This goes down as one of the strangest stories I’ve heard in a long time. There are so many things to comment on here from the names of these self-described “superheroes,” the “Allegiance of Heroes” that Shadow Hare is part of, the pitch of his voice, the fact that he’s 21 years old and from Milford or their costumes.
Just watch this great news piece from WLWT to see for yourself (be sure to notice the reaction of the Hamilton County Sheriff that Shadow Hare approaches in the video).
Christopher Smitherman is the controversial President of the local chapter of the NAACP. He has always been a somewhat controversial figure, but his recent actions as the President of the NAACP has led several prominent local black activists to openly criticize Smitherman and the NAACP. Smitherman’s outspoken opposition to the proposed streetcar system, Mayor Mallory and relationship with Chris Finney seem to be leading this dissent within the black community that is causing them to break away from Smitherman. What does this mean for the local chapter of the NAACP, Mr. Smitherman and his current prominent stances on issues like the proposed streetcar system?
Chris Finney is the attorney for the local chapter of the NAACP and the ultra-conservative group COAST. He has been known for his bold stances against minority groups like GLBT and even the black community. This continuation of the relationship between the NAACP and Chris Finney has led many to question Smitherman’s motives.
It gets even worse as one local black activist has alleged that Smitherman is “scaring senior citizens” about the proposed streetcar in order to drum up more support for his personal opposition to the project, and he is doing this all while wearing the suit of the President of the local chapter of the NAACP.
The author of the Black Fist Blog states that Smitherman is, “slithering in and out of area Senior Citizen Facilities/Centers and comparing the building of a proposed Streetcar to “The Great Depression”, and to outright tell to our precious senior citizens that to NOT sign the NAACP Streetcar Petition would be something close to signing on to one of the “Greatest Economic Tragedies” since “The Great Depression” is at the least irresponsible, and at the most could be classified as (mental) elder abuse.”
Not much is clear on any of this aside from one thing – Smitherman is surrounded in a lot of controversy and it appears to be clear that he is in no way truly representing the interests of the black community in Cincinnati. What I truly want to know is what the actual concerns are, from the black community, in regards to the proposed streetcar system. A conversation should be had so that they are engaged and involved in the process to help make this system a success.
In the end this seems to be damaging the reputation and credibility of the local chapter of the NAACP for the sole cause of advancing Christopher Smitherman’s political interests. In a time when the economy is in the pits we really need groups like the NAACP to stand up and fight for the equal rights and standing for the black community…and it seems as though President Smitherman is failing at this.
Keep following these stories at the following:
The Black Fist Blog
Cincinnati Black Blog
The Phony Coney
Everywhere you turn you hear about this or that being “green.” So what does it really mean to be “green?” Are these products, services and projects really “green” or are they using the term unjustly to help promote their particular item?
‘Green Washing‘ is the unjustified appropriation of environmental virtue by a company, an industry, a government, a politician or even a non-government organization to create a pro-environmental image, sell a product or a policy, or to try and rehabilitate their standing with the public and decision makers after being embroiled in controversy.
Hybrid vehicles, LEED certified buildings and recycling seem to top the list of popular “green” friendly activities. But what are these initiatives really accomplishing? William McDonough and Michael Braungart, authors of Cradle to Cradle, might argue that these are simply initiatives aimed at making these things less bad instead of actually making our community more good.
At the same time, the most ridiculed initiatives seem to be the ones that McDonough and Braungart might appreciate a bit more. Eating less meat, living in walkable communities and rethinking the way in which we design our everyday products would all be examples of making our community “more good.” So why aren’t these the initiatives our community is grabbing on to?
Maybe it is evidence that this new “green” movement is really just a reflection of economic opportunists looking to capitalize off of the mass appeal of being “green.” I’m not quite that cynical as I do believe we are becoming more environmentally conscience. I’m just a bit weary that the majority of being are being educated by pop culture, instead of being educated by the environmentalists out there.
I guess I’ll take a LEED Certified office building out in Blue Ash over one that is not LEED Certified, but wouldn’t renovating an existing building that currently stands vacant in our center city be the most “green” thing we could do? Or how about ditching that commute in your hybrid vehicle for a daily walk or bike ride to work?
So what do you think…are we doing enough, is the label of “green” being diluted and how can we improve the current situation to remove the confusion and get back to the core issue of being environmentally responsible?
The Cincinnati Enquirer’s John Fay is reporting that the Reds are “actively pursuing” for an All-Star Game to come to Cincinnati in 2013.
It seems like a relatively long time away, but in All-Star Game terms it’s not. St. Louis will host the game this year, Los Angeles (Anaheim) has 2010 and Arizona will have 2011. Boston is rumored to be the favorite for 2012, but Kansas City is also in the mix for 2012 or 2014.
The game alternates between AL and NL locations, so that leaves 2013, 2015 and 2017 as the next options for Cincinnati to get its fifth All-Star Game and first at Great American Ballpark that opened for the 2003 season.
First generation rendering of Great American Ballpark and its then future surroundings – from Hamilton CountyThe timeline works fine with me as the first phase of The Banks and the Central Riverfront Park will be complete. The Great American Tower (Queen City Square) will also be finished; and if we’re really lucky, so will the first phase of the proposed streetcar system. Talk about making a good impression.
At the same time work will be underway for future phases of The Banks, Central Riverfront Park and (once again if we’re lucky) the proposed streetcar system. I’m glad we didn’t get an All-Star Game immediately after the opening of Great American Ballpark. I’d much rather have the out-of-towners come in and experience the revitalized Cincinnati and see that we have a lot more to offer than the nostalgia of WKRP.
Let me stand on my soapbox and loudly proclaim what millions have done before me over the past year and say, “It’s a sign of the times”. Sure, it might not be the most original statement you’ve heard in awhile, but perhaps it truly does apply.
Western Hamilton county is seeing an increase in the reduction of commercial real estate, and yes that’s a borderline double-negative. It seems like everywhere you look, in addition to the depressing little white or yellow slips posted on the front doors or windows of vacant homes, you’re seeing more and more empty retail space.
No, it’s not just the little guy, it’s the big guys too. From the K-Mart in Forest Park, to the Dillard’s in Colerain, and finally to the most peculiar little area, Glenway Crossing in my neck of the woods over here in Western Hills. This once thriving area, while still bustling with activity from the remaining businesses, is starting to become a little, shall we say, ghostly?
Circuit City, CostPlus WorldMarket, and Steve & Barry’s have all gone the way of businesses past. It is understandable that in this and any economy businesses will fold. Circuit City succumbed to the national rivalry with BestBuy, and ironically, the “thrifty” stores like Steve & Barry’s and CostPlus WorldMarket found it difficult to stay financially afloat. Yeah, I’ll give you that WorldMarket was more of a niche store, but they still had everyday items which I only recently discovered before their demise, such as coffee and olive oil which was amazingly priced considering the quality. Oh well, you can’t win them all.
Target took their operations up the road, which seems to be another interesting trend. Despite the vacancies, the real estate in Glenway Crossing doesn’t seem too bad. Businesses like BestBuy, Chipotle, and Panera, as well as WalMart nearby, still draw a lot of people (i.e. money) to the area. Yet new development, including the construction of new buildings, is going on just a few miles up Glenway, where the demographics are really no different.
Western Hills Plaza is seeing new life at Glenway Crossing’s expenseAm I missing something here? No, we’re not building “Legacy Places”, but why build new structures when existing real estate sits not too far away? At least these are being built over the sites of older business and parking lots, etc., but c’mon, would it kill to put something, anything, other than more retail along Glenway?
At any rate, instead of whining about something I really have no control over, I’ve decided that it’s my duty, as a resident of the west side of Cincinnati, to at least contribute ideas of how to utilize this space at Glenway Crossing.
I’ll be honest, the plazas are fairly drab, mostly concrete and mortar, and not overly attractive. So, I’ve come up with the following…
Low Security Jail Space: We keep on hearing about talk about a new jail, why not offer up this space as a small jail facility for the low risk criminals, such as petty thieves, peeping toms, and the Madoff family. I mean, who wouldn’t want a jail in their neighborhood when it’s for the good of the community, right?
Small College Campus: Why between the empty plaza space and the two standalone buildings, formerly known as Target and Circuit City, you could have another concrete University and call it NKU North, or “Northerner Kentucky University”, as some of our friends across the river might say.
Black Friday Training Facility: The FBI has had Hogan’s Alley for years, and the military uses fake cities to teach urban warfare tactics. Why not turn it into a site that department stores can rent for day after thanksgiving training? It would also boost the local economy, as a local “mob” would have to be hired to storm the doors of the trainees. Yep. That’s called thinking outside the box folks.
Before I get hate mail about poking fun at Kentuckians, I should point out that I grew up in Kentucky and spent the majority of my life there. By default, that means I’m privileged to perpetuate the stereotype of the Kentucky hillbilly. I should also point out that I know several people from the west side of Cincinnati who pronounce “wolf” as “woof”.
As stated earlier, this is all a sign of the times. Businesses are bound to fail, while others rebuild. Citizens such as myself will find something else to complain about during the Bengals off season, and satirical posts will rise hand in hand with the unemployment rate.