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VOL. 28 | ISSUE 04 ON THE COVER: INSIDE CINCINNATI’S MOST RECENT JANE DOE CASE PHOTO: MADELINE FENING

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our constituents. We were elected to find resolution in this pain from a local perspective.” Owens goes on to mention that council has condemned acts of war and violence abroad, including passing a resolution that condemned Russia for invading Ukraine, as well as a resolution condemning Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel. She said she wants to see the current crisis in Gaza treated with the same respect. “I want to say clear as day that Israel has the right to exist and defend itself against terrorism. Let me also be clear... I believe in a humanitarian ceasefire in order to save innocent lives from being lost. To continue the delivery of humanitarian aid to those who desperately need it, and for the release of all hostages being held,” she said. “We were not elected to sit here to be comfortable, we are asked to sit here and be strong in times of challenge.” Audience members gave Owens a standing ovation for her speech.

NEWS Where Cincinnati City Councilmembers Stand on a Humanitarian Ceasefire in Gaza At least 49 U.S. cities have passed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza; Cincinnati is not one. BY M A D E L I N E F E N I N G

Where other members of council stand

incinnati City Council will not vote on a call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, Mayor Aftab Pureval announced during a Feb. 14 meeting. The mayor cited a lack of consensus on the issue among the nine-member council. “Consensus language doesn’t exist for an issue that is among the most nuanced and complicated in international affairs,” said Pureval. Councilmember Meeka Owens was the only member to voice support for a ceasefire resolution during a Feb. 7 city council meeting. “This council for the past four months has done nothing to acknowledge what is occurring in Gaza,” she said. Public comments requesting a call for a ceasefire have been commonplace in council meetings since the Oct. 7 terror attacks by Hamas militants that killed upwards of 1,200 Israelis. Since Israel vowed to destroy Hamas for the attacks, at least 27,478 Palestinians have been killed and 66,835 wounded in Gaza. At least 49 U.S. cities have passed symbolic resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, according to a Reuters analysis of city data, including Chicago, Detroit, Akron, Seattle, Atlanta and others. Most recently, Toledo’s city council unanimously passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Public comments Though thousands of miles away, Gaza’s relevance to Cincinnati has been felt by locals who say they’ve experienced discrimination since the Oct. 7 attacks. One guest commenter, a 14-year-old

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Councilmember Meeka Owens was the only member to voice support for a ceasefire resolution during a Feb. 7 city council meeting. P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

Cincinnati resident, told the all-Democratic council he’s been labeled as a terrorist for being of Palestinian descent. “Does our commitment to certain values depend on who is affected? If we looked different, would we gain more attention?” he asked. “In my own life, I’ve been unjustly labeled a terrorist, as have my Palestinian friends within our school.” While nearly all public comments on the situation in Gaza were in favor of a ceasefire resolution from council, Rabbi Ari Jun, a local leader in the Jewish community, thanked council for not advancing a ceasefire resolution since the Oct. 7 attacks. “You’re being asked to make an impossible decision. To either support or condemn a distant war that has fundamentally divided our community,” Jun said. “As many of you know, doing so could undermine the very nature of your actual work: uniting our community. In the face of this impossible situation, I want to thank you for holding fast to the principles you share.”

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Dena Cranley, former first lady of Cincinnati, delivered an impassioned speech in favor of a ceasefire resolution during her two minutes at the podium. “Right now!” Cranley yelled, “President Biden’s administration is in the Middle East negotiating for a humanitarian ceasefire to help the Palestinians in Gaza and to release the hostages. That is exactly what our resolution is asking for.” While the discussion and vote on the resolution was not on the agenda for Wednesday’s meeting, Mayor Aftab Pureval said he’d open the floor for discussion at the request of some councilmembers.

Councilmember Meeka Owens speaks on Gaza With a shaking voice, Owens addressed the chamber. “For several weeks now, we as an elected body have been silent from this dais,” she said. “We were not elected to be silent in the face of the pain of

Councilmembers Mark Jeffreys, Reggie Harris and Seth Walsh made their positions on the possible resolution clear in a prepared statement. Before Jeffreys presented the three councilmembers’ views, he reminded the audience that he himself is Jewish. “I’m not a bystander, I’m Jewish,” he said. “Our role is local, and I think where I disagree [with Owens] is I think our role is also to unite our community. Our role is not to divide our community.” The prepared statement from Jeffreys, Harris and Walsh reads, in part: “After several weeks of conversations with different stakeholders in the Cincinnati area, we, the undersigned, do not believe that we as Cincinnati City Council can put forward a balanced and unified resolution in the war in Gaza. [...] Cincinnatians looks to city council for representation on local, state, national and international issues, and we have weighed in on occasion on international issues in which the situation promotes a sense of unity among desperate groups. Calling for a resolution that speaks to the experience of all impacted will inevitably be divisive. Expecting Cincinnati City Council to take a position advocating for one specific solution to an incredibly complicated and longstanding dispute when there are heads of state, ambassadors, Biden administration working to resolve it is misplaced.” Vice Mayor Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney echoed the sentiment behind the joint statement read by Jeffreys, though she was not undersigned. “There’s no one here who wants to

see this killing continue. Everybody here wants the release of the hostages. Everybody here wants humanitarian aid,” she said. “It’s the words used, it’s the way it’s said, it’s the way we come together as a Cincinnati community so that everybody feels heard and respected. That’s the hard part.” Mayor Pureval, president pro tem Victoria Parks and councilmembers Jeff Cramerding and Scotty Johnson did not speak to the issue during the meeting.

City Leaders Reveal Plan to Curb Youth Violence in Cincinnati Following Downtown Attacks BY M A D E L I N E F E N I N G

Cincinnati socialists react to council’s comments The Cincinnati Socialists group, who have continually advocated for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza through public demonstrations and comments on the chamber floor, told CityBeat that the statement made by councilmember Owens is a welcome step forward. “We recognize Owens for speaking out on the genocide in Gaza, calling for a ceasefire and that humanitarian aid be let into Gaza,” a spokesperson with the group told CityBeat. “Not only did she acknowledge the atrocities being committed by the [Israeli Defense Forces] against innocent Palestinians, she also acknowledged the four months of silence displayed by our city council up to this point, despite the consistent urging of the public to pass a ceasefire resolution. City council has ignored and even slept through public comment in the meetings lead up to this one.” The Cincinnati Socialists group has addressed council before, once on Nov. 29 and again on Dec. 13 when the group called on council to replace the definition of antisemitism that was adopted by city council in March of 2023. The specific portion of the definition the group wishes to repeal defines antisemitism as “denying the Jewish people their right to self-determination, e.g., by claiming that the existence of a State of Israel is a racist endeavor.” On the joint statement made by Jeffreys, Harris and Walsh, Cincinnati Socialists said the councilmembers are still picking a side by attempting to remain neutral on the resolution. “They say their goal is to unite people in Cincinnati and ‘picking a side’ would only divide us. Their error in holding this position stems from an unwillingness to recognize Israel as a settler-colonial apartheid state. In such a case, remaining neutral, in effect, amounts to siding with the oppressor,” the group said. “The aspirations of an occupying force cannot be reconciled with the needs of the occupied.”

Dr. Meera Kotagal, director of trauma services at Cincinnati Children’s, announcing a new partnership with University of Cincinnati Medical Center to curb violent crime among Cincinnati's youth. PHOTO: MADELINE FENING

incinnati city leaders have unveiled a new partnership with local hospitals they hope will reduce violent crime among the city’s youth. During a Feb. 13 press conference, City Manager Sheryl Long said violent crime is actually down in the city, but a more concerning trend has prompted action from City Hall. “Overall, violent crime is down in Cincinnati, but the specific types of crimes we’re seeing are very concerning,” she said. “Disturbingly, we’re seeing more kids involved in crime, both as perpetuators and as victims.”

Recent incidents The press event comes after two attacks in Cincinnati’s Downtown neighborhood in January. On Jan. 23, a man was attacked and robbed on 6th Street by a group of eight people, including teenagers. A second attack happened the next day on 5th Street, and that time a 15-year-old was attacked. In all, CPD said 14 people have been arrested in relation to the incidents, many juveniles.

New hospital-based program Long announced a new partnership between the city, University of Cincinnati Medical Center (UCMC) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center that will aim to stop the cycle of violence from the first point of trauma. “We’ll establish a working group

of experts and practitioners to share resources and develop a traumainformed approach to care,” she said. The program will be the nation’s first pediatric and adult violence intervention program, according to Long. Doctors from both hospitals said the program will expand the way victims of gun violence are treated when they are brought to UCMC or Cincinnati Children’s. “This is a uniquely American problem,” said Dr. Meera Kotagal, director of trauma services at Cincinnati Children’s. “Firearm-related injury is the leading cause of death for children in the United States, causing significant suffering for children and their families. We welcome the opportunity to work with our adult Level I trauma center colleagues at UC Medical Center to build an infrastructure addressing the comprehensive post-injury needs of youth, young adults, their families and communities impacted by gun violence.” Three to four new violence prevention professionals will be hired by UCMC and shared with Cincinnati Children’s to provide violent crime victims with a longer-term care plan that includes mental health support. “We as institutions have not done enough to address the long-lasting mental and psychological trauma that gun violence inflicts,” said Dr. Amy Makley, trauma medical director for UCMC. “Disproportionately, many of our [gun violence] patients are young, healthy adults, teenagers and children and they have a high proportion that

are young Black males.” Makley said research shows reinjury rates for gunshot patients are “soaring” as high as 40%. “This program will engage our gun violence victims throughout their recovery, providing not only medical treatment but also crucial mental health support, substance abuse intervention and access to vital community resources,” Makley said. “Addressing the root causes of violence and offering comprehensive assistance, we aim to break the cycle of trauma and violent injury.” Long said the initiative is being funded by a $600,000 community grant for community-based violence intervention and prevention the city applied for last summer.

New Violence Reduction Manager Long also announced the hiring of De’Angelo Harris-Rosa, the city’s first Violence Reduction Manager in the department of Human Services. Harris-Rosa comes from Philadelphia where he headed up a similar office. With a background in law enforcement, Harris-Rosa will oversee the new hospital partnership and other community-based programs that seek to curb gun violence. “De’Angelo will be coordinator and collaborator between the wide array of partners who come together to do this work,” she said. Harris-Rosa’s employment with the city starts on Feb. 19.

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Seminarian for Archdiocese of Cincinnati Arrested on Child Pornography Charges BY M A D E L I N E F E N I N G

seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has been arrested on child pornography charges, according to a news release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office. Broderick Witt, 28, was arrested on Feb. 9 at his living quarters in Mount Saint Mary’s Seminary in Cincinnati’s Mount Washington neighborhood. He’s charged with eight counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor, all fourth degree felonies. Authorities say the investigation began in late September of 2023, when members of the Regional Electronics & Computer Investigations section (RECI) opened an investigation into Witt’s online activities after receiving information from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. “During this investigation, it was discovered that Witt [was studying to become a priest] for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati,” the release reads. “The investigation pertaining to Witt’s

activities is still ongoing.” The Archdiocese of Cincinnati released a statement following the arrest, saying Witt is no longer a student nor a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. “The seminary and the Archdiocese of Cincinnati have strict policies against, and take significant precautions to prevent, anyone from possessing or accessing material of this type, regardless of whether they are a student, faculty, or staff,” the release reads. “Discovery of such material will result in immediate termination or dismissal and notification of law enforcement. We have cooperated, and will continue to cooperate, fully with law enforcement and the prosecutor’s office. We are committed to doing all we possibly can to remove the scourge of child exploitation and abuse from our Church and society.” Anyone with information related to this case should contact the Regional Electronics & Computer Investigations section at (513) 946-8338.

Broderick Witt, 28, was arrested on Feb. 9 at his living quarters in Mount Saint Mary's Seminary on eight counts of pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor. PHOTO: HAMILTON COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE

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ADVICE COLUMN What’s On Your Mind, Cincinnati? Mike Madanat, the founder of Authentic Life Counseling, will be answering your burning questions in the “What’s On Your Mind, Cincinnati?” advice column each month. Lately, I’ve been feeling a bit lost, and I thought reaching out to you might offer some clarity. I’m in my thirties and working what feels like a dream job — on paper, everything seems fantastic. But truth be told, I’m not as happy with myself as I used to be. I feel like I am in a rut and just going through the motions — wake up, work, socialize with friends, go home, sleep and repeat. I was looking forward to the new year and had made some New Year’s resolutions that I thought could help kick-start a change. But as the year has started, I have struggled to find motivation to follow through on the resolutions I set for myself. I feel really disappointed in myself even though on the surface, everything seems normal. I used to approach New Year’s resolutions without fear, ticking off goals effortlessly. However, I’ve fallen short recently, and I’m struggling to understand why or how to get back on the right track. Your guidance would mean the world to me. I’m desperately seeking advice on how to feel energized again. How can I better approach my resolutions and feel excited about my goals again? Any insights or tips you can share would be immensely appreciated. Thank you for your support, Anonymous (she/her) Thank you for your question. As we enter a new year, I want you to know that you are not alone in your feelings of being unmotivated in your New Year’s resolutions. Of the roughly 35% of Americans who have kicked off the new year with resolutions, only a mere 8% successfully see them through. I thank you for sharing your story because I am sure many who read this will resonate with how you feel. Oftentimes, especially in the new year, our society focuses a lot of energy on developing resolutions, often targeting “quick fixes” or instant gratification.

CityBeat advice columnist Mike Madanat at Alms Park P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

Subsequently, when resolutions are not achieved quickly or we encounter setbacks, we can experience frustration and shame, causing us to ultimately abandon our New Year’s resolutions. This can be an exhausting and draining cycle. Although I am not familiar with your specific resolutions, I would press you to delve deeper into understanding your “why” behind your resolutions. Are your resolutions shaped by external validation and wanting approval from others? Are your resolutions shaped by comparing yourself to someone else? If so, perhaps a way to increase your motivation is to root your resolutions with the values that resonate with you. Studies show that individuals who connect their goals with their core values show stronger persistence over time (Oettingen et al., 2001). By rejecting comparison culture and the need for external validation, you can shift your focus on accomplishments that align with your authentic aspirations. At think2perform.com/values you can find a great interactive value card exercise where you can narrow down

a list of 51 values to your top 5. This activity will help shed light on what matters most to you at this moment and help you align your resolutions with your core values. For example, maybe you find that adventure is a value that resonates most with you, and in your earlier years, your resolutions revolved around trips abroad. Now, you have a full-time job along with more responsibilities so taking a trip is not as easy as it was during your undergraduate studies. How could you develop a sense of adventure here in the Cincinnati area? Perhaps a new resolution would be to try new restaurants or bars in town. Your goals can revolve around allowing yourself to embrace the thrill of discovering unique flavors, challenging your palate and savoring the joy of culinary exploration. Perhaps one of your values is authenticity and your resolution was to foster deeper connections with your social circle and loved ones. How can you infuse authenticity into your resolution? You could make a goal to prioritize honest and transparent communication, committing to sharing

your genuine feelings and thoughts, which all align with a more valuebased life. By focusing on actions that are rooted in our values, we can place less emphasis on simply checking things off a list, and work towards sustained habits. When faced with setbacks, try to be kind to yourself and make room for the uncomfortable thoughts, emotions and sensations without attempting to change or control them. This practice can be defined as experiential acceptance and mindfulness can be a great tool to support this. By finding time for mindfulness and incorporating the practice into your daily habits, you will begin to develop the awareness of when you deviate from your core values and have the tools to recenter yourself. Here is a list of 3 forms of mindfulness you could practice, but there are many more forms available that you could find online. 1. Sensory Awareness Walk: During outdoor activities, notice the sounds, smells and sensations around you. Stay attuned to the present experience rather than getting lost in your thoughts. 2. Body Scan Meditation: Bring awareness to each part of your body, noting sensations without judgment to help enhance the connection with your mind and body. 3. Mindful Reflection Journal: Jot down your thoughts and feelings as you participate in goals aligned with your resolution. Be aware of how these actions align with your values and reflect on when you deviate and why. While values remain consistent, the methods and exercises chosen can evolve, which allows for continuous growth and alignment with your values. Instead of fixating on specific outcomes, encourage yourself to set goals that align with your values so you ease into the acceptance of adjusting from time to time. Good luck! Remember, each small step forward is a victory in itself. Embrace the journey ahead with hope, knowing that every effort you make brings you closer to achieving your resolutions. Wishing you a year filled with progress, positivity and the fulfillment of your aspirations. Here’s to a brighter tomorrow and the endless possibilities it holds! Each month, CityBeat will be publishing a question (or two) answered by Mike in our print issues and online. These questions can be related to personal relationships, your professional life, mental health issues or anything else you feel could use Michael’s guidance. Your identity will not be disclosed. Submit your burning questions now via email to advice@citybeat.com.

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As investigators confront the mystique surrounding a recent dismemberment case, advocates say the threats facing Black women are no mystery By

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Madeline

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Fening

amie Turner was walking home from church on Nov. 5, 2023, when he first encountered the police tape blocking him from his apartment. “It was total and complete chaos,” Turner told CityBeat, his arms outstretched, eyes like dinner plates.

He said he flashed his ID to the officers at the intersection of Baltimore Avenue and Beekman Street in North Fairmount, pointing to the house he’d just moved into three months prior. Turner asked the officers what was going on. He expected to hear word of a bad car accident, maybe a shooting, but never this. “I just moved here from Chicago. Understand this, I’ve seen my fair share of murders, but this is a first,” he said. “This is straight out of a movie.” A naked human torso had been discovered by another neighborhood resident who was also walking to church just hours earlier. Discarded, but not carefully concealed, the remains were easy enough for the passerby to spot just a few dozen yards off the road in an empty wooded lot. Investigators addressed the public two days later saying the victim was a Black woman. They had a rough estimation of age (late 20s, but that would later change), an approximate size (maybe 5 feet tall, 120 pounds), and they had absolutely no idea who she was. To no one’s surprise, the case was quickly classified as a homicide. “We’ve not had a case quite like this,” Dr. Lakshmi Kode Sammarco, the Hamilton County Coroner, told reporters. “And we need your help.” Three months after her initial discovery, CityBeat sat down with investigators, researchers and community members to build a comprehensive guide to everything we know about this case as of press time, and why Black

women are more likely to face violence and injustice in the first place. “I know one thing for sure, two things for certain, an alien did not just leave a decapitated person next to me,” Turner said. “Someone did this.”

Known facts of the case The ensuing weeks after Jane Doe was first discovered were quiet. Investigators searched for trace evidence, looking for hair, blood, anything that appeared related to the case. Criminalists ran DNA and investigators fielded hotline tips, but the most significant development came two months after Jane Doe was first discovered. During a Jan. 3 sweep of the area, federal investigators assisting with the search for more body parts discovered a human head two blocks away from the location where the torso was found, further perplexing community members. The coroner confirmed the body parts matched the following week. Though more decomposed than her torso, Jane Doe’s head has given investigators more information to piece together her identity. Captain Steve Saunders leads the Criminal Investigation Section at the Cincinnati Police Department. He told CityBeat that, in his 33 years with the department, this is a first-of-its-kind case. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said. “I’ve seen lots of gruesome crime scenes and horrible things that have happened to people, which is bad enough as it is, but to see this level of

Leftover caution tape still lingers on Baltimore Avenue, the street where Jane Doe’s torso was originally found. P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

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heinous behavior is disturbing.” Saunders walked us through every detail that he could share about the case, a rare occurrence in an investigation of this scale, but he said this is a special circumstance. In a Feb. 2 press release from CPD Chief Teresa Theetge, she said the department needs people to reach out with ideas about Jane Doe’s identity. “If you have noticed a friend, family member, neighbor, employee, resident, patient, or other acquaintance has been unaccounted for, we want to hear from you,” the release reads. “Regardless of how insignificant you think your information might be, or whether you think we are already aware of it, please contact us and allow us to make that determination.” Saunders put it more plainly. “We’re begging the public for their help,” he said. “This person deserves answers.”

Timeline The coroner’s office has determined Jane Doe was killed not long before her body was discovered the morning of Nov. 5. They estimate her time of death was likely on or around Nov. 3. During a Jan. 11 press conference, Sammarco mentioned the passerby who spotted Jane Doe on Nov. 5 told investigators they might have seen her the night before while walking home, but that it was too dark to tell. Getting a better look the following morning, the witness called police. “Originally, he thought that it was — this was right after Halloween — he didn’t know if this was some sort of a prank or mannequin or something,” Sammarco said. Saunders said this witness has been interviewed “extensively” but that investigators have no reason to believe they had anything to do with Jane Doe’s death. The timeline for found body parts then extends two months later, about two blocks away. On Jan. 3, Cincinnati’s FBI Evidence Response Team performed a sweep around the area where the torso was found on Nov. 5. Doorbell cameras and other home surveillance systems in the area are sparse, said Saunders, but those that were functioning within the dumping timeline were reviewed by investigators. “It’s a very small percentage of people who have surveillance cameras on their homes. Even if they do have a Ring or similar product on their home, it has a very limited field of view,” he said. “Some people do have surveillance cameras, and we’ve looked at that footage to see what we have, and nothing has been discernible to the point where it’s been valuable in this investigation.”

K n o w n b o d y pa r t s Saunders said Jane Doe’s head was

Jane Doe’s torso was discovered less than a block from Jamie Turner’s North Fairmount apartment, still shocking him months later. P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

located “a couple blocks away” from the location of the torso, but declined to be more specific about the location for the sake of the investigation. Additional items “related to body parts” have been recovered from the area, according to the coroner, but those details are also under seal. Investigators maintain she was without any clothes or jewelry when she was found. Neither Saunders nor Sammarco would comment directly on which body parts are still missing, but Saunders noted that, even if a hand was found, it would be too late to run her fingerprints. “You’re not going to have enough skin remaining because of decomposition, there would be nothing fingerprints wise that you would be able to get,” he said. Sammarco said her office has a “pretty good idea” of the cause of death, but said she won’t share that information with the public until more testing is done. “I think it will be critical to discovering who this might be,” she said in January. This was still the case as of press time. Another fact that is unknown to the public, and potentially still unclear to investigators, is the tools used to dismember Jane Doe’s body. During the first press conference about Jane Doe, Sammarco said tests would be done to confirm the methods of dismemberment.

Physical descriptors Some of Jane Doe’s physical descriptors became more vague once her head was discovered, but the discovery also opened up new possibilities. At first, investigators believed Jane Doe to be in her late 20s to early 30s, but since the discovery of her head that range has since been widened to 20-45 years old. “We have been consulting with a forensic anthropologist and a forensic odontologist since the head was discovered,” Sammarco said. “There’s a little bit of a debate over her possible age. We’re increasing the age group that we’re looking for from late 20s, early 30s to maybe early 50s, although I still feel like she’s probably on the younger end.” Despite having decomposed outside for two months, Sammarco said Jane Doe’s head was in good enough condition to get “a lot of information.” She said CT images will be provided to a forensic artist who will create a digital mock-up of her face. There is no ETA on that image as of press time. There was “some hair remaining” when authorities found Jane Doe’s head, with the coroner describing her hair as short and curly and either “African American or mixed-race African American.” Her head contained teeth, but Sammarco declined to say whether any were missing. Still, it’s enough to compare dental records, but they need to have a name to make a comparison.

“Obviously we have some dental images now, but if we don’t know who she is, we don’t know where to ask for dental records,” Sammarco told reporters. “If somebody comes forward with some information about who she could be, then we can make some requests for dental records.” Little has changed since the initial estimates about Jane Doe’s body. Her estimated height and weight are still believed to be between 5’-5’5’’ and 120 pounds. But one newer piece of information is that her build was described as athletic. “She seemed like someone who had been taking care of herself,” Sammarco told reporters on Jan. 11. “As far as physical condition of the body, we felt that she was in very good health.” Saunders agreed. “I would say this person, from my observation, appeared to be a healthy person,” Saunders said. The results of Jane Doe’s toxicology screening have not yet been disclosed to the media. Another key detail in Jane Doe’s physical description has been the coroner’s assessment that she had been pregnant at least once and likely gave birth in recent years. The widened age range has not impacted their estimates on when she may have given birth, but investigators have said Jane Doe could reasonably be a mother to a 3-10 yearold child. “Somebody knows that this woman did have a child,” Saunders said. “How

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Jane Doe’s torso was found by a passerby in this abandoned wooded lot about 100 feet off Baltimore Avenue in North Fairmount. P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

does that person go missing? And then nobody comes forward to tell us that they’re looking for their loved one? It raises all these questions in your head.” The parts of Jane Doe’s body that have been discovered are free of scars and tattoos, but the coroner’s office has not disclosed any possible piercings she might have had over time.

The call for more details Investigators are relying on the public to help identify Jane Doe, but Crystal Kendrick, founder of the Voice of Black Cincinnati media organization, said the community needs more details about her physical description to get there. Kendrick, who often posts about missing persons of color on the Voice of Black Cincinnati Facebook page, said specifics are critically important for missing Black women. “We have various ways that we describe people’s skin tone in the African American community,” Kendrick told CityBeat. “Clearly there has to be somebody of African American descent over there that can give a term. We don’t have a scale from 1-10, just words, like, is she fair, is she redbone, is she caramel, is she brown, is she chocolate, is she ebony?” To Kendrick, the details are about more than narrowing the search, they’re about reaffirming the importance of the case.

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“I’m just pleading, they need a person of color, a police officer or a sheriff’s deputy or somebody of color to please help with these descriptions,” she said. “Withholding information could give some people the impression that it’s not important.”

DNA and genetic information With little information about the victim, developing a DNA profile for Jane Doe is one of the most powerful tools in this case, and Saunders said there is still more to learn. The main DNA database that investigators use to run samples is the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), which is maintained by the FBI. “CODIS is this database of information of people who are offenders that have been arrested for something,” Saunders told CityBeat. “It’s not a voluntary submission, we got their DNA through being processed through the criminal justice system.” Jane Doe was not in CODIS, according to Saunders, which means she hasn’t committed an offense that would be considered a felony anywhere in the U.S. He said the next step is to take her DNA, develop a profile, and work with genealogy companies like 23andMe and Ancestry.com to see if she or anyone related to her has ever volunteered their DNA to the companies, but that field is still very narrow.

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“Not everybody that participates in these voluntary ancestry genealogy systems submits their DNA to be accessible to law enforcement, you have to literally opt in to do that,” he said. “There’s also a very low representation of African Americans and minorities in these genealogy databases that we can go to.” According to a 2018 study on genome biology published in BioMed Central, nearly 80% of those who elect to share their DNA information from ancestry services are of European descent. A study from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee found less than 2% of the overall genetic information being studied today originates from people of African ancestry. The threats facing Black women The rarity of this case has struck investigators. After all, Sammarco said she’s only seen four dismembered bodies in her 12 years as coroner. What is not rare, nor surprising to advocates in the Black community, is how often Black women go missing or are victims of violent crime, or both. Derrica Wilson is one of the founders of the Black and Missing Foundation, a national organization that brings awareness to missing persons of color cases, provides resources and tools to missing person’s loved ones and educates the minority community on personal safety. “I started this organization with my sister-in-law, Natalie,” Wilson

told CityBeat. “My background is law enforcement, her background is media and public relations, and those are the two critical professions needed for finding and bringing people home.” Wilson had not heard of the North Fairmount Jane Doe case before speaking with CityBeat. Normally Black and Missing focuses on finding known people who are unaccounted for, but that this case is still relevant to her mission. “I think about the case that you’re highlighting with Jane Doe, that no one knows who this is, it’s so bothersome to me,” Wilson said. “This is a case that still falls under our umbrella because this person is missing. She is a missing person.” Black and Missing works to correct an imbalance often seen in missing persons cases involving minority communities, where Black people, especially minors, are often classified as runaways when they are reported missing. “They’re not looking for us,” Wilson said of law enforcement. “In fact, they often associate children’s disappearance by classifying them as a runaway, and we know runaways do not meet the criteria for Amber Alert.” The FBI reported 546,568 missing persons in 2022, according to the National Crime Information Center (NCIC). Nearly 40 percent of those missing in 2022 were persons of color, with Hispanics classified as white. Black Americans, however, make up only 13 percent of the national population.

Checking missing persons for Jane Doe In the case of Jane Doe, Saunders said the local, county, state and federal agencies who are all involved in her case continue to cross reference missing persons cases around the country. “These types of investigations, the answers that you want to get take a long time, because you’re starting from a place where you know nothing about this victim,” he said. “ If we had relevant, missing persons cases, that would meet a match or close to a match of this person, then we will be going further down that path. We just don’t have this.” Investigators are using the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), a national centralized repository and resource center for missing, unidentified and unclaimed person cases across the U.S. “We’ve had some law enforcement agencies from outside the area reach out to us thinking that this person might be one of their missings, and that has not proven to be the case,” he said. “If we find something that seems similar for a missing person case, in another area, we reach out to those law enforcement agencies. So it’s kind of an exchange of information based on what you know about this person.” A problem with these national databases for missing persons, according to Wilson, is that not everyone’s information is entered equally. “We know the numbers [of missing minorities] are much higher than the 40%,” she said. “We know that law enforcement do not always enter these cases; we do check behind and we follow up. And there’s many cases that they don’t enter.” Tip lines for offering leads on missing persons cases are also a complex challenge for the Black community, said Wilson. The Black and Missing Foundation will sometimes receive tips before police because of cultural mistrust. “We often get tips before law enforcement because we’re not trying to compromise anyone’s identity,” she said. “We just want the information that they have that can solve cases and end nightmares for the families that we’re serving.” Saunders said he understands the history of mistrust, but emphasized to CityBeat that tip lines for CPD are wholly anonymous and a proven tool for solving crimes in the area. “Greater Cincinnati CrimeStoppers is 100% anonymous,” he said. “We get tips that solve major crimes all the time. You just call the number, and now you can go online, submit information online. And people say, ‘Well, it’s not anonymous if you’re making something online.’ Well, it’s handled through a

“[Sex traffickers] admitted to targeting Black women and Black girls for two reasons: number one, law enforcement will not look for us, and number two, they would get less jail time by targeting a Black woman or a Black girl than if they targeted a white woman or white child.” third party that shares the information with us. They’re not giving us your IP address or anything like that. We don’t care about that. Just tell us what you know, how you can help lead us in the direction of solving a crime.” Wilson told CityBeat that sex trafficking and domestic violence are also major compounding factors that put Black individuals, especially Black women, at risk of going missing. “We know that traffickers are targeting Black women because they admit it to us,” Wilson said. “There was research that was recently conducted by the Urban Institute, and [traffickers] admitted to targeting Black women and Black girls for two reasons: number one, law enforcement will not look for us, and number two, they would get less jail time by targeting a Black woman or a Black girl than if they targeted a white woman or white child.” Domestic violence was central to the founding of Black and Missing after Tamika Huston, 24, went missing from Wilson’s hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina in 2004. Her case went unnoticed while similar cases of missing white women Laci Peterson and Natalee Holloway dominated the news cycle. “Tamika Huston was missing as a result of her ex-boyfriend. Despite the fact that her aunt worked in media, she was an executive, she was met with silence when she tried to raise awareness to her niece’s disappearance, nobody wanted to cover the story,” Wilson said. “He ended up killing her.” As of press time, an online search of stories related to the North Fairmount Jane Doe case have been largely limited to Cincinnati-area news outlets, with the exception of some news stations running a single syndicated story on their website. Yahoo News and USA Today appear to be the only national outlets that have run the story, despite the story of missing blonde teenager Gabby Petito garnering sensational media attention less than three years ago.

Recent trends in domestic violence Tiara Willie is an assistant professor in the mental health department at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of

Public Health. An epidemiologist by training, Willie told CityBeat she’s interested in studying the root causes of structural and intimate partner violence amongst Black women. Her research has more recently shifted towards missing and murdered women. “Whenever we see these cases of missing and murdered women, especially women who have been dismembered in that way, as violence researchers, we automatically assume that this is an intimate partner who did this to her,” Willie told CityBeat. “We know that with intimate partner homicide, Black women are four times more likely to be those victims than women in other racial or ethnic groups. It really is a pressing issue.” Willie’s field is still rife with assumptions about what domestic violence looks like, and they’re often wrong. While non-violent forms of abuse in a relationship are widely regarded as less important, she said they’re on the rise, and can be a dangerous precursor. “What we’ve been arguing in our work is that actually, this coercive control and psychological abuse, it’s actually more common than physical and sexual,” Willie said. Studies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Johns Hopkins University found women in abusive relationships saw a spike in coercive control during the pandemic. Coercive control is defined by the Domestic Violence Network as the pattern of behavior or actions used by a perpetrator to frighten, threaten, oppress and limit their victim. Willie conducted a study about what coercive control was looking like during the pandemic for Black women in particular. “I was really concerned about what coercive control was looking like during the pandemic. Because women were forced to stay isolated with their partners during the lockdown, so we had some brave Black women experiencing partner violence that were able to talk to us when their partner left the house for work, if he was an essential worker, or when they were able to walk outside and talk to us. What we found was that over 80% of these women were experiencing coercive control.”

While heeding Saunders’ advice to not jump to conclusions on the case of Jane Doe, it’s hard to ignore Willie’s assessment of the facts of the case: Jane Doe was a Black woman who was killed and dismembered, she was potentially a mother, which Willie said puts her at a higher statistical risk for abuse, and no one has come forward looking for her in months. “As someone who does research in this space, I would automatically assume that it was an intimate partner that did this to her, who isolated her from family and friends, which is why no one’s really come forward in months,” Willie said. CityBeat asked Saunders to respond to Willie’s statement on the case, and he sees the plausibility in her assessment; he’s just not ready to take that leap. “I appreciate her perspective and her research, her knowledge in that area,” he said. “For us in an investigation, we don’t have any way to even rationalize or try and justify that speculation on this investigation. I can’t make that leap in that direction. I’m not saying that’s not the case, potentially, it very much could be and I totally understand where she’s coming from. I’d say that’s certainly a plausible explanation, but I don’t have anything concrete to say whether it is or it isn’t. We just don’t know.”

What’s next Saunders said he’s not discounting the idea that Jane Doe could be local, even if no one in Greater Cincinnati seems to know who she is yet. “[Some] are making the assumption, potentially, that this person is not from the area. I don’t want to jump that far,” he said. “I think we have to remind ourselves that if we start to go too hard in one direction and not another, then we might be missing something. So we have to go slow, we have to be patient, we have to follow the facts, we have to follow the evidence.” Sammarco told CityBeat her office is speaking with investigators in Louisiana who are facing a similar case of a dismembered woman to compare notes and see if there’s any links to the North Fairmount Jane Doe. Meanwhile, Saunders said crews have been in and out of the hilly areas surrounding Baltimore Avenue near Beekman Street continuing their trace evidence search for more pieces of evidence — more pieces of Jane Doe. “I believe in my heart that once we identify who this person is, we’re going to find the link to the person who did this to her,” said Saunders. Anyone with information about the North Fairmount Jane Doe case can make an anonymous tip by calling Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.

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ARTS & CULTURE

The second-annual Frogman Festival will be held March 2. P H O T O : K AT I E G R I F F I T H

Frogman Festival Leaps Back to Cincinnati In addition to Frogman festivities, patrons can buy a ticket to see the horror film Frogman. BY KATIE GRIFFITH

ince the 1950s, there have been three sightings of the Loveland Frogman on record. The tale of a four-foot-tall frog-like man has been told to generations, lending another personality to the cryptid universe of Mothmans, Bigfoots and Loch Ness Monsters. An alleged Frogman run-in with a police officer in the ’70s near the Little Miami River sparked an air of wonder and awe surrounding Cincinnati’s very own

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cryptid that hasn’t quite settled since. The four-foot-tall amphibian who walks on hind legs has remained elusive for years, apparently roaming riverbeds and slurping up pesky insects, or trying to find a lily pad large enough for lounging. Often referred to as Frogman, the Loveland Lizard or the Loveland Frog, the mystical creature is said to wield magic and exhibit a friendly, harmless aura.

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Jeff Craig has never seen the Loveland Frogman, but his belief in the cryptid is so strong that he created the Frogman Festival, which will see its second installment on March 2 at the Oasis Conference Center in Loveland. “Do I believe in the Frogman?” Craig repeats the question back to CityBeat, raising an eyebrow in playful contempt. “Yes, I do. I believe in the spirit of Frogman, the idea to keep an open mind and

understand that not all we see is straightforward or black and white. And if you go to the Frogman Fest, you’re going to see evidence of his existence.” Frogman Festival attendees might find evidence and possibly even a Frogman sighting, Craig adds. During the 2023 Frogman Festival – which attracted people from across the country – a green creature roamed the festival grounds, posing for pictures and stopping to

shake hands and check out vendors. The festival’s purpose is not to prove the Frogman’s existence, Craig says, but to celebrate the cryptid’s existence and the fact that locals have a lighthearted story to call their own; a close-to-home cryptid that no one else in the world can claim. “Last year going into it had no idea what to expect,” Craig says. “But everybody embraced it and we had a huge crowd, a couple thousand people. It was a huge success. There were packed houses for the speakers and the vendors all loved it, they said it was one of their best shows of the year.” This year more than 50 vendors are signed up to exhibit, including live animal handlers, fortune tellers, artists, UFO enthusiasts, paranormal investigators, authors and booths with all kinds of Frogman merch. A Caesar Creek State Park representative will be on site exhibiting live creatures who inhabit the Little Miami River. There will also be a cryptid hunter card game that anyone can play, Craig says. The event takes the shape of a comicon or cosplay gathering, in which visitors are encouraged to dress up, whether in their own version of the Frogman costume or their favorite anime character, movie character or just an enhancement of themselves. Decorated or not, festivalgoers will also be encouraged to join the Frogman Parade, led by The Pied Piper of Loveland, a “mysterious” member of the Cincinnati Caledonian Pipes and Drums and The Great Lakes Pipe Band, who is an award-winning bagpiper. The parade will begin at noon. “I’ve got a couple of bagpipers to march the frogs out of Loveland – or march them in – who knows what will happen,” Craig says. “The Pied Piper of Loveland will be there, leading the parade at noon inside the venue. We are encouraging everybody to participate however they want. I hear that we may have a couple of other cryptids there in person, so people should look for that.” While the Frogman gathering has gained enough attention and followers to make a name for its enthusiasts, nothing has caught on so far. “Frog heads, frog legs, croakers,” Craig jokingly lists a few suggestions, but says Frogman followers should lead that effort. “We definitely should have a contest for that,” he says. Maybe next year, the parade’s namesake will shift to favor Frogman enthusiasts. The Loveland Frogman legend has been made into a movie as well, and private screenings will be offered at the Oasis Conference Center during the Frogman Festival. Frogman (2023) was written by Anthony Cousins and John Karsko. Cousins, who also directed the found-footage-style film, along with cast and crew, will be at the Frogman Festival

and movie screenings. He tells CityBeat that the Loveland Frogman is the most bizarre cryptid there is, and upon his visit to Loveland he is eager to go looking for the Frogman. “I can’t wait to connect with other people that love Frogman and see the awesome art they’ve created in honor of him,” Cousins says. “And most of all, I can’t wait to meet the artist behind our incredible poster, Easton Hawk.” Cousins says that the inception of Frogman came from his obsession with frogs, “Particularly bipedal frogs in suits. When the Loveland Frogman came on my radar it was a match made in swampy heaven.” Frogman is the story of friends who go out in search of the Loveland Frogman, only to find out it’s more than just a legend. It’s a horror movie about the Frogman, and Cousins says the foundfootage angle felt like the perfect way to tell a cryptid’s story. He says there are moments of comic relief, because the Frogman concept is too absurd to take too seriously. The cast and crew are based in Minneapolis, where the film was also shot and produced. “Being a part of Frogman Fest is about the coolest thing we could’ve ever hoped for. The crowd that would come out for such a thing is exactly who we made this movie for,” Cousins says. “The funny thing is, when I was doing my research it didn’t seem like Loveland was embracing Frogman all that much. So we really just created our own Loveland and mythology. It wasn’t until we had finished filming that the first Frogman Fest took place and with such an impressive turnout. So I’m definitely feeling the pressure of getting Loveland’s approval.” Frogman screenings will be Friday, March 1 and following the Frogman Festival on Saturday, March 2. Tickets for Frogman screenings are sold separately from festival tickets. The movie is available on VHS and Blu Ray, and on March 8 it will be available by video on demand with streaming services not yet disclosed. Craig says the Loveland Frogman tale and the Frogman Festival are great ways to unite a community and a chance for individuals with a shared interest in unusual subject matter to connect. “It’s important for the community to embrace this and appreciate it,” Craig says. “Because these are our local legends and oral legends that get passed on. You can imagine in the ’70s, as people just spread the word about the Frogman. There were no books, no internet, chat rooms or social media to share. So all this stuff was just passed on through oral traditions.” The Frogman Festival will be at the Oasis Conference Center on March 2 from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m. More info: frogmanfestival.org.

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R E V I E W BY R I C K P E N D E R

CRITIC’S CRITIC’S PICK PICK

ONSTAGE ONSTAGE

Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents a New Take on Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park Presents a New Take on Dracula — From a Female Perspective R E V I E W BY R—I C K PENDE Dracula From aR Female Perspective

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw as Lucy (left) and Mi Kang as Mina in Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s production of Dracula. P H OTO : M I K K I S C H A F F N E R

Mia Hutchinson-Shaw as Lucy (left) and Mi Kang as Mina in Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park’s production of Dracula.

T T

P H OTO : M I K K I S C H A F F N E R

he story of Dracula on the mainstage at the Cincinnati he story of Dracula on the Playhouse is not the one you mainstage at the Cincinnati might expect, even though the characPlayhouse is not the one you ters’ names are familiar — Van Helsing, might expect, even though the characDr. Seward, Lucy, Mina, and of course, ters’ names are familiar — Van Helsing, the fly-eating Renfield. In this atmoDr. Seward, Lucy, Mina, and of course, spheric, world-premiere production by the fly-eating Renfield. In this atmoactor and playwright Vanessa Severo in spheric, world-premiere production by collaboration with Playhouse Associate actor and playwright Vanessa Severo in Artistic Director Joanie Schultz, the legcollaboration with Playhouse Associate endary vampire’s story is turned on its Artistic Director Joanie Schultz, the leghead and viewed from a very different endary vampire’s story is turned on its perspective — the female characters. It head and viewed from a very different provides all the usual thrills, but with perspective — the female characters. It a few twists and turns it goes down a provides all the usual thrills, but with series of surprising dark alleys that will a few twists and turns it goes down a surprise — and delight and frighten — series of surprising dark alleys that will even the most veteran horror fans. surprise — and delight and frighten — Yu Shibagaki’s spare scenic design even the most veteran horror fans. coupled with Pablo Santiago’s evocaYu Shibagaki’s spare scenic design tive lighting design take full advancoupled with Pablo Santiago’s evocatage of the technical capacities of tive lighting design take full advanthe Playhouse’s new mainstage, Moe tage of the technical capacities of and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre. the Playhouse’s new mainstage, Moe The arriving audience enters to see a and Jack’s Place – The Rouse Theatre. dark scrim curtain is sliced by a single The arriving audience enters to see a slash of light with swirling fog behind. dark scrim curtain is sliced by a single Walls fly in and out, and shadows and slash of light with swirling fog behind. shimmering pools of light set the tone Walls fly in and out, and shadows and throughout. (This production could shimmering pools of light set the tone not have been produced so effectively throughout. (This production could on the Playhouse’s former mainstage.) not have been produced so effectively Sound designer and composer Thomas on the Playhouse’s former mainstage.) Dixon’s percussive, jangling score sets Sound designer and composer Thomas a nervous tone from start to finish, and Dixon’s percussive, jangling score sets minimal furniture — a Victorian bed a nervous tone from start to finish, and minimal furniture — a Victorian bed

and, of course, a coffin — slides in and out in a dreamlike way from moment and, of course, a coffin — slides in and to moment. This Dracula is still a scary out in a dreamlike way from moment tale — the first act’s final image is a to moment. This Dracula is still a scary masterful illusion — but humor and tale — the first act’s final image is a modern attitudes are frequently used masterful illusion — but humor and to distract the audience before taking a modern attitudes are frequently used sharp turn causing a breathtaking thrill. to distract the audience before taking a Severo and Schultz, who created the sharp turn causing a breathtaking thrill. show, also serve as co-directors. They Severo and Schultz, who created the have partnered in the past, includshow, also serve as co-directors. They ing for Frida … A Self-Portrait for the have partnered in the past, includPlayhouse in the fall of 2022 with Severo ing for Frida … A Self-Portrait for the playing the famous Mexican painter Playhouse in the fall of 2022 with Severo Frida Kahlo. That show offered inciplaying the famous Mexican painter sive insights into the life and mind of Frida Kahlo. That show offered incia female artist. For Dracula, they have sive insights into the life and mind of reshaped the familiar story and prea female artist. For Dracula, they have sented it from a female perspective. In reshaped the familiar story and prea preview published by the Playhouse, sented it from a female perspective. In Schultz observed, “Women are basically a preview published by the Playhouse, objects in [Bram Stoker’s 1897] novel, Schultz observed, “Women are basically or so one-dimensional they might as objects in [Bram Stoker’s 1897] novel, well be.” Severo added, “We decided to or so one-dimensional they might as take away gender roles. We looked at well be.” Severo added, “We decided to the bones and scaffolding of Dracula take away gender roles. We looked at and turned it into a smart game of the bones and scaffolding of Dracula chess, where the Queen is the most and turned it into a smart game of powerful player.” They have advanced chess, where the Queen is the most the period of the story to 1919, an era powerful player.” They have advanced when women began to strive for gender the period of the story to 1919, an era equality. when women began to strive for gender Their decision has made the central equality. roles of Lucy (Mia Hutchinson-Shaw) Their decision has made the central and Mina (Mi Kang), typically women roles of Lucy (Mia Hutchinson-Shaw) who are little more than victims of the and Mina (Mi Kang), typically women vampire, into the story’s drivers. Lucy, who are little more than victims of the vampire, into the story’s drivers. Lucy,

usually attired in a nightgown or a strange, green-feathered dress (Kathusually attired in a nightgown or a leen Geldard designed the costumes) strange, green-feathered dress (Kathrevels in the thrill of Dracula’s grasp. leen Geldard designed the costumes) Mina, wearing more traditional period revels in the thrill of Dracula’s grasp. dresses and suits, proves to be much Mina, wearing more traditional period more complicated, ultimately in charge dresses and suits, proves to be much of her own fate. Adam Poss is simulmore complicated, ultimately in charge taneously attractive and menacing in of her own fate. Adam Poss is simulthe title role, but he is less the central taneously attractive and menacing in character and more a catalyst to evoke the title role, but he is less the central the women’s evolutions as the story’s character and more a catalyst to evoke focal characters. the women’s evolutions as the story’s Harmon dot aut (identified in the focal characters. program as “an Autistic/(dis)abled mulHarmon dot aut (identified in the tidisciplinary artist” who uses they/she program as “an Autistic/(dis)abled mulpronouns) is the quirkiest Renfield I’ve tidisciplinary artist” who uses they/she ever seen, anchored to a chair with a pronouns) is the quirkiest Renfield I’ve heavy chain and flipping back and forth ever seen, anchored to a chair with a between madness and sanity, fury and heavy chain and flipping back and forth coquettishness. They are most often between madness and sanity, fury and paired in scenes with actress Rin Allen coquettishness. They are most often as Dr. Van Helsing, a typically male role paired in scenes with actress Rin Allen as the vampire expert, but reconceived as Dr. Van Helsing, a typically male role by Severo and Schultz as a woman masas the vampire expert, but reconceived querading as a man to gain credibility. by Severo and Schultz as a woman masThere is a weird polarity of attraction querading as a man to gain credibility. and opposition between these two that There is a weird polarity of attraction Severo and Schultz have used to further and opposition between these two that explore gender roles. “Every character Severo and Schultz have used to further in our version of Dracula,” Schultz said explore gender roles. “Every character in the published preview, “has a dark in our version of Dracula,” Schultz said part of themselves. I love that no one is in the published preview, “has a dark innocent because that’s real.” part of themselves. I love that no one is The men in the story are otherwise innocent because that’s real.” shallower characters. Julian Remulla The men in the story are otherwise gives a dithering interpretation of Dr. shallower characters. Julian Remulla gives a dithering interpretation of Dr.

Seward, and a pair of suitors to Lucy (Donovan Woods as the squeamish, Seward, and a pair of suitors to Lucy feckless Arthur and Torsten Johnson as (Donovan Woods as the squeamish, the shell-shocked and possessed Jonafeckless Arthur and Torsten Johnson as than) often provoke laughter. Jonathan’s the shell-shocked and possessed Jonadomination by Dracula is effectively than) often provoke laughter. Jonathan’s demonstrated by some fascinating bits domination by Dracula is effectively of stage illusions with a chair that moves demonstrated by some fascinating bits on its own, a floating quill pen and some of stage illusions with a chair that moves partial disrobing performed by invisible on its own, a floating quill pen and some hands. Andrea Cirie plays Mrs. Westpartial disrobing performed by invisible enra, Lucy’s tradition-bound mother. hands. Andrea Cirie plays Mrs. WestIn his opening night curtain speech enra, Lucy’s tradition-bound mother. for the premiere of this new interpreIn his opening night curtain speech tation of Dracula, Artistic Director for the premiere of this new interpreBlake Robison predicted that Severo tation of Dracula, Artistic Director and Schultz’s adaptation will soon be Blake Robison predicted that Severo onstage across the United States. It has and Schultz’s adaptation will soon be predictably been a chilling Halloween onstage across the United States. It has offering at many theaters, but now it predictably been a chilling Halloween can be a thoughtful, dramatic piece offering at many theaters, but now it serving as an attractive addition to any can be a thoughtful, dramatic piece company’s full season. In her direcserving as an attractive addition to any tor’s note, Schultz wrote, “New versions company’s full season. In her direcof old stories are what make theatre a tor’s note, Schultz wrote, “New versions living art form, one that is constantly of old stories are what make theatre a pulling from our past but is also speakliving art form, one that is constantly ing in the present tense.” That’s what pulling from our past but is also speakthis Dracula is all about — and “tense” ing in the present tense.” That’s what is a word with many facets, all present this Dracula is all about — and “tense” in this production. is a word with many facets, all present in this production. Dracula, presented by Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park at Dracula, presented by Moe and Jack’s Place - the Rouse Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park at Theatre, continues through March 3. Moe and Jack’s Place - the Rouse Info: cincyplay.com. Theatre, continues through March 3. Info: cincyplay.com.

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CULTURE CULTURE

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Local Author Christen Randall to Release Debut LGBTQ+ Novel Local Author Christen The No-Girlfriend RuleRandall to Release Debut LGBTQ+ Novel BY M ACNo-Girlfriend KENZIE MANLEY The Rule BY M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

ovington, Kentucky-based author Christen Randall has, in ovington, Kentucky-based her own words, “always secretly author Christen Randall has, in wanted to be an author.” Now, that her own words, “always secretly dream is reality; her debut young adult wanted to be an author.” Now, that novel The No-Girlfriend Rule releases dream is reality; her debut young adult on March 5 through Atheneum Books, a novel The No-Girlfriend Rule releases publishing arm of Simon & Schuster. on March 5 through Atheneum Books, a The queer, coming-of-age romance publishing arm of Simon & Schuster. follows Hollis, a teen girl with anxiety The queer, coming-of-age romance and a lame boyfriend — one whose follows Hollis, a teen girl with anxiety friend group has imposed a “noand a lame boyfriend — one whose girlfriend rule” for Secrets & Sorcery, friend group has imposed a “noa tabletop roleplaying game similar to girlfriend rule” for Secrets & Sorcery, Dungeons & Dragons. That sets her off to a tabletop roleplaying game similar to find a group of her own: an all-girls game Dungeons & Dragons. That sets her off to of S&S where Hollis finds herself…and find a group of her own: an all-girls game crushes on fellow player Aini. of S&S where Hollis finds herself…and “It was really healing to write this crushes on fellow player Aini. loving friend group for my character,” “It was really healing to write this says Randall. “And let her have that loving friend group for my character,” experience that I didn’t necessarily have says Randall. “And let her have that myself. I loved writing it. 10/10 would experience that I didn’t necessarily have write again.” myself. I loved writing it. 10/10 would Randall, who also works at Kenton write again.” County Public Library, moved to the Randall, who also works at Kenton Cov from Nashville, Tennessee. Locals County Public Library, moved to the will recognize several spots in The Cov from Nashville, Tennessee. Locals No-Girlfriend Rule, including Holmes will recognize several spots in The High School and Eden Park, the latter of No-Girlfriend Rule, including Holmes which acts as a first-date backdrop. High School and Eden Park, the latter of “Growing up, I think most of the books which acts as a first-date backdrop. that I read took place in London, New “Growing up, I think most of the books York or L.A. and that’s cool. I love all of that I read took place in London, New those books! But I really like showing York or L.A. and that’s cool. I love all of where people actually live,” says Randall. those books! But I really like showing “I think it’s a way –– Covington is rad! –– where people actually live,” says Randall. to highlight the cool vibe we have going “I think it’s a way –– Covington is rad! –– on here.” to highlight the cool vibe we have going Randall’s writing aspirations crossed on here.” continents to become a reality. Now in Randall’s writing aspirations crossed their 30s, Randall says they have written continents to become a reality. Now in as a hobby since age 13 but didn’t take their 30s, Randall says they have written it seriously until 2019. She first met as a hobby since age 13 but didn’t take her agent, Becca Langton, via X, the it seriously until 2019. She first met app formerly known as Twitter. At the her agent, Becca Langton, via X, the time, there were pitch contests on the app formerly known as Twitter. At the platform where agents would connect time, there were pitch contests on the with users. platform where agents would connect “I was the first client that Becca signed. with users. I was Becca’s first sale,” says Randall. “We “I was the first client that Becca signed. have an internet-Twitter meet cute. It I was Becca’s first sale,” says Randall. “We was one of these meant-to-be moments. have an internet-Twitter meet cute. It I sent her (the book) and she read it was one of these meant-to-be moments. overnight.” I sent her (the book) and she read it Langton is based in London, working overnight.” with Darley Anderson’s Children Book Langton is based in London, working Agency. After Langton read the book, with Darley Anderson’s Children Book Randall woke up to an email asking to get Agency. After Langton read the book, on a call –– which might as well be fabled Randall woke up to an email asking to get in the literary world. (Randall drafted on a call –– which might as well be fabled The No-Girlfriend Rule in April 2020 and in the literary world. (Randall drafted accepted a book deal around July 2022.) The No-Girlfriend Rule in April 2020 and In the aforementioned Twitter pitch, accepted a book deal around July 2022.) she included Jamie Pacton’s The Life and In the aforementioned Twitter pitch, she included Jamie Pacton’s The Life and

“I was sitting in my “I was sitting in my bed one day and bed brainstorming,” one day and just just brainstorming,” recalls Randall of recallsthe Randall when book’sof when thewas book’s premise first premise was first hatched. “I had an hatched. “I had an a idea of, ‘What would idea of, ‘What story look likewould wherea story look like where a girl figures out a girl figures out she likes other girls she likesroleplaying other girls through through roleplaying characters?’ Because I characters?’ Because I had that experience.” had that experience.”

Readers will recognize several Covington locations included in author Christen Randall’s new novel. Readers will recognize several Covington locations included in author Christen Randall’s P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY C H R I S T E N R A N D A L L new novel. P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY C H R I S T E N R A N D A L L

(Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly as a comp title, meaning a published book that is (Medieval) Times of Kit Sweetly as a comp similar in content or audience. It also just title, meaning a published book that is happens to be one of Randall’s favorite similar in content or audience. It also just books –– and she’s since connected with happens to be one of Randall’s favorite Pacton. books –– and she’s since connected with “Now I get to be kind-of coworkers Pacton. with all of these authors I really admire “Now I get to be kind-of coworkers and respect,” gushes Randall. “It is surwith all of these authors I really admire real and wonderful. And really, really and respect,” gushes Randall. “It is surcool.” real and wonderful. And really, really In its description, The No-Girlfriend cool.” Rule is compared to the work of fellow In its description, The No-Girlfriend romance writers Julie Murphy (DumpRule is compared to the work of fellow lin’) and Casey McQuiston (Red, White romance writers Julie Murphy (Dump& Royal Blue). Sweet and affirming, The lin’) and Casey McQuiston (Red, White No-Girlfriend Rule serves up friendship, & Royal Blue). Sweet and affirming, The nerdy banter, relatable characters and No-Girlfriend Rule serves up friendship, starry-eyed teenage love that’s so cute nerdy banter, relatable characters and you might just kick your feet. starry-eyed teenage love that’s so cute Along with Aini, a cast of lovable, you might just kick your feet. supportive girls round out Hollis’ S&S Along with Aini, a cast of lovable, group: Gloria, Fran, Aini, Iffy and Maggie. supportive girls round out Hollis’ S&S Hollis’ story arc shows her come into her group: Gloria, Fran, Aini, Iffy and Maggie. queerness, and other characters present Hollis’ story arc shows her come into her casually as LGBTQ+, too. queerness, and other characters present “We’re in a really wonderful age, casually as LGBTQ+, too. particularly in YA, where we’re having “We’re in a really wonderful age, a whole lot of representation across the particularly in YA, where we’re having board,” says Randall. “I wanted to add a whole lot of representation across the board,” says Randall. “I wanted to add

my voice to that. I think something that is important, too, is that Hollis is fat and my voice to that. I think something that queer. is important, too, is that Hollis is fat and “I know that is something that we queer. don’t often see, even still, though we’ve “I know that is something that we had great strides in literature and other don’t often see, even still, though we’ve media for representing all kinds of queer had great strides in literature and other folks. It is important to me, as a fat queer media for representing all kinds of queer person, to put that representation out folks. It is important to me, as a fat queer there.” person, to put that representation out That representation, Randall explains, there.” is for anyone like Hollis who might pick That representation, Randall explains, up The No-Girlfriend Rule and see that is for anyone like Hollis who might pick they can be fat, queer, loved and like their up The No-Girlfriend Rule and see that body, even if they don’t always love it. they can be fat, queer, loved and like their “I wanted to have that out there to body, even if they don’t always love it. normalize and elevate fat kids loving “I wanted to have that out there to themselves and not hating themselves,” normalize and elevate fat kids loving says Randall. “It seems really simple. It themselves and not hating themselves,” seems really basic, but it still feels kind says Randall. “It seems really simple. It of radical to be able to do that in a fun, seems really basic, but it still feels kind nerdy romance.” of radical to be able to do that in a fun, The Secrets & Sorcery game itself is nerdy romance.” interwoven into this story about friendThe Secrets & Sorcery game itself is ship and self-discovery. Readers will get interwoven into this story about friendto know the characters’ characters as ship and self-discovery. Readers will get the S&S game unfolds. Randall grew up to know the characters’ characters as in nerdy spaces like forum roleplaying. the S&S game unfolds. Randall grew up Like Hollis in Secrets & Sorcery, gaming in nerdy spaces like forum roleplaying. was –– and still is –– a way for Randall to Like Hollis in Secrets & Sorcery, gaming was –– and still is –– a way for Randall to

learn about herself. As Randall played with the story’s learn about herself. framework, she would flesh out the plot As Randall played with the story’s Hollis needed and that the game needed framework, she would flesh out the plot to move forward. Randall says the plots Hollis needed and that the game needed inevitably informed one another. to move forward. Randall says the plots “I was sitting in my bed one day and inevitably informed one another. just brainstorming,” recalls Randall “I was sitting in my bed one day and of when the book’s premise was first just brainstorming,” recalls Randall hatched. “I had an idea of, ‘What would of when the book’s premise was first a story look like where a girl figures out hatched. “I had an idea of, ‘What would she likes other girls through roleplaying a story look like where a girl figures out characters?’ Because I had that experishe likes other girls through roleplaying ence. It’s this wonderful, safe space characters?’ Because I had that experiwhere, like Gloria says in the book, you ence. It’s this wonderful, safe space can take parts of your identity that you’re where, like Gloria says in the book, you not fully comfortable embodying yet and can take parts of your identity that you’re explore them in a safe way with people, not fully comfortable embodying yet and ideally, who really care about you.” explore them in a safe way with people, A turning point in Randall’s planning ideally, who really care about you.” came in the form of a post-it note, where A turning point in Randall’s planning she wrote I’m just like other girls. Randall came in the form of a post-it note, where says a lot of the YA she read growing up she wrote I’m just like other girls. Randall had the opposite sentiment. says a lot of the YA she read growing up “That’s really isolating,” says Randall. had the opposite sentiment. “And being exactly like other girls is “That’s really isolating,” says Randall. really rad. That blew open plotting for “And being exactly like other girls is me in terms of how the games work and really rad. That blew open plotting for how they talk to each other and how me in terms of how the games work and they hang out together.” how they talk to each other and how Randall is currently working on her they hang out together.” second book, which she describes as a Randall is currently working on her “queer neurodivergent romance” set in second book, which she describes as a Covington that follows a group of kids “queer neurodivergent romance” set in whose school literary magazine gets Covington that follows a group of kids canceled. whose school literary magazine gets canceled. Christen Randall will discuss and sign The No-Girlfriend Rule at Joseph-Beth Christen Randall will discuss and sign Booksellers (2692 Madison Road, The No-Girlfriend Rule at Joseph-Beth Rookwood) on March 5 at 7 p.m. Booksellers (2692 Madison Road, Info: bychristenrandall.com. Rookwood) on March 5 at 7 p.m. Info: bychristenrandall.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

The Aperture offers fine dining off the beaten path, in Walnut Hills. P H OTO S : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

Illuminated Dining

Cincinnati chef Jordan Anthony-Brown’s first restaurant, The Aperture, serves up a memorable dining experience. R E V I E W BY PA M A M IT C H E L L

he Aperture is the real deal — a first-rate addition to our city’s dining firmament. Not downtown or in Over-the-Rhine, The Aperture is located in the center of Walnut Hills in a refurbished building on the corner of Gilbert Avenue and McMillan Street. The Aperture enriches an up-and-coming neighborhood with a palate-thrilling splash. In fact, dinner at this new restaurant delivered my most memorable and satisfying Cincinnati dining experience in recent memory. The place took years to come to fruition, slowed by the pandemic and the inevitable delays that can happen while renovating historic buildings. Chef-owner Jordan Anthony-Brown leased space in the Paramount Building — constructed in 1931 — way back in 2019. The intervening years were challenging for Anthony-Brown and his backers, but the time must have been well spent, judging by the excellent food and beverage service at The Aperture from day one. Although the dining room isn’t particularly large, the layout allows a

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comfortable space between the tables, most of which give diners a view of the busy kitchen. That generous spacing helps keep the noise level manageable, and, for most of the evening, we were able to converse comfortably among the four of us. A smallish bar occupies its own nook in the L-shaped space and a back dining room can be reserved for private events. On a very rainy evening, the main dining room stayed mostly full of a young, diverse clientele. As far as I could tell, everyone seemed to be having a grand old time. The fare is described as Mediterranean, although it probably won’t remind you of many other Mediterranean restaurants around town. The menu isn’t lengthy, and you are likely to appreciate an item-by-item menu tour like the one our server provided. We kind of thought of it as a translation of a plethora of ingredients and preparations that were unfamiliar to us. At the very least, be sure you have Google handy. Excluding dessert, you’ll find only a dozen dishes on a menu that’s not

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The herbed falafel from The Aperture. P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

divided into appetizer/salad/entrée sections but presented on one side of a sheet of heavy paper. It flows from lighter to more substantial dishes, beginning with a couple of items that go well with cocktails and proceeding through interesting vegetable preps to pastas and seafood. At least for now, there are no hunks of meat, such as steaks or chops. I don’t think you’ll miss them. Our foursome sampled more than half the dishes and left absolutely

satisfied. While the house might adjust the list of offerings going forward, it’s a safe bet that most of what we enjoyed will be available at least until the season changes. Vegetables shine here, and that hits my foodie sweet spot: many if not most restaurants give short shrift to plant ingredients, an oversight that can be glaringly annoying. If you’re not with me on that, withhold judgment until you try Aperture’s charred carrot, oyster

The beef tartare and endive from The Aperture. P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

mushroom or Kennebec potato plates. The first two are sensational, and I’d bet the ranch that they’ll stay on the menu for quite some time to come. Try not to miss the charred carrot, cooked to toothsome perfection and artfully presented. It’s one of the dishes with ingredients that might be unfamiliar, including the North African spice mix ras el hanout and the Egyptian spice-and-nut blend dukka. The recipe also includes merguez, a lamb sausage from that same part of the world, although the meaty flavor isn’t prominent. Also outstanding is the oyster mushroom, a hearty fungus with a texture almost like chicken, enriched with hazelnut pesto, Manchego cheese, brown butter and tahini. I almost could have made a meal out of those two plates but since we were sharing everything, I had plenty of room to keep going. My companions and I loved the salad of Napa cabbage, and a plate of warm focaccia went beautifully with our cocktails. Speaking of which, I must give a shout-out to Will Velarde, the restaurant’s general manager and beverage director, whose cocktail menu is genius. His elevated take on a Manhattan, dubbed I’m Her, adds a little pomegranate and a special vermouth from the Piedmont region of Italy. The rum-based drink called The Prophet included splashes of a couple of liqueurs, lime and orange juices to create a wonderful balance of flavors. We tried one of the three pasta dishes, lumache Amatriciana. The portion of shell-shaped, ridged noodles was just right, enough for each of us to sample while not piling on too many carbs. Its tomato-based sauce was spiced with pickled fresno chilies and the dish enhanced with creamy

pecorino and guanciale, a salty Italian ham. The Aperture’s take on branzino, one of my favorite restaurant fish entrees, did not disappoint. The tender filet came atop a brothy sauce in which swam a few littleneck clams and oishii shrimp. Lamb shoulder was a hearty preparation served in a bowl; slices of tender lamb piled in one-third of the bowl, the remainder filled with spiced rice and sauteed greens. One of the few unsuccessful dishes was a house version of falafel, new on the menu that evening. Bland and too crumbly, it fell apart on the fork. I expected more than two dessert choices, considering that the restaurant’s advance publicity touted its “pastry program.” Neither the key lime tart nor the almond cake lit up my taste buds, although my companions disagreed, especially about the tart. I thought the filling/crust ratio was too heavy on the latter, but I was in the minority on that one. The almond cake struck me as too dry and dense and would have benefitted from a lot more of the cream topping than graced our portion. But overall, it was an excellent meal. For the past month, whenever someone asks me where they should eat next, I haven’t hesitated to recommend this restaurant. “Aperture” means “opening;” more specifically, it’s a term from photography describing a “space through which light passes.” Somehow, those images are a great fit for an ambitious but approachable fine-dining establishment in a developing city neighborhood. Let there be light! The Aperture, 900 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills. Info: theaperturecinci.com.

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EATS EATS

Greater Cincinnati Fish Frys You Need to Try BY K AT H E R I NCincinnati E BA R R I E R Greater Fish Frys You Need to Try BY K AT H E R I N E BA R R I E R

There are numerous fish frys to try in Greater Cincinnati throughout the Lenten season. P H OTO : M E E L A N B AW J E E , U N S P L A S H

t’s the Lenten season in Cincinnati, which can only mean one thing: It’s t’s the Lenten season in Cincinnati, Fry-day Fish Fry Season. So many which can only mean one thing: It’s churches — plus assorted savvy eaterFry-day Fish Fry Season. So many ies — in Greater Cincinnati are offering churches — plus assorted savvy eatersome type of special fried fish dish on ies — in Greater Cincinnati are offering Fridays. Here are some of our favorites. some type of special fried fish dish on Fridays. Here are some of our favorites.

fried or baked fish dinners for $14, shrimp dinners for $15, fried fish sandfried or baked fish dinners for $14, wiches for $12 and LaRosa’s cheese shrimp dinners for $15, fried fish sandpizza for $2 a slice. The Kolping Haus wiches for $12 and LaRosa’s cheese bar is open with domestic and German pizza for $2 a slice. The Kolping Haus beer offerings, and there will also be bar is open with domestic and German split-the-pot. beer offerings, and there will also be split-the-pot.

Chloe’s Eatery’s fish sandwich will 2872 Lawrenceburg Road, North Bend be available only on Fridays through Chloe’s Eatery’s fish sandwich will March 29. be available only on Fridays through March 29.

R&R Quality Meats’ fish fry menu is 4029 Harrison Ave., Cheviot available every Friday until Easter from R&R Quality Meats’ fish fry menu is 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (lunch) and 4-6 p.m. available every Friday until Easter from (dinner). 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (lunch) and 4-6 p.m. (dinner).

Chloe’s Eatery 2872 Lawrenceburg Road, North Bend Chloe’s Eatery

LaRosa’s Multiple locations LaRosa’s

LaRosa’s will serve its fish fry menu Multiple locations selections through Easter Sunday LaRosa’s will serve its fish fry menu (March 31). It will feature the beer-batselections through Easter Sunday tered fish hoagy, a beer-battered fish (March 31). It will feature the beer-batdinner, a tuna hoagy and a tuna salad tered fish hoagy, a beer-battered fish plate as limited-time offerings. It’s also dinner, a tuna hoagy and a tuna salad introducing the new Cauliflower Bites plate as limited-time offerings. It’s also for the season. introducing the new Cauliflower Bites for the season.

Kolping Society 10235 W. Mill Road, Springfield Kolping Society

Township 10235 W. Mill Road, Springfield This fish fry is held every Friday Township through March 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., This fish fry is held every Friday doors open at 5 p.m. They’ll be offering through March 15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m., doors open at 5 p.m. They’ll be offering

R&R Quality Meats 4029 Harrison Ave., Cheviot R&R Quality Meats

Old St. Mary’s Church 123 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine Old St. Mary’s Church

Old St. Mary will hold its annual fish 123 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine fry on March 1 along the Bockfest Old St. Mary will hold its annual fish Parade route starting at 5 p.m. fry on March 1 along the Bockfest Parade route starting at 5 p.m.

Mary Queen of Heaven 1150 Donaldson Highway, Erlanger Mary Queen of Heaven

Fish frys will be held every Friday from 1150 Donaldson Highway, Erlanger 4-8 p.m. through March 22. DineFish frys will be held every Friday from in, drive-thru and curbside pickup 4-8 p.m. through March 22. Dineavailable. in, drive-thru and curbside pickup available.

St. William 4108 W. Eighth St., West Price Hill St. William

Fish frys held every Friday through 4108 W. Eighth St., West Price Hill Fish frys held every Friday through

March 22 from 4-7:30 p.m. Drive-thru only. March 22 from 4-7:30 p.m. Drive-thru only.

St. Agnes 1680 Dixie Highway, Ft. Wright St. Agnes

Fish fry is held every Friday through 1750 Chase Ave., Northside March 15 from 5-7 p.m. Parking is Fish fry is held every Friday through available behind the school. March 15 from 5-7 p.m. Parking is available behind the school.

Queen of Peace 2550 Millville Ave., Hamilton Queen of Peace

St. Boniface 1750 Chase Ave., Northside St. Boniface

St. James the Greater 3565 Hubble Road, White Oak St. James the Greater

Fish frys held every Friday through 3565 Hubble Road, White Oak March 22 from 4:30-7:30 p.m. Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 4:30-7:30 p.m.

Holy Cross-Immaculata 30 Guido St., Mt. Adams Holy Cross-Immaculata

Holy Cross-Immaculata will hold its 30 Guido St., Mt. Adams annual fish fry on Good Friday (March Holy Cross-Immaculata will hold its 29) starting at 4 p.m. annual fish fry on Good Friday (March 29) starting at 4 p.m.

Wyoming Meat Market 513 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming Wyoming Meat Market

During Fish Fry Season, Wyoming 513 Wyoming Ave., Wyoming Meat Market is offering special During Fish Fry Season, Wyoming seafood menu items including: clam Meat Market is offering special chowder, lobster bisque, lobster rolls, seafood menu items including: clam crab rolls, whole steamed lobster with chowder, lobster bisque, lobster rolls, butter and corn and crab cakes. You crab rolls, whole steamed lobster with can preorder by calling 513-821-2200 butter and corn and crab cakes. You or by sending a DM on their Facebook can preorder by calling 513-821-2200 page. or by sending a DM on their Facebook page.

Fish frys are every Friday through March 1680 Dixie Highway, Ft. Wright 15 from 5-8 p.m. Fish frys are every Friday through March 15 from 5-8 p.m. Fish frys held every Friday through 2550 Millville Ave., Hamilton March 22 from 4-7 p.m. Drive-thru only. Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 4-7 p.m. Drive-thru only.

Arnold’s Bar & Grill 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown Arnold’s Bar & Grill

Arnold’s Bar & Grill will be holding a 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown Wisconsin-style fish fry every Friday Arnold’s Bar & Grill will be holding a during Lent (now through March 29), Wisconsin-style fish fry every Friday complete with polka music. Fried fish, during Lent (now through March 29), cheese curds and beer, including $5 complete with polka music. Fried fish, drafts of Moerlein Dunkel and Einbecker cheese curds and beer, including $5 Pils, will be on the menu. The fish fry drafts of Moerlein Dunkel and Einbecker runs from 4-7 p.m. and is free to attend. Pils, will be on the menu. The fish fry runs from 4-7 p.m. and is free to attend.

St. Mary (Hyde Park) 2853 Erie Ave., Hyde Park St. Mary (Hyde Park)

St. Mary will hold its fish fry on Friday, 2853 Erie Ave., Hyde Park March 22 in the cafeteria from 5-7:30 St. Mary will hold its fish fry on Friday, p.m. March 22 in the cafeteria from 5-7:30 p.m.

Germania Society 3529 W. Kemper Road, Pleasant Run Germania Society

Fish frys held every Friday through 3529 W. Kemper Road, Pleasant Run March 22 from 5-8 p.m. You can also Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5-8 p.m. You can also

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stop by the Klubhaus for some beers on tap.

fish fry on Feb. 23 from 1:30-8 p.m.

Maloney’s Pub 408 Greenwell Ave., Delhi Township Lenten menu available Fridays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

1837 Sutton Ave., Mt. Washington Fish frys held every Friday through March 29 from 4:30-8 p.m. Takeout is available by calling 513-231-7351.

St. Gertrude

St. Vincent Ferrer

6543 Miami Ave., Madeira Fish frys are March 1 and March 15 from 5-7:30 p.m.

7754 Montgomery Road, Kenwood Fish frys held every Friday from March 1-15 from 5:30-7:30 p.m.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton

American Legion Post #318

5890 Buckwheat Road, Milford Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5-7:30 p.m.

6660 Clough Pike, Anderson Township Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5-7 p.m. Dine-in and carryout available.

St. Columban 894 Oakland Road, Loveland Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5-7:30 p.m. Drive-thru, dine-in (in the parish hall) and online ordering are available, but bring credit cards. No cash will be accepted.

Guardian Angels Parish 6539 Beechmont Ave., Mt. Washington Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5-7 p.m.

St. Francis De Sales 20 Desales Ave., Lebanon Fish frys held every Friday from Feb. 23 to March 15 from 5-7 p.m.

Cincinnati Shriners 9730 Reading Road, Evendale Fish frys held every Friday through March 29 from 5-7 p.m. Dine-in and carryout are available.

St. John Neumann 12191 Mill Road, Colerain Township Fish frys held in Daniel Hall every Friday through March 22 from 4:30-7 p.m.

St. John the Evangelist (West Chester) 9080 Cincinnati Dayton Road, West Chester Fish frys are every Friday through March 22 from 4:30-7 p.m.

St. Susanna 500 Reading Road, Mason Fish frys held at the Meyer Center every Friday through March 15 from 5-8 p.m.

St. Catharine of Siena 3324 Wunder Ave., Westwood Dine-in fish frys to be held at St. Catharine School on March 1 and March 8 from 5-7 p.m. West Side Brewing (3044 Harrison Ave., Westwood) will host the

American Legion Post #484

The Community of the Good Shepherd 8815 E. Kemper Road, Montgomery Fish frys held every Friday through March 8 from 5-7:30 p.m. Drive-thru available from 5-7 p.m.

St. Al Bridgetown 4366 Bridgetown Road, Bridgetown Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 4:30-7 p.m. Drive-thru only.

St. Cecilia 3105 Madison Road, Oakley St. Cecilia in Oakley will host its annual fish fry on Friday, March 1 from 5-7:30 p.m.

Holy Cross (Covington) 3612 Church St., Covington Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5-8 p.m. Dine-in and carryout are available.

Nativity of Our Lord 5935 Pandora Ave., Pleasant Ridge Fish frys held every Friday through March 22 from 5:30-8:30 p.m.

Our Lady of the Rosary 17 Farragut Road, Greenhills Fish frys to be held on Fridays Feb. 23, March 8 and March 22 from 5-7 p.m.

St. Thomas More 800 Ohio Pike, Withamsville Fish frys are held every Friday through March 22 from 5-7:30 p.m.

Newport Elks Lodge 273 3704 Alexandria Pike, Cold Spring Newport Elks Lodge holds a fish fry every Friday from 4:30-7 p.m. Dine-in and carryout are available.

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MUSIC MUSIC

Indigo Girls P H OTO : C O U RT E SY O F I N D I G O G I R LS

Indigo Girls

P H OTO : C O U RT E SY O F I N D I G O G I R LS

Taking Center Stage Taking The Indigo GirlsCenter bring tunes oldStage and new to Dayton’s Victoria Theatre. BY A N S C UGirls L L E Ybring tunes old and new to Dayton’s Victoria Theatre. TheA LIndigo

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ost musicians found their activities curtailed during ost musicians found their the pandemic. However, for activities curtailed during the Indigo Girls, the past three years the pandemic. However, for were a particularly busy season. the Indigo Girls, the past three years The musical group, consisting of duo were a particularly busy season. Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, recently The musical group, consisting of duo released a livestream project, “Look Emily Saliers and Amy Ray, recently Long: Together.” They’re also the subject released a livestream project, “Look of a new documentary film, It’s Only Long: Together.” They’re also the subject Life After All, and they had their music of a new documentary film, It’s Only reinvented for the musical film Glitter & Life After All, and they had their music Doom. Saliers has been writing music reinvented for the musical film Glitter & for two stage musicals and Ray has Doom. Saliers has been writing music released a new solo album, If It All Goes for two stage musicals and Ray has South. released a new solo album, If It All Goes That’s quite a busy schedule, even for South. an act like the Indigo Girls, who have That’s quite a busy schedule, even for been consistently active since releasing an act like the Indigo Girls, who have their first album, Strange Fire, in 1987. been consistently active since releasing Most bands that debuted around that their first album, Strange Fire, in 1987. time – if they’re still together – now only Most bands that debuted around that sporadically make albums (if at all) and time – if they’re still together – now only are considered heritage acts. That’s not sporadically make albums (if at all) and the Indigo Girls. are considered heritage acts. That’s not “We still feel like we are a working the Indigo Girls. band. We tour and we make albums “We still feel like we are a working and we work, and that feels good,” band. We tour and we make albums Saliers said in a recent phone interview. and we work, and that feels good,” This latest spate of activity came Saliers said in a recent phone interview. on the heels of the release of the 15th This latest spate of activity came Indigo Girls’ studio album, Look Long, on the heels of the release of the 15th which arrived in May 2020. A stirring Indigo Girls’ studio album, Look Long, effort, Look Long not only features the which arrived in May 2020. A stirring highly melodic folk-pop (on songs like effort, Look Long not only features the “When We Were Writers,” “Look Long” highly melodic folk-pop (on songs like and “Sorrow And Joy”) that has always “When We Were Writers,” “Look Long” and “Sorrow And Joy”) that has always

been an Indigo Girls signature, but rhythmically creative songs that touch been an Indigo Girls signature, but on hip-hop (“Shit Kickin’”), Caribrhythmically creative songs that touch bean music (“Howl At The Moon”) and on hip-hop (“Shit Kickin’”), Caribcatchy upbeat rockers (“Change My bean music (“Howl At The Moon”) and Heart” and “K.C. Girl”). catchy upbeat rockers (“Change My By the time Look Long was released, Heart” and “K.C. Girl”). the pandemic had scuttled plans for a By the time Look Long was released, full-band tour to support the album. the pandemic had scuttled plans for a But post-pandemic, Saliers and Ray full-band tour to support the album. returned to the road, first touring in But post-pandemic, Saliers and Ray 2022 with long-time violinist Lyris Hung returned to the road, first touring in and then last year, with a full band. 2022 with long-time violinist Lyris Hung Saliers said in either format she and Ray and then last year, with a full band. have been including a few songs from Saliers said in either format she and Ray the latest album along with a generous have been including a few songs from selection of back catalog material. the latest album along with a generous That streaming concert, “Look Long: selection of back catalog material. Together,” debuted in May 2022 on the That streaming concert, “Look Long: VEEPS platform and is a unique concert Together,” debuted in May 2022 on the special that features performances of a VEEPS platform and is a unique concert career-spanning set of songs (some of special that features performances of a which feature appearances from guests career-spanning set of songs (some of Becky Warren, Tomi Martin, Trina which feature appearances from guests Meade and Lucy Wainwright Roche) Becky Warren, Tomi Martin, Trina combined with commentary segments Meade and Lucy Wainwright Roche) about the songs from Saliers and Ray. combined with commentary segments Because of the pandemic, perforabout the songs from Saliers and Ray. mances had to be woven together from Because of the pandemic, perforseparate film shoots to create full-band mances had to be woven together from live versions of songs. separate film shoots to create full-band The first step in the process was filmlive versions of songs. ing Saliers and Ray playing songs as a The first step in the process was filmduo. ing Saliers and Ray playing songs as a “On some (of those) tracks, we sent duo. them to the players and they listened to “On some (of those) tracks, we sent our version and played their parts live. them to the players and they listened to our version and played their parts live.

Then that all got mixed together,” Saliers said. “Then on other versions, the Then that all got mixed together,” Saliers rhythm section went in first, at least on said. “Then on other versions, the the recordings, then Amy and I played rhythm section went in first, at least on to the rhythm section live.” the recordings, then Amy and I played After the footage was complete, to the rhythm section live.” extensive editing followed. After the footage was complete, “Amy and I spent hours and hours extensive editing followed. watching it come together, making sug“Amy and I spent hours and hours gestions, ‘Let’s do a split screen here,’ watching it come together, making sug‘the lighting needs to be fixed (here),’ gestions, ‘Let’s do a split screen here,’ ‘this camera angle is no good, let’s use ‘the lighting needs to be fixed (here),’ this shot,’ all these meticulous choices ‘this camera angle is no good, let’s use you have to make,” Saliers said. “In this shot,’ all these meticulous choices the end, we worked so hard on it, we you have to make,” Saliers said. “In were actually a little discouraged at the the end, we worked so hard on it, we eleventh hour. And then watched it and were actually a little discouraged at the were really pleased with it.” eleventh hour. And then watched it and The year and a half of work that went were really pleased with it.” into the livestream took up some of the The year and a half of work that went pandemic-forced downtime. Saliers also into the livestream took up some of the spent considerable time working on two pandemic-forced downtime. Saliers also musicals that she hopes might eventuspent considerable time working on two ally get to Broadway. musicals that she hopes might eventu“One of them is tentatively called ally get to Broadway. Country Radio,” Saliers said. “It’s the “One of them is tentatively called story of a young queer girl growing up Country Radio,” Saliers said. “It’s the in the South and her journey. And she’s story of a young queer girl growing up also a writer and has a friend who is an in the South and her journey. And she’s incredible singer, and it’s her working also a writer and has a friend who is an through her love of the Southland that incredible singer, and it’s her working she knew and grew up with and all of the through her love of the Southland that struggles involved with that. Then the she knew and grew up with and all of the other one is tentatively called Starstruck. struggles involved with that. Then the The latter musical, Saliers said, other one is tentatively called Starstruck. chronicles the efforts of a park ranger The latter musical, Saliers said, and her town to be designated as a dark chronicles the efforts of a park ranger and her town to be designated as a dark

sky reserve while integrating a love story involving the ranger and an NPR sky reserve while integrating a love podcaster whose arrival shakes up the story involving the ranger and an NPR town. podcaster whose arrival shakes up the One thing Saliers had not done yet at town. the time of this interview was write for One thing Saliers had not done yet at another Indigo Girls album. Considthe time of this interview was write for ering that Look Long was completed another Indigo Girls album. Considbefore the pandemic, there should be ering that Look Long was completed plenty of inspiration for lyrics from before the pandemic, there should be Saliers and Ray, both of whom have plenty of inspiration for lyrics from long been involved in a wide variety of Saliers and Ray, both of whom have social causes, including LBGTQ+ issues, long been involved in a wide variety of Native American rights, immigration social causes, including LBGTQ+ issues, reform and climate change. Native American rights, immigration Saliers and Ray might also have to reform and climate change. consider how to respond lyrically to Saliers and Ray might also have to what is looking like a sea change of consider how to respond lyrically to conservative initiatives, the biggest what is looking like a sea change of of which so far is the Supreme Court conservative initiatives, the biggest ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the of which so far is the Supreme Court landmark case that legalized abortion. ruling overturning Roe v. Wade, the Like many pro-choice advocates, landmark case that legalized abortion. Saliers didn’t think Roe v. Wade would Like many pro-choice advocates, be overturned and is appalled at its Saliers didn’t think Roe v. Wade would demise. Legal access to abortion had be overturned and is appalled at its been established law for decades with demise. Legal access to abortion had multiple subsequent Supreme Court been established law for decades with rulings that affirmed the Roe decision. multiple subsequent Supreme Court Plus, polls have consistently shown a rulings that affirmed the Roe decision. solid majority of Americans didn’t want Plus, polls have consistently shown a Roe overturned. solid majority of Americans didn’t want “But the truth is there has been a Roe overturned. concerted effort (to overturn Roe),” “But the truth is there has been a Saliers said, noting that conservative concerted effort (to overturn Roe),” politicians and activists and certain Saliers said, noting that conservative parts of the evangelical community politicians and activists and certain are among those who have mounted a parts of the evangelical community strategic plan to gain the power in variare among those who have mounted a ous levels of government and the courts strategic plan to gain the power in varithat was needed to target Roe and other ous levels of government and the courts progressive issues. “It’s been going on a that was needed to target Roe and other long time. So while the thought before progressive issues. “It’s been going on a was shocking, it’s easy to understand long time. So while the thought before how we’ve come to this place.” was shocking, it’s easy to understand Both Saliers and Ray are gay, and how we’ve come to this place.” Saliers’ fears are that the conservative Both Saliers and Ray are gay, and movement would widen attempts to Saliers’ fears are that the conservative repeal rights that the LBGTQ+ commumovement would widen attempts to nity, as well as minorities, have gained repeal rights that the LBGTQ+ commuover the years. She and Ray plan to be nity, as well as minorities, have gained active in efforts to restore abortion rights over the years. She and Ray plan to be and preserve gay rights and to support active in efforts to restore abortion rights politicians who support such causes. and preserve gay rights and to support “As a gay person who’s married, I’m politicians who support such causes. like ‘Is this my country?’ And that’s like “As a gay person who’s married, I’m a big question to ask,” Saliers said. “I like ‘Is this my country?’ And that’s like understand the complexities of history a big question to ask,” Saliers said. “I and how things, the pendulum swings understand the complexities of history and reactions, I understand that. But and how things, the pendulum swings when it affects peoples’ lives and there’s and reactions, I understand that. But this huge disconnect between this when it affects peoples’ lives and there’s small group of zealots making decithis huge disconnect between this sions because they’re so removed from small group of zealots making decithe reality of peoples’ lives, it’s a lot to sions because they’re so removed from take in and a lot to live with and a lot to the reality of peoples’ lives, it’s a lot to manage.” take in and a lot to live with and a lot to manage.” Indigo Girls perform at Victoria Theatre in Dayton, Ohio Indigo Girls perform at on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Victoria Theatre in Dayton, Ohio Info: daytonlive.org. on Feb. 23 at 7:30 p.m. Info: daytonlive.org.

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SOUND ADVICE

Jonathan Richman P H OTO : L E V I M A N C H A K , W I K I M E D I A C O M M O N S

JONATHAN RICHMAN Feb. 27 • Foundry Theater at Antioch College One of the most unique and original voices in modern music, Jonathan Richman makes a local appearance at the end of the month at the Foundry Theater in Yellow Springs. Richman has generated a cult following over the course of his career that began with influential punk precursor band The Modern Lovers and has continued in an ever-expanding body of work. Originally from the Boston area, Richman formed The Modern Lovers as a teenager in 1970 with Jerry Harrison on keyboards, who was later a member of the Talking Heads; drummer David Robinson, who later joined The Cars; and bassist Ernie Brooks. Richman and the band began under the influence of bands like The Velvet Underground and The Stooges and early rock and roll. Their self-titled album, The Modern Lovers, is regularly ranked on “Best Of” lists and considered a building block of punk and many alternative styles that came after. The record is made up of demos recorded by John Cale of The Velvet Underground and other sessions with producers throughout 1972 but not released until 1976, though the

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band had broken up by 1974. Richman went forward with Robinson and another iteration of the group with the self-titled Jonathan Richman and The Modern Lovers (1976) before Robinson left and Richman worked solo with different backing musicians, starting with the fantastical and softeredged Rock ‘n’ Roll with the Modern Lovers in 1977. The songs maintained the originality of the first recordings, continuing his loose, often infectious writing style that is all innocence and originality. He continued with releases throughout the ‘80s before formally going solo with another self-titled album, Jonathan Richman, in 1989. Richman began performing with longtime collaborator, drummer Tommy Larkins, in the early ‘90s. The two are featured throughout the Farrelly Brothers’ 1998 cult classic comedy There’s Something About Mary, accenting points in the story with song. Richman also makes an appearance in the Farrelly Brothers’ Kingpin (1996) and Fever Pitch (2005). His seemingly ever-expanding interests know no boundaries and have added more and more styles and coloring to his work, including elements from music from around the world, like Impressionist composers Debussy

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Aimee Mann P H OTO : S H E RY L N I E L D S

and Ravel. Richman’s recent work — the fulllength album Want to Visit My Inner House? (2021) and 2023 EP Yatasamaroun — again features Harrison on keyboards. Jonathan Richman and Tommy Larkins perform at the Foundry Theater at Antioch College on Feb. 27 at 7 p.m. Info: antiochcollege.edu/events. (Brent Stroud)

AIMEE MANN Feb. 28 • Memorial Hall Has it really been four decades since Aimee Mann broke into wider consciousness with the MTV hit “Voices Carry”? Mann wrote the tune for her band at the time, ’Til Tuesday, a Boston-based pop-rock outfit with a penchant for ear-wormy, synth-aided hooks and glossy overproduction. Mann went solo after three incrementally more

Destin Conrad P H OTO : Z A M A R V E L E Z

interesting but less commercially successful ’Til Tuesday albums, kicking off a run of singer-songwriter efforts that continues to this day. If Mann’s recorded output has slowed in recent years — she’s dropped only one album, 2021’s Queens of the Summer Hotel, since Barack Obama left office — she remains a compelling live presence, her lanky frame and literate lyrics as consistent as the changing of seasons. The slackening is in part related to a nervous system disorder that prevented her from listening to music for a year after COVID surfaced, which is not an ideal turn of events for someone buoyed by the creation of sounds. “Music immediately makes you feel something,” Mann said of her artistic mode of choice in a 2023 interview with Salon. “There’s no lag and there’s not a lot of subtlety. It’s almost like it forces you to feel the thing. As soon as you hear it, you can feel the thing that the person who wrote it felt, to a certain extent. If you hear Chopin’s funeral march, you’re like, ‘I feel a sense of dread.’ So, music to me is a kind of sorcery because it’s so immediate, and then the mixing of language together with it.” Bachelor No. 2 or, the Last Remains of the Dodo — which surfaced in 2000 following Mann’s ace contributions to Paul Thomas Anderson’s Magnolia movie soundtrack — remains her creative peak, a mood-altering mix of folky chamber pop and seemingly firstperson storytelling. For those unfamiliar with her brand of lacerating lyricism, try this from the opening of Bachelor No.

2’s “Deathly”: “Now that I’ve met you/ Would you object to/Never seeing each other again?” Translation: Proceed with caution. Aimee Mann plays Memorial Hall on Feb. 28 at 8 p.m. Info: memorialhallotr. com. (Jason Gargano)

DESTIN CONRAD March 4 • Bogart’s While Destin Conrad is making waves in the R&B scene now, the Tampa-born singer originally gained his following on Vine where he amassed over a million followers. Conrad was raised by his single mother who emigrated from Jamaica, and got his start singing in the church. He is known for collaborating with his longtime friend and fellow R&B singer Kehlani, including on her album It Was Good Until It Wasn’t. The album debuted at number two on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in 2020. The following year, Conrad released his debut album, COLORWAY, which includes hits like “IN THE AIR” and “EXCITED!” That same year he would go on tour as an opener with artists Kehlani and Syd. After his second album SATIN came out, Conrad would headline his first tour in Europe and the UK. Since then Conrad released his third album, SUBMISSIVE, that will be followed by his “SUBMISSIVE Tour,” where he will be able to bring his smooth and romantic style to fans across the U.S. Destin Conrad plays Bogart’s on March 4 at 7 p.m. Info: livenation.com. (Kennedy Dudley)

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PLUS FOURS CROSSWORD

BY B R EN DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y W W W. B R E N DA N E M M E T TQ U I G L E Y.C O M

Across

34. Award for Damon Albarn: Abbr.

61. Make a choice

23. Regarding

1. Strip in a sammie

35. What you should to each of the theme answers formulas to get their answers

62. Formal dress shoes

24. Mess maker

63. Hemorrhage

25. Painting technique using lots of dots + FOUR =

6. Preceded 11. With 52-Across, mic check phrase

36. I as in Intro to Psychology

14. Rub the wrong way 15. Broadway star Menzel

45. Identical twin

20. They assign G’s and R’s

47. Something to shoot for

35. Partake in play time?

5. Virtual dog, say

37. Hereditary unit

6. Capital served by Jorge Chávez International Airport

48. Gave, as a shock

23. Zonked out

33. Ill-behaved

4. Like special orders?

46. Deal with

21. What a firewalker might step on

32. Navarro of “The View”

3. It’s always tired

44. Raging hot

19. “___ effect” (raising of forensic science due to pop culture)

30. Comic Gaffigan

2. [finger snap, points upward}

42. All grown up

17. What one does for ice cream, in a saying + FOUR =

29. “Why don’t you act your age!”

1. Dating letters

41. From the top

16. Member of a skulk

26. One taking thing the wrong way

Down

39. Questionably named

26. ___ vivant (pleasure seeker)

49. Leaves, as an unwanted responsibility

27. Hold the throne

51. A lot

28. 1990’s post-punk band with the classic album “Spiderland”

52. See 11-Across

38. Was obliged to

7. Temple address part

40. Cries during El Clásico

8. Brought shame upon

41. Everybody in the South

9. Dues collector

42. Check fig.

10. Agreement

43. “___ (That Thing)”

11. SNL’s driving cat + FOUR =

45. Informal discussion

12. Margarita request

47. Ger rid of

29. Hit the treadmill

53. Ophelia’s brother in “Hamlet” + FOUR =

30. Denim worn in the summer

58. The Storting’s nat.

13. People kicked out of their country

48. Place for change

31. Miso soup protein

59. Green grunts in fairy tales

18. Ice Spice song

50. “But let’s consider,” initially

32. Burning activity?

60. Area 51 being

22. Swamp creature

51. Forest carpet 54. Fish in unagi sushi

56. Make sure

LAST PUZZLE’S ANSWERS:

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55. Create whoppers 57. Where this clue is, appropriately

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