 student class gathered for one final meeting before stepping out and taking on the world. The auditorium, packed with friends and family members of the graduates celebrated the achievements this class has accomplished over their four years at Middletown.

Clad in white and purple gowns, the graduates listened and reminisced about their time at MHS with help from the two commencement speakers, graduates Alex Landen and Myka Lipscomb. Landen reveled about the Middies football team and their 42-39 victory against Colerain High School and the basketball teams amazing 19-3 season as well as the accomplishments of the High School band and the drama department with their many plays and musicals.

Lipscomb spoke on the words she heard from her principal, Dennis Newell, and his role on molding the class of '09 into the leaders of today. "Every day he told us to be leaders" Lipscomb said. The more than 330 graduates of Middletown High School are taking many different paths in their lives, but one thing is for sure, this class, who received $1.8 million in scholarships, will certainly have an impact on the world of tomorrow.

Below is a video of Lipscomb's speech, we hope you enjoy it.

Crane At Work On Lone Star in Middletown, Ohio

2009-06-04T11:22:00.002-04:00

It's been almost a year since the Lone Star in Middletown, Ohio caught fire in the early morning hours of August 8, 2008; as the anniversary quickly approaches, construction on the the new restaurant has picked up significantly. Today we were greeted by a large crane, taller than our 4 story office building. It has been working hard to move trusses to the roof of Lone Star where a crew of men are attaching them to the structure. Below are photographs and a video from today.

Middletown Area Teacher Recieves Cristo Self Esteem Award

2009-06-02T16:22:00.007-04:00

Today at Middletown's Fenwick High School, Scott Walker is being appluaded for fostering self esteem in students. Mr. Walker has been received the Cirsto Self Esteem Award from the Cristo Group through the Middletown Community Foundation.

Walker teaches U.S History, Algebra II, Advanced Algebra, and Trigonometry along with coaching girl's basketball and boy's soccer at Fenwick Highschool.

The Cristo Self Esteem Award was founded by the Cristo family and comes with a crystal prism, a plaque and $1,000. Fenwick Principal Cathie Mulligan, told the Middletown Journal he (Walker) is always available to students for extra help, is more involved every year and brings out the best in students.

On behalf of MiddletownUSA: Congratulations Mr. Walker.

Check out the original story about the Cristo Self Esteem Award at www.middletownusa.com.

Insurance Coverage Information Available for Ohioans

2009-06-01T14:33:00.005-04:00

The director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, Mary Jo Hudson, is determined to provide information to Ohioans who are facing the loss of health insurance and are seeking new coverage options. The Ohio Department of Insurance has constructed an on-line toolkit to assist those Ohioans who have lost their health and life insurance benefits. This toolkit contains coverage options, tips on finding insurance, consumer publications, and links to health insurance, life insurance, employer bankruptcy, and unemployment material.

This kit encourages Ohioans to talk with insurance agents, compare different insurance policies, and above all to not assume that they can go without insurance. It also can contact and outreach information for the Department of Insurance, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The toolkit and all the information you could possibly need can be found at www.insurance.ohio.gov. Also anyone with question about any of their coverage concerns can call the Ohio Department of Insurance consumer hotline at 1-800-685-1526.

Check out the original story about the Ohio Department of Insurance Toolkit at www.middletownusa.com.

June 2009 Happenings at the Middletown Arts Center

2009-05-29T11:14:00.006-04:00

The Middletown Arts Center is starting the summer off with a full schedule of activities and events. Currently - until June 15 - artist Kevin Macpherson's "Reflections on a Pond" exhibit is on display at the Center. June 26-July 25, the Arts Center will hold its 52nd Annual Student Show.

If you would like to have your own artwork critiqued by a professional, bring one or two pieces in on Friday, June 5 from 6:30 - 8:30 PM. Todd Butts will be on hand to offer his professional critique and light refreshments will be served.

Rain or Shine, this year's annual Garden Tour will take place on June 27 and 28. Visit five beautiful neighborhood gardens and the Arts Center Courtyard. Tickets are $7.00 each and can be purchased at a variety of locations including the Arts Center, Kathryn's Home Accents, Flowers by Roger, and Bern's Landscaping. Tickets can also be purchase at the garden sites on the days of the tour.

During the weekend of the Garden Tour, the Arts Center will also hold a number of workshops. Workshops are $30-50 and you may call the Arts Center at 513-424-2417 to register. They will include:

Pottery Garden Stakes with Jean Ann Bollinger - Glaze pottery garden stakes for your own garden in the colors of your choice! Each attendee will get the opportunity to decorate five garden stakes and the stakes will be fired and picked up at a later date.

Oriental Brush Painting with Jean Vance - Experience the ancient art form of "Sumi-e" and use inks and tools that were used centuries ago. You will be able to complete your own piece to take home for framing!

Flower Arranging with Mary Jo Burns - Learn the art of making gorgeous flower arrangements and create your own arrangement to take home!

Basket-Making with Katherine Lawson - A unique approach to basket-making, this class will allow you to use natural objects such as roots, sticks, seed pods, and more. Weave the baskets using soft sea grass and take home your finished piece!

Other events coming up at the Arts Center include a Watercolor Workshop with Judy Carducci on June 29, 30, and July 1st. "Young Artists" Workshops will be held, starting June 22nd and youth classes will start the week of July 13th. There is something for everyone at the Middletown Arts Center!

History of Memorial Day

2009-05-25T11:58:00.006-04:00

Memorial Day is many things to many people: an extra day off from work or school, the perfect opportunity for a three-day weekend, a chance to bring out the old grill, or the unofficial beginning of summer. But few realize it is all of that and so much more, nor do they realize the history behind it.

Originally called "Decoration Day," Memorial Day was created to remember and honor the men and women who died during the Civil War. The first "official" Memorial Day was observed on May 30, 1868, after being proclaimed by General General John Logan, the national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic. On this day, flowers were placed on the graves of both Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. Five years later, in 1873, New York would become the first state to recognize the day as a holiday and by 1890, all of the Northern states did the same. The Southern states were not as quick to catch on and honored their fallen soldiers on various other days throughout the year. It wasn't until after World War I that Memorial Day became a day to honor all fallen servicemen, not just those who died in the Civil War. The South would soon acknowledge the date and today, all 50 states observe the holiday.

No one knows exactly where the idea of Memorial Day originated but dozens of towns and cities take credit for its creation. While much evidence ironically points to women's groups in the South, President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, New York the official birthplace of the day in 1966. More than likely, after a hard-fought battle, many Americans had the desire to honor the dead after the Civil War and no one town is single-handedly responsible.

Today, Memorial Day has lost much of its meaning. Towns no longer hold parades, the day's unique flag etiquette goes unnoticed, and the graves of those who died serving our country go unvisited. Of course, that is not the case for all American citizens. Every year, 1,200 soldiers from the 3d U.S. Infantry place small flags at each of the 260,000 gravestones at Arlington National Cemetery and patrol the cemetery to make sure the flags remain standing. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts all over the country place flags and candles at the graves of fallen soldiers in their local cemeteries. In 2004, Washington D.C. held the first Memorial Day parade in over 60 years. In December 2000, a resolution was passed that asked all Americans to stop at 3:00 PM on the day and observe a moment of silence.

Members of Congress have made many attempts, in recent years, to return the country to its roots and encourage people to celebrate Memorial Day the way it was intended: as a day to honor those who died protecting our lives and our freedom. No one knows for sure how Americans can be encourage to remember the true meaning of the day, but it is very important to be sure that those who died are kept alive in our memories forever.

The Beach Waterpark - Opening 2009

2009-05-20T15:09:00.004-04:00

The fun-filled, tropical themed Beach Waterpark located in Mason, Ohio is now open for the 2009 season. This tropical oasis, with its live palm trees, rolling waves, Reggae music, and white sand, has something fun for the whole family. Whether guests prefer to splash in the Kahuna Beach Wavepool, relax on the 1,200 feet long Lazy Miami, or test their adventurous side on one of the many pulse-pounding water slides, they are sure to have a wonderful experience at the Beach.

The Beach has a multitude of fast paced, breath-catching water slides for those looking for a thrill. The Aztec Adventure is the only water coaster in the Midwest area. It features 500 feet of hairpin twists, surprising turns, and an ultimate plummet through the gaping mouth of a jaguar. The newest slide, Volcanic Panic, is the longest slide at the Beach. It sends you crashing through 360-degree spirals and along 180-degree horseshoe turns before plunging to the end. The Cliff is the most visible waterslide adventure at the Beach. It has been voted one of the best slides in the country because of its three seconds of pure air as you plummet down its five-story free fall flume. Other featured rides at The Beach include: Typhoon Twist, Banzai, Hidden Rapids, and Twilight Zone.

For the kids, The Beach offers more toned down sorts of adventures. To start their fun-filled day, they can head on over to Splash Mountain or Jolly Mon’ Shores. Splash Mountain features kid-friendly water fun including a miniature inner tube rapids ride, a 30 foot water flume slide, and a smooth belly-flop slide. They can also enjoy a kid’s pool with lots of fountains and waterfalls to enhance their water play experience. Over on Jolly Mon’ Shores, the kids can enjoy a water play world filled with rope ladders, swinging bridges, and a water slide ending in a shallow splash pool just begging to be played in. Also for the kids there is the Kahuna Beach Wavepool, Lazy Miami, and a variety of other tropical spots.

Tickets for this hot summer spot can be purchased on line at The Beach’s website or at the front gate. General adult admission is $27.99 at the gate, but can be bought for $22.00 online. Senior and child’s admission (individuals over the age of 60 or children under 48” in height) is $10.50 a piece at the gate or $9.00 online. Children under the age of 2 are free.

Season passes for The Beach can also be purchased online or at the front gate. An adult general season pass can be purchased for $75.00, a senior or child’s season pass can be purchased for $25.00, and a season long parking pass costs $25.00.

The Beach Waterpark is celebrating the opening of its 25th season, so head on down for a fun-filled day with the family. There’s something for everyone at The Beach Waterpark.

Address: 2590 Water Park Dr, Mason, Ohio 45040

Phone: 800-866-SWIM

Middletown Senior to Play Basketball at Penn State

2009-05-15T09:06:00.003-04:00

Middletown High School senior Bill Edwards has signed on to play basketball for Penn State next year. The 6-foot-6 Edwards was the Ohio Senior Player of the Year, averaged seventeen points, and led the conference with nine rebounds and almost five assists this past season. He was also the co-player of the year in the conference, district player of the year, and named first-team All-Ohio in the largest classification of schools.

Edwards narrowed his decision down to Penn State or Miami University but in the end Penn State won out. “It was pretty tough but coming down to it, I think that Miami and Penn State really stood out because Miami was always there throughout the way and so was Penn State...Penn State felt right and I think it will be somewhere for me to pursue my career at," he told Rivals.com.

It's not surprising Edwards is on his way to becoming a basketball great. His father, Bill Edwards, Sr., played college basketball at Wright State, briefly played with the Philadelphia 76ers, and played professional basketball in Europe. His mother, Glenetta Edwards, was a star basketball player at Monroe High School.

Middletown Christian Student Wins National Spelling Bee

2009-05-14T10:05:00.005-04:00

Long days of writing out hundreds and hundreds of spelling words doesn't sound like a whole lot of fun for most students, but for 13-year-old Amanda White it was something she actually wanted to do.

White, an eighth grader at Middletown Christian School, spent hours and hours writing down words, their pronunciations, and even wrote out the entire dictionary all to prepare for one thing: the Association of Christian Schools International(ACSI) National Spelling Bee. Wright filled out four entire notebooks with different words so she could study them in preparation for the competition.

Well, last weekend her long hours and continuous hard work finally paid off when Amanda achieved first place in the contest. "I was so glad I worked so hard," Amanda said. While this may seem simple to some, it is the complete opposite. Amanda had advanced from the regional spelling bee which consisted of 19,000 students from fifth grade to eighth grade from schools all over the country.

The National Competition took place in Washington D.C. where Amanda beat out 45 students to take the top honors. Amanda was awarded at Middletown Christian with a school wide ceremony in honor of her accomplishments. "I was really glad I was able to come out with a victory," Amanda said after the ceremony.

According to White, when it was just her and another student, they both held hands and were each given a microphone. Amanda needed to spell two words correctly after her competitor misspelled her word. Her first word was "luciferous", a word Amanda had never heard before. But, thanks to her hard work and talents, she spelled it correctly. Amanda's final word was "adiposity". According to Amanda, "My voice cracked, and I knew I had won." "I was in awe of her, I just wanted to hug her and tell her it was all worth it." Elaine White, Amanda's mother said.

Amanda worked hard and it all paid off. This is a big honor not only for Amanda and her family, but for her school as well. For winning, Amanda received a savings bond in the amount of $200, a new laptop, and a printer.

What is Coke (Fuel)?

2009-04-30T14:46:00.008-04:00

Coke as a fuel was originally pioneered by the Chinese in the 11th century and was introduced in Europe during the 17th century in order to replace wood as a fuel, which was becoming scarce and expensive due to extreme deforestation. The coal's fumes, smoke, and sulfur compounds immediately disqualified it from many applications such as cooking and smelting, and such the coke was primarily used to fuel steam locomotives.

In 1709 Abraham Darby I established a coke-based blast furnace to produce cast iron and found that Coke's strong crushing strength allowed the furnace to become taller, larger, and ultimately burn hotter. This caused a widespread availability of inexpensive iron and is considered one of the major factors leading to the Industrial Revolution.

Coke today is used as a fuel and reducing agent in smelting iron ore in a blast furnace and can be combined with other materials to produce heat shielding materials. Most recently coke was used by NASA to produce the heat shielding on the Mars Pathfinder and NASA plans to utilize coke to produce a new heat sheild for its next generation space craft called Orion. An interesting fact about coke fuel is that many smoke-producing constituents are driven off during the production processes meaning that the coke itself may be burned with little or no smoke. Many other coal products tend to produce much more smoke and environmentally hazardous bi-products.

Many of the volatile components of coal, such as coal-gas and coal-tar, are driven off by baking the coal in an airless furnace at temperatures as high as 2,000 degrees Celsius. Today many American steel companies capture these by-product hydrocarbons and use them to create other products. When steel companies elect not to collect these by-products they employ Non by-product coking furnaces to burn the hydrocarbon gases that are produced.

Today many companies elect to use coke as a source of fuel instead of bituminous coal due to the fact that bituminous coal will produce much smoke when burned. Often times there are conditions which are not suitable for the complete combustion of bituminous coal due to the smoke bi-product, and these companies elect to use coke instead.

Cox Arboretum - My Visit April 2009

2009-04-24T11:58:00.010-04:00

If you find yourself with a few spare hours this weekend I would highly recommend a visit to the Cox Arboretum on 6733 Springboro Pike in Dayton, Ohio. From Middletown the Arboretum is roughly a 25 minute drive. Or to give you another idea on the time and distance it's about 3-5 minutes past the Dayton Mall. Simply take the I75 Miamisburgh-Springboro exit, turn right at the bottom of the ramp, then take the fist left onto Spingboro Pike. Head North for just a few minutes and you will see the signs for the Arboretum on your left.

The Arboretum is located on 189 acres of land owned by Five Rivers MetroPark which serves the greater Dayton area. The park includes:

* Shrub Garden with more than 500 different trees and shrubs
* Woodland Wildflower Garden
* Rock Garden
* Water Garden
* Clematis Arbor
* Crabapple Allee
* Stonewall Perennial Garden
* Meditation Garden
* Conifer Collection
* Bell Children's Maze
* Edible Landscape Garden
* Conservation Corner (Prairie, Bird Blind) Praire Plants Brochure
* Butterfly House and Garden (Butterfly House is a seasonal display)

It was two weeks ago when my wife and I were last there. At the time only a few types of flowers were were starting to bloom. I can only imagine there is ten times the color to be enjoyed there now.

If you enjoy walking there are several trails leading through wooded areas and of course the main paved paths around the beautifully kept grounds of the Arboretum. The main paved path takes you past two wonderful ponds full of turtles and giant coy. To make a single loop around the main grounds you should plan on at least a 30 minute walk. If you stop to take in the scenery that time could easily double.

With the weather looking wonderful for this weekend I hope you can give the Cox Arboretum a try. I am sure you will enjoy it.

For more details visit:
http://www.coxarboretum.org/

Or comment and share your favorite springtime pictures on our MiddletownUSA Community Forum.

Madison High School Football: Head Coach Offer Gets 54 Applications

2009-04-03T16:59:00.004-04:00

According to MHS Athletic Director Darren Stevens, the newly available head coaching position for the Madison High School football team has received an impressive 54 different applications from hopeful coaches in surrounding areas.

One of the first to apply for the job was Madison's Defensive coordinator Jeff Ripple. He did so shortly after the position was open within the district following former head coach Joel Lauer's resignation which took place earlier this March.

Some of the prospective coaches include Middletown assistants Bret Stubbs and Joel Snivley. Snivley is the Middies' offensive line coach and Stubbs is the defensive coordinator. Others include assistant coach Graham Halcomb from Fenwick, Talawanda assistant Mike Campbell, assistant Matt Hopkins from Eaton, Barak Faulk and Jason Austerman, both assistants at Mason, and Sumit Country Day assistant Sean McCormick. Among all these is also former New Lebanon Dixie James Jewett and former longtime Ross coach Dick Ballard.

"It's going to be a difficult task, narrowing it down." said Stevens who needs to get the list of 54 down to around 10 to 15 applicants who himself and Madison Principle Curtis Philpot are scheduled to interview next week. "It's a nice task to have, though." stated Stevens. "I'd rather have 50 applicants than 3." According to Stevens, the ultimate goal is to "obviously find someone who best fits our program. Football is a big deal in our community and whomever the new coach is needs to understand that its all about the X's and O's."

Philpot and Stevens will sit down this Monday and determine the applicants they will interview. They hope to get the interviews done next week while the chool is on Spring Break. Once that is done they will gather four to five finalists which will be interviewed by a group of eight to ten people. This group will consist of school administrators, at-large community members, members of the area youth sports organization, teachers, and boosters. This group will conduct interviews on the week of April 20 after which they will submit recommendations to Stevens and Philpot, who will in turn make the final decision.

"Our community will play a big part in helping us get the best coach" said Stevens. "They will have a different perspective in the interviews and it will be nice to have other opinions besides me and Curtis." The goal of everyone is to have a new coach in position by the end of April, and with the long list of applicants, I do not think they will have any trouble finding someone to fit perfectly with how the program out at Madison runs.

Armco Park Grand Re-Opening

2009-03-24T20:08:00.005-04:00

Armco park has long since been the private recreation area for the workers and employees of AK Steel. The park has been closed to public use since its conception but all that is changing now. Come this Saturday, March 28, 2009, Armco Park will officially be opened as a public park. This is made so by the fact that Armco park is now under the management of the Warren County Park District.

This re-opening is planned to have a few changes from the previously private park. Warren County Park District Spokesman Dave Woehr said, "In a lot of ways, this is going to be like a brand new park. It's a very impressive piece of land." The county has undertaken many renovations for the park which includes fixing run-down picnic shelters and other facilities.

The park itself is quite impressive. Located on Ohio 741, just north of Ohio 63, lies the 310-acre park. There are many different things in the park for people to enjoy. Armco Park has a lake for fishing, several picnic shelters, numerous softball fields, boat rentals and even a nine-hole golf course. General admission into the park will be free, however, certain activities, like boat rentals and the golf course, will require you to pay.

In September of last year, AK Steel sold Armco Park to Warren County for a price of $4.4 million. Of this sum, the county contributed $1.4 million. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Turtlecreek Township, and Otterbein Retirement Communities each contributed a generous $1 million to the park.

Now just because the park is under new management, does not mean that everything that activity that went on there in the past is out the door. The Warren County Park Board will try to keep many of the past traditions laid forth by Armco alive. For example, the annual Easter Egg Hunt, which used to draw in upwards of 2,000 children(myself included when I was of age) to the park, will take place Saturday, April 11, at 1 p.m. for any children ages 12 and under. An incredible 6,000 colorful plastic eggs will be hidden throughout the park, each filled with candy, for the children to find. A gala Grand-Opening event is being planned at the park for July 4, according to Woehr.

The opening of Armco to the public is a wonderful idea. Now anybody can enjoy the beautiful park and everything it has to offer. It looks like there is a new place for kids and families to go and have fun this summer.

Win A Free Blu-Ray Player By Posting On Middletownusa's Forums

2009-03-13T15:17:00.004-04:00

The MiddletownUSA Forum is holding a recruiting drive contest to designed to help build membership and conversation about Middletown, Ohio and the community. The prize for the contest is one Sharp BluRay Disc Player (AQUOS BD PLAYER).

How To Enter:
Entering the contest is simple. All you need to do is be a MiddletownUSA.com Forum member (Join Here) and post! You will receive entries into the contest for doing all of the following:
• One Entry will be given for each post made on the forum1.
• Five Entries will be given for each new member recruited who makes 5 (or more) posts
• Five Entries will be given to each new member recruited who makes 5 (or more) posts
There is no cap on the number of entries you can receive. All entries at the end of the contest will be sorted randomly and a computer will randomly select one winner. The contest has already started and will continue to run until May 1, 2009 at 11:59 AM.

To hear all the rules and agreements please click here.

M.U.M Basketball Wins State Championship

2009-02-24T14:58:00.006-05:00

Miami University Middletown has been a college branch campus for Miami University Oxford for many years. It functions just like a normal college. It has normal classes, students and faculty.It also has a state hampionship basketball team.

Last Sunday, the Miami University Middletown Men's Thunderhawk basketball team traveled to the University of Ohio-Chillicothe to compete for the ORC State Championship for the first time under the leadership of head coach Bob Nocton, who has been there for four years. The one hour and fouty-five minute bus ride was filled with eager anticipation as MUM traveled on its way to the Championship game. Last year, #1 seeded MUM was knocked off in the semi-final round by rival Miami University Hamilton. Needless to say MUM was ready to make a statement, which they did.

This season was an incredibly good one for the team. They had an impressive record of 24 wins and 6 losses overall. But that is not the only impressive record, the team also capped off with an undefeated 13 wins and 0 losses in their ORCC Conference naming them league champions for a second consecutive year. This accomplishment again landed the Thunderhawks the #1 seed in the tournament bracket.

After an impressive and easy victory against Ohio University-Eastern the day before, the Thunderhawks were hyped and ready to take on the University of Cincinnati-Clermont who was last years tournament champs. But, as they had done all season, the Thunderhawks answered with an impressive effort offensively and a stunning defensive performance pulling off an 83-69 victory.

This was do to an impressive display of talent from the Thunderhawk starting five, all of which were in double figures. Freshman Curt Thompson, from Milton Union, had 12 points, sophomore Thomas Wilson, from Princeton, added 11, freshman Jeremy Williams, from Medowdale, finished with a great 19, freshman Charles Thompson, from Aiken, had 21, and junior Brad Bergman, from Botkins, added 10. Brad Bergman, who has finished his career at MUM was very close to performing a triple double and was named the MUM representative to the All-Tournament team. Charles Thompson, leading scorer for the Thunderhawks, was named tournament MVP.

The team has many good players and a very deep bench which was a key factor in their success this season. An impressive end to a very impressive season. The coaching staff at MUM is already hard at work recruiting players to carry on for next season.

Congratulations to the players and coaches representing the Miami University Middletown Men's Thunderhawk basketball team.

Jerry Lucas: The Stuff of Legends

2009-02-11T19:21:00.008-05:00

When most people think of legends in the field of athletics, Middletown Ohio probably does not come to mind very quickly. However, the name Jerry Lucas is probably one of the first things people would think of.

Born in Middletown, Ohio, on March 30, 1940, Jerry Lucas played an amazing basketball career spannig 20 years and breking numerous high school, college, and professional records. Middletown Ohio, a community of around 50,000 people, had one of the best high school basketball teams in the country in the 1940's and 1950's that spawned one of the greatest basketball players to ever play the game. Early in his years as a basketball player, Jerry Lucas was already known on the playground by his impressive skills with the ball. At age 15, Lucas was almost at his full grown height of 6'9". By this time he was already developing an impressive shooting accuracy from 30 feet and was training his jumping ability and timing to become a very impressive rebounder.

In 1956 and 1957, Lucas led his hometown Middletown Middies to back-to-back undefeated seasons and Ohio High School State Chamionship titles. WIth his impressive array array of talents, it was no surprise that Lucas broke nearly every existing Ohio high school record during these two seasons. It is because of these talents and records that Lucas arguably the first high school basketball player to be known coast-to-coast, which may not seem all that special today, but this was in a time when there was no internet, t.v. was just a baby, and people's primary electronic enterainment was the radio. More impressivley is that Lucas drew out crowds as large as 10,000 people which shadowed local colleges and even the state's professional basketball team the Cincinnati Royals.

High school was not the end of Lucas' career however. Lucas was offered over 150 athletic scholarships and had his pick of any school he wanted. Most people thought that Lucas would choose to play for Adolph Rupp at the Universuty of Kentucky, but when the recruiting staff for U.K. approached Lucas before the regulated recruitment time, he opted for Ohio State which, at the time, was not well known for basketball greatness. Lucas insisted on an academic scholarship which came easily for him since he was already well known for his intelligence and memory being nearly a straight-A student. An old urban myth goes that Lucas persuaded fellow star high school recruits Bobby Knight and John Havlicek to go with him to Ohio State. Surprising to most, Lucas did not play on the varsity squad his freshman year due to strict NCAA rules that a freshman must wait one year for varsity play.

During his years on Varsity, Lucas led the Buckeyes to three straigh NCAA Finals and an amazing record of 78 wins and 6 losses over three seasons. During his career at Ohio State, Lucas led the nation in shooting accuracy all three years, rebounding for two years, and won a National Championship in 1960. At Ohio State, Lucas was All-American all 3 years, Big Ten Player of the Year all 3 years, and, named above all college and Pro athletes, Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" in 1961.

In 1960, Lucas was added to the roster of the U.S Olympic Men's Basketball team set to play in the Rome Olympics. The team, whose roster included Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Walt Bellamy, and Terry Dischinger, went on to win all 9 games and the Olympic Gold Medal. Lucas was co-leading scorer and leading rebounder and made an incredible 84% of his shots in the Olympics. U.S. coach Pete Newell named Lucas "the greatest player I have ever coached."

In 1963, Lucas joined the NBA playing for the Cincinnati Royals. Lucas, along with teammate Oscar Robertson, were named First Team All-NBA in 1965, 1966, and 1968 and Lucas won Rookie of the Year and both men had been consecutive All-Star Game MVP's. While also at Cincinnati, Lucas became a 5-time All-Pro and 6-time All-Star player and also averaged 20 points and 20 rebounds per game in a single season and was also the only player in NBA history to pull down 40 rebounds in a single game! His career in the NBA included multiple Finals apperances and Championships as well as numerous All-Star apperances and victories.

Jerry Lucas is widley considered to be the greatest basketball player to ever play the game. In his impressive career he has played at every level of the game. In each level he has broken uncountable records, won numerous championships and is the only basketball player in the history of the game to win a championship in each level of play, i.e. High School, College, Professional, and Olympic basketball. He has had his high school jersey number 13 retired at Middletown High School, his number 11 jersey number retired at Ohio State University(the second in school history), and has been inducted into the National Basketball Association's Hall of Fame. No one can ever match up to the accomplishments on and off the court of Jerry Lucas. He will forever be a legend in the ciy of Middletown, the state of Ohio, the NBA, the Olympics, and the game of basketball as a whole

Middletown Councilman Seeks EMA Position

2009-02-02T15:08:00.005-05:00

Councilman from Middletown, Ohio, Bill Becker has expressed interest in becoming the new director of the EMA, or the Butler County Emergency Management Agency. Becker announced on Tuesday, January 27th, that he talked to the Butler County Commission about him becoming the new EMA director.

In 2007 Becker was elected as an at-large member of council for Middletown and has also served as the Middletown City Manager and Middletown's Police Chief. Becker stated, " I think I have the experience and I know most of the Police Chiefs, Fire Chiefs, and managers in the county to work through the issues. I think it would be challenging and rewarding, and it would get me back into public safety. I would be glad to get involved."

The Butler County EMA is n organization dedicated to the preparedness of Butler County in case of an emergency like flood or tornado for example. Current EMA director Bill Turner submitted his resignation effective March 2nd in the beginning of this month. The reasons for him doing this is due to the fact that the county's Police Chiefs expressed a lack of confidence in Turner when the hurricane windstorms tore through the county last September.

Don Dixon, president of the Butler County Commission, said he was aware of Becker's interest in the job. He also added that he did not know of any other people interested in the job. According to Dixon, it would be up to the EMA board to determine the time line, criteria, and protocols to appoint a new director. In early February, EMA should be done with their reorganizing process. Whether or not Becker, if he receives the title of Director of EMA, will have to resign his seat as Councilman is still undetermined. We wish Becker the best of luck in his pursuit of the job.

Middletown Ohio Snow January 2009

2009-01-28T17:32:00.008-05:00

This is our UPS man stuck in the street today. He tried to abort a turn into our drive, because of a down limb, but he was unable to make that happen and ended up stuck on the curb.

For more pictures of the Middletown, Ohio January 27th and 28th snow storm please visit our Flickr account linked below:

Middletown, Ohio Snow Storm Pictures January 27, 2009
Middletown, Ohio Snow Storm Pictures January 28, 2009

Former Graduate Hits $1,000 Shot at Alma Mater

2009-01-26T18:21:00.005-05:00

For the past 3 or 4 years, Middletown Christian High School has ended each half time of their varsity boy's basketball home games with a small competition: a shoot out. Each home game at half time 4 people are randomly chosen from a list they willingly sign up for to perform in a shoot out. The premise is simple: each person has 30 seconds to make a layup, a free throw, a three pointer, and a half court shot. Their prize? The person who completes all shos in 30 seconds wins a cash prize. Now the pot, which grows by $25 each game nobody wins, started out as $100. For 3 years people tried and for 3 years nobody one, until last Saturday night.

Peter Highly, a former graduate and basketball player for Middletown Christian, stepped up to take his turn. He was the last to go of the night and he was determined to win. Peter made the layup and free throw easy but missed his frist three pointer. Things looked slim for Peter but he quickly made his second attempt at the three point shot and moved on to the final half court, money winning shot. He had around 12 to 15 seconds, enough time for two shots if he hurried but his strategy was to take his time and do it right the first time, and thats exactly what happend. With 3 seconds left Highly let the ball fly and........swish! Right in the net! The crowd, which packed the entire gymnasium, erupted into thunderous applause. "I've been waiting for that sound all year." said Middletown Christian Coach Eric Gwinn, who heard the enormous reception by the fans from the locker room. Peter Highly had just won a grand total of $1,075 dollars!

Since its conception 3 years ago people have watched Peter try his luck multiple times. Always a crowd favorite, Peter attempted this challenge one time last year, two times the year before that, and a few times the first year. Always Peter would make it to the half court shot but was stoppeed there each time.

Speaking to Peter after the game I asked him what he was going to do now, jokingly he said, "I'm going to Disneyworld!" I asked him how he felt, "I'm just excited. I've tried this a couple of times and $1,000 is a lot of money, I mean, who couldn't use an extra $1,000 bucks in their pocket?" He also joked about all the friends and family asking for dinner dates.

Peter will recieve his check at Middletown Christian's next home game.

Middletown Christian Eagles Soar to Victory Over Emmanuel Christian Lions

2009-01-25T17:02:00.008-05:00

The Eagles of Middletown Christian matched up against the lions of Emmanuel Christian last night at Middletown Christian. The Eagles, coming off a win last week against Summit Country Day, the Eagles were eager to keep their win streak going.

Both teams played well in the first half. The Eagles capitalized on some easy buckets around the rim while Emmanuel Christian worked well on the perimeter and with jump shots. Throughout most of the first two quarters the teams were neck and neck with the Eagles holding on to a tight lead going into half time.

Senior Kenneth Gaynor, the leading scorer for the Eagles averaging 23 points and 9 rebounds, was capped at 14 points for the night. This, however, was not due to a superior defensive performance by the lions, but was the result of other Eagle players stepping up and making baskets. Senior Tim Knorr supported the Eagles with 12 points while Ross Green, also a senior, lead the team with a game high of 15 points. "I'm really proud of how Ross played", stated Gaynor after the game, "He did a nice job of hitting open shots and finishing around the basket." Green had this to say about the team, "I'm pleased with how we pulled together as a team to come out strong in the second half and finish the game. I think that's our biggest problem. We have a lot of talent on the team but we have trouble closing out games."

Coach Eric Gwinn had this to say about his team's performance, "I thought we did a nice job of limiting Emmanuel Christian's shots and performing well on defense." Gwinn was especially pleased with the overall unity of the team. "We had a lot of guys step up and start playing like Green and especially Tim Knorr, he did a really nice job of making open shots around the basket and really came through for the team."

The Eagles finished the night with a 60 to 48 victory over the Lions. The Eagles play again next Tuesday night away at Xenia Christian, varsity game starts at 7:30 p.m.

Not dead yet

2009-01-20T10:19:00.003-05:00

By: Randy Lewis

They say that Middletown is a dying city and it has nothing left to offer, but there are two people in Middletown that don’t see things that way. A local minister Kevin L. Aldridge and his friend Ron Mosby do not believe that statement, nor do they want you to believe it. Aldridge and Mosby are doing their part to try and bring this city back to life.

A pastor at the Kingdom Vision Ministries, Aldridge is a native son of Middletown and his friend Ron Mosby, a former spokesman for the Ohio Department of Transportation and business consultant are reaching out to help the community. They are holding a local seminar to encourage and give the tools to bring small business back to Middletown.

The seminar will focus on networking, obtaining referrals along with selling yourself.
The Forbes article that placed Middletown in the top 10 dying cities really struck a cord with people in Middletown and the hope is if people are given the knowledge to start and run a small business they will do so in their on town. “I feel this is away for small businesses to rally behind Middletown in a positive way and jump-start business owners to do business in times like these,” *Aldridge said. He goes on to say,” You can be successful without a college degree and provide for a family as well in an economy like this. People have to understand that it’s more than a education.”*

The city of Middletown has seen some hard times as of late and its programs and people like Aldridge and Mosby that will aid in getting the city back on the right track.
The seminar will be held on Jan. 24, from 3 to 6 P.M. at the Chamber of Commerce on Central Ave. The cost is$50 and will include materials and refreshments.

* source Middletown Journal.

For more on middletown,Ohio news click here, Middletownusa

Middletown Christian v.s. Dayton-Jefferson 1-16-09

2009-01-17T16:01:00.009-05:00

Last night my old high school basketball team from Middletown Christian faced off against one of the toughest teams in their conference, Jefferson High School from Dayton. Many people were excited about this game for two reasons: it was a big conference game for both teams and because both teams have two outstanding players. Im talking, of course, about Jefferson's Adreian Payne and Middletown Christian's Kenneth Gaynor.

Both players are fun to watch and both can do an amazing job with the ball. Through out the night the game seemed less like a game between the two teams and more like a game between Gaynor and Payne. Both are among the leading players in their Metro-Buckeye Conference and in the area. The battle between Gaynor and Payne was hard fought but in the end neither was the victor as both players had an astounding team high of 28 points a piece. Both players made some big plays for their teams during the game. Gaynor, who hit his 1,000 point career mark a few games ago, had two shot blocks against Payne along with a couple of steals and some huge rebounds and Payne had two dunks.

The Eagles, who entered the game with a record of 7 wins and 4 losses, stayed with the Broncos most of the game holding the Bronco's lead to two most of the second half. But late in the fourth, with the Broncos up by two, the Eagles made some key turnovers which Jefferson capitalized on. The Eagles ended up losing the game with a final score of Jefferson 65 to the Eagles 52. Lucky for the Eagles they get another shot at the Broncos later in the season. The eagles record moves to 7-5 and the broncos move up to 8-2. The Eagles play again Tuesday night, January 20, away at Summit Country Day.

Madison Mohawks break top 15 in 2009 Associated Press Poll

2009-01-14T15:07:00.007-05:00

The first Associated Press Poll of the year is out and made quite an impact for one local team. When the Madison High School boy's basketball team read the results they were overjoyed when they saw that their team was ranked in the top 15 of the associated Press Poll!

The Mohawks placed as the number 13 ranked team in all of Ohio for division III basketball. A little bit of pressure for the team whose record currently stands at 8 wins and 1 loss. Head Coach Jeff Smith however, says that this rank is a positive pressure for his team. "We are very excited, now we have to step up and earn that kind of respect. I hope our kids use it as the right motivation."

The Middletown Middies are also ranked in The Associated Press standings as the number 9 team in the state of Ohio.

Middies Undefeated in 2009 GMC

2009-01-12T13:26:00.006-05:00

After last Friday's game against the Lakota West Firebirds (4-4, 2-3 GMC) the Middletown Middies improved their record to 9 wins and 1 loss overall and a respectable 5 wins and 0 losses in their Greater Miami Conference.

With great performances from Senior guard Allen Roberts who averages 13.2 points per game and Senior forward Bill Edwards Jr. who averages 18.8 points per game and was last years GMC player of the year the Middie's are on the road to a great season with their second place finish in a Florida tournament, their 9-1 record and their undefeated GMC record.

Needless to say, fans of the Middie's boys basketball team are all expecting great things from this years team and are eager to see some exciting basketball played out this season.

Cincinnati's UFC Champ Rich Franklin to fight overseas in Ireland

2009-01-09T13:22:00.011-05:00

A high school math teacher from Cincinnati, Rich Franklin probably isn't the first person you would think to be stepping into a fighting ring and going toe-to-toe in an all out brawl with fighters from all over the country and the world. Even with a master's degree in education and a bachelors degree in mathematics from the University of Cincinnati, Rich Franklin decided to drop teaching and become a full time Mixed Martial Arts fighter.

Rich "Ace" Franklin has a very impressive track record in the UFC. Franklin had an amazing record of 17 victories and only 1 defeat on his way to his fight for the title. His only loss was against Lyoto Machida by TKO in the second round. However his road to the title was anything but a simple one. Going head-to-head with such well-known and respected fighters like Evan Tanner, Jorge Rivera, Edwin Dewees, and Ken Shamrock, Franklin proved himself to be worthy of the title fight, which he won. Franklin also defeated Evan Tanner a second time for the UFC middleweight championship at UFC 53 which also lead to him landing the spot of coach on the second season of the t.v. series The Ultimate Fighter.

Franklin has defended his title twice so far, once on November 19, 2005 against Nate Quarry who he knocked out in the first round and again on March 4, 2006 against David Loiseau. After breaking his left hand in the fight with Loiseau and sitting out for seven months, Franklin returned to fighting only to be dethroned of his title by Brazilian Anderson Silva on October 14, 2006. But, eager to win back his title, Franklin stepped up against middleweight contender Yushin Okami on June 16, 2007 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. This victory named Franklin the number one contender for Anderson Silva's middleweight championship. Franklin won and regained his title. However, Franklin's Victory was short lived. On October 20, 2007, Franklin faced Anderson in a rematch for the middleweight championship and unfortunately lost by TKO in the second round.

On January 17, 2009, Franklin will be competing in the biggest fight of his career. Sporting a 24 win and 3 loss record, Franklin steps overseas once again in his fight against former PRIDE Fighting Championships 183lb. and 205 lb. champion Dan Henderson at UFC 93 in Dublin Ireland. This isn't just your run-of-the-mill fight however. It is the first UFC event of the year, Franklin is the first person to main event a UFC show in Ireland, and the winner of the fight will be given the job of coach for the American Team on The Ultimate Fighter season 9 US v.s. UK.

Light Up Middletown Light Display

2008-12-18T09:51:00.003-05:00

Light Up Middletown is dependent on the donations they get at the entrance gate to keep the drive-through light display up and running. They do not charge a specific amount just whatever the public has to offer. The display has been open for two weeks and since then there have been 5,710 vehicles carrying 19,219 people who have been through the park that is 100 acres of Christmas lights.

On Thursday, December 11th the hot air balloon glow, integrated within the other light displays had a total of 531 vehicles and 1,792 people. The pilots inflate their balloons by firing their propane burners which causes them to glow. The pilots are not paid to do this they are just donating their time to the community.

On Friday and Saturday nights Santa and Mrs. Claus will allow small guests at the Santa House in Light Up Middletown from 7-9 p.m. Light Up Middletown will be open every night through New Year's Eve at Smith Park.

AK Steel to Have 5 Percent Pay Cuts

2008-12-08T10:55:00.006-05:00

AK Steel recently announced there will be a 5-percent pay reduction for all salaried workers. More than 800 people will be affected locally. Currently there are close to 300 corporate employees that work at the West Chester Twp. headquarters of AK Steel. Right now there are also 525 managerial and support personnel that are employed at the research and development center on Grove Street in Middletown.

The workers that are included in the reduction are the executive workers, the president, chairman and the CEO Jim Wainscott. There are around 1,500 salaried workers at operations in four different states. By January 1st all of the workers will be reduced by 5 percent.

When the global steel market started to go down in the third quarter of 2008, AK Steel started considering the pay reduction. So far it looks as if the employees have understood in what the company is doing and have overall been supportive. In the first nine months of this year the company performed better than all of last year.

So far AK has idled two plants and laid off almost 1,000 hourly employees. There have been 350 voluntary retirement packages offered to employees.

Visit The Middleown Ohio Community Forums to discuss the 5% AK Pay Cut For Salaried Workers

Big 3 in Big Trouble

2008-11-19T23:42:00.003-05:00

We all have to make sacrifices and tighten our belts in today’s economy and it is not a far stretch to expect that companies will have to do the same.

Demonstration of willing to make sacrifices fell short today when they appeared before the senate to ask for $25 Billion dollars. CEO’s Rick Wagoner (GM), Alan Mulally (Ford) and Robert Nardelli (Chrysler) were asked by Democratic California Representative Brad Sherman if they flew in via private jet. Their response was yes. Sherman continued to ask if the CEO’s had any plans to sell their gas guzzling private jets and down grade to first class. The CEOs answered, "no."

In all fairness Reuters reports, “GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Ford CEO Alan Mulally are required by their companies to fly by private aircraft for security reasons, according to company documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The policy for Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli is not required to be disclosed because the company is not publicly traded.”

The Multi-million dollar CEOs were also grilled on their pay and asked to examine where cutbacks would be made out of their own pockets. Question was raised in remembrance of former Chrysler CEO Iacocca famously cut his salary to $1 when Chrysler was on the brink of bankruptcy in 1979 but eventually had to ask Congress for a loan guarantee program.

The issue was left without a vote by lawmakers today.

Trickle Down Economy Problems Hits Home

2008-11-14T10:51:00.002-05:00

Just a few short years ago in 2006 Butler County hit a record high in creating
new jobs. ( Full Story ) Today the Nation faces economic challenges and effects of the struggles have certainly hit home. For the first time in 26 years Butler County will have to take out a federal loan as soon as next month to keep unemployment checks flowing. Gov. Ted Strickland is requesting federal aid through congress so that doesn't have to happen. ( Full Story Here ) Cuts into Jobs and Family services could go deep and cost hundreds of jobs and the loss of several programs.AK Steel is closing two branches. Hamilton County is reporting as many as 500 jobs could be lost and Nation wide people are getting "pink" slips.

So how is our new President Elect plan to get us out of this? Well the Huffington
Post reports that Total US debt has increased from $5.8 trillion in 2001 to $10.6 trillion today. Obama's plan of deficit spending is reported to be our only way out of our crumbling economy. It is very important to keep the flow going. While many are not fans of govenment involvement in business, times like these offer us little choice ( Read HP story here)

Ohio Issue 6 Fails Forth Time

2008-11-10T08:37:00.006-05:00

If at first you don’t succeed try, try again? We have to give it to Ohio issue 6 for persistence. But Ohioans have once again decided that the 600 million dollar casino was not in the best interest of the state with a 63 percent to 37 percent difference when 93 percent of the vote had been counted.

Arguments made in favor of passing Issue 6 include:

- It would bring 5,000 jobs to Ohio. A declining economy makes the potential of new jobs very inviting, therefore a main focus of their campaign.

- The casino would generate $800 million a year in revenue, with $240 million to be split among Ohio counties based on population. Keeping Ohioans who currently go to the Argosy Casino in Indiana, 30 miles from downtown Cincinnati, in Ohio to gamble.

Arguments made against Issue 6 include:

- Ohio would fork out a $1 billion give-away to a private casino company; whose base is in a different state.

- There is no guarentee that Ohioans would get any of the jobs promised. The casino could bring people from out of state trained and already working the casino circuit .

- The possibility of not taxing means no money for counties as promised

- Moral issues like families loosing money needed for living expenses and the invitation of more high profile crimes to Ohio.

- Many legal loopholes provided in the wording of the initiative allows for more than one casino to be built in the state by Indian tribes which may also not be taxed.

The state of Ohio spoke very clear on the casino issue as it has since 1990. As tempting as 5000 new jobs looked to Ohio’s troubled economy and despite the potential of new traffic for local businesses, there was just more problems than Ohio was willing to buy.

Light Up Middletown Gets Help From Police

2008-11-07T12:31:00.003-05:00

Since the weather has been nice out lately the Light Up Middletown Grandpa Gang enlisted the help Middletown Police Water Rescue Team. They are going to help tow the animated, lighted swans to the middle of the Smith Pond.

This year it will start on November 28th in Smith Park. It is located at 500 Tytus Avenue, in downtown Middletown. This will also be the 10th anniversary of the event and the 10th time the Middletown Police have helped tow the swans to their place of honor. In earlier years the swans were anchored down by a heavy rope, but now that the beavers and other animals in the pond have chewed them up they are down anchored by sturdy cables.

The Grandpa Gang consists of mostly retired men. They start work around mid-October and go through Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve. One person goes each night to turn the lights on and off.

There are always a lot of people that come to visit the light display. For example families, sports teams, senior center tour buses and traveling motor coach groups visit the display as a tradition for them.

Admission is a donation. It will be open every evening from November 28th through December 31st from 6-10 p.m. The weather will not make the event close.

The Middletown Ohio Forum - YouTube Video

2008-10-22T14:08:00.003-04:00

Hopefully most of our visitors to this blog and our www.MiddletownUSA.com website know that the website is also home to a lively discussion thread simply called the MUSA Blog Forums.

Topics in the Middletown Forum range from local to national in nature, with members of the local community stating their opinions on both humorous and serious matters.

Recent popular national topics have been centered on the upcoming presidential elections while locally popular topics include Section 8 Housing and the city budget.

To make these discussions even more interesting the forum now supports embedded YouTube Videos. All forum members have the ability to post their own YouTube videos directly into their posts by following these simple steps.

Keep in mind to ensure compatibility it is Recommended that the code should first be placed into Notepad before being copied to the message area of the Forum. Notepad will remove all extraneous codes and ensure that what you paste into the Forum is only what you see on your screen. Which is something that cannot be guaranteed when using a traditional word processor.

To start with let’s make sure you know where to find Notepad. Notepad is simple text editor that comes standard with every version of Windows. It’s found under your Start Button at the following location: Start-All Programs-Accessories-Notepad.

Next you simple locate the YouTube video you would like to embed in your Forum post. Once located you will notice that directly to the right of the YouTube video is a small grey box with two lines of “code”. The first line is labeled “URL” while the second line is labeled “Embedded”. It is the First line that we will be using.

Once you locate the first line labeled “URL”, in that grey box to the right of the video on the YouTube webpage, simply use your mouse to highlight and copy that entire line to Notepad.

Once that code has been copied to Notepad simply place that address between these two BB commands: [tube] [/tube]

Now you should have a line in Notepad that looks like this:
[tube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDCjCTp_BCY[/tube]

Once complete simply paste the above line in the body of your Forum message.

The video should instantly appear.

It is recommended but not necessary to use Notepad as your text editing tool to compose the above line. Should you wish to post the link without pasting from Notepad simply make sure the link is not turned into an "active" hyperlink in your forum post. If the link is underlined by Forum software it will not work with the [tube] command.

If you have any questions feel free to e-mail or call anytime.

And thanks again for your participation in the MUSA Blog Forums.

Andy Wendt
Xponex Media
513-422-1907 X226
web@xponex.com

Middies Beat Undefeated Colerain

2008-10-08T15:38:00.008-04:00

This past Friday the Middletown Middies faced off against the undefeated football team Colerain. Colerain was ranked number #1 in Ohio and #8 in the nation before facing off wtih the Middies. They came with an astounding 61 GMC Game wining streak. That all changed Friday October 3rd when coach Jason Krause and the Middies came through to beat the Colerain 42-39 at home in their home field Barnitz Stadium.

With this win Jason Krause has now made it clear that he has high hopes for the Middies and they hope to go far this year. Football fans from Middletown were hoping for a winning season out of the new coach and Krause has exceeded those expections so far. With the new win over Colerain, the Middies have moved up to the number 1 spot in the GMC with a record of 5-2, 4-0 GMC. With four games left the win almost guarantees Middletown a spot in the playoffs.

Ohio Starts New Form of Voting

2008-10-02T09:23:00.002-04:00

Starting this year in Ohio there is going to be early voting for the 2008 presidential election. The early voting in Ohio was held on September 30th and worked out very well. The people hardly had to wait in line but a couple times to vote which made it easy to go in and get right back out. Richard K. Jones was one of the many local officials who voted early this year. Jones is a Butler County Sheriff.

The Butler County Board of Elections is where the voting has been moved to now. That is located at 1802 Princeton Road, Hamilton. It has become the focal point of political activity. Another issue that has been brought up recently is the new window that allows people to register and vote the same day up until October 6th. By doing this it gives Obama and McCain a chance to bank thousands of first-time voters during that time.

Senator Barack Obama has had presidential campaign vans lined up in Hamilton, Middletown, and Oxford to take voters to the polls. This transportation provided is free and are usually on Wednesday evening and Saturday, when the Board of Elections has extended hours.

Senator John McCain has said to have an aggressive campaign aimed at registration and early voting, but his officials would not give any details away.

Middletown Middies Having Exciting Season

2008-09-26T19:26:00.005-04:00

With a Midseason record of 3-2, going to a Middletown Middies’ game promises to be an exciting time. Coach Jason Krause and the Middies coaching staff offered up highlights of the start of the 2008 Middletown football season with clips from their first three games with Elder, Warren Central from Indianapolis, and Lima.

If you want to catch a home game the Middies will be playing:

Colerain at home on October 3rd and Princeton October 24th

GO MIDDIES!!!!

Mongolia Comes to Middletown

2008-09-23T08:39:00.004-04:00

Mongolia comes to Middletown, Ohio opening on October 3rd at 5:30 as a part of Middfest located in Donham Plaza, next to the city building and Manchester Inn. Events will be held in the city building and in nearby areas.

Middfest has been a Middletown tradition since 1981 bringing new culture and the opportunity to experience food, artwork and performances. Past Middfests have introduced Luxembourg, Mexico, Egypt, Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, Canada, Italy, India, Ireland, 10 Country Retrospective, the Caribbean and much more. You can more about the history of Middfest Here

Entry badges for basic admission covers the entire weekend is $7.00 and a plain entry sticker is available at $5.00.

Middfest hours are:
Friday - 5:00 - 10:00 pm;
Saturday - 10:00 am-10:00 pm;
Sunday - 12:00 noon-8:00 pm. (Exhibits close at 6:00 pm on Sunday.)

A wide variety of ethnic Mongolian food and American foods will be at the food court.

There will be something for everyone including the kids! Please visit the Middfest website for more information and the full schedule of events Here or the Middfest office can be reached at middfest@siscom.net or call 513 425 7707. Hope to see you there!

Markle’s Musical Miracle

2008-09-22T11:21:00.002-04:00

Nina Markle is the Executive Director of Middletown Performing Arts Academy and a retired music teacher from Middletown, Ohio. Her love for kids and music has inspired her to reach out to low income children. She requested a $3000.00 grant to purchase a Yamaha LC2 Plus piano lab in which a group of 8 can study piano at the same time with an instructor.

Nina’s dream of opening a Performing Arts Academy came true this month as the Academy just opened its doors in a space provided by a local church. The Academy hopes to host 100 students a week from all different age ranges and they will be grouped by age and skill.

Nina feels that she was blessed with a talent that is meant to be shared and she expressed how music helps with the development of the mind and within itself can help children be better equipped for the future.

Nina we wish you the best with your remarkable Academy.

Howard Ain Warns of Sub-Contractor Scams

2008-09-16T15:36:00.002-04:00

In the wake of the biggest blackout that the area has seen a lot of clean up has started. Cutting up trees and cleaning up other debris has been a diversion from the stress of being without power. Now that the Duke Energy crews have more than doubled electric is being restored all over. Getting every body up and running could still take a few days.

Clean up could be difficult for some but people in communities are reaching out to help one another. Howard Ain warns of “sub-contractor” scams. These are people claiming to be independent clean up crews and offer to help those who need help with the debris. He says to watch out for those asking for money up front, they could take your deposit and you won’t hear from them again. He urges to go with local businesses or if you choose to use a contractor, check them out with the BBB and ask for a written estimate up front. In the words of Howard Ain, ”Don’t waste your money.”