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Hamilton County commissioners on Wednesday announced they will accept a Mount Airy facility offered to the county as a gift by Catholic Health Partners, opening the door to a new county crime lab at the location.
The acceptance comes despite lingering uncertainties about whether the Board of Elections will also move to the former hospital in Mount Airy. County commissioners previously warned the Board of Elections must move with the crime lab to provide the occupancy necessary to financially justify renovations at the 500,000-square-foot facility.
The decision also comes despite remaining questions about how exactly the cash-strapped county government will fund the move and the renovations it entails.
Hamilton County Coroner Lakshmi Sammarco and Sheriff Jim Neil both lobbied for the new crime lab. Citing expert opinions, they argue the current crime lab lacks space and needs to be modernized, which could put criminal evidence and trials at risk.
Board of Commissioners President Chris Monzel called the gift a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" — a sentiment both other commissioners seemed to follow.
"This is a home run for law enforcement in Hamilton County," Commissioner Greg Hartmann said.
Commissioners explained they will seek various
opportunities to fill out remaining space in the facility.
Mayor John Cranley on Jan. 23 offered to move some city police services to the facility, but Hartmann told CityBeat the offer wouldn't be enough to replace the Board of Elections.
"Without the Board of Elections coming with the crime lab, that's not enough occupancy," Hartmann said. "There would be some good potential co-location opportunities with the city (at the Mount Airy facility), but not enough to take up 400,000 square feet."
But with Wednesday's development, county commissioners appear ready to take up the Mount Airy facility and new county crime lab even if the Board of Elections doesn't move.
On Monday, the Board of Elections split along party lines over whether the board should move its offices and early voting from downtown to Mount Airy, where only one bus line runs. Democrats say the move would reduce voting access for people who rely on public transportation to make it to the ballot box. Republicans argue the potential of free parking at the facility outweighs the lack of public transportation.
Of course, part of the issue is political: Democrats benefit from a downtown voting location that's easily accessible to Democrat-leaning urban voters, and Republicans benefit from a location closer to Republican-leaning suburban voters.
With the board's tie vote, the issue now goes to the secretary of state — Republican Jon Husted — to potentially decide. The secretary of state's office says Husted will make a decision after he reviews documents from the Board of Elections explaining both sides of the tie vote, but spokesperson Matt McClellan says Husted would like to see the issue resolved locally before he is forced to intervene.
Local early voting could move from downtown to Mount Airy, where only one bus line runs, following a split, party-line vote from the Hamilton County Board of Elections. Democrats oppose the move because they say it will make early voting less accessible to people who rely on public transportation to make it to the ballot box. Republicans support the move as part of a plan to consolidate some county services, particularly a new crime lab, at the Mount Airy facility. With the board split, Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, could step in to break the tie vote.
But Husted's spokesperson said the secretary of state might encourage the Board of Elections to "take another look" at the issue, and Hamilton County Commissioner Chris Monzel says the county will not move the Board of Elections without a majority vote.
Gov. John Kasich called for a one-time increase in the number of school calamity days to cope with the unusually severe winter weather this year. Under state law, schools are normally allowed five calamity days before extra days off start chipping into summer break. The state legislature must approve legislation to enact the temporary increase.
Ohio officials found no substantial evidence that a public defender coached convicted killer Dennis McGuire to fake suffocation during his execution. Eye-witness accounts report McGuire visibly struggled, snorted and groaned as he took 26 minutes to die — the longest execution since Ohio restarted using the death penalty in 1999.
Despite what a local state senator says, there are a lot of differences between Ohio's Clean Energy Law and Stalinism.
Meanwhile, the Ohio Senate continues working on a proposal that would weaken Ohio's renewable energy and efficiency standards. But it's unclear if the new attempt will be any more successful than State Sen. Bill Seitz's failed, years-long crusade against the Clean Energy Law.
Local Democrats endorsed Christie Bryant for an open seat in the Ohio House, even though five interviewed for the position and could run in the Democratic primary. Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke previously told CityBeat local Democrats endorse prior to a primary in some special situations. In this case, the party wanted to guarantee a black candidate, and Bryant is the most qualified, according to Burke.
A new report found Ohio's prison population ticked down by nearly 2 percent since 2011, but the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) says it is now trending back up. To address the recent rise, ODRC Director Gary Mohr says legislators need to provide more opportunities for community-based drug treatment, mental health care and probation programs to help reduce prison re-entry rates.
More than 112,000 Ohio students dropped out of high schools between 2006 and 2010.
The Greater Cincinnati Port Authority will shape plans this year to remake some of Queensgate and Camp Washington into manufacturing, engineering and laboratory hubs with high-paying jobs.
Hamilton County might sell some of its six downtown buildings.
Former Mayor Mark Mallory took a job with the Pennsylvania-based Chester Group, which provides "energy, water and wastewater solutions to public and industrial clients across the United States and internationally," according to a press release.
Councilman Chris Seelbach's vegan chili won the Park+Vine cook-off.
Confirmed by science: Walking while texting or reading a text increases chances of injury.
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The Hamilton County Board of Elections on Monday split along party lines over whether the board should move its offices and early voting from downtown, Cincinnati's urban core, to Mount Airy, where only one bus line runs.
The two Democrats on the board dispute the move. They claim the move would make voting less accessible to voters who rely on public transportation to make it to the ballot box.
Republicans on the board argue the move would make voting more accessible to suburban voters and provide free parking that's scarcely available at the current downtown offices. They call the move "good government" because it would consolidate some county services at Mount Airy, where county officials plan to build a crime lab as long as the Board of Elections moves with the coroner's office and provides the critical mass necessary to financially justify renovations at a former hospital.
Republicans cautioned their proposed motion would keep early voting downtown through the 2016 presidential elections. After that, the board's offices would move, along with early voting.
Ohio's secretary of state — Republican Jon Husted — normally breaks tie votes on county boards of elections. The secretary of state's office claims Husted will remain undecided on the issue until he reviews documents from the Board of Elections explaining both sides of the tie vote. But spokesperson Matt McClellan says Husted would like to see the Board of Elections reach a compromise before he is forced to intervene.
The board's vote followed a contentious back-and-forth between public speakers and board members regarding the looming decision. Most speakers spoke against the move and labeled it "voter suppression." Some dissenters supported the move for its fiscal prudence.
Alex Triantafilou, a Republican on the Board of Elections, accused Democrats of "playing politics" with the move. He claims Democrats just want to keep early voting in a Democratic stronghold like downtown.
Democrats Tim Burke and Caleb Faux countered that, along the same lines, the Mount Airy facility would benefit Republicans by making early voting more accessible to Republican-leaning suburban voters and less accessible to Democrat-leaning urban voters.
State Rep. Alicia Reece, a local Democrat who spoke at the meeting, rebuked accusations of partisan politics and reiterated an argument she made to reporters on Thursday.
"The reality is the Board of Elections at its current location has declared both Democrat and Republican winners of elections," Reece previously said. "I think the focus is to just make sure that we have a facility that everyone can have access to, whether you're driving or whether you're on the bus."
Mayor John Cranley, a Democrat, on Thursday offered free space at the Shillito's building in an attempt to keep early voting downtown.
But Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann, a Republican, told CityBeat the offer is not enough to satisfy the county's occupancy needs at Mount Airy, even if the city moves some police services, such as SWAT operations, to the Mount Airy facility to help fill out the 500,000 square foot building.
"Without the Board of Elections coming with the crime lab, that's not enough occupancy," Hartmann said. "There would be some good potential co-location opportunities with the city (at the Mount Airy facility), but not enough to take up 400,000 square feet."
County officials expect the crime lab to take up 100,000 square feet at the Mount Airy facility, and the Board of Elections would occupy another 100,000 square feet. So the county needs to fill 300,000 square feet to fully utilize the Mount Airy facility, even if the Board of Elections moves.
This story was updated with comments from the secretary of state's office.
The Hamilton County Board of Elections plans to decide today whether it will move its offices and early voting from downtown to Mount Airy. The two Democrats on the board argue moving the offices would push early voting away from public transportation options and the city's core, while the two Republicans claim it's "good government" because the Mount Airy site consolidates county services with the coroner's office and includes free parking. In the event of a tie between Democrats and Republicans, Secretary of State Jon Husted, a Republican, will break the tie. Mayor John Cranley, a Democrat, proposed an alternative site downtown on Thursday, but at least one Republican county official said it wasn't enough to meet the county's needs.
One of the Republicans on the board resigned as the city's lobbyist to avoid a conflict of interest prior to today's vote.
The Republican-controlled Ohio House last week approved a bill that would allow school boards to designate school employees to carry concealed firearms and prohibit school boards from releasing the names of those employees. Republicans argue the proposal will help make schools safer against would-be shooters. But several studies indicate more guns lead to more gun-related violence. A 2009 ABC News special also found even trained gun-wielders fail to properly react in the event of a shooting.
Fracking waste could soon move through barges on the Ohio River, depending on an incoming decision from the U.S. Coast Guard. During the fracking process, drillers pump millions of gallons of water, sand and chemicals underground to unlock oil and gas reserves. But some of that water returns to the surface, and that wastewater needs to be dumped somewhere. Oil and gas companies support the allowance of river barges as a potentially cheaper transportation option for the wastewater. But environmentalists, emergency response experts and other critics argue a spill on the Ohio River could cause widespread damage as toxic wastewater flows down a river many communities tap into for drinking water.
Citing research from Pennsylvania fracking sites, some advocates argue Ohio officials should take another look at whether radiation from Ohio's fracking operations is affecting surrounding landfills and aquifers.
Work at The Banks continues despite a debate over buildings' heights.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center significantly improved outcomes for teens with asthma, according to a Pediatrics study.
Warning: Some Ohioans have been targeted by utility bill scams.
Ohio gas prices remained relatively steady at the start of the week.
Popular physicist Stephen Hawking argues there are no black holes, but other physicists appear skeptical of Hawking's claims.
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Mayor John Cranley yesterday offered free space to the Hamilton County Board of Elections at the city-owned Shillito's building to keep the board's offices and early voting downtown. The idea comes in the middle of a debate between Democrats and Republicans on the Board of Elections over whether they should move their offices — and early voting — to a Mount Airy facility, where only one bus line runs, to consolidate county services and avoid the cost of rent. Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann said there won't be enough occupancy at the Mount Airy location if the Board of Elections decides not to move there. For the county, a certain amount of occupancy must be filled at Mount Airy to financially justify the move and the renovations it would require. Without the move, the county will need to find another location or means to build a new county crime lab.
Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune yesterday refused to announce whether he will actually run against gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald in a Democratic primary, even though he told The Cincinnati Enquirer the day before that he already made a decision. At this point, Portune's lack of organization and name recognition means his chances of beating FitzGerald are slim to none.
Ohio's December unemployment rate dropped to 7.2 percent from 7.4 percent the month before. The amount of employed and unemployed both increased compared to the previous year. The state of the economy could decide this year's statewide elections, even if state officials aren't to credit or blame for economic conditions, as CityBeat covered here.
It is perfectly legal to forgive back taxes in Hamilton County. Supporters argue the practice removes a tax burden that likely wasn't going to get paid anyway, but opponents worry it could be misused and take away revenue from schools and other public services that rely on property taxes.
A Hamilton County court ruled against the legality of automated traffic cameras in Elmwood Place. Officials plan to appeal the ruling.
More than 10,000 Ohioans lost food stamps this month after Gov. John Kasich declined to request a federal waiver for work requirements. Hamilton County officials estimate Kasich's decision could affect 18,000 food stamp recipients across the county.
A new Ohio House bill delays the transition from the Ohio Graduation Test to new end-of-course exams. The delay aims to provide more time to vet the tests and allow schools to better prepare for the changes.
Local home sales improved by nearly 21 percent during 2013, according to the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors.
The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport reported 3 percent more passengers and 9 percent more cargo traffic in 2013.
Ohioans spent 5.8 percent more on liquor in 2013 compared to the year before, reaching a new record in yearly purchases of liquor across the state.
The Cincinnati Entertainment Awards return this Sunday.
Telling people they slept better than they did improves their performance on math and word association tests.
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Mayor John Cranley on Thursday offered the Hamilton County Board of Elections free space at the city-owned Shillito's building to keep their offices and early voting downtown.
The offer comes in the middle of a contentious debate between Democrats and Republicans on the Board of Elections over whether the county should move the board to a former hospital at Mount Airy, where only one bus line runs.
The Board of Elections currently rents its offices from a private landlord. Moving to the Mount Airy facility would place the board on county-owned property and allow the county to avoid paying rent.
Along with the Board of Elections move, the county wants to establish a new crime lab at the Mount Airy location. Consolidating the crime lab and Board of Elections at the Mount Airy facility would provide the critical mass necessary to financially justify the move and the renovations it would require, according to county officials.
To solve the critical mass issue if the board moves to the former Shillito's building instead, Cranley, a Democrat, said he's willing to look into moving some city police services, including SWAT operations, to the Mount Airy facility.
But Hamilton County Commissioner Greg Hartmann, a Republican, told CityBeat the offer probably won't satisfy the county's needs.
"Without the Board of Elections coming with the crime lab, that's not enough occupancy," he said. "There would be some good potential co-location opportunities with the city (at the Mount Airy facility), but not enough to take up 400,000 square feet."
Hartmann said it's now up to the Board of Elections to accept or reject the Mount Airy facility. If the board declines to move to Mount Airy, Hartmann explained the county would likely drop the Mount Airy plan and the county coroner would go without a new crime lab.
For the city, Cranley's offer raises questions about what other potential uses exist for the Shillito's building, given the high property demand downtown. But Cranley said there's currently no credible attempt at marketing the facility for other uses.
"The building is vacant, and we spend over $100,000 a year just to maintain a vacant building," Cranley said. "I believe that getting someone in there that takes a significant amount of space is going to open up the rest of the building, which would be over 200,000 square feet, to make it more marketable. I think long-term it would be better for the city financially."
He added, "In the short-term I think there are some things more important than money. And I think the symbolism of keeping the Board of Elections and voting downtown is just worth it."
City Council appears to agree with the mayor. Shortly after Cranley announced his offer, council passed a symbolic resolution opposing the Mount Airy move.
From an electoral perspective, part of the issue is which voting location would favor Democrats or Republicans. Democrats tend to dominate in urban areas like downtown, while Republicans could benefit from a facility in Mount Airy that's closer to suburban voters.
State Rep. Alicia Reece, who joined Cranley for the announcement, tried to defuse concerns that she, Cranley and other Democrats are trying to keep voting downtown for electoral gains.
"The reality is the Board of Elections at its current location has declared both Democrat and Republican winners of elections," Reece said. "I think the focus is to just make sure that we have a facility that everyone can have access to, whether you're driving or whether you're on the bus."
The Hamilton County Board of Elections remains split on whether to move its offices and early voting from downtown to Mount Airy. The two Democrats on the board oppose the move because it could make voting more difficult for Over-the-Rhine and downtown residents. The two Republicans on the board support the plan because it will consolidate operations with the county, which plans to move the county crime lab to the Mount Airy site, and add free parking. If the board remains split, Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted will break the tie.
Councilman Charlie Winburn shelved his idea to sell the city-owned
Southern Railway to help shore up Cincinnati's underfunded pension
system. It's unlikely the idea would have made it through City Council
or Mayor John Cranley. The proposal seemed a bit hypocritical coming
from Winburn, who criticized the previous city administration for
attempting to sell off or lease long-term revenue sources, such as the
city's parking system, for lump sums. Still, the pension issue remains a major concern for local officials; Winburn asked council members to help find a solution to the problem this year.
The Ohio Department of Health ordered a Cincinnati-area abortion clinic to close after it failed to reach a patient transfer agreement with a local hospital, as required by law. The clinic, located in Sharonville, plans to appeal the ruling. The facility has failed to establish a patient transfer agreement since 2010, but previous Democratic administrations exempted the clinic from the regulations. At the current rate of closures, Ohio could soon fall below 10 available abortion clinics for the first time in decades. For several clinics, part of the issue stems from anti-abortion restrictions in the 2014-2015 state budget approved by Gov. John Kasich and his fellow Republicans in the Ohio legislature.
Council last week approved form-based code for a third neighborhood, Walnut Hills. The regulation allows neighborhoods to bring in new development while hopefully keeping the historic charm and character of the city.
The Cincinnati Bengals asked Hamilton County to hand over sole ownership of naming rights for Paul Brown Stadium, but county commissioners don't seem keen on the idea.
Over-the-Rhine residents have mobilized to save two old buildings that the Freestore Foodbank originally planned to tear down. Ryan Messer, who is leading the charge to save the buildings, said on Facebook today that the Freestore Foodbank agreed to hold off on the demolitions while both parties meet with residents willing to buy and renovate the buildings.
Federal authorities questioned an Ohio man wearing Google Glass at a movie theater over fears he was attempting to record the film. No action was taken after the man confirmed the Google Glass is also a pair of prescription glasses and the recording function was turned off.
Robots could replace one-fourth of U.S. combat soldiers by 2030, according to a general.
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State Rep. Alicia Reece and other activists are mobilizing a campaign to get a "Voter Bill of Rights" on the Ohio ballot this November.
If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would preserve the 35-day early voting period, expand early voting hours, allow voters to cast a provisional ballot anywhere in a given county, advance online voter registration and effectively prevent legislators from passing stricter voter ID laws in the future.
But before it ends up on the ballot, supporters will need to gather 1,000 petition signatures to get the initiative in front of the attorney general and collect 385,247 total signatures by July 2 to file the petition to the secretary of state.
The Democrat-backed amendment is in direct response to attempts by Republicans, including Secretary of State Jon Husted and Gov. John Kasich, to shorten Ohio's early voting period and otherwise restrict access to the ballot.
A bill currently working through the Ohio legislature would trim the early voting period from 35 to 29 days and effectively end the "Golden Week" in which voters can register to vote
and file a ballot on the same day. It's expected Kasich and Republican legislators will approve the bill.
Republicans say the limits are supposed to prevent voter fraud and establish uniform voting standards across the state. Otherwise, some counties might establish longer early voting hours than others.
But some Republicans acknowledge that restrictions on early voting could suppress constituents that typically elect Democrats, obviously to Republicans' advantage.
"I guess I really actually feel we shouldn't contort the voting process to accommodate the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine," wrote Doug Preisse, close adviser to Kasich, in a 2012 email to The Columbus Dispatch.
The constitutional amendment could also help address concerns raised last year when the U.S. Supreme Court repealed parts of the Voting Rights Act that allowed the federal government to better regulate state-level restrictions on voting.
In response to some of the concerns, Democratic candidates plan to hold a voting rights forum in Cincinnati on Martin Luther King Jr. Day next Monday. Attorney general candidate David Pepper, secretary of state candidate Nina Turner and state auditor candidate John Carney are scheduled to attend.
The Voter's Bill of Rights:
A condemned Ohio killer took more than 20 minutes to die in an execution carried out yesterday with a combination of drugs never tried before in the United States. The execution was one of the longest since Ohio resumed capital punishment in 1999. Throughout the nearly 25 minutes that Dennis McGuire took to die, he reportedly gasped and loudly snorted as family members and reporters watched. McGuire's attorney called the execution "a failed, agonizing experiment" and added, "The people of the state of Ohio should be appalled at what was done here today in their names." The new execution method was adopted after the previous drug's supplies ran out because a manufacturer declared it off limits for state-sanctioned kills.
In response to the troubled execution, the family plans to file a lawsuit. Ohioans to Stop Executions also called for a moratorium on the death penalty.
State Rep. Alicia Reece and other activists are pushing a Voter Bill of Rights that could end up in front of Ohio voters in November. If approved by voters, the constitutional amendment would preserve the 35-day early voting period, expand early voting hours, allow voters to cast a provisional ballot anywhere in the county and advance online voter registration. Many of those measures are controversial to Republicans, who have repeatedly tried to limit early voting in the past couple years. But to get the amendment on the ballot, activists will need to wade through the long, costly process of gathering roughly 385,000 eligible signatures by July 2.
Commentary: "Republicans Continue Hindering Access to the Ballot."
Cincinnati's campaign for universal preschool is looking for volunteers to help raise awareness and shape the final proposal. The big question is how tuition credits for local families, particularly low-income parents, would be funded under the proposal. Despite the remaining questions, voters could vote on the initiative in November. CityBeat covered the Preschool Promise in greater detail here.
The National Weather Service called a Winter Weather Advisory for most of the Cincinnati area until 4 p.m. today. Drivers should expect reduced visibility and one or two inches of snow, mostly before noon.
As expected, Ohio officials appealed a ruling that forces the state to acknowledge same-sex marriages on death certificates.
The University of Cincinnati is spending more than $500,000 this year on lights, cameras and off-duty patrols, among other measures, to address continuing concerns about violent crimes around campus. But some students and parents say the school should pursue more aggressive efforts, such as selling anti-crime tools in the campus bookstore.
Greater Cincinnati Water Works reopened local intakes along the Ohio River after the W. Va. chemical spill passed yesterday.
Cincinnati officials admit yesterday that a pile of old road salt should have been used before other supplies, but the city says it will use the remaining pile before purchasing more salt. Councilman Charlie Winburn raised questions about the salt after he discovered the $316,000 pile.
Cincinnati ranked fifth for number of bedbug treatments in 2013.
More than 50,000 employees will get job training through the second round of the Ohio Incumbent Workforce Training Voucher Program, according to the Ohio Development Services Agency.
Extreme heat forced authorities to suspend the Australian Open for more than four hours yesterday and caused one athlete to hallucinate images of Snoopy.
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Streetcar Project Executive John Deatrick yesterday said only 11 streetcar workers are expected to lose their jobs following City Council's pause of the $132.8 million project, far below the original estimate of 200 city officials gave on Monday. The remaining workers will be moved by contractors to other jobs or kept under ongoing utility work, which utility companies agreed to continue despite no longer qualifying for reimbursements from the city, according to Deatrick. He also said it's "a wild guess" whether the number of layoffs will grow in the future.
Cincinnati should expect to return up to $44.9 million in federal grants funding nearly one-third of the streetcar project even though the project is only on "pause" as local officials weigh the costs of cancellation and completion, according to transportation experts who talked to The Cincinnati Enquirer. Without the federal grants, the project is effectively dead. The two swing votes on council — David Mann and Kevin Flynn — say they want to evaluate whether it would make financial sense to cancel the project this far into construction. Deatrick previously estimated the costs of cancellation could nearly reach the costs of completion after accounting for $32.8 million in sunk costs through November, $30.6-$47.6 million in close-out costs and $44.9 million in lost federal grants. But Mann and Flynn voiced distrust over the projections and called for an independent review.
Democrats and voter advocates claim Republican legislators are slowly rebuilding "voter suppression" laws that were the subject of referendum in 2012 before Republicans backed down. Democrats called on Gov. John Kasich to veto the bills. Among other measures, the bills would reduce the amount of in-person early voting days and restrict elected officials' ability to to mail out unsolicited absentee ballot applications. Democrats claim the bills are meant to suppress voters. Republicans argue the measures help reduce "cheaters," even though in-person voter fraud is very rare.
Chris Finney, a high-profile lawyer who is critical of local tax breaks for businesses, apologized for denying that he sought tax breaks for his law firm. Finney sought the tax breaks shortly after criticizing Cincinnati for granting a tax incentive package to convince Pure Romance to move from Loveland, Ohio, to downtown Cincinnati. Finney is the top legal crusader for the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST), a conservative group with a history of anti-gay causes.
Tea party group One Percent for Liberty nominated Mayor John Cranley as a "Defender of Liberty for 2013" for his work against the streetcar project and parking privatization plan. The group previously nominated various conservative politicians and activists from around the region. The award will be presented at COAST's Christmas party.
Hundreds of schools and businesses in the Cincinnati area today closed in response to the developing winter storm.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare and TriHealth, two of the areas' largest health systems, yesterday announced they're teaming up to reduce costs, improve the patient experience and generate better health outcomes.
Attorney General Mike DeWine yesterday announced he will crack down on electronic raffle operations.
Nelson Mandela, a South African icon of peace, died yesterday. Mandela was a peaceful leader of the anti-apartheid movement who went on to become South Africa's first black president. His consistent devotion to peace inspired similar peaceful protests around the world. The New York Times put together a great interactive featuring several correspondents who witnessed Mandela first-hand here.
U.S. unemployment fell to 7 percent in November, the lowest rate in five years.
Popular Science explains how to get rid of animal testing.
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• A political forecasting group at the University of Virginia Center for Politics has moved the race for U.S. Sen. Rob Portman's seat from "leans Republican" to "a toss-up." The group cites the name recognition held by Portman's Democratic challenger, former Ohio governor Ted Strickland, as well as his strength in Ohio's Appalachian counties, which Strickland once represented in the House of Representatives. While the forecast notes Portman's big fundraising lead over Strickland, it also says that favorable conditions in the state for Democrats' presidential candidate, presumably Hillary Clinton, could give Strickland the extra edge needed to scoot past incumbent Republican Portman in November.
• Finally, Ohio Gov. John Kasich yesterday gave his state of the state speech in Marietta. The address mostly focused on the state's economic recovery and job growth. But Kasich, who remains a long-shot Republican presidential primary candidate, advanced few new policy proposals, instead playing it safe and touting his record. He did touch on the state's drug addiction crisis, its looming changes to statehouse redistricting, problems with the state's educational system and other challenges. Kasich also floated new tax cuts in the next state budget, though lawmakers seem lukewarm about the governor's proposals.
Theoretically, there is no better real estate for a political candidate than the inside of a polling place, where a candidate's name can be freshly stamped onto voters' minds as they enter the voting booth. Currently, though, only one politician in Ohio gets access to this potential last-minute plug: Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted.
He says recent voter information signs prominently featuring his name are standard issue for secretary of state. But Democrats say he's taking unfair advantage of his position.
There are laws against campaigning in polling places, and bumper stickers, buttons or other campaign swag are frowned upon in our temples of democracy the way movie theaters hate it when you try to sneak in some Twizzlers or a bunch of McChicken sandwiches in your pants. (I tried this once and the theater wasn't too happy. I think you can sneak snacks into the polling places, though.)
So big signs with your name on them are a no-go, unless you're the current secretary of state, charged with overseeing elections. Then you're required to draw up informational posters with instructions on how voters can update their voter registration and make sure they're at the right polling place. These posters can be posted at voting locations. You can also put your name on those things. Real big, if you want to.
Husted definitely wanted to, and did, emblazoning his name and signature on 2-foot by 3-foot posters that his office is now requiring all polling places to post. That has Democrats, including Hamilton County Democratic Chairman Tim Burke, crying foul.
Burke has taken exception to the inclusion of Husted's name "the size of an oversized bumper sticker" on those posters. Burke is also chair of the Hamilton County Board of Elections, and he fired off an email earlier this week to Husted's office demanding clarification about the requirement polling places post the posters. The letter contained some not-so-subtle digs as well.
"I am struggling to understand how it is legitimate or fair to create a situation where you will be the only candidate on the ballot in next month's election to have your name prominently displayed along with the office to which you seek reelection in each polling place," Burke wrote in the message dated Oct. 7.
Burke also questioned the inclusion of a second, 11-by-17-inch poster that likewise prominently features Husted's name. That poster, designed by a 5th grade contest winner, has little factual information about voting, Burke says.
Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Damschroder replied later that evening, saying the posters are a routine task for the secretary of state's office and that Husted's name and signature are present to assure voters that the poster is official. Damschroder also pointed out that county board of elections members, such as Burke, have their signatures displayed at the bottom of ballots.
Those signatures are small, however, and are unaccompanied by text spelling out the commissioners' names. Perhaps they should work on the size and legibility of their autographs.
Let's not forget the fifth-grade contest winner in all this. Damschroder said polling places aren't required to post that poster.
"We have simply suggested that boards of elections post the winning design to advance the two-fold goal of encouraging participation in the democratic process, generally, and building civic-mindedness among the next generation of voters," he said.
If that kid is following along with what's happening to that poster, she or he is surely getting a lesson about politics as well.
"Golden Week", the five-day period in which Ohio residents can simultaneously register and vote, will be restored under a ruling a federal judge made this week.
U.S. District Judge Peter C. Economus issued a preliminary injunction Thursday ordering the state to establish at least two additional days of early voting in October, as well as evening hours during the week of Oct. 20. Counties would have the right to tack on additional voting hours too.
The ruling is the latest chapter in Ohio's early voting saga, and a setback for Ohio Gov. John R Kasich and Secretary of State Jon A. Husted. Both Republicans say measures to reduce early voting are an effort to make voting hours across the state more uniform. In February, Kasich signed into law a bill that eliminated Golden Week, effectively reducing the early voting period to 28 days from 35 days. Husted also issued a directive that lopped off evening and weekend hours. Such measures were necessary to reduce fraud, save money and create uniformity across the state, Kasich and his supporters have said.
The "ruling kicks the door open to having different rules for voting in each of Ohio's 88 counties, which is not fair and uniform," Husted said in a statement.
The ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by several civil rights groups, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People of Ohio, and several African-American churches. Economus ruled that the reductions would disproportionately hurt low-income and minority voters, many of whom overwhelmingly use Golden Week to cast ballots. African-American churches, in particular, have taken advantage of the week by providing congregates transportation to and from the polls after services.
According to a study cited in the ruling on early voting in the greater Cleveland area, "African-American voters cast an estimated 77.9 perfect of all" early votes in 2008.
In 2012, 1.9 million out of 5.6 million votes were cast early, according to the Ohio secretary of state's office.
"This ruling will safeguard the vote for thousands of Ohioans during the midterm election," said Dale Ho, director of the ACLU's Voting Rights Project, in a press release. "If these cuts had been allowed to remain in place, many voters would have lost a critical opportunity to participate in our democratic process this November. This is a huge victory for Ohio voters and for all those who believe in protecting the integrity of our elections."
Early in-person voting will now begin Sept. 30, not Oct. 7.
The state will review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal, said Republican Mike DeWine, a spokesman for the state attorney general.
Holder revealed the DOJ's intention to join the fight in Ohio over early voting during an interview about terrorism with ABC News in London July 11. That portion of the interview was unaired. Holder's comments were revealed when the DOJ released transcripts to the press this week.
The Ohio suit, originally brought by the Ohio American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups, claims the Republican-led elimination of early voting hours is unconstitutional because it will disproportionately affect minorities.
Ohio's General Assembly, which is controlled by Republicans, passed laws in February eliminating six early voting days and same-day voter registration. Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted subsequently eliminated early voting the last two Sundays before elections and on weekday evenings in the days before elections.
Some of Husted's cuts to early voting the Sunday before elections were undone by a federal district court judge, who ruled that the state must reinstitute early voting in the final three days before an election. Despite that victory, the other cuts have yet to be restored and are the grounds for the ACLU's lawsuit.
In the interview, Holder said voting is "the most basic of our rights" and vowed that he "will use every power that I have, every ability that I have as Attorney General to defend that right to vote."
Holder also said the DOJ will file in another voting rights case over Wisconsin's voter ID law, which has seen a pitched battle in federal courts.
Ohio Democratic gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald applauded Holder's comments in a news release today.
"I'm pleased that the U.S. Department of Justice will be joining the fight to protect voter rights in Ohio," FitzGerald said in the release. "Under Governor Kasich, access to the polls has significantly decreased for hardworking Ohioans across the state."
Mayor John Cranley is trying to find a compromise over whether early voting will move out of downtown after the 2016 general election, as some Republicans in the county government have suggested. Cranley called for a meeting with Hamilton County Board of Elections Chairman and Hamilton County Democratic Party Chairman Tim Burke, Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Alex Triantafilou, Cincinnati NAACP President Ishton Morton and Hamilton County Board of Commissioners President Chris Monzel. The meeting will aim to "discuss alternatives the City of Cincinnati can offer to accommodate early voting downtown after the 2016 elections. (Cranley) believes that such a discussion is consistent with the recommendation of the secretary of state that there be an effort to find a nonpartisan solution to the existing disagreement."
With a $12 million price tag in mind, Cranley remains worried Cincinnati is paying too much for a downtown grocery and apartment tower project. But the project is truly one of a kind, claims The Business Courier: The tower would boast nearly twice the number of luxury apartments of any other project underway in Over-the-Rhine or downtown. And it would replace a decrepit garage and establish the first full-scale grocery store downtown in decades.
A study found Ohio teens' painkiller abuse dropped by 40 percent between 2011 and 2013. State officials quickly took credit for the drop, claiming their drug prevention strategies are working. But because the Ohio Youth Risk Behavior Survey only has two sets of data on painkillers to work with — one in 2011 and another in 2013 — it's possible the current drop is more statistical noise than a genuine downturn, so the 2015 and 2017 studies will be under extra scrutiny to verify the trend.
Similarly, fewer Ohio teens say they're drinking and smoking. But 46 percent say they text while driving.
Ohio's unemployment rate dropped to 6.9 percent in January, down from 7.3 percent the year before. The numbers reflect both rising employment and dropping unemployment in the previous year.
To prove his conservative bona fides, Ky. Sen. Mitch McConnell touted a rifle when he walked on stage of the Conservative Political Action Conference.
The other Kentucky senator, Rand Paul, will headline a Hamilton County Republican Party dinner.
Researchers studied a woman who claims she can will herself out of her body.
Personal note: This is my last "Morning News and Stuff" and blog for CityBeat.
After today, I will be leaving to Washington, D.C., for a new
journalistic venture started by bloggers and reporters from The Washington Post and Slate. (CityBeat
Editor Danny Cross wrote a lot of nice things about the move here, and
my last commentary touched on it here.) Thank you to everyone who read
my blogs during my nearly two years at CityBeat, and I hope I helped you understand the city's complicated, exciting political and economic climate a little better, even if you sometimes disagreed with what I wrote.
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Ohio Secretary of State Jon Husted on Friday ruled that the Hamilton County Board of Elections can move to a former hospital site at Mount Airy after the 2016 election, but whether early voting moves along with the Board of Elections needs to be resolved separately. The decision does little to resolve the dispute between local Democrats and Republicans about which location — downtown or Mount Airy — is better for early voters. Democrats argue downtown, as the central hub of local public transportation, best meets the need of most early voters. Republicans argue the Mount Airy facility is closer to the center of the whole county and provides free parking, which Republicans say should make up for the few bus routes that go to the neighborhood.
Gov. John Kasich on Friday signed two controversial election bills that reduce the time allotted for early voting by one week and restrict counties' ability to send out unsolicited absentee voting applications. The reduction of early voting in particular raised claims of "voter suppression" from Democrats because the bill eliminates the Golden Week in which early voters can register to vote and actually vote on the same day. Republicans say the bills are necessary to establish uniform early voting hours and rules across the state. In general, both sides acknowledge Democrats benefit from more early voting access and Republicans benefit from less early voting access.
Income inequality rose in Ohio between 1979 and 2011, but Ohio fared better than most states, according to an analysis from the Economic Policy Institute and the Economic Analysis and Research Network. Ohio's top 1 percent make roughly 18.1 times the annual income as the bottom 99 percent. In comparison, the average nationwide rate is 24.4 and the rate in the two worst performing states — New York and Connecticut — is 40.
Contrary to faulty reports from Councilman Charlie Winburn and The Cincinnati Enquirer, the city extensively warned residents about its decision to decertify the flood levee around Lunken Airport. In fact, Winburn in 2010 actually voted in favor of an ordinance that supported the decertification. The decision means residents in the area need to purchase flood insurance.
Mayor John Cranley and other city officials plan to boost minority- and women-owned business contracts through aspirational inclusion goals set between the city and contractors. Since the city can't force businesses to meet the goals, Cranley acknowledges the city could fail. But contractors who worked on the Horsehoe Casino said a similar policy was effective in boosting minority rates for that project.
Two people died in Walnut Hills today after a stabbing and police-involved shooting, according to Cincinnati Police.
Cincinnati plans to increase efforts to get more solar panels on city rooftops. A more specific announcement should come in the next few weeks. Just a couple weeks ago, the Solar Foundation ranked Ohio No. 8 in the nation for solar jobs.
Ohio gas prices continued rising this week.
Watch a robot 3-D print with metal here.
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City Council watered down Mayor John Cranley's parking plan to
just two proposals: upgrading parking meters and increased enforcement. Council and public opposition ultimately proved too much for increasing neighborhood rates and expanded evening hours at major hubs. The changes
mean less revenue for the city but reduced parking costs for
residents. Still, with the parking plan changing almost daily, it's
unclear whether the current iteration will be the final proposal that
the Neighborhood Committee and City Council ultimately pass.
Compare: Cranley's original parking plan versus the parking privatization plan.Meanwhile, Xerox, the private operator that took over Cincinnati's parking meters in the parking privatization plan, proposed its own version of a parking plan in which the company manages parking meters while City Council retains control over setting hours, rates and enforcement. Xerox says its plan will generate more revenue. But Cranley rejected Xerox's plan weeks ago.
Commentary: "County Should Accept Responsible Bidder Law."
Cranley yesterday announced he's partnering with Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley to get a share of $1.3 billion in federal funds that would help attract manufacturing. The two cities will compete as one community for the federal Investing in Manufacturing Communities Partnership. The competition's 12 winners will each receive part of the $1.3 billion pot. Even if Cincinnati and Dayton don't win, Cranley said the competition will at least get them thinking about working together as a community for manufacturing jobs.
The Republican-controlled Ohio legislature yesterday approved controversial election bills that reduce the state's early voting period by one week and restrict counties' abilities to mail out unsolicited absentee ballot applications. Democrats say the measures are meant to suppress voters, but Republicans argue the changes are supposed to set uniform standards across the state. At least one top Ohio Republican previously admitted the measures were supposed to suppress voters, particularly "the urban — read African-American — voter-turnout machine." Gov. John Kasich is now the only person that stands between the bill becoming law.
The city plans to undertake a pothole-fixing blitz in March.
The Greater Cincinnati Port Authority will begin its 14-neighborhood rehabilitation plan in Evanston, where the agency will target about 100 properties.
With a "virtual online menu" and access to vocational education in the seventh grade, Gov. Kasich says he wants to get Ohio students planning their careers much earlier.
The Ohio House approved a plan that will give schools four more calamity days — more popularly known as "snow days" — for the current school year. The bill now heads to the Ohio Senate and Kasich.
U.S. Sen Sherrod Brown wants to close a loophole in Medicare that costs seniors thousands of dollars in unexpected medical bills.
Quinnipiac University's most recent poll found Ohioans would choose Hillary Clinton over Kasich and other Republicans for president.
Whooping cough appears to be evolving in response to its vaccine.
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Mayor John Cranley says his parking plan intends to alleviate Cincinnati's ongoing budget woes by increasing parking revenue, but the plan will need approval from a majority of City Council to become law. The plan wouldn't increase parking meter rates downtown, but it would increase neighborhood rates by 25 cents to 75 cents an hour. The plan would also increase enforcement at parking meters, which could lead to more tickets, and extend enforcement hours to 9 p.m. around the University of Cincinnati, Short Vine in Corryville, Over-the-Rhine and downtown. But the plan would not give control of the city's parking meter rates and hours to outside entities, like the parking privatization plan did. Cranley plans to send the proposal to the Neighborhood Committee, with a full council vote possible in two weeks.
An Ohio House committee yesterday cleared a pair of controversial election bills that would reduce the state's early voting period by one week — effectively eliminating a "Golden Week" in which voters can register and vote at the same time — and restrict counties' abilities to mail out absentee ballot applications. The bills wouldn't go into effect until after the May 6 primary. Democrats say the bills are blatant attempts at voter suppression, but Republicans, some of whom acknowledge they politically benefit from reduced access to voting, say the reform is necessary to eliminate voting disparities between urban and rural counties. The bills still need approval from the Republican-controlled Ohio House and Republican Gov. John Kasich to become law.
A bill placing age requirements on electronic cigarettes
yesterday passed an Ohio Senate committee. Critics of the bill argue it
doesn't go far enough because it puts e-cigarettes in a different
category than tobacco, which exempts e-cigarettes from higher taxes and
stricter regulations even though they contain addictive substances and
potential health risks. Kasich and the rest of the legislature need to OK the proposal before it becomes law.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center reopened three school-based health clinics closed after Neighborhood Health Care's abrupt shutdown.
A poll worker in Avondale allegedly voted twice, according to the Hamilton County Board of Elections.
The Ohio Department of Education plans to increase the number of weeks schools can administer state tests to alleviate time concerns brought on by excessive snow days.
Meanwhile, the Ohio House plans to vote on a bill that would let schools take on more snow days this year.
A Christian university located south of Columbus gets public dollars to teach "biblical truth," an Akron Beacon Journal investigation found. And the school's president and lobbyist just happen to sit on the Ohio Board of Education.
NBC correspondent Tom Brokaw revealed he has cancer.
RoboCop isn't that far off from reality.
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Mayor John Cranley plans to address long-term unemployment in Cincinnati with several new initiatives, some of which could get support from the White House, he told CityBeat yesterday. According to Cranley, the idea is to end employer discrimination against the long-term unemployed or land the long-term unemployed into jobs to end the job-crippling gap in their resumes. Cranley's push against long-term unemployment comes in preparation of his visit today to the White House, which is looking for different ways to tackle the sluggish economy without going through a gridlocked Congress.
Republican Secretary of State Jon Husted said it would be "logical" to keep an early voting location downtown even if the Hamilton County Board of Elections moves its offices to Mount Airy. Husted's comments imply local Republicans are alone in their effort to move early voting to a new Mount Airy location, where only one bus line runs. Democrats oppose the move because it would limit voting access for people who rely on public transportation. But local Republicans claim free parking at the facility would outweigh the lack of bus access. As the secretary of state, Husted could break the board's tie vote over the issue and make the final decision on where its offices and early voting end up.
Gov. John Kasich threatened to veto a "puny" oil and gas
tax, casting doubts on the current proposal in the Ohio legislature. The
debate has put Kasich and his fellow Republicans in the General
Assembly at odds as the state undergoes a bit of an oil and gas boom
because of fracking, a drilling technique that pumps millions of gallons
of water, sand and chemicals underground to unlock oil and gas reserves.
Kasich has been pushing to reform and increase the severance tax for
the state's oil and gas producers. But Republican legislators have
largely resisted Kasich's call to action, instead pushing a proposal
that increases the severance tax by much less than what the governor
proposed two years ago. In both Kasich and legislators' proposals, the
raised revenue would be used for an income tax cut.
A Hamilton County judge should decide today whether a local abortion clinic can remain open while it fights a state-ordered shutdown.
This year's Neighborhood Enhancement Program will target Walnut Hills and East Price Hill. The program aims to address a number of issues, including the number of calls to police, building code violations, vacant buildings, drug arrests, graffiti, junk cars, litter and weeds.
Cincinnati officials won an award for how the local budget is presented and communicated, even though it's still not structurally balanced.
The Ohio Statehouse welcomes weddings and receptions except for gay couples, who can't get the Ohio marriage certificate required to hold a ceremony at the location.
The Feb. 4 debate between Bill Nye the Science Guy and Creation Museum Founder Ken Ham over evolution and biblical creationism will stream live at The Cincinnati Enquirer. Evolution is taken as fact in the scientific world, but creationists deny its truth despite the clear, overwhelming evidence.
A school bus driver might have saved two children by yelling at them to get out of the way during a crash.
Scientists might have discovered a potential cure for peanut allergies.
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For some, Dennis McGuire's 26-minute, seemingly painful execution raises constitutional and ethical questions about Ohio's use of the death penalty. In particular, the convicted killer's family and medical experts say the state's use of a new cocktail of drugs presented problems even before McGuire was killed, with one Harvard professor of anesthesia warning the state prior to the execution that its dosage was too low for McGuire's size and the drugs inadequate. Jonathan Groner, a professor of clinical surgery at Ohio State University, told CityBeat, "I wouldn't want what he got to have my appendix out. … I would be concerned that I would feel something."
Hamilton County commissioners yesterday accepted a Mount Airy facility offered to the county as a gift by Catholic Health Partners, with plans to use the former hospital as the campus for a new crime lab. The acceptance came despite previous warnings that the Mount Airy facility could not be taken in by the county if the Board of Elections didn't also move its office and early voting to the Mount Airy location, where only one bus line runs, from its current downtown office. A party-line tie vote left the Board of Elections move in limbo, with a tie-breaking decision expected from the Republican secretary of state in the next few weeks. Democrats oppose the move because it would limit voting access for people who rely on public transportation, while Republicans argue free parking at the new facility would outweigh the loss of bus access.
Officials plan to break ground today on the Anna Louise Inn's new location at Mount Auburn. The start of construction marks the beginning of the next chapter for the Inn afters its owner, Cincinnati Union Bethel (CUB), lost a contentious legal battle against financial giant Western & Southern. CUB sought to keep the Inn at the location it has been at since 1909, while Western & Southern aimed to claim the property to invoke its full development vision on the Lytle Park neighborhood. After two years of litigation, both sides reached a settlement in which CUB agreed to move.
Commentary: Media Should End Reliance on "He Says, She Says."
A local abortion clinic asked a Hamilton County judge to suspend a state order that would shut down the facility. The Sharonville clinic would close down by Feb. 4 if courts don't step in.
With bipartisan support, the Ohio House cleared a bill that reduces the costs and speeds up the process of adoptions. But some Democrats worry the bill goes too far by shortening the period a putative father must register with the state if he wants to be able to consent to an adoption.
The tea party failed to put forward a Republican primary challenger to Gov. John Kasich.
Meanwhile, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune says he's talking to former Toledo Mayor Jack Ford as a potential running mate in a Democratic primary challenge against gubernatorial candidate Ed FitzGerald. With less than one week left, Portune needs to name a running mate and gather 1,000 valid petition signatures to actually run — a prospect that's looking dimmer by the day.
A federal judge sentenced an Ohio man who threatened to kill President Barack Obama to 16 months in prison.
Cincinnati-based Kroger might test an online ordering system.
Gladys, the Cincinnati Zoo's newest gorilla, celebrated her first birthday party with cake.
Scientists developed hair-growing cells from ordinary skin cells, potentially providing a new option for curing baldness.
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text:
Sports News-February 7, 2012
CBS Sports Programming now at 105.9 WJAG-FM & 780 WJAG-AM Mon-Fri at 5:00 PM; Sat & Sun at 4:00!
UNDATED (AP) - The NBA has suspended Timberwolves forward Kevin
Love for two games for stomping on the face of Rockets forward Luis
Scola during Sunday's game. The decision means the Wolves will be
without their leading scorer and rebounder for tonight's home game
against Sacramento and Wednesday night's outing at Memphis. Love
said after the game that the stomp was not intentional and he went
to Houston's locker room to apologize to Scola.
UNDATED (AP) - Kentucky is on top of The Associated Press'
college basketball poll for a third straight week and fifth time
this season. Just as they did a week ago, the Wildcats received 63
first-place votes from the 65-member national media panel. Syracuse
got the other No. 1 votes and remains No. 2, followed by Ohio
State, Missouri, and North Carolina.
NEW YORK (AP) - The Super Bowl-winning New York Giants will be
honored in a parade up the Canyon of Heroes in Manhattan and head
to the steps of City Hall before holding another celebration at the
Meadowlands later today. The Giants won their fourth Super Bowl -
and second in five seasons - by downing the New England Patriots
21-17 Sunday at Indianapolis. Coach Tom Coughlin (KAWF'-lihn) said
at a news conference yesterday that he has every intention of
returning to the Giants next season.
UNDATED (AP) - The Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots
have new offensive coordinators. ESPN says former Kansas City
Chiefs coach Todd Haley will run the Steelers' offense next year,
replacing Bruce Arians. Patriots coach Bill Belichick has confirmed
that Josh McDaniels will be the team's offensive coordinator next
season after being brought in during the playoffs as an offensive
assistant under Bill O'Brien, who has left to become Penn State's
head coach.
MONTREAL (AP) - Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby
practiced with the team yesterday but says he is no closer to
returning from a concussion and neck injury that have caused him to
miss most of the NHL season. Coach Dan Bylsma (BYLZ'-mah) felt with
Jordan Staal (stahl) and Simon Despres (see-MOHN' duh-PRAY') ready
to resume skating after their injuries, it was better to include
Crosby in the main practice rather than have him skate on his own.
After Saturday's last-second loss at Northern Iowa, the Creighton men's basketball team moved down a few slots in both top-25 polls released yesterday. The Bluejays are down three spots to 15th in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and dropped four slots to 17th in the Associated Press poll. In the NCAA's official RPI rankings, Creighton moved down two spots to an Missouri Valley Conference-best 16th. The Bluejays, who are 21-3 overall and 11-2 in the MVC, returns to action tonight with a visit to Evansville.
The Lincoln Journal Star has updated it's boys & girls basketball rankings. The Norfolk High boys remain second in Class "A" after record a 2-0 mark in the last week. The 19-0 Panthers visit Lincoln East on Friday and host Columbus on Saturday. The Norfolk Catholic boys drop from fifth to seventh in Class "C-1" after a 2-1 week. The Defending Champions will play Sutton at the Heartland Hoops Classic in Grand Island on Saturday at 2:15. The Lutheran High Northeast boys remain third in Class "C-2". They were 2-0 last week with wins over Columbus Scotus and Omaha Nation. The Eagles will host Hartington Cedar Catholic on Saturday. The Norfolk Catholic girls slip from third to fifth in Class "C-1" after a 2-1 week. They visit West Point Guardian Angels tonight and host Crofton on Thursday. The Lutheran High Northeast girls jump from third to second in Class "C-2" after beating Columbus Scotus and Omaha Nation last week. The 21-1 Lady Eagles visit Twin River on Thursday.
Local Schedule: Nfk Cath at West Point Guardian Angels (GBB-8:00); Southeast CC at NECC (W&M BB-6:00); Creighton at Evansville at Evansville, IN (MBB-7:05).
Tonight: The Norfolk Catholic girls basketball team visits West Point to play Guardian Angels Central Catholic at 8:00. Pregame coverage at 7:40 on 106 KIX & 106KIX.com.
Local Scores: Nfk High 84 Bellevue West 74 (BBB); Bellevue West 65 Nfk High 48 (GBB).
Mid States Conference Tournament Scoreboard: Pierce 46 Boone Central 40 (BBB Championship); Hartington CC 63 West Point Guardian Angels 37 (BBB 3rd Place); Nfk Cath 66 O'Neill 50 (BBB 5th Place); Boone Central 57 Pierce 37 (GBB Championship); Nfk Cath 51 Wayne 45 (GBB 3rd Place); West Point Guardian Angels 51 Hartington CC 31 (GBB 5th Place).
Final OT L-A Clippers 107 Orlando 102
Final Philadelphia 95 L-A Lakers 90
Final OT Washington 111 Toronto 108
Final Chicago 108 New Jersey 87
Final Phoenix 99 Atlanta 90
Final New York 99 Utah 88
Final Sacramento 100 New Orleans 92
Final San Antonio 89 Memphis 84
Final Houston 99 Denver 90
Final OT Oklahoma City 111 Portland 107
Final Toronto 6 Edmonton 3
Final Phoenix 3 Detroit 1
Final 2OT Anaheim 3 Calgary 2 (SO Anaheim 3-2)
Final ( 4) Missouri 71 Oklahoma 68
Final (18) Marquette 89 DePaul 76
Final (24) Louisville 80 UConn 59
Final ( 1) Baylor 81 Oklahoma 54
Final ( 5) Duke 96 (22) North Carolina 56
Final ( 8) Maryland 64 (22) Georgia Tech 56
Final (10) Ohio St. 72 Wisconsin 58
On Air
Michael J
2pm - 6pm
Star Athlete of the Week
Sheldon Beierman
of Boone Central/Newman Grove High School
Sponsored by Spracklen Physical Therapy of Norfolk

subset: commoncrawl


text:
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Our mission is to bring youth to more creative adventure activity where they learn to spend the time effectively and to become responsible citizen towards themselves and within the society they live in.
SCUBA COCHIN can travel according to your mind, when the days go on.


text:
A rich harvest
San Diego chefs yield their cherished Thanksgiving recipes
Good food is a part of all holidays. But there's only one American holiday where food is the centerpiece of the celebration.
Thanksgiving is all about the feast.
The fourth Thursday in November commemorates a harvest feast in 1621 by the Plymouth colonists, with Wampanoag Indians as their invited guests. From written accounts, historians know that venison and wild fowl were served at the meal, but the rest of the menu is uncertain. Some of our favorite dishes today could not have been eaten then: potatoes and sweet potatoes were not common, flour was scarce, and no one had come up with a recipe for pumpkin pie or cranberry sauce.
Today, Thanksgiving is a time for families to gather, give thanks and enjoy a sumptuous meal. And although turkey and pumpkin pie are practically mandatory, every family has its own traditions when it comes to the Thanksgiving meal.
For some of San Diego's top chefs, the Thanksgiving recipes they hold dear are those recalled from childhood. Asked to share a holiday recipe with U-T readers, the chefs all offered dishes that had special meaning for them.
Carl Schroeder's Kabocha Squash Soup makes appearances on the menu at his Market restaurant during the fall and winter. It's his adaptation of a recipe that his grandmother served as a first course at every Thanksgiving dinner of his childhood. His grandmother insisted that everyone at the table — including the youngsters — start with a cup of the soup, even if they didn't like squash.
"I was one of the kids who always liked it," says Schroeder, who is chef/owner of both Market and Bankers Hill.
Schroeder and his grandmother went through her recipes together before she passed away. "I found this one, and took it and put my own spin on it," he says.
Deborah Scott, executive chef and partner for a number of the Cohn restaurants, remembers that her mother made a corn pudding for Thanksgiving and Christmas every year.
"I always thought it was such a great complement to turkey and all of the fixings," she says.
Several years ago, Scott had dinner with friends and one of them brought a version of the dish she had eaten as a child.
"The corn pudding that we had that evening was amazing," says Scott. "We adapted that recipe to our menu at Indigo Grill, and Indian Corn Pudding has since become one of our signature dishes."
Family relished cranberry side
Marguerite Grifka, executive chef of Starlite, picked a simple cranberry relish as her memorable dish. "It's the recipe on the (fresh cranberry) package," says Grifka. "I talked to my mom, and I had forgotten that."
The dish became a tradition for her family because it was given to them in a crystal dish by wealthy neighbors.
"It was presented with such an air of pomp and circumstance that my sister would always refer to the dish as the 'Holy Grail,' " says Grifka. "The one tradition about the dish that was uniquely ours was that it was always served in the same crystal dish."
Grifka isn't a fan of commercial cranberry sauce, but she likes the homemade relish of cranberries and oranges.
"It is one of those simple yet delicious recipes that doesn't need to be tinkered with, but certainly could be, by adding spices or fruits," she says.
Everyone loves mac and cheese
Wade Hageman, chef/owner of Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria in Encinitas, has made mac and cheese a holiday family tradition.
"This recipe is important to me because as my family and extended family got larger — marriages, kids, etc. — we needed a dish that everyone loves, and mac and cheese fit the bill," says Hageman.


text: This entry level top floor Two Bedroom condominium has a mountain view and private balcony. There is seating for six at the dining room table and four at the kitchen counter. The well equipped kitchen features a flat cook top stove and a deep ceramic sink. The living area has a 36" flat screen TV with a DVD player as well as a gas fireplace and a queen size sleeper sofa. The master bedroom has a Queen size bed. A custom staircase brings you to the second bedroom upstairs which has three twin beds. Click to view detailed unit information, larger photos, availability calendar, and location map


text:
We raised the anchor just as the sun was lifting above the horizon on a crisp, clear and chilly morning. We motor-sailed away from the islands of Maine in amazing visibility - what a contrast to the foggy day on which we had arrived! We rounded Cape Elizabeth and headed south-west out into the open sea. Each time we rose to the top of the long swell created far away by Hurricane Leslie, we caught sight of the next Cape, fifty miles ahead. By early afternoon the wind had got up enough to sail the rest of the way to Gosport Harbour, where we picked up a mooring for the night. This isn't quite the Gosport we know back home - it is a remote spot amongst the sparsely inhabited Isles of Shoals - but the nearest city on the mainland is called Portsmouth, in New Hampshire.
Dawn arrived with a pink sky as we slipped the mooring and motored away from the Isles of Shoals. We rounded Cape Ann as the day warmed up under a hazy sun, continued past Gloucester and, in the early afternoon, anchored in Salem Harbour. It was a long dinghy ride through the mooring field to the town and when we got there we found no public landing to get ashore, but fortunately a friendly marina let us tie up our dinghy for the day. Salem had been one of the wealthiest ports in America in the 18th century through privateering and trade, particularly with the East Indies. The town has many fine old buildings, including the imposing Customs House, the "House of Seven Gables", and dozens of elegant homes lining the streets. The Peabody Essex Museum organises tours of some of these, which are all furnished in their original style. The Museum has a particularly fine maritime art section, and at the time of our visit had an exhibition of stunning photographs by Ansel Adams entitled "At the Water's Edge". The local tourist industry, unfortunately, has focussed more on the town's infamous witch trials of 1692. A few young girls had accused nearly two hundred people of witchcraft, resulting in mass hysteria and some extraordinary trials at which twenty men and women were sentenced to death.
Next morning, we took the dinghy round the headland to Marblehead, home to the prestigious Boston Yacht Club. Its harbour is crammed with yachts on moorings and, with its busy, narrow streets and yachty designer stores the small town reminded us rather of Hamble in Hampshire. Its most historic building is the three-storey mansion built by ship owner Jeremiah Lee in 1768. Although built of timber, the exterior facing was cut, bevelled and painted to imitate stone ashlar blocks to give the impression of it being a grand house in the English style. The interior has survived remarkably intact, with original mahogany panelling and British hand-painted wallpaper.
In the afternoon a fresh breeze carried us round to Boston, where we arrived just before dark. We found a place to anchor opposite the city between some derelict quays and the Hyatt airport hotel. Whilst not ideal as it was quite exposed to passing river traffic and the noise of aircraft, it was reasonably accessible and gave us a stunning view of the city. We could watch the giant sculpture of skyscrapers change in mood from early morning, through the day into dusk and darkness. We even managed to find a small public landing stage near the city centre where we could secure the dinghy. Over the course of two days we walked the length of the "Freedom Trail". Marked by a line of red bricks in the pavement, this connects sixteen sites that were significant in the American Revolutionary story. These include the old corner book store, several churches and cemeteries, the home of Paul Revere, a silversmith, bell founder and leading revolutionary, and the Old South Meeting House, where 5,000 colonists gathered in 1773 to protest about the British tax on tea which led to them dumping 342 crates into the harbour: the event that became known as the Boston Tea Party.
At the far end of the trail is the 67m high granite obelisk which commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill, the first major conflict of the American Revolution. We joined the line of tourists winding their way slowly up the staircase to the top to get the views across Boston and its harbour. Finally, we visited the 1797 frigate USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat. She was nicknamed "Old Ironsides" during the War of 1812 after a sailor commented on how shot bounced off her oak hull as if it were made of iron. The ship is maintained in immaculate condition, and tours are given by enthusiastic young naval personnel. Boston had one other surprise: it was the first place in America that we found a butcher's shop. There was also a large fruit and vegetable street market, so we were able to replenish our supplies for the next leg of our journey south.
This blog will be posted later.
Rockland's redeeming feature is the Farnsworth Art Museum, which has some fine paintings by Maine artists. There are works by three generations of the Wyeth Family: the illustrator N.C., his son Andrew, a realist, and grandson Jamie. Also featured are Winslow Homer, with his beautifully observed pictures of people in small boats, and the impressionist Frank Benson. Otherwise, Rockland is a rather unattractive ferry port with a large harbour, of which the area set aside for anchoring is exposed and a long dinghy ride from the quay. Whilst there, Kurt and Katy (of Interlude) offered to drive us to Bangor for a day at the American Folk Festival. Matador and Indy Plus had made the long journey up river, and a couple of other crews also got there by car, so it made for quite a social gathering. Some twenty bands were playing on five stages over three days.
It was time to leave Penobscot Bay and start heading back south, and, with some bad weather expected, we sought shelter in Maple Juice Cove, off the St. George River. We stayed for three nights and managed to get some useful jobs done, including fitting a wash-down pump for cleaning off the mud that clung to the chain and anchor every time they were raised. One morning, we took a dinghy tour of the bay but found nowhere to land as the entire shoreline was taken up by private homes. It rained for most of the third day, compounded by a thunderstorm. That evening, a pair of small, open luggers from the Outward Bound School sailed into the cove with eight bedraggled crew members in each. They seemed happy enough though, as they anchored, erected tents, cooked supper and settled down for the night in what must have been very cramped conditions.
We set off down river with a cold and gusty north-westerly blowing, dodging the inevitable dense conglomeration of lobster pots. However it was a good sail on a route that weaved its way through a maze of islands to an anchorage off Boothbay, a busy fishing harbour and holiday town. Like many such places, it is served by a free "trolley" bus service for the benefit of tourists. The driver of this one was particularly helpful: she took us to the laundrette, picked us up when we were done and drove us to the supermarket, telling us to leave our laundry bags in the bus, then picked us up again on her next round and dropped us, laundry and shopping right by the dinghy dock! And all the while she gave us a running commentary about everything we wanted to know about Boothbay. This was the last few days of the service, as next week she would be back driving the school bus.
We had a pleasant sail of about thirty miles across island-studded Casco Bay to Portland, the State capital. It is apparent that the city has undergone some major clearances of run-down areas, including the waterfront, but there is still much to be done as there are still many ugly gaps between the new developments. This is the first place on the coast where we encountered beggars and other down-and-outs. There is plenty of culture available however, including the Portland Museum of Art which has a good collections of Maine, American and European art. To remind us of familiar territory closer to home, there was a temporary exhibition of pictures of the Normandy coast. There were also some good sculptures dotted around the city, including one of local boy John Ford, director of many Westerns and "How Green Was My Valley", a film about a welsh mining family.
We would have stopped off at Jewell Island on our way to Portland, but being Labour Day weekend we expected it to be too crowded. We visited a few days after and found only two boats in its wonderful, hidden anchorage. One was Linda Lee, owned by the Florida couple Tom and Linda, whom we'd first met at Somes Harbour. We enjoyed a couple of evenings together, taking it in turns to cook supper. The island is uninhabited now, but had been used as a look-out station and defence battery during both World Wars. It is now reverting back to nature, but every now and then when wandering the trails one encounters a derelict building or piece of equipment, including two tall watch-towers which can still be climbed to get magnificent views of, on the day we were there, the fog blowing in across the tree-tops.
Our final stop in Maine was Great Chebeaque Island, where we went to find protection in its lee from the strong north wind that had been forecast. The island is served by a car ferry and has a large number of summer homes, but also has a sizeable community of permanent residents, many of them earning a living by lobster fishing. We saw one fisherwoman unloading a boat: perhaps the pot markers coloured pale blue with pink spots that we had seen on the way in had been hers! The level, quiet roads made it a good place to explore by bicycle, and we stopped off for lunch at the island's general store, the only place that seemed to be open. It was now well into September with definite signs of the end of summer, so time to leave this north-eastern extremity of America before the weather turned too unfriendly. We'd enjoyed our month in Maine immensely, with its wonderful cruising waters, lovely scenery, interesting places and the people we met there. We just could have done with a little less fog and far fewer lobster pots!
We picked up a mooring off Camden Yacht Club and were immediately welcomed by John, commodore of the Ocean Cruising Club, and Jenny with an invitation to drinks on their boat Al Shaheen. Camden is a busy harbour crammed full of yachts as well as being the base for some of the old schooners which take visitors on sailing trips. The town has a bustling high street lined with shops, most of which are geared to the tourist trade - selling nick-nacks and designer clothing. There is an excellent library with some interesting local works of art and artefacts, and a surprising number of second-hand book-shops. Not one of the local shops sells groceries, meat, fruit or vegetables, nor could any refill our propane gas bottle, but fortunately John borrowed a car and gave us a lift to the out of town supermarket and hardware store to stock up with supplies for the week ahead. The opening function for the rally was a lobster party at the Yacht Club. There we met many of the members for the first time, all with the common bond of having completed a non-stop passage of over 1,000 miles in a small boat. The Club has a strong US membership but it was founded in Britain, which was well represented here by eight boats. The itinerary for the next few days was to take us to some out-of-the-way anchorages within the maze of islands and waterways in the near locality that we probably wouldn't have visited otherwise.
The first stopover was in Pulpit Harbour on Northaven Island, where we took part in our first "raft-up" and pot-luck supper, a particularly American social occasion where boats anchor alongside each other and everyone brings something to eat which is shared around. From there we sailed round the top of Northaven, wriggling our way through a group of small outlying islands and the usual scattering of pot markers. In an idle moment I counted approximately 200 within a ½ mile radius. Down the other side we continued to Vinalhaven and entered a tight and winding inlet between a mass of small tree-covered islands to anchor in Seal Bay. In the afternoon there was a scavenger hunt, for which we were given a set of clues and questions to answer. It involved a long dinghy ride round to the adjoining Winter Harbour and a scramble up Starboard Rock - a spectacular slab faced hill on the water's edge, to find a survey triangulation marker and examples of such items as bracken, lichen, seaweed and shells. We didn't do too badly with the answers, and found the largest piece of kelp when we nearly ran over it with the outboard. There was some controversy however because the Americans insisted that a bivalve mollusc that is reckoned to be an aphrodisiac was a mussel, whereas all the Brits reckoned the answer should have been an oyster! We were invited for supper on board another Egret, an immaculately varnished "Bristol 45.5" centre-boarder, along with a couple of other crews.
Next we headed back to the narrow cut between Northaven and Vinalhaven, known as "Fox Island Thorofare", and turned off into Perry Creek where we were allocated a mooring. We raced each other across the bay by dinghy to Zeke point, where lunch had been arranged at the summer home of members Pam and Harvey Geiger. Afterwards we explored the upper reaches of Perry Creek by dinghy, passing a delightful houseboat on the way. In the evening all the Brits were invited for drinks on the commodore's boat. A dense fog enveloped the creek next morning, but gradually the other boats around us were revealed one by one. We continued down the "Thorofare", through a cut east of Leadbetter island to Hurricane Island, where we anchored on the east side. The pinkish grey granite here was quarried in the late 19th century by Irish workmen and fashioned by Italian masons, all of whom lived with their families on the island. It was shipped by schooner to cities further south for incorporation into building and civil engineering works, including the Brooklyn Bridge. Apart from the disused quarries, there are remains of old steam engines and the foundations of buildings gradually disappearing into the undergrowth. Hurricane Island later became home to an Outward Bound School, which has since moved elsewhere, and now a new education centre is getting underway. We had a good long walk along the steep and overgrown trails on the island, and also attended a talk about the new facilities. That being the end of a fascinating and extremely enjoyable rally, all the boats dispersed to various destinations, in our case to Rockland.
Mount Desert Island forms the greater part of The Acadia National Park - a popular holiday destination. Somes Sound cuts right into its heart, with Somes Harbour at its head: an attractive and sheltered bay surrounded by a rocky, wooded shoreline. From the landing stage it is a short walk to the hamlet of Somesville. We were keen to grab the opportunity of a good forecast to climb Mount Cadillac, at 1,530ft the highest mountain on the east coast of America. We caught the free bus to Bar Harbour, bought a trail map from the rangers' hut and planned our ascent. We decided to take the Gorge Path up, which looked challenging, but probably easier going up than down. It turned out to be a very enjoyable scramble over rocky terrain through dripping forest along the course of a seasonal stream, with a final steep ascent to the top. As we emerged sweating but triumphant onto the summit we met the gaze of hundreds of tourists who had taken the easy way up by bus or car. The views from the top were magnificent on this crystal clear day. We could look down upon the maze of inlets and islands all around us and the distant views northwards towards Canada and southwards to the rest of Maine. We descended by the west ridge to the main road where we hailed a crowded bus to take us home. On another day we took the bus to South-West Harbour, home of the renowned Hinckley yacht building company and the Wendell Gilley bird-carving museum. We were pleased to meet up with Mark and Julia on "Rachel", friends of friends whom we'd somehow missed meeting in the Chesapeake. "Eye Candy" caught up with us again here just as we were ready to move on, but we made time for coffee with Andrew and Clare before lifting our anchor.
Visibility was down to less than ¾ mile as we left Somes Sound, and we were surprised to encounter a racing fleet of keelboats - they emerged and disappeared one by one in the mist, which must make for interesting race tactics. It gradually cleared as we crossed open waters to Swan's Island, where we dropped the anchor in Mackerel Cove. On our second day we took our bikes ashore for a tour of the island, including a visit to Burntcoat Harbour, a fishing port where time seems to have stood still. There are lots of summer homes, but it must be very bleak for the full time islanders in the winter. It seemed quite desolate enough for us as the rain started coming down, and we returned to the boat absolutely soaked.
We awoke surrounded by dense fog, but it thinned sufficiently by mid-morning to set off through York Narrows, a cut between small rocky islets. When it finally cleared we saw vast numbers of lobster floats stretching out across Jericho Bay. We made a lunch-time stop to visit the Wooden Boat School, also home of Wooden Boat Magazine. Maine is a particular stronghold for wooden boats, including small canoes and dinghies, fleets of one-design centre-boarders by the "Wizard of Bristol" Nathaniel Herreshof, and beautiful classic cruisers. Almost all are kept in immaculate condition for their emergence during the brief summer season. There are also quite a number of old trading schooners converted to take visitors on sailing holidays. Few of them have engines, although they always tow a work-boat close astern to push them into port when the wind goes light. We continued on through Eggemoggin Reach, under a slender suspension bridge and out into East Penobscot Bay, before turning into Smith Cove, where we anchored close to the elegant British motor yacht Blue Guitar, a 103ft Destiny class built by Camper & Nicholson's in 1967, and apparently once, and possibly still, owned by Eric Clapton. The neighboring town of Castine is notable for the substantial remains of Fort George, the last post surrendered by the British at the close of the revolutionary wars in 1784.
Next day we had a lovely sail to windward, enjoyable particularly because we were in an area of West Penobscot Bay with far fewer lobster pot floats than normal. We anchored in Kilkey Harbour, and sat out the next day on board whilst it rained solidly and the wind got up. The following morning we landed the dinghy at Dark Harbour for a walk down the lanes of Isleboro Island, an area of exclusive summer homes. After lunch we sailed to Camden, where we were booked in to join the Ocean Cruising Club's Maine rally.
It was a chilly and overcast as we left the Mystic River and headed out from Long Island Sound into the choppy waters of the open sea. Tacking up Block Island Sound it started to drizzle, and it was raining heavily by the time we reached Narragansett Bay. We tucked into Dutch Harbour off Jamestown for the night and turned on our diesel heater for the first time in many months to warm and dry things out. The next day was the first of August, and with sunshine and a decent westerly breeze we enjoyed a glorious fetch up to the head of Buzzards Bay. With a swift current behind us we made the tricky sharp turn off the fairway into a narrow channel leading to Onset Harbour. This is a popular anchorage for yachts preparing to transit Cape Cod Canal. The 5 mile long canal was first opened in 1914 to provide an alternative route to the long and sometimes treacherous passage around Cape Cod and the Nantucket Shoals. Widening to its present 146m and construction of two 41m high road bridges and a massive vertical lift railroad bridge were completed in 1940, making it the widest sea level canal in the world. A thin veil of mist gradually cleared as we set off early to ride the favourable 4 knot tide through the Canal. We exited onto a calm sea under a hazy sun, set the cruising chute and wafted downwind in a 10-15 knot breeze to Cape Ann. We rounded the Cape and entered Sandy Bay off Rockport, Massachusetts, where we anchored off the town beach.
Rockport seems like another world in comparison to the low-lying scenery further south. As befits its name, the surrounding shoreline is rocky, and the town started life exporting stone from the quarries of Cape Ann. The place is now a holiday resort and an artists' colony, reminding us rather of St. Ives in Cornwall. It was packed with tourists wandering about the inner harbour and the narrow streets lined with quaint cottages - now mainly turned into galleries and trinket shops. One grand house behind the beach has been completely rebuilt as a concert hall, with a huge picture window overlooking the bay as a backdrop to the stage. We stayed two nights to have time for a look around and to buy our first New England lobster. We even went for a swim from the boat, although the water was getting decidedly chilly now that we were away from the Gulf Stream.
We felt we were making our way "up north" to Maine, but in the days of sailing ships they talked about heading "down east" because the prevailing winds were from astern. (In reality the course is roughly north-east.) It was a sunny, windless morning with patchy visibility of around 3 miles as we cleared Rockport's outer breakwater. Three dolphins came over to say hello, but didn't stick around long. Then it was "thar she blows", as we saw two northern right whales spouting in the distance. An easterly breeze filled in after lunch so we set the mainsail and number one genoa, and cut the engine. The wind gradually freshened and backed so that by 1700 we were romping along across a flat sea at 6.7 knots. We ate bangers and mash for supper ahead of a red sunset. Just before midnight however we ran into a dense fog bank, for which Maine is notorious. Shortly after, the AIS alarm went off warning of a ship heading straight for us. I called up the tanker "Noreaster" on the VHF and agreed with the watch officer that we would both alter course to pass port to port. We never saw the ship even though the instruments told us it had been within 0.2 miles of us. At 0230 we heard the mournful whistle from the lighthouse on Matinicus Rock.
The sky started to lighten with the coming of dawn but the fog just got thicker. We were now in the world of unlimited lobster pots, whose tethers are another hazard of Maine waters. It needed both of us on constant watch to con the boat with one eye glued to the radar screen, another on the electronic chart plotter and two looking out for the pot marker floats and other craft. Visibility was down to around 50m as we navigated from buoy to buoy between Mount Desert and Great Cranberry Islands, zigzagging all the way to avoid the myriad of gaily painted floats. We entered Somes Sound, a small fiord-like bay, at noon, the fog gradually lifting like a stage curtain to reveal for the first time the beautiful scenery of Maine. We anchored at the head of the Sound completely exhausted. Firefly was close by, so after a couple of hours' sleep we rowed over for welcome drinks with Leo and Poupette, the first time we'd encountered them since the storms of Cape May.
I really enjoy reading about your exciting travels although maybe not your day and night in the fog. I alway think fog is every frighting. Last wednesday evening race in the enterprise at Broadwater this week, which i will miss. Just now thinking of our ski ing hoildays. Fair winds in the right direction Joyce


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