contributing editors Mike Breen, Music; Dale Doerman, Onstage; Rick Pender, Onstage; Steve Ramos, Film; Fran Watson, Art
contributing writers Karen Amelia Arnett, Brian Baker, Elizabeth Carey, Jane Durrell, Jeff Hillard, Jon Hughes, John James, Billie Jeyes, Josh Katz, Jonathan Kamholtz, Michelle Kennedy, Brad King, Kim Krause, Craig Lovelace, Perin Mahler, Susan Nuxoll, David Pescovitz, Jeremy Schlosberg, Peggy Schmidt, Althea Thompson, Kathy Y. Wilson, John 0.
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Head of the Class: The debut CD from Machine Head may very well rank among the best Thrash Rock offerings in recent memory. Music, 20.
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Hopes and Dreams: In an exclusive interview, Hoop Dreams filmmakers Steve James and Peter Gilbert reveal the heartache and hard work behind their seven years documenting the emotions of young inner-city athletes on the rise (including William Gates, above). Film, 21.
Food & Drink From Aztecs to Hershey, chocolate has led a charmed A Stadium for the Ages: Cincinnatus contemplates his Ancient Roman Cincinnati’s current leaders contemplate predicament over a new how
The Straight Dope
BY CECIL ADAMS
rom years ofwatching TV weather I know that our weather (in particular thejet stream) movesfrom west to east. Yet, as the sunrise and sunset show, the earth rotates in that same direction. Does that mean that the atmosphere is rotating around the planetfaster than the planet itselfis spinning? Shouldn’t it bejust the opposite?
Baltimore
—Charles Barksdale,
It would be if the world were run by newspaper Q&A columnists. You try explaining convection currents and the Coriolis effect in 600 words or less. Fact is, though, there’s no reason to expect the winds and weather to move slower than the planet.
Ignoring all other considerations, friction alone would keep the atmosphere spinning at the same rate as the earth beneath it. So why do the jet stream and weather in general movefaster than the earth?
First, the simplified explanation. Convection currents in the temperate latitudes tend to push the surface winds north. The rotation of the earth tends to push anything northbound toward the east. Why? Because things near the equator are moving east faster than things near the pole. At the equator you’re rocketing east at 1,000 miles an hour due to the earth’s rotation. At the North Pole eveiything is pretty much stationary. As you fly north from equator to pole, therefore, you find you’re moving east faster than the earth beneath you. Same with the winds they’re deflected east. This is called the Coriolis effect.
Now to confuse matters. The prevailing winds are out of the west only in the temperate latitudes. In the tropical and polar regions, they’re out of the east, also due to convection currents and the Coriolis effect. Hot air at the equator expands, rises, and (in the northern hemisphere) moves north. At 25 degrees to 30 degrees north latitude it cools off, sinks and heads south again. Something similar happens in the Arctic. Frigid polar air contracts, sinks and heads south to about 60 degrees north, where it warms up, rises and returns north. In both cases, convection drives the surface winds south. The Coriolis effect pushes anything southbound toward the west, for reasons I will let you noodle out for yourself. So the prevailing winds are out of the east.
You now ask: Why does convection in the temperate latitudes seem to work the reverse of polar and tropical convection? Because in our region of relatively moderate temperatures, atmospheric circulation
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(Tfie
more you team, the more you can earn.
is driven by the extremes to the north and south. As a result, everything is backward. At the southern boundary of our zone the air is driven down (not rrp) by tropical convection, then heads north (not south) to the northern boundary, where it’s pushed up (not down) by polar convection.
Didyou know that college graduates, on average, earn twice as much as high school graduates?
At UC's College of Evening & Continuing Education, you can earn a bachelor's degree, a certificate or gain a valuable skill with a single class and you don't have to quit your day job.
You don’t get it, I know. The English language is a pathetic vehicle for this sort of thing. Perhaps Slug’s drawing will make matters a little clearer. If not, take heart: I could have dragged in conservation of angular momentum, but didn’t. There are some things mere mortals just don’t need to know.
The majority of our students have full-timejobs. They juggle careers, children, finances and sometimes cope with fears about returning to the classroom.
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Attend an Information Session, Tuesday, February 28, at 6:00 pm and find out about evening and Saturday classes, undergraduate degrees, certificates, credit for prior learning, one-stop registration and financial aid. Free, but call to reserve your place, 556 - 2247
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BORDERS
Buffalo soldiers
Lookin' for Love in All the Wrong Places Borders becomes a “mush’’free zone. Tues., Feb. 14 at 8 pm
Who were the “buffalo soldiers”? I recently bought a set of U.S. postal stampsfeaturing buffalo soldiers and depictingflag-carrying gunmen on horseback. One wears a cap ofroughly Civil War vintage. Myfirst thought was that these chaps were part of the campaign to eliminate the buffalo and the native peoples dependent on them, and that the post office was perhaps competingfor a Least Politically Correct Stamp Award. My dad, however, suggested that “buffalo soldier” might have been a name given to black soldiers after the Civil War, whichfor some reason has the ring of truth. What’s the story here?
We’re celebratingbeing alone.Join us for the “Romance novel shot-put contest.” Add to the “Words of Departure” sign (where you can share your best break-up lines). Participate in the “Looking for Love inAll the Wrong Places Scavenger Hunt.” There will be prizes and Cafe Espresso specials for the “not-on-a-date-and-I-don’t-care” crowd.
Thomas Idinopulos Jerusalem Thurs., Feb. 16 at 7:30 pm
“This majestic history ofJerusalem is the first to bring together in a single volume the experiences of the three great religions in the holy city from their ancient beginning to the present.”
Paul Baber, Oakland, Calif.
Listen to Pops. The stamp, issued in April 1994, honors the first AfricanAmericans recruited into the peacetime army, where they served in segregated regiments. The black troopers were nicknamed “buffalo soldiers” by Indians, who thought their hair was similar to that of
CINCINNATI
11711 Princeton Pk.. across from Tri-County Ma Books:(513)671 -5852 Music:(513)671-5853
Sic ’Em
It seems to me that if you’re going to sic music critic Mike Breen onto letter-writer Barry Schear (Jan. 26-Feb.I) and have him “sic” all of Barry’s bad grammar, you might at least expect him to “sic” Barry’s “between you and I” and “with you and I.” It seems to me that a mark of an educated person is knowing case.
It also seems to me that better-edited newspapers don’t respond to letter writers because those newspapers believe it’s impolite to insist on having the last word in an argument.
Yours, in the interest of better grammar, even in tabloids.
John Lowery, Director, Miami University Journalism Program, Oxford
History
of Police Problems
Just looking at the CityBeat, the “House Divided” (article) (Feb. 2-8) regarding Cincinnati P.D. I’m a (police) supervisor, retired live years. (The problems detailed in the story) have been going on a lot longer thanjust the last year or so. This has been going on
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(since) right before (former police chief) Col. (Larry) Whalen left, and it’s a real problem when you go promoting people who are finishing 150th and 100th on the exam ahead of people who finish five, six, 10. It’s going to cause resentment when those people have to work for the other person. There have been a lot of problems regarding affirmative action. And (retired) officer (Bill) Lewis as he states (in the article) calls a spade a spade.
Message left on CityBeat voice mail; name withheld
Talking Back
Each week, Cincinnati CityBeat poses a question on its back page. Our staff selects the best responses to print the following week, with published responses meriting a CityBeat T-shirt.
Here are some of the responses to last week’s question: “What, in your mind, is the biggest factor separating the races in Cincinnati?”
DAVID PURCELL: Ignorance and fear of the unknown results of Cincinnati’s racially segregated neighborhoods and prevailing racial prejudice. Despite the proclamations of many in the Baby Boom media, racism was not “fixed” in the ’60s.
CHRIS EINHAUS: I think it is the fact that the blacks think that the whites owe them something. Things happen, but get over it.
FREDDIE WILSON: One of the major factors that separates races in Cincinnati are the “closed minds” of many individuals. “The mind is like a parachute, it must open to work.” Unknown.
Personal Responsibility Act overlooks the realities of teen sexual behavior
BY ALISON TRANBARGER
What better time than Valentine’s to talk about matters of the mind you know, the one between your legs.
His Highness the Newt has proposed a Personal Responsibility Act, which presumably seeks to make unmarried mothers more responsible. The stated intent is to reform the U.S. welfare system and cut costs. The subtext, however, is to somehow make welfare so unattainable that young women will stop breeding outside marriage. The sub-subtext is to coerce young people, especially women, into not having sex before marriage.
Besides the morally questionable practice of imposing one’s values upon others, Newt’s underlying goals fail to understand the realities of young Americans’ lives. For starters, asking young people not to have sex goes against nature. The human body is designed to turn on its reproductive functions when we’re in our teens.
According to The American Medical Association Family Medical Guide, most girls begin their periods between the ages of 11 and 14, their cycles regulating themselves by age 17. Most boys are able to ejaculate seminal fluid around age 13 or 14.
In cultures past and present, nature’s changes have waved children through the gate to adulthood. This passage may have been fair to the American boy/man and girl/woman of the past. When their bodies were ready for sexual reproduction, society stepped in to facilitate that. For better or worse, gender-dictated roles left few options. Economics and educational requirements to make it in the workplace didn’t necessitate that young adults delay marriage too long. Even 20 years ago it was socially OK to get married right out of high school. “Finding oneself’ wasn’t important.
But America in the late 20th century is complex, perhaps more complex than any other era. U.S. society has fallen out of sync with the natural cycle of human growth and maturation. And the cruel reality for young adults is that marriage can no longer be the ticket to socially acceptable sex that it has been. So what’s a girl/boy to do when hormones rage?
The Newties would say wait.
Guess the Newties have forgotten what it’s like to be an adolescent. Being a teen is a time of stepping out,
THIS M«»MU W#1LH by TOM TOMORROW
Poor newt Gingrich / the unscrupulous LIBERAL MEDIA HAVE BEEN SUBJECTING HIM TO A CERTAIN DEGREE OF FACTUAL
JCIfUT/WY-AND HE DOESN'T LIKE IT/ WAAAH l THEY'RE PICKIN’ ON ME.'
SSNlFFc WHY CAN'T THEY JUST SAY WHAT X TELL 'EM To SAY - LIKE ABOUT THE M‘GoVERNlK DRUG' GIES IN TH' WHITE HOUSE AN' STUFF.'
POOR DICK ARMEY* ONE LITTLE HOMOPHOBIC REMARK AND THE BLEEDING HEARTS IN THE PRESS WON’T SHUT UP ABOUT IT.'
WAAAAH! X DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY IT-- IN PUBLIC ANYWAY ! tSNlFFi NOW THE NASTY 110'RUtS WON'T LEAVE ME ALONE.' mm WMP STOP WHINING AND Go| TO SLEEP-
exploring one’s boundaries and testing parents’ limits. Is it not odd that America’s current teen-pregnancy crisis has arrived after years of politically influenced messages such as “think before you get in too deep” and “abstinence makes the heart grow fonder”? Running counter to these messages, of course, are the daily affirmations of sex as a good thing: in jokes shared with friends, on evening TV, on daytime TV, in that song on the radio, with that feeling in the groin that s/he gets after a backward glance from him/her.
So, given conflicting information, it’s natural for teens to try both sides out and see which is true. They do this in many areas, sexual behavior being just one. But beyond the need to test themselves in many arenas, today’s teens seek to fill an empty place. A theme in Mother Jones’ February cover story on “teen sex wars” is the idea that, for many teens, sex is the only way to make a human connection. Kids are lonely. No one’s home; mom and dad are too busy; at school, what teens wear matters more than who they are.
Amazingly, young people still believe in the healing power of love. They understand there can be a sexual component to that love. They also understand love can offer a respite from loneliness.
As Mother Jones points out, this loneliness motivates some teens to have babies. They reason that a companion in the form of a child will fill up the emptiness. This is a far cry from the stereotypical reasons spewed forth to explain why children have children: ignorance about birth control, lack of self-control or a desire to have an easy life supported by welfare.
Which is where Newt comes in. If House Speaker Gingrich wants his way with welfare reform, he’s going to have to compromise in some areas where the Right typically has been inflexible starting with the recognition that teens have sex. Always have, always will. Changing that fact isn’t government’s role.
If the Newties applied this understanding to their decision-making:
We’d see abstinence as an option, not the solution. Maybe, then, we could start talking about other options, as well.
We’d become more comfortable with Surgeons General who try to deal with sexuality realistically. With the nomination of Dr. Henry Foster Jr., let’s not forget that Dr. C. Everett Koop was blasted for this AIDS-fighting, prp-condom ideas. And that Dr. Joycelyn Elders somehow went too far over the edge by mentioning the M-word. (Ironically, masturbation is the one act of personal responsibility that allows teens to take care of their sexual needs while abstaining from sex.)
We’d get beyond the simplistic idea that making something available (like condoms) makes someone do something (like have sex). We might make some headway with AIDS, now the No. 1 killer of Americans ages 25-44 some of whom contract HIV during their teens. Condoms, too, could go a long way in easing the teenpregnancy crisis.
And we’d stop believing that being on welfare is a pleasurable experience, for which young women will do anything including having a baby or two or three.
LIFE IS CERTAINLY DIFFICULT FOR REPuBLlCANS.' TH05E BIASED REPORTERS SIMPLY REFUSE To TREAT THEM WITH THE MINDLESS. UNCRITICAL ADULATION THEY CANSIDER THEIR DUEi
HEY -THE MEDIA NEVER TREATED BILL CLINTON LIKE THIS! WHY, EYCEPT F»R WHITEWATER, TRAVELGATE, HAIR <UTGATE, ALLEGATIONS OF APULTERY AND ENDLESS COMMENTARY ON HIS LACK OF CHARACTER-
••HE'S PRACTICALLY HAD A FREE RIDE!
YES, IT'S MIGHTY UNFAIR... AND FRANKLY, WE'D JUST NATE FOR OUR CONSERVATIVE FRIENDS TO FEEL OPPRESSED OR PICTIMIZED IN ANY WAY...
BURNING QUESTIONS
BY BRAD KING
Beyond Accountability
Because of controversy in the Cincinnati Police Division that has left some officers charging Police Chief Michael Snowden with promoting diversity on the force at the expense of safety, CityBeat thought it was time to take a look at Snowden’s performance review.
But there wasn’t one to look at.
Patrol officers under the chief had monthly reviews, which included the number of tickets written by each officer. There also were annual reviews for all officers on the force except the chief, said Capt. Richard Biehl, head of police personnel.
“I wish I could say it was normal," he said.
It is normal, said city Safety Director William Gustavson, adding that he could not remember performance reviews being given to Snowden who has been chief since November 1992 or the chief before him.
As the Public Safety Department's division head, Snowden does not get reviews, Gustavson said. Gustavson, department head since March 1992, said he had received a review that was based on goals he helped develop to measure achievements over his tenure.
The city’s department heads are reviewed on criteria developed by the department head and the city manager each year, he explained. The guidelines are based on specific jobs that need to be accomplished.
So what mechanisms are in place to hold division heads accountable in the same way those under them are?
“The review process we’ve got is really inefficient for someone in the higher level of management,” Gustavson said. He also said a system of targeted results and accomplishments will be added to the division head level in the city’s public safety office at some point in the future.
And what mechanisms are in place to ensure evaluations for department heads remain consistent despite Cincinnati’s tendency to change city managers?
“I don’t think that that can happen because each city manager will come in with their own goals and objectives," said Fannie Nicholes, an assistant to City Manager John Shirey. She said Shirey did not have time to comment on the city’s performance-review process.
Residents Only Recycling
Though Cincinnati plans to expand its curbside recycling program to include more residents and the items they can recycle, it will continue to exclude the business sector.
Started in 1989, the city program is responsible for relieving 100,000 tons of waste a year from city landfills, said Karl Graham, solid waste coordinator in the city's Office of Environmental Management. The landfills now take in 100,000 tons of waste yearly, he said, down from the 200,000 tons taken in before the inception of the recycling program.
Because of the program’s success, the city has decided to increase the items it picks up for recycling. In addition, any residence that receives garbage collection services will be eligible for the recycling program. Given the success of the public program and the private programs it has helped to create, why doesn’t the city extend the same free program to businesses?
Success does not mean the program has turned a profit, Graham said. Extending the service would mean "essentially getting the government into a new business with a high cost.”
BURNING QUESTIONS is our weekly attempt to afflict the comfortable.
News&Views
An Alternative Look at How and Why It Happened
Spotlight Shines on 'Pro-Family’ Election Project
BY JOHN FOX AND BRAD KING
Apian to defeat local political candidates who support gays, lesbians and bisexuals is about to be launched in six Ohio cities, including Cincinnati.
The plan, called Project Spotlight, had its origin in the 1993 Issue 3 campaign that ended with the repeal of a section of a Cincinnati ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation. It also ties in with a national strategy by “pro-family” political action committees (PACs) to win elected offices from the local to the federal level.
According to a document outlining the plan obtained by CityBeat Project Spotlight aims to educate the voting public in Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown about “the homosexual agenda” in order “to elect a majority of city council positions with candidates who oppose the homosexual agenda.” The campaign targets each city’s 1995 elections; all nine Cincinnati City Council seats are up for grabs in November.
Some local elected officials who might be targeted by Project Spotlight as “pro-homosexual” say they are not planning to change their politics. But in response to the threat Project Spotlight poses, local gay-rights activists already are working on counter-strategies.
“It comes back to reclaiming the message,” said Cindy Abel, executive director of Stonewall Cincinnati, an organization dedicated to ensuring human rights for all and particularly for gays, lesbians and bisexuals. “Why are (‘pro-family! and ‘pro-homosexual’) such opposites? They are given as diametric opposites, but are they really?”
targets Ohio's \pro-homosexual' candidates
Equality Foundation implemented.
Phil Burress, chairman Rights, says Project at the time because homosexuals and the to receive this endorsement.”
“We don’t hate anybody,” declined to discuss project ant. We strongly believe a part of public policy.,” The document goes paign that will attempt in each city: Educating the public da.”
Registering as many Creating contracts to vote for a public official organization. Mailing to those “endorsed by the homosexuals” not” been endorsed. Through this campaign, Spotlight want to eliminate tion such as Cincinnati’s
Issue 3 Won’t Go Away
Issue 3, the anti-gay-rights ballot initiative passed by Cincinnati voters in 1993, is poised for the next step in a process that might lead to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Oral arguments on an appeal of a 1994 injunction against implementation of Issue 3 are expected to be heard March 7 in the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati, said Scott T. Greenwood, attorney for Equality Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, which had sued to block the initiative from taking effect. Passage of Issue 3 repealed part of a city ordinance that prohibited discrimination based on sexual orientation.
A similar ballot initiative passed by Colorado voters was recently ruled unconstitutional by that state’s Supreme Court, and many of those involved here think that one or the other case or both will be considered by the U.S. Supreme Court.
Issue 3 was placed on the 1993 city ballot by Equal Rights Not Special Rights, which opposed Cincinnati’s Human Rights Ordinance passed by City Council the year before. It won with 62 percent of the vote.
Equality Foundation of Greater Cincinnati sued and obtained a temporary injunction. After a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in August 1994, Judge S. Arthur Speigel announced a permanent injunction against implementation of Issue 3 in Cincinnati. The Human Rights Ordinance remains intact. Equal Rights Not Special Rights and the City of Cincinnati appealed the injunction.
The appeal now will be heard by a three-judge panel, which could render an opinion within two to three months, Greenwood said.
Phil Burress, chairman of Equal Rights Not Special Rights, said, “We feel we’re going to get a fair hearing.” Greenwood said he expects the losing side in this appeal process to take the case to the next level of appeal, the U.S. Supreme Court.
JOHN FOX
SPOTLIGHT:
Foundation of Greater Cincinnati, said groups such as Equal Rights Not Special Rights and AFAP had “actually done more to help gay people than to hurt them. They really show how targeted gays and lesbians are. The only targets of legislation and campaigns like this today are gays and illegal immigrants.”
Finishing the job
The objectives and implementation plan of Project Spotlight were born from lessons learned during the Issue 3 campaign in Cincinnati, Burress explained in another document obtained by CityBeat.
In Petition Drives: Pros and Cons, Burress wrote that Equal Rights Not Special Rights “missed taking back a city council majority in 1993 by one seat. We will finish the job and take back city council in 1995 by using a plan called ‘Project Spotlight’. ...”
Future efforts at securing “pro-family” legislation, he wrote, must be directed at backing candidates to “tak(e) control of city councils, as well as county, state and federal elected positions. Frankly, I believe the majority of cities in the United States where homosexuals have taken over can be won back if we join together with a national strategy, a solid plan and empowered people at the grassroots level.”
FROM PAGE 5
In order to counter this approach, Abel said, Stonewall Cincinnati’s PAC has just started meeting to outline a general plan of action for the 1995 elections in hopes of recentering the political debate on issues affecting all of society crime, education and work environments.
“We have to talk about what is going on in society as a whole,” she said.
Until “pro-family” groups stop using gays, lesbians and bisexuals as the scapegoat for today’s problems and the breakdown of the family unit, Abel said, there is littie chance the polarization of gay rights will be healed.
In the meantime, at least one Cincinnati City Council member who has received a Stonewall endorsement said he would not let either side influence his political judgment.
Tyrone Yates was endorsed by Stonewall Cincinnati in his successful 1993 re-election bid. So were other council members Bobbie Sterne, Todd Portune, Dwight Tillery and Mayor Roxanne Qualls.
he following excerpts are from Petition Drives: Pros and Cons by Phil Burress, chairman of Equal Rights Not Special Rights, and Project Spotlight: A Planfor the Nation by Scott Ross, director of American Family Association PAC of Ohio.
Bundled together, the reports were obtained by CityBeat through an American Online posting orginating at the New England office of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.
In 1993, Equal Rights Not Special Rights placed an initiative on the Cincinnati ballot. Issue 3 sought to overturn a section of the city’s Human Rights Ordinance prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation.
Project Spotlight was founded during the campaign as a voter-education program on “the homosexual agenda” but was abandoned. Ross, who served on Burress’ Issue 3 board of directors, has retooled the program to target 1995 city council elections in six Ohio cities: Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton, Toledo and Youngstown.
Burress’ document, written in 1994, “deals with petition drives to change city chatters or state constitutions or repeal special rights legislation for homosexuals,” he says in its “Statement of Purpose.”
“For the first time in our history, in 1991 the Cincinnati City Council was taken over by homosexualendorsed members. In 1992 Cincinnati became the 73rd locale to pass a Human Rights Ordinance. By 1993 election time, there was only one pro-family city council member and eight pro-homosexual city council members, comprising the total of nine council seats.
“We acknowledge the left’s takeover of the City of Cincinnati, promoted by a left-leaning 40 percent Black vote that has enhanced the homosexuals’ plan. A key ingredient to victory is winning the Black vote. Our spokesperson was the President of the Black Baptist Ministerial Association. Even with a Black spokesperson, the Black vote was split evenly which was our goal.
“For us, winning the ballot initiative was not as important as winning back city council with pro-family candidates. Our thoughts were, even if we lost the ballot initiative, we win the war if we won back city council. If we could win back city council, our first order of business would have been to repeal the Human Rights Ordinance.
“The cost in Cincinnati for our ballot initiative includ-
ed more than $800,000 and thousands of manpower hours. With such a heavy emphasis on one issue, other very important pro-family issues have suffered. Changing a state constitution or a city charter does not provide a permanent solution to the problem. The problem can only be resolved by taking control of city councils, as well as county, state and federal elected positions.
“The Cincinnati media was fair throughout the campaign. That was the result of building relationships and having a good plan.
“Homosexuals really believe we hate them. They really believe we are bigots and homophobic. We know we do not hate them.”
Project Spotlight, according to Ross’ document dated April 20, 1994, offers as its goal to educate the public “about the homosexual agenda” and “about every candidate who is pro-homosexual.”
“Objectives: To hold candidates accountable for promoting the homosexual agenda through public policy. To elect a majority of city council positions with candidates who oppose the homosexual agenda. Once accomplished, repeal the Human Rights Ordinance or any other homosexual special rights legislation.
“Implementation: Identify all candidates who have been endorsed by the homosexuals over the past five years. Dealing with the media is extremely important. If managed properly, the press can assist to adverrise your plan. Stay on the offensive to neutralize the homosexuals and stop further implementation of the homosexual agenda. The mere public announcement of Project Spotlight in Cincinnati has placed pro-homosexual elected officials on the defense.
“Purchase a quantity of ‘Gay Rights/Special Rights’ video tape totaling 10 percent of those who voted in the last election. These tapes can be purchased at a discounted price with a minimum order and resold at a modest profit per tape. Use a 900 number (charging $2.00 per call) on billboards and other advertising methods to inform the public of the candidates who are endorsed by the homosexuals
The French artist was the polar opposite ofPablo Picasso
ESSAY BY DANIEL BROWN
The word “decorative” has become a pejorative word when applied to any art form. Art snobs frown upon anything “pretty.” Beauty has become a “b”-word, while the search for personal identity controls and distorts the longing for meaning in and through art.
Historically, only in Japanese art has the word decorative itself been rewarded to artwork as the highest form of praise: Stylized and symbolic chrysanthemums and cranes laid on a colorful flat surface or plane (painting or screen) create an artificial world where artifice and decoration possess the highest meaning and intent. An artist cannot and should not attempt the arrogance or presumptuousness to attempt to represent the natural world through images in either China, Persia or Japan.
little things of daily life: a flower, a vase on a table, an intimate domestic scene/interior. Picasso’s interior world was bleak and angry; Matisse looked at the exterior world and found it beautiful, transcending his own states of mind, particularly in Nice during the 1930s. His domestic interiors during this period were so often a subject because he rarely left his hotel room there. Both the boats and harbors of Nice inspired him, as did every object, every woman, in his room.
Putting It Together
The Japanese and Persian aesthetics are radically different from anything in Western art, culture, philosophy or religion. They present a balanced and integrated view of life, and of man’s place within the natural order. Artifice and decoration are descriptive words symbolizing hope, a radically distilled and simplified sophistication most nearly perfected by the ancient Zen masters of China and Japan.
Henri Matisse’s art has often been called “decorative.” Examining his work in different contexts, Matisse’s art must be seen as an expression of a Jungian world view that attempts to transcend the person or the personal, which only the greatest of artists can do. Matisse did.
All of his art represents the polar opposite of that of Pablo Picasso aesthetically, philosophically, even morally. Like the North and South poles, these two men attracted and repelled different magnets and offer us art and creation that run along parallel, but utterly differing, tracks throughout the 20th century. Picasso (profiled in this column last week) and Matisse are this century’s two visual art giants and geniuses.
If Picasso was the West’s first multicultural artist (he borrowed from African masks and carvings), Matisse went further, blending Western aesthetics with Japanese and probably Persian assimilations along with a hint of the exoticism of French North Africa. Art historians can argue as they wish about “provable” influences, but no one knows what went on in Matisse’s mind’s eye. He is known to have been a melancholy man but was determined that his artwork be filled with beauty and joy. He believed people should enjoy art for its beauty and the pleasure it provides, rejecting the philosophy and vengefulness symbolized by Picasso.
Vincent VanGogh and Paul Gauguin had earlier liberated color from its conventional attempts at accurate representation of a natural world, and Matisse pushed this idea further in his early Fauvist period. Perhaps in our minds’ eyes a tree can be purple; nature changes her colors as' light changes from morning through noon to twilight, evening, night. And nothing in nature is ever truly black.
The Fauves (“Wild Beasts”) pushed color into the realm of the imagination, a movement Matisse began in Paris in 1905. Liberating color from visual accuracy was his consummate contribution to the art of this century, paralleling such experimentation in abstraction and German Expressionism. Push, liberate, simplify, free up, create, recreate, rejuvenate; make free nothing ever again could replace the eye of the imagination.
If Picasso’s art searched for Truth, then Matisse’s art searched for Beauty; such dualities run through all Western culture. Matisse’s art provides the integration never attained by Picasso, except perhaps in Picasso’s masterpiece painting, “Guernica.”
Matisse celebrated the female form, those ordinary
Matisse chose so carefully and selectively what he saw, painted, sculpted, drew, printed. His line and his colors alone celebrate and symbolize the beauty of the object, light, the sky, the flower, the face. His genius also lay in an ability to select and limit visual information, to simplify down to the absolute essentials. At times, Matisse overlaps objects and perspectives, as if objects were playing off mirrors, as sometimes they were. He brilliantly created the idea of a room, but it’s never claustrophobic, always open yet private.
If Picasso’s line is always angled and agitated, Matisse’s is always curved; the former represents the masculine principle, the latter the feminine. The key to Matisse, symbolically, is the curve, whether in line or in color; he saw the curves in every hat, every boat, every head, every angle. A world of difference exists between Picasso and
Matisse; that Matisse was French and Picasso Spanish must always be remembered, as Spanish history and culture are symbolically grim and dark and French history and culture are symbolically light and airy. Both men were products of their countries, histories and aesthetics. Matisse celebrated woman-as-life. Picasso, on the contrary, used and discarded women, both in his life and in his art. In the 1940s Matisse aged gracefully, exploring and examining; his enthusiasm and ebullience for life never wavered. He became fascinated by American Jazz, and his “Jazz” series particularly prints that he was mostly too hurried to sign expresses the music’s rhythms and syncopation. Blending and blurring these art forms together, one can nearly hear the music that inspired one of the greatest series of works ever created in the history of art. Walk through the images and hear and feel the music, the joys and rhythms of life itself. The color softens, opens up, lets us move and play with its shapes, sounds, moods.
Matisse ended his great career with a series of “cutouts” as his hands could barely function due to deteriorating arthritis and sight. Unwilling to give up the act of creation itself, he used ordinary scissors to cut out, just like huge paper dolls, images of dancers and bathers frolicking joyously in dance or water. They soar with life and the possibility of eternal youth, beauty, hope.
The late cut-outs, as the saying goes, are truly “poetry in motion.” With the simplest of means and use of primary and hot colors, Matisse ended his career with his most sophisticated, elegantly spare and loveliest artwork. Heroism-as-optimism was Matisse’s gift from the gods, which he gave us through his art.
Matisse’s work and life, which ended in 1954, were quintessentially life-affirming. Refusing despair or narcissistic display, Matisse gives us that greatest of joys through his art: the gifts of beauty, of hope, of love, of the infinite possibilities implicit in new beginnings. His art transcends the mundane and/or the man himself. It flies and sings; one sees and hears angels at play.
This is the second installment in a series about the careers of great artists of the 20th century. Next week: Marcel Duchamp.
STORY BY DENNIS BREEN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY GEORGE HARDEBECK
25-year-old Riverfront Stadium is called 'obsolete’ as the Reds and Bengals push for new facilities; can we learn the best way to proceed from how Riverfront came into existence, or are we doomed to repeat the past?
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uilt between 70 and 80 A.D. by Jewish captives, the Flavian |Amphitheater in Rome held "about 50,000 spectators. Its complex design was implemented with the highest quality material of the day.
Surrounding the structure were ticket booths and stands where fans purchased food and programs, placed bets and bought pads to cushion their corpulence during the day-long slaughter. Inside, everyone had a good seat.
Gladiators marched in grim procession, two by two, on the gritty sand that would soon soak up their blood. A horn sounded for the first set of clashes, and booming cries of madness errupted at the first “clink” of metal on metal. Later, when the wind kicked up and togas flapped, the fans would be bathed in the aroma of human gore. To the glee of Roman citizens, the Flavian housed these singleelimination tournaments until Christian emperors ended them in 404 A.D.
and 60,400 for football. Since it opened in 1970, huge crowds have thrilled to the “crack” of ball against bat and the “crunch” of helmet against shoulder pad. The games’ local praetors, Reds President and Chief Executive Officer Marge Schott and Bengals President and General Manager Mike Brown, have attained a certain level of prestige and managed to pacify an already docile Cincinnati population. But those accomplishments don’t seem to be enough for them.
In separate attempts to secure even greater profits from their franchises, Schott and Brown have been negotiating with local government officials to build a replacement or two for Riverfront Stadium. If their efforts are successful, Cincinnati could abandon its second major sports facility in 25 years.
As many Reds fans know, a healthy chunk of baseball lore embodies the West End lot where Crosley Field once stood. Much of the infamous 1919 World Series, when Chicago “Black Sox” players threw games, was played there. The guilty were caught one year later and swiftly punished banned from baseball for life setting a precedent that would later sting Pete Rose. In 1935 an aging Babe Ruth tripped while scaling Crosley’s left field “terrace” for a long fly ball, landing on his plumpish face. He got up and stomped angrily off the field. The great flood of 1937 submerged the field under 21 feet of water.
And it was at Crosley in the 1960s that Rose, Johnny Bench, Tony Perez and others started their All-^Star careers, which later would be more strongly associated with the “Big Red Machine” at Riverfront Stadium.
On June 24, 1970,
Cincinnati’s 1948 Master Plan envisioned riverfront development that included an open-air baseball stadium.
The stadium, known today as the Roman Coliseum, stands as a 2,000-yearold testament to sound architecture and to the role of sports in society. The praetors of ancient Rome expended their own wealth to organize gladiator battles and Christian/lion contests in hopes of attaining prestige and pacifying the population but without hope of monetary gain.
Today’s professional sports, by contrast, are somewhat more humane. Team owners, though, have sacrificed fc. their games’ previous nobility t to secure vast wealth.
Cincinnati’s own Flavian Ampitheater, Riverfront Stadium, seats 53,000 for baseball
the Reds played their last game at Crosley Field and beat the San Francisco Giants 5-4.
Following the game, emotional fans watched as Eugene Ruehlmann, then Cincinnati’s mayor, cerimoniously dug up home plate and placed it on a helicopter to be flown to and planted in Riverfront’s virgin ground. The Reds played their first game at the new stadium six days later, losing to the Atlanta Braves 8- 2
The Bengals, who had played home games during their first two NFL seasons at the University of Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium, moved into Riverfront Stadium later that summer. They hosted their first pre-season game there Aug. 8,1970, defeating the Washington Redskins 27-12. With much made of the current crisis mentality gripping City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County officials fueled by the mildly repugnant use of fans as leverage
by both club owners in an ego war with City Hall it’s easy to forget the genesis of our current stadium on the river. Whether or not Cincinnatians approve of its severely modernist style, Riverfront Stadium certainly has a political history worth revisiting and a current level of utility worth retaining.
The 1940s and 1950s
The question of Cincinnati’s riverfront development is at least 60 years old and was, for the most part, thoroughly addressed in the city’s 1948 Master Plan. The swift social and economic changes that came during and after World War II instilled in this plan such an acute awareness of the effects of automobile and air traffic that the end product puts today’s city planners to shame.
By the 1940s downtown’s structural forms were beyond repair or ill-equipped to meet the demands of a modern society, and so the Master Plan focused on providing access for the area’s expanding suburbs while reestablishing vitality in the inner city. Upgrading the entire riverfront area was thought to be paramount.
Ancient buildings, gravel lots and barely used commercial buildings were to be replaced with a stunning mix of glass buildings, restaurants, apartments, an amphitheater and a treelined park with long stretches of grass leading up to an ultra-modem multipurpose sports stadium just west of the Roebling Suspension Bridge. If only they’d thought of a retractable dome!
The plan concluded, rather ironically, “It is a well known fact that many cities have spent large sums of money in preparation of plans only to permit those plans to be filed away in some dusty comer of City Hall and forgotten.” Well, a dusty comer in City Hall’s Municipal Library is precisely where the 1948 Master Plan sits today. Not until 1957, when Reds owner Powel Crosley Jr. rattled City Hall’s cage by suggesting he might move the franchise elsewhere, did the topic of a new stadium resurface. Crosley had purchased the Reds from Central Trust Bank in 1934 and carried the team through the remaining Depression and war years, continuing as owner until his death in 1961.
Crosley Field Redland Field was renamed immediately after Crosley bought the Reds was sandwiched in a maze of old West End roads and tenement buildings. This was ideal for fans who rode streetcars to the game, but by the 1950s many drove into the West End only to find torturous parking conditions and young toughs who would extort them for pocket change to “watch their cars.”
Word of a high crime rate around Crosley Field began to bubble.
In order to stave off Crosley’s threat of
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expansion and modernization of Crosley Field, with the city and county helping foot the bill in return for a long-term pact from the Reds. But talk of a new stadium continued to float about like a bad singer’s dream ofjoining the opera, though a practical funding plan was never mentioned. Nor, by 1959, had any private investors taken a keen interest in such a project.
The 1960s
moving the Reds, the City of Cincinnati offered to allocate $2 million to create additional parking by razing many of the tenements surrounding Crosley Field in return for an agreement to keep the Reds in town for five years. But parking was just half the equation. What Crosley wanted, and in reality what the city needed, was a new stadium.
Crosley Field had a history of being maintained in near-mint condition.
A 1958 Cincinnati Enquirer editorial, “The Long Pull,” rediscovered the power and logic of the 1948 Master Plan. Although the article claimed the plan was too ambitious and earmarked an excessive amount of riverfront property for non-commercial purposes, it reiterated
Substantial improvements were made even in 1969, its last full season of use. After the 1961 World Series it was given a $100,000 facelift, with hundreds of grandstand seats being replaced and thousands of gallons of paint applied. Powel Crosley died that same year, and the Reds were purchased by William O. DeWitt in 1962 after being run for a year by Crosley’s charitable trust.
DeWitt was interested in obtaining greater access for Crosley Field from 1-75 and proposed that the city purchase and remodel the ballpark. He also hired architects to study expansion of the stadium.
Simultaneously, several groups began working in a helter-skelter pattern on schemes for a new stadium with possible sites including the front of Union Terminal, the Carthage fairgrounds, a Blue Ash site and, of course, somewhere on downtown’s riverfront.
By 1964 the wily yet fickle DeWitt became decidedly unhappy with Crosley Field. The Reds’ threat to leave Cincinnati was renewed when a group from San Diego began making overtures to him, dangling the bait of a new baseball park just as it was becoming clear that Cincinnati’s economy could not justify a single-sport stadium. In response, then-City Councilman Ruehlmann spearheaded a stadium committee consisting of several prominent Cincinnati businessmen.
“My efforts to generate any excitement about a new stadium were not very effective at all,” Ruehlmann, currently chairman of the Hamilton County Republican Party, recently told CityBeat. “Many of the business people to whom I spoke about helping us on that committee told me we had greater priorities in Cincinnati.”
the call for full-scale riverfront development, including a stadium with adequate parking. “Unquestionably, the economic value of the baseball club rests mainly in the thousands of persons it draws into Cincinnati,” the editorial stated. “It is therefore sound to have a permanent stadium close to hotels and restaurants and at the terminus of all the major highways entering Cincinnati.”
This inertia was finally overcome by the possibility of Cincinnati landing a professional football franchise. At the end of 1965 it became known that both the NFL and AFL were looking to expand their leagues, each with a single team.
Meanwhile, resistance to the proposed levelling of housing for Crosley Field parking came from shop-owner lawsuits as well as the West End Community Council, which gathered enough petitions to force the $2 million bond issue to a citywide vote. Crosley refused to sign the five-year no-move pact until this resistance was quelled. One of the suits wound up at the Ohio Supreme Court, where the city won. City Council hastily produced a special report stating that out-of-town vis-
Paul Brown, one of several would-be owners, began a lengthy lobbying process and, under the O.M.H.
sway of Ohio Gov. James Rhodes, selected Cincinnati as his first choice for a host city.
“In December ’65, Jim Rhodes called a meeting in Cincinnati with the Chamber of Commerce and had present Paul Brown, who had been fired by Art Modell, the owner of the Cleveland Browns, a year or so before,” Ruehlman said. “Rhodes told the group that he had already talked with Art Modell and Modell did not object to it, because at that time it was difficult to get approval if your nearby team owners objected.”
With Cincinnati being “blessed” by Rhodes, the wheels of a new stadium project however herky-jerky in appearance were set in motion. Ruehlmann was faced with the daunting tasks of deriving an equitable plan to pay for the structure and of selecting a specific construction site. In 1958 the cost for a new stadium had been placed at $8 million; by 1966 that price had swelled fourfold, far beyond the city’s bonding authority.
“The city would have had to put (a funding plan) on the ballot, and it would have been killed,” he explained. “The public would not have supported it by voting for those bonds. So the only way to push it ahead was with
CONTINUE
PHOTO COURTESY OF ARCHIVES & RARE BOOKS DEPT.. UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI
Crosley Reid in 1969. (Notice Johnny Bench firing the ball to third.) At right, Jim Tarbell is one of many business leaders singing the praises of a new stadium.
RIVERFRONT: FROM PAGE 9
unvoted bonds, which the county had the ability to do.”
Ruehlmann enjoyed a Republican majority on City Council at the time, and Charterite support from Charlie Taft and Myron Bush never flagged on the stadium issud. Democrats Tom Luken and John Gilligan, however, vacillated between lukewarm and ice cold.
Critical mass was reached by the early summer of 1966. An 18-member Stadium Selection Committee was formed to vote on a stadium design. In the interest of fairness, the committee consisted of three Reds representatives, three Bengals representatives (including Mike Brown) and various city officials. It was chaired by Charlie Staab, vice president of The Cincinnati Enquirer and head of the Chamber of Commerce.
The city contracted with and began receiving design concepts from the Atlanta-based architectural firm Heery and Finch. By early June the firm completed two initial design sketches one depicting a circular-shaped stadium and the other an open-ended park that was multi-sport in theory but more suitable for baseball. The sketches were presented on June 15, at which time the Reds were outvoted 15-3 in favor of the circular design. DeWitt decryed the outcome, saying that most of the people who voted hadn’t even seen the difference between the two stadium types.
“Our sense was that the circular stadium would hold 60,000 for football and 55,000 for baseball,” Ruehlman said,
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remembering the decision. “Incidentally, at the time the Bengals didn’t want 70,000 seats. Times change.”
And times were getting rough. Although this mismatch in the two teams’ needs for capacity and design continues to cause friction today, the one-size-fits-all stadium concept had won out. Heeiy and Finch was set to begin the more detailed design phase and needed the tidy sum of $250,000 to continue its efforts. But a snag lay in the waiting.
Wheeling, dealing and legal manuevering
Ronald Grossheim represented a series of taxpayer lawsuits against the City of Cincinnati that would run from the midto late-1960s. At the core of each was an attempt to halt the stadium project.
In July 1966, Grossheim began writing the city’s financial department to determine the extent to which taxpayer dollars had been committed to pay for the stadium’s design. One month later he brought a taxpayer lawsuit to court, claiming that City Council could not legally allocate funds for a new stadium without voter approval.
“I’ll try to boil it down as simply as I can,” Grossheim said in a recent interview with CityBeat. “What it amounted to, in my opinion, was an improper- expenditure of taxpayer dollars.”
A rumor surfaced at the same time that CBS, the network carrying pro football, was attempting to block a franchise from going to Cincinnati because the city was too close to other franchises such as
Cleveland and Pittsburgh. It seemed like sand was being Hung from several directions into the gears of Ruehimann’s stadium machinery.
Near the end of July, following a powwow at Hamilton County Republican Party headquarters, the Republicans on City Council voted to delay funds for the architecture firm, which gave the appearance of destroying Ruehimann’s stadium project momentum.
“The lawsuit was there and nobody knew what was going to happen, but it was more that we were going to spend public money for a highly questionable result,” Ruehlmann said. “We had already spent $100,000 on preliminary planning for the stadium, and now we’re going to spend another $250,000? And the concern was that we had no commitment from anybody, neither the Reds nor either of the professional football leagues.
(Then-NFL/AFL commissioner Pete Rozelle didn’t officially approve the Bengals franchise until 1967.) And the crunch was coming because the architects needed $250,000 to proceed.”
Paul Brown expressed dismay, releasing a statement that called'the Republicans’ footdragging a “death knell” for his football franchise. DeWitt outwardly expressed confidence that the problem would be ironed out, that significant delays in stadium development would not occur. In reality, it was time for him to lay low and pray like hell for defeat of the dreaded multisport stadium.
Ruehlmann asked Staab to join in a public campaign to raise the architects’ $250,000 fee. Staab’s newspaper began churning out articles that read more like press releases, cheerleading and listing daily campaign contributors. The action polarized the business community and private citizens around the stadium project.
With only $70,000 having been collected, the campaign reached its exact midpoint on Aug. 11,1966 the very day two of the three Hamilton County Commissioners announced a willingness to issue $33 million worth of revenue bonds to cover the cost of building a new stadium. Apparently this decision shaved the perceived risk of stadium failure, as the rate of checks to the campaign increased thereafter. In 15 days, from Aug. 5 to Aug. 19, the fund drive reached its goal, not only sustaining project momentum but gamering the popular support it previously lacked. A psychological coup of sorts
Months later everyone who sent in a check was reimbursed.
“We had represented that if the stadium did go forward that (contributors) would get their money back, and if it didn’t go forward that the contribution was to the City of Cincinnati and was tax deductible,” Reuhlmann said. “We later learned that had the stadium not gone forward it may not have been deductible.”
In return for their bond issuance, county commissioners asked that the City of Cincinnati maintain and operate the facility, leasing it from the county at a rental figure sufficient to cover the bonds’
debt service. The equation certainly solved the problem of how to fund stadium construction without putting the issue to a vote, but it left thousands of Cincinnati heads in need of a good scratching. Due to Riverfront Stadium’s early success, Gov. Rhodes would later take credit for concocting this unconventional arrangement. Ruehlmann rejects this assertion outright.
“I don’t think so,” Ruehlmann said. “I think he was constantly trying to help, but... it was not Jim Rhodes. In fact, he had been suggesting we were going to get money from the state, which we never did get.”
Grossheim, like many at the time, felt the governor was running roughshod over the city.
“I remember that we wound up calling that thing down there the Colossus of
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Above, the crumbling underbelly of Riverfront Stadium’s parking garage. Top, Marge Schott and Mike Brown continue to send city officials mixed signals.
THEY DON’T BUILD ’EM LIKE THEY USED TO...OR DO THEY?
Creating Riverfront Stadium
1957: Reds owner Powel Crosley Jr. threatens to move the team to another city if the City of Cincinnati doesn’t address the parking problems around Crosley Field.
1958: The possibility is discussed of expanding Crosley Field to preclude the need for a new stadium.
1964: Reds talk about enlarging Crosley Field, while others discuss a possible new stadium. William 0. DeWitt, who bought the Reds after Crosley died, discloses that a group from San Diego is interested in moving the team there. But he says a new Cincinnati facility seating between 40,000 and 45,000 would keep the team here.
1957 - 1964: Several ad hoc groups comprised of business leaders and the public put forth plans for potential stadium designs and locations.
1964: Cincinnati City Councilman Eugene Ruehlmann organizes an “official” stadium-building committee.
1964: Despite being in the running for the National League pennant, the Reds’ attendence at Crosley is the league’s lowest.
1966: Former Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown, heading a group trying to bring an NFL franchise to Cincinnati, enters the stadium discussion; he is offered 70,000 seats in a stadium design but requires a football capacity of only 60,000.
1966: Paul Brownb son Mike, representing the soon-to-exist Bengals, helps choose the original design for Riverfront Stadium: a circular, multipurpose scheme instead of a pro-baseball, open-end look.
1967: Ohio Gov. James Rhodes promises financial help from the state for a new stadium; no state funds are actually procured.
1966: City officials and business leaders start an “emergency” fund drive to get the public to donate money to push the stadium project along; Hamilton County Commissioners step in “at the last minute” and offer a funding package of county bonds.
1966- 68: Young Cincinnati attorney Ronald Grossheim brings several lawsuits against the City of Cincinnati in bid to halt the stadium project; he eventually loses at the Ohio Supreme Court.
1968: Construction of Riverfront Stadium is estimated to be $33 million; actual cost ends up at $36 million.
Creating a Mess
1992- 94: Reds owner Marge Schott desires a smaller, more traditional baseball-only stadium with a seating capacity around 40,000 to 45,000.
1993: The possibility is discussed of expanding and improving Riverfront Stadium to preclude the need for a new stadium.
1993- 94: Both Schott and Bengals owner Mike Brown threaten to move their teams to other cities unless the City of Cincinnati builds them new stadiums.
1993- 95: Several ad hoc groups comprised of business leaders and the public put forth plans for potential stadium designs and locations.
1994: Cincinnati Mayor Roxanne Qualls and Hamilton County Commissioner Guy Guckenberger organize an “official” regional stadium task force includes representatives from the city, the county, Northern Kentucky and Indiana.
1994: The Bengals complete their fourth straight losing record, prompting the lowest attendence at Riverfront in team history.
1994: Mike Brown, claiming that Riverfront Stadium has outlived its usefulness, says it should be razed for the purpose of constructing a new stadium with a football capacity of 71,500.
1994: Ohio Gov. George Voinovich promises help from the state for a new stadium and organizes a “compact” with Kentucky to studyjoint funding possibilities; no state funds are actually offered.
199?: “Emergency” fund drives and “last minute” funding offers are TBA.
199?: Lawsuits from young Cincinnati attorneys to halt a stadium project are TBA.
1995: Construction of a football stadium is estimated by Mike Brown to cost $146 million; a new baseball-only stadium is estimated to cost.$150 million-$180 million (based on recent stadiums projects in Baltimore and Cleveland).
RIVERFRONT: FROM PAGE 10
Rhodes,” Grossheim said of the proposed Riverfront Stadium. “He came in and crammed it down the city’s throat.”
Selecting an appropriate stadium site was also a contentious issue. Seven months before the “emergency” fund drive, Rhodes had promised city and county officials that he would assist them financially, to construct feeder roads around the large, historical riverfront.
Stadium leaders ended up picking a site on the east side of the Suspension Bridge, not the west as depicted in the 1948 Master Plan. This dilapidated and historically violent area known as “the Bottoms” contained old tenement buildings, menacing nightclubs and an unsightly salvage company. The city began gobbling up property on the site at least as early as November 1965 in what Ruehlmann said was anticipation of federal funding for the construction of low income housing.
“We had already planned to clear this east side for apartment buildings, and we had started acquisition on the land,” he said. “Subsequently, the financing on the apartment buildings fell through. HUD (Department of Housing and Urban Development) did not approve the high-rise low-incomfe housing (which is) now a blessing. My recollection is that we could get the stadium construction done much more rapidly on this site than the other site.”
Grossheim’s recollections, however, speak of misappropriation of taxpayer dollars.
“Prior to my involvement and prior to
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anyone becoming interested in putting a stadium where it presently is, my recollection is that the taxpayers had passed a bond issue supposedly for riverfront development or improvement,” he said. “I imagine what the voters had in mind was to clean up the river down there, improving it by putting some structures on it. But I don’t think anybody contemplated a stadium. Once they got their plans in order for building the stadium, I think that money was actually used for installing the necessary traffic-control devices.”
There would be other troubles to smooth over. In 1967, DeWitt went against his previous word and refused to sign a long-term stadium lease with the city. Ruehlmann was forced to go fishing for new owners for the Reds.
“When it got down to the bottom line that we needed it to go here (on the riverfront), DeWitt didn’t like that,” Ruehlmann said. “He wanted it out in Blue Ash. He was afraid of flooding and other things that could happen, and he didn’t like the circular configuration. He thought it ought to be a baseball configuration like Crosley.”
Ultimately DeWitt agreed to sell the franchise to a group of investors organized byEnquirer publisher Francis Dale. The selling price was $7 million. There was hope for interlocking management between the Reds and Bengals to help smooth relationships between the two professional franchises, but it did not happen.
Like a boxer with a melon of stone, Grossheim refused to back down and continued taking swipes at the legality of sta
dium financing, calling for the bond issue to be put to a vote. His suit would get as far as the Ohio Supreme Court, where delays in the judicial system alone nearly capsized the project. Ruehlmann called it one of many hair-raising events.
“The suit was stuck behind other cases at the Ohio Supreme Court and the delays were seriously hurting our ability to sign a lease with the football team,” he said. “We were on a very tight schedule, and I had to call and ask them to expedite our case.”
Grossheim lost the lawsuit, and construetion on Riverfront Stadium began in 1968.
A profitable venture
Trying to pinpoint Riverfront Stadium’s fiscal attributes is like extractingjuice from a vat of grapes it depends on where you stand and how hard you squeeze. In 1967, construction costs of building the new stadium were estimated at $33 million; inflation would jack that price up to $36 million at job completion in 1970. Hamilton County, however, let $44 million in bonds to obtain a more favorable interest rate.
In June 1976, at the height of Big Red Machine championship fever, City Council held a lengthy discussion about the stadiurn’s profitability. Then-councilman Guy Guckenberger pushed for a study to determine its fiscal health. That such an issue baffled city officials at a time when the Reds’ attendance outpaced almost every other major league team and when the Bengals had just come off a series of sellout seasons was indicative of the real problem.
Couched in language to prevent the squashing of toes, the resulting 1977 report confirmed the stadium’s profitability and pointed to the overriding constant in the city’s historical and current predicament: an absence of appropriate city asset management.
To understand the assessment of Riverfront’s profitability, the report took into account three major variables: operating revenue, operating expenses and debt service. Operating revenues are generated primarily from two sources rents paid by the Reds and Bengals and the stadium’s 5,200-space parking garage. The original contracts with the two teams ran until 2010, with the lease apportioning the city 7.5 percent of the Reds’ and 10 percent of the Bengals’ ticket sales; all stadium'parking revenues went to the city. Artificially segregated from this money was the yearly stadium parking revenue generated from downtown workers on weekdays.
According to Glen Redmer, the city’s manager of Riverfront Stadium, the stadium garage filled to capacity as new office buildings went up along Third and Fourth streets. “Five years ago we were full on a daily basis,” he told CityBeat. “Now I would say that there are on a daily basis
about 500 to 1,000 open spaces.”
Based on these numbers, along with the price of parking ($2.50 a day), the City of Cincinnati has to have taken in at least $2 million per year over the last decade funds which, unfortunately, were not earmarked to service stadium debt.
Secondary revenue sources for the city include scoreboard advertising, 10 percent of all concession sales and rent revenue on other stadium events such as the Coors Light Jazz Festival and the Rolling Stones concert.
Operating expenses include salaries, employee benefits, utilities and maintenance, to name a few. The maintenance bill for 1971 was $93,244.30, Redmer said, but lately this expense has reached over $2 million per year “on normal day-to-day preventive maintenance, replacing motors, elevator and escalator maintenance contracts, that type of thing.”
Debt service on the original $44 million bond issue has the city paying Hamilton County approximately $2.5 million a year.
The 1977 assessment covered the years from 1972 to 1976, during which time the average yearly operating revenue was $3.1 million, the average operating expense was $1.3 million and the average debt service was $2.4 million. Compared to the pre-stadium prognostication of a $1.75 million deficit, the “on paper” average yearly debt of $600,000 during these honeymoon years looks sweet. What tips the scale in favor ofjudging Riverfront Stadium “profitable” is a fourth group of factors which the 1977 report aptly confirmed: “The city does not credit the stadium’s operating statement with any admissions, hotel-motel or real estate taxes. If these types of taxes generated for the city by the stadium operation were shown on the statement, the city would actually be realizing a substantial overall profit from the facility.”
So where did this profit go? Did these monies get smeared around in the city’s general fund instead of going to reduce the stadium debt or make substantial stadium improvements?
“You bet,” Ruehlmann said.
With the gradual increase in the price of baseball and football tickets over the years, coupled with higher-than-average attendance and fixed interest rate of debt service, only the stadium’s maintenance costs should stand in the way of labeling Riverfront as Cincinnati’s cash cow. In that department the stadium seems to have a few chinks in its 25-year-old armor. The underside of the parking garage looks as if a monster took large bites from its concrete.
“The stadium itself is in good condition,” said Redmer. “In the garage we have a different situation. In the era the garage was built, they did not know the damage
Hamilton County Republican Party Chairman Eugene Ruehlmann “the father” of Riverfront Stadium.
chlorides in concrete can cause. They caused the reinforcing rods to corrode and expand 7 to 10 percent, something like that. It just pops (the concrete) right off.”
Redmer said that chlorides were probably used as an additive to concrete in those days. He explained that most of the current work done on the garage is to shore up the concrete surfaces and then “putting a membrane on it to keep moisture away from the concrete so that it doesn’t get in there and corrode.”
Redmer said that this non-routine repair work has cost the city an additional $5 million. The plaza roadways around the stadium are in bad condition as well, he said, and will have to be replaced later this decade at a cost of $3 million.
Entering 1994, discounting projected maintenance expenses from the remaining bond debt, the City of Cincinnati was approximately one Barry Larkin contract (about $24 million) from completely paying off Riverfront Stadium. The Reds and Bengals were legally bound to the terms of their 40year leases. Life in the stadium business was looking up.
History repeating itself?
Then Mike Brown started threatening to take his Bengals elsewhere if the city didn’t rework his lease or build him a new stadium. Maybe his brow-beating sent City Hall into momentary paralysis under the haze of misdirected guilt from having made so much money from Riverfront Stadium and done so little with it. City Manager John Shirey and City Council allowed v Brown to extricate himself from the franchise’s original lease, a lease to which he was legally bound.
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million this past season and the year after that $3.5 million, and then $4 million, and then every year after that increased by the Consumer Price Index.” The city also promised to build a new stadium for the Bengals by 2000. Should that not happen, the Bengals’ lease reverts to a year-to-year lease starting in that same year.
This agreement set up the recent chain of events which saw Schott lumbering for the door of opportunity Brown created only to have Shirey slam it shut. And history seems to be applying salt to Schott’s wounds, for she must know that Brown was one of those who, 30 years ago, voted against Riverfront’s probaseball design and for the current multipurpose setup.
Ruehlmann refused to comment on the current stadium debate. All he would offer is, “The fallacy of what we’re doing now is trying to negotiate problems in the press. It’s not a healthy way to do it.”
“Negotiation” loosely describes what has taken place over the past two years.
PHOTO: JYMI BOLDEN
Cincinnati lawyer Ronald Grossheim led the taxpayer
Throughout 1992 and 1993 Schott mentioned that she wanted the Reds to play in a more historic setting; the city paid little attention to her hints. Brown, on the other hand, took to heart the strong historical precident that says “to get City Hall to act you must threaten them.” In November 1993 he announced he was prepared to take the Bengals elsewhere, and a few weeks later Shirey began renegotiating the terms of the Bengals’ lease.
revolt against the building of Riverfront Stadium.
Around this same time Mayor Roxanne Qualls pledged to make the stadium issue a top priority of her administration.
Although the sensitive interrelation between the two teams’ stadium leases dictate that Schott agree to any modification in the Bengals’ lease, fans have been led to believe that Shirey struck the Bengals deal behind Schott’s back.
including an offer of $2 million of taxpayer money to lure her to “the table” have failed. Schott has alternately considered buying Riverfront Stadium and building a new baseball-only facility in Blue Ash, Northern Kentucky and the west side of the Suspension Bridge. Restaurantuer Jim Tarbell’s idea of building a baseball stadium on the edge of Over-the-Rhine has never appealed to the Reds owner.
Brown again threatened City Hall a few months ago, saying he would not play in Riverfront after the 1998 season and providing financial evidence for razing the stadium and putting up a new one on the site. Sensing a side blow coming from Bengals fans, Brown also offered defense of the indefensable stating that poor team records no longer affect revenue.
The Bengals’ recent substandard play has caused a noticable dip in attendance (average 1994 team attendance was just 87 percent of Riverfont’s capacity), and one can only imagine that television advertising rates are being adjusted accordingly.
Qualls and now-Hamilton County Commissioner Guckenberger co-lead a regional stadium task force that wants to solve the stadium issue by June 1. Leaders from Kentucky, Ohio and Indiana have agreed to pursue this interstate compact, the goal being to finance one new stadium.
But smaller towns in Ohio have banned together to resist the idea of paying for Cincinnati’s and Cleveland’s luxuries when the big cities don’t help the small towns meet their basic needs.
Some patterns with the current stadium battle are similar to those of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Both Brown and Schott have used the classic “I’ll-move-my-team” threat tactic, and unchallenged calls for a new stadium can be heard from every sector but without a firm plan to service the debt produced by a $146 million football stadium (Brown’s estimate) and a $150 million-$180 millon baseball park (estimates based on recent stadiums built in Baltimore and Cleveland). Deriving truth from the current interplay of political activities, however, requires some distance.
liantly orchestrated manuever.
Currently there is a state of chaos that has created room for big money to manuever. One frequently overlooked point is the profit that can be generated by purchasing the land surrounding a future stadium site. Chances are that whoever purchased land around “the Bottoms” in the early to mid-1960s saw a substaintial profit when Riverfront Stadium was built. It’s then a small step to suggest that the “where” and “when” concerning construction of the next stadium will be decided by those who have purchased land around its future construction site.
Yes, political orchestrations, newsprint manipulation, hard-nosed pragmatics and big money gave birth to Riverfront Stadium. It fulfilled its promise of becoming the cornerstone of a partially revitalized riverfront and an economic boon to the city. The system, however, is due for an implosion, and new stadiums will not cure what ills Greater Cincinnati.
A sports arena is more than the sum of its inanimate parts. Reds fans wept when Crosley Field was tom down because it was the church that housed what used to be as close to a common religion as this country had. When professional baseball was at its highest element, there was something like blissful goodwill unlocked from everyone, and this spirit was absorbed by the structure that housed the fans. (Pro football here produces onethird of baseball’s revenue and has onefourth of its spirit.)
Riverfront Stadium, in all its hideous glory, has served Greater Cincinnati well and has absorbed its share of this spirit. It is also the bed we have made for ourselves.
Two major changes were agreed to, Redmer explained. “One provided that the city would pay (the Bengals) a guarantee every year,” he said, “starting with $2.75
As a result, Schott supposedly holds a headful of steaming contempt for Shirey, and all efforts to mollify the Reds owner
Cincinnati Recreation
Rowing +v Fitness Center
offers an excellent and inexpensive workout alternative!
For only $40, a quarterly membership provides:
★ Unlimited fitness and aerobics
★ State of the art fitness equipmentincluding: Hammer Strength Equipment, Nautilus Equipment, Concept II Rowing Machines, Lifecycle Bikes and Precor Skiing Simulators.
★ Convenient location at Montgomery Inn Qndrrap Recreation at the Boathouse
★ Available parking Call to sign up! 352-3660
Even as late as. 1993, a Cincinnati Post article presented the “emergency” fund drive of 1966 as if it were a miracle event
Upcoming release dates for new Modern Rock material (all dates are subject to change, as are the bands, the titles, the record companies, tour dates, taxes, the stock market, property values...there are no absolutes. )
m n w m « ^ #w « w «t ?«
Belly 2/14
Jayhawks 2/14
Grant McClellan (ex-Go Betweens) 2/14
Siouxsie and the Banshees 2/14
Timbuk 3 2/14
Morrissey 2/21
Del Amitri 2/28
New Order 2/28
PJ Harvey 2/28
Waterboys 2/28
Mike Watt (ex-fiREHOSE) 2/28
On-Line, Modems, E-Mail, and the Electronic Generation (see the article below), send us a Age... we’re now part of it and we’re Six Pack idea (you could win a six pack of checking our mailbox daily. If you’re new music), share music news, concert ‘hooked up,’then feel free to drop us a line by reviews, your opinions on the station, way of the Information Interstate. We can be programs, contests, music... whatever! It’s reached at WOXY97X@AOL.COM. You simple, really, just... can use this address to sign up for Our
Listen and Win (or just listen)!
Some old favorites are back on the air: Two chances for you to get some free stuff, thereby saving that precious cash for more important things, like more Modern Rock! The Pepsi Free Music Break each weeknight at 9:45 means you could scoop up a new Modem Rock CD and two 2-liters of Pepsi, and the Concert Keeper now has a pair of tickets up for grabs each weekday at various times. Good Luck!
OUR GENERATION
IF YOU'RE NOT A SUBSCRIBER TO OUR OUR GENERATION NEWSLETTER, THAT'S OKAY! BUT HERE ARE SOME OF THE ARTICLES YOU MISSED IN 1994...
♦ MY BOAT RIDE WITH THE TIDY BOWL MAN
♦ FOOD TO SERVE WITH JUG WINE
♦ THINGS THAT GO BOOM IN YOUR MICROWAVE IN 2 MINUTES OR LESS
♦ SAMSONITE'S NEW LINE OF AIR GUITAR CASES
♦ KEN BURNS' NEW 12-HOUR PBS SPECIAL ABOUT SOAP ON A ROPE ALL RIGHT, WE'RE JUST KIDDING. OUR GENERATION: THE NEWSLETTER IS FREE, AND YOU'RE GUARANTEED TO GET YOUR MONEY'S WORTH WITH EVERY READ. EVEN WITH THE LATEST POSTAL RATE INCREASE, IT WILL BE MAILED TO YOU EVERY THREE OR FOUR MONTHS
(JUST LIKE PUBLISHERS CLEARING HOUSE). ALL JUST LIKE YOU - THAT OUR READERS ENJOY SERIOUSNESS ASIDE, IT'S MODERATELY READING IT AS MUCH AS WE ENJOY PUBLISHING IT. INTERESTING, TOTALLY ORIGINAL AND CREATED BY SO, NOW THAT WE'VE PIQUED YOUR CURIOSITY AND THE 97X GANG (PLUS A FEW FRIENDS OF THE CREATED A LOW FLAME BURNING DESIRE...SIGN UP! FAMILY) AND WE'VE HEARD FROM REAL PEOPLEOUR GENERATION! i
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SILICON INJECTIONS
BY DAVID PESCOVITZ Internet Insecurities
In recent weeks, hackers on the Internet have used a sophisticated new technique to break into several computer networks. Just as credit-card commerce is inching onto the ’Net, the recent crimes call into question the security of the estimated 20 million computers on-line.
At the end of last month, John Markoff of The New York Times broke the story of the hackers’ first victim, San Diego resident Tsutomu Shimomura, a computer-security consultant to the FBI, the Air Force and the National Security Agency. On Christmas Day, hackers had exploited a known flaw in the Internet’s design. Using a technique called "Internet protocol spoofing," they fooled Shimomura’s computer into thinking their commands were coming from another legitimate computer. Once inside his home system, they proceeded into the larger connected network, that of the San Diego Supercomputer Center, where Shimomura is a computational physicist.
The hackers stole several thousand of their vietim’s e-mail messages and files and left boasting and threatening messages on his voice mail.
According to The Times, there have been at least four other victims of IP spoofing as of late, including computers at the University of Rochester in New York, Loyola University in Chicago and Drexel University in Philadelphia.
Hours after The Times story hit the streets, the federally funded Computer Emergency Response Team, an Internet watchdog organization, posted a warning on the ’Net about the break-ins and listed commercial networking companies that offer complex filtering software that protect against IP spoofing.
While the FBI is investigating the incidents, Shimomura is busy writing his own filtering software he hopes users will employ to more easily protect themselves.
“I expect that attacks like this will continue, especially as there is more commerce on the 'Net until we have real security and strong cryptography in place” to secure digital transmissions, he said in an interview.
For frequent updates on this rash of IP spoofing and information on Internet security in general, point your World Wide Web browser to the Internet Spoofing Reference Page: http://www.msen.com/-emv/tubed/spoofing.html
Pit Stop On the Infobahn
For a tour of the fringes of reason on the World Wide Web, check out 20-year-old Hot Wired emeritus Justin Hall's Links From the Underground. The site is a well-written and humorously presented collection of links to dozens and dozens of unusual locales on the Web, including Dan’s Gallery of the Grotesque (shocking images culled from a medical forensics textbook), the Survival Research Laboratories home page (art in the age of mechanical destruction) and the Capt. James T. Kirk Sing-ALong Page (Shatner sings the Beatles). Besides exploring the eccentric, Hall connects you to scientific, artistic and political pages galore. Of course, he hasn’t forgotten links to sex pages for those of you with more prurient interests.
Point your WWW browser to: http://raptor.sccs.swarthmore.edu/jahall/ DAVID PESCOVITZ (pesco@well.com) is associate editor at Blaster, technology and youth culture magazine. He also writes ‘Reality Check' column.
Horehound, It’s Not Just For Candy Anymore
Herbalists suggest alternative methodsfor handling winter colds
andflus
BY ELIZABETH CAREY
Hack, wheeze, cough. The pain, the fever, the chills, the sore throats what can you really do about the cold and flu season short of doping yourself up on over-the-counter remedies?
Wait for the annual Feast of Saint Blaze’s Throat Blessing Day? (That could make for some long winters.)
According to some, the best way to avoid the flu, or even to remedy it once you’ve gotten it, is to drink tea. That’s right, tea. Forget what your friends told you about the hot toddy, just drink tea.
Well, herbal tea anyway. For centuries, people have believed in the medicinal properties of even the most common herbs. The ancients of the Orient used herbal teas to cure everything from headaches to seasickness to cancer. Similarly, modern herbalists depend upon herbs to remedy the most common of ailments.
Melinda Boyer, an organic herbalist from Cynthiana, Ky., has been using herbs to cure ailments for 16 years. Specializing in herbs and aroma therapy, Boyer suggests several possible teas. to fend off the flu.
“It depends upon what kind of cold you have,” Boyer says. “For a cough with spasms and the croup, I’d recommend a tea of chamomile, horehound or hyssops, all of which have a calming effect on the body. For strep or a sore throat, try marshmallow root or lavender; they have slimy substance to them that soothes the throat and enhances the immune system. For a runny nose, take a tea of peppermint, eucalyptus or teatree, all of which have an antiseptic, anti-bacterial quality.”
Additionally, Boyer points to the root of the purple coneflower, known as echinacea, as the “power herb of the ’90s.” Taken in small doses regularly, it can help ward off flu, she says. Boyer suggests 10 drops of a tineture made from this root in hot water to form a tea, once a day for 10 days, taking a break of 10 days after each treatment. If you’re already under the influence of the flu, Boyer recommends a tea made with 20 drops of the tincture made from this root, three times a day.
But, Boyer warns, “don’t take too much.” Echinacea can lose its effectiveness if you build up a tolerance.
Herbs basically come in two forms, either dried leaves or essential oils. Essential oils result from a pressing process that extracts the essential elements from the leaves. Either form can be purchased at herb and natural food stores or from herbal catalogues.
So how does one make such a tea?
“For medicinal teas, take twice as much of the herb as you normally would, to make a stronger tea,” says Carrie Creech of Flag Fork Herb Farm, outside Louisville, Ky. “Bring your water to a simmer and add your herbs. Keep the cup or pot covered so the steam won’t escape and let it steep for about 15 to 20 minutes.”
This will produce a strong tea, but one that should be more medicinally beneficial. Additionally, Creech suggests that if this is the kind of way you would like to treat your cold or flu, “make it a quart at a time, strain each cup and drink one cup whenever you want it.”
By consulting an herbalist, or any good herb book,
While Ohio health-food
World Foodshop
ommend medical you to books and New World are (from Rolfes and Denny
Area health-food herbal books as resources, may be able to suggest
Many chiropractors use herbs in their be a source of additional Ohio law prohibits mending herbs for However, books may Melinda Boyer, Ky., recommends themselves with herbs
Recommendations
★ CityBeat staffs stamp of approval
To be included
Submit information for CityBeat calendar listings in writing by noon Thursday, seven days before publication. Mail to: Billie Jeyes, Listings Editor, Cincinnati CityBeat, 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617, Cincinnati, OH 45202. Fax: 665^369.
Please include a contact name and daytime phone number.
Concerts
CLARENCE “GATEMOUTH” BROWN WITH THE JOINTROCK-
ERS Blues. 9 p.m. Thursday. Stache’s, 2404 N. High St., Columbus. $12/$ 14 day of show. 749-4949.
MEGADETH AND CORROSION OF CONFORMITY Thrash. 7:30 p.m. Thursday. Hara Arena, 1001 Shiloh Springs Road, Dayton, Ohio. $20/$22 day of show. 513-278-4776 or 513-228-2323.
EUGENE GOSS AND VOLITION Jazz. 8 p.m. Saturday. Sungarden Lounge at the Hyatt Regency, 151 W. Fifth St., Downtown. $5. 579-1234.
SLAYER WITH BIOHAZARD AND MACHINE HEAD Thrash. 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Hara Arena, 1001
Shiloh Springs Road, Dayton, Ohio.
$20.50/$22 day of show. 278-4776 or 228-2323.
CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY CHORUS Gospel. 3:30 p.m. Sunday. Memorial Hall, 1225 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. $10/$15 day of show. 749-4949 or 381-0645.
This Week’s Theme: Romance
Big wet kisses on bitter cold nights, sweet milk chocolates, a dozen red roses, Oriental massage units, knowing smiles, bear hugs and a flutterings in the tummy oh the bliss and pain of love! VENUS has taken archery lessons, and our hearts are in her telescopic sights. Before the arrow strikes your SIGNIFICANT OTHER take s/he to Jar The Floor, a play about the bittersweet nature of family LOVE, showing at the Playhouse in the Park. Or maybe a nostalgic trip to the Golden Age of Radio will get the blood pumping. (See Onstage listings.) Who would guess Bob the Producer’s contract would allow him to be associated with anything other than tasteless gibberish it must, as he will be the host for a ROMANTIC tennis tournament (See Sports.) Some say love hurts, but others are brought to life when they view BURLY BODIES impacting on ice. Make your way to Cincinnati Gardens to see the Cyclones take on Kalamazoo; (Again, see Sports.) Hoist your BOYFRIEND aboard a trolley and take a dreamy tour of Cincinnati and Covington’s historic districts. (See ETC.) Is love real or illusory? Let French Impressionism flip that particular coin while you hold your baby’s hand through the Cincinnati Art Museum to see Air in Motion Heart in Motion. (See Art.)
CINDERELLA Metal. 7 p.m. Sunday. Newport Music Hall, 1722 High St., Columbus. $12.50/$ 14 day of show. 614-228-3582.
CHELY WRIGHT Country.
6 p.m. Tuesday. Rock-N-Country Cafe, 516 Cincinnati-Batavia Road, Mount Carmel. $8/$10 day of show. 721-1000 or 528-408Q.
EL DEBARGE Rhythm and Blues. 7 p.m. Tuesday. Bogart’s, 2621 Vine St., Clifton. $10/$11 day of show. 749-4949 or 281-8400.
Varied Venues
PAT KELLY Jazz pianist with trio. 6 p.m. Tuesday-Thursday, 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday (with Sandy Suskind, flute). High Spirits Lounge at the Regal Hotel, 150 W. Fifth St., Downtown. 352-2160. MOVIN' MERVYN AND GUESTS Trinidadian Folk. 7 p.m. Thursday-Saturday. Zarabanda
World Cafe, 3213 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout. 321-1347.
JOSHUA BREAKSTONE Jazz guitar. 8:30 p.m. Thursday. Kaldi’s Coffee House, 1204 Main St., Overthe-Rhine. 241-3070.
GLENN GINN Jazz. 8 p.m. Friday. Borders Books and Music, 11711 Princeton Pike, Springdale. 671-5852.
LAGNIAPPE Cajun. 8 p.m. Friday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
BRIAN EWING Acoustic Modem Rock. 8 p.m. Saturday. Blue Mountain Coffee Co., 3181 Linwood Ave., Mount Lookout. 871-8626.
KYLE MEADOWS AND LESLIE ANDERSON Celtic. 8 p.m. Saturday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
MUGAN-HILLELSON DUO Classical guitar. 1 p.m. Sunday. Borders Books and Music, 11711 Princeton Pike, Springdale. 671-5852. PAUL MOELLER, JACKIE SKINNER AND JANET PRESSLEY Folk. 7 p.m. Sunday. Leo Coffeehouse, University YMCA, 270 Calhoun
GOSHORN BROS. Classic Rock. Tommy’s. Cover. ★ GUITAROLOGY This quintet
is a local Jazz supergroup featuring three fantastic guitarists: Joshua Breakstone, Bob Roetker and Phil Willis. Blue Wisp. $5. THE HOP HEADS Rockabilly. Allyn’s Cafe. Cover. HOWLIN’ MAGGIE Alternative Rock. Stache’s. Cover.
IDENTITY Reggae. First Run.
$2/$4 under 21.
JERRY’S LITTLE BAND Dead Rock. Top Cat’s. Cover.
JIM GILLUM Acoustic. Blind Lemon. Free.
KEVIN FOX Acoustic. Stanley’s. Free. THE MENUS Rock favorites. Blue Note Cafe. Cover.
OROBOROS Rock. Ripleys. Cover.
PLAYGRIND Rock. McGuffy’s. Cover. THE REMOTES Rock favorites. Jim and Jack’s. Cover.
RICHIE AND THE STUDENTS Oldies. Chatterbox. $2.
SANTA FE BLUES BAND Blues. Ozzie’s. Cover.
SHINDIG Rock favorites. Murray’s Pub. Cover.
SONNY MOORMAN AND THE DOGS Blues. Burbank’s Sharonville. Free.
THE WATERFRONT 14 Pete Rose Pier, Covington. 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday. 581-1414.
FOLEY’S PUB IN O'BRYONVILLE
Local Scene
SPILL IT
B Y MIKE BREEN
Road Trip
Over The Rhine
Local favorite and IRS-signed Over The Rhine is offering rabid fans another chance to see the group live. But.this time, fans are going to have to work for it.
The band will appear Saturday in Toledo at the Asylum (209 North Superior; call 749-4949 for ticket info) with Cincinnati’s fantastic Folk Pop outfit, Plow On Boy.
A tad closer to home, Over The Rhine will perform Friday at Canal Street Tavern (308 E. First St., 513-461-9343) in Dayton.
But if you’re not a fan of overcrowding, hit the Toledo show Canal Street is a tiny place for such, a big group. /-
(Remember the sweat-box shows at Sudsy Malone’s before OTR signed a label deal?)
Don’t rule out the very plausible fact that Friday night may sell out as well.
Do you need even more info on Over
The Rhine? Well the band always one to appease die-hard fans (Rhine-heads?)
has set up a local hot line with the iatest info on tour dates and other tidbits of interest. Call 941-5354 for the latest.
Tragedy Makes Acumen Stronger
Local modern rockers Acumen are mak-
ing the local rounds as pre-support for the upcoming CD Out of Balance, the follow-up to 1993’s moody and dramatic Think.
Last year was a bit rough for the band. In May, while the group was on a western tour, the band’s van was hit head-on by a drunken driver after the first date of the outing. The incident left vocalist Spyder Kokopelli paralyzed, and several members also were injured.
But the group’s spirit was not broken. The band went back and completed the tour in October, started finishing Out of Balance (due this spring) and is now ready to play some rare local dates in Cincinnati the first shows in town since the accident. See the band Thursday at Top Cat’s (822 Vine St., Corryville. 281-2005) and again on March 15 at Sudsy Malone’s (2630 Vine St., Corryville. 751-2300).
Etc.
Warner Bros, records is coming to town looking for the Next Big Thing on Wednesday. A showcase for label representatives at Sudsy Malone’s will feature Columbus’ Scrawl, Cincy bands Roundhead and Ditchweed, and local folkster Clete Francis. Cincinnati Blues giants Blue Lou and the Accusations have a new CD, 60 Watt Bulb, due by Feb. 24. Join the group for its local record-release party, March 26 at Mansion Hill Tavern (502 Washington St., Newport. 431-3538).
Send all music-related materials to MIKE BREEN, Cincinnati CityBeat, 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 617,
45202.
MONDAY FEB. 13
DAYTON JAZZ ORCHESTRA Big Band. Gilly’s. Cover. ED MOSS SOCIETY JAZZ ORCHESTRA Jazz. Blue Wisp. Cover. FRED GARY AND DOTTIE WARNER Eclectic. Arnold’s. Free. MARC MICHAELSON Rock. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover. SCOTT KARNER Acoustic. Blind Lemon. Free. THE SIGNALMEN AND THISTLE Alternative. Sudsy Malone’s. Cover. SONNY MOORMAN AND THE DOGS Blues. Fat Frank’s. Cover. WEAVE Alternative. Stache’s. Cover.
Music
MYSTERY WAGON Folk
Alternative. Zipper’s. Free. OUT OF THE BLUE Blues. Allyn’s. Cover.
PLAYGRIND Rock. McGuffy’s. Cover.
THE REMOTES Rock favorite*. Murray’s Pub. Cover.
RICHIE AND THE STUDENTS Oldies. Chatterbox. $2.
TUESDAY FEB. 14
SCOTT HENDERSON AND THE PHIL DEGREG TRIO Jazz guitar. Blue Wisp. Cover.
BORGIA POPES WITH FLY, CRAMBONE, SYNAPSE Alternative. Sudsy Malone’s. Cover.
SHIRLEY JESTER JAZZ TRIO Jazz. Coco’s. Cover.
SONNY MOORMAN AND THE DOGS Blues. Burbank’s Sharonville. Free.
STONEBYRD Rock. First Run. $2/$4 under 21.
TOM MARTIN Rock. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover.
TRILOGY Rock favorites. Blue Note Cafe. Cover.
SUNDAY
FEB. 12
BLUE BIRDS Blues. Allyn’s Cafe. Cover.
BOB CUSHING Acoustic. The Straushaus. Free.
CAT CITY Jazz. Blue Wisp. Cover.
DANGEROUS TOYS WITH PO’ BOY SWING Metal. Annie’s. Cover.
WEDNESDAY FEB. 15
DAVE SAMS Acoustic. Blind Lemon. Free.
ARNOLD'S
DOG ROCKET Alternative. Stache’s. Cover.
JOHN KOGGE AND THE LONESOME STRANGERS Folk. The Stadium. Cover.
JOHNNY SCHOTT WITH CAROL JUST BAND, BANJO, FRED STEFFEN AND JIMMY MILLION Open mike. Tommy’s. Free.
KEVIN FOX Acoustic. Foley's. Free.
LUBE, OIL AND FILTER Rockabilly. Mt. Adams Pavilion. Cover.
THE MENUS Rock favorites. Katmandu’s. Cover.
MILHAUS Rock favorites. Blue Note Cafe. Cover.
PLAYGRIND Rock. McGuffy’s. Cover.
SONNY MOORMAN AND THE DOGS Open Blues jam. Southgate House. Free.
STACY THE BLUES DOCTOR WITH BLUES U CAN USE Blues. Local 1207. Cover.
TUG BOAT WITH 14 AND BLACK LIST Punk. Sudsy Malone’s. Coyer.
of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556-CATS.
UC women’s basketball vs. UAB. 7:30 p.m. Friday and-Memphis
5 p.m. Sunday. $3 adults; $1 children. Shoemaker Center, Stadium Drive, University of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556-CATS.
XAVIER MUSKATEERS Mens basketball vs. UW-Green Bay.
12 p.m. Saturday and Wright State, 8 p.m. Wednesday. $6-$10. Cincinnati Gardens, 2250 Seymour Ave., Norwood. 745-3411. Women’s basketball vs. UW-Green Bay. 3 p.m. Saturday. Schmidt Fieldhouse, Xavier Campus, Evanston. $4 adults, $2 students. TURFWAY PARK Live racing.
7 p.m. Wednesday-Friday; 1:30 p.m. weekends. Simulcasts from Fairgrounds, Golden Gate Fields, Gulfstream, Oaklawn, Garden State Park and Aqueduct. Parking $2, valet $3; grandstand $3.50, clubhouse $2.50. 7500 Turfway Road, Florence. 371-0200.
Recreational
CINCINNATI RECREATION COM-
MISSION For the latest in CRC events, call 684-4945....
INTERVIEW BY DAVID SIMUTIS
f you are going to be a Soul or R&B group in Cincinnati, you’d better be good. Starting with King Records in the early ’50s to the Isley Brothers and Midnight Star, Cincinnati has given the world some great Soul groups. And when the bands are good, Cincinnati will support them.
With that in mind, add Native Black to the list of greats. Because of their mix of Funk, hard beats and old-school vocal harmonies, the three men of Native Black not only follow in the footsteps of Cincinnati’s greats but make their own trails. Together, lead vocalist Darryl Irby, drummer Kenny Patterson and bassis/keyboardist Jerry Sanders are smooth, talented, determined and professional.
How professional? On the wall inside their downtown practice space is a typed list of 10 to 15 items that can result in an employee of Native Black being fined. Transgressions such as groupies or girlfriends in the dressing room, drinking on stage or at practice, or being late cost between $10 and $50. This is a group that holds its members up to high standards and demands that the image be serious. The group began in 1983, playing talent shows, and steadily building to the point of opening for Jesse Johnson and Jean Cam, in addition to performing at the 1994 Coors Light Riverfront Stadium Festival.
The group began in 1983, playing talent shows and steadily building to the point of... performing at the 1994 Coors Light Riverfront Stadium Festival.
After shopping their work to major labels on and off for four years, band members decided to work with Chicago-based independent label Design Entertainment. Between 1993 and 1994 Design released Native Black’s self-titled debut album and two singles, “Settle Down” and “What Would It Take.”
Independent promoters are working for the band to help the album break into other cities in the region. So far the band is receiving airplay in Chattanooga, Term.; Fort Wayne, Ind.; Chicago and Minneapolis.
In Cincinnati, the group is as popular as national acts. The fall of 1993 saw the single “Settle Down” selling as many copies at Globe Records downtown as the national No. 1 and 2 sellers. And when the single was
released on the local made it to No. 8 on the national level is certain the momentum going Sanders recently rehearsal schedule for the CityBeat Thing. pressure that try, toward reliance. tain to set have band ter up to the reputation On a national level, to the band because there’s more to success. have a good product,”
The lyrics on Native
Native Black is (from left) K.D. (Kenny Patterson), Dee (Darryl Irby) and Mr. Jerry (Jerry Sanders).
THE WITHIN Tt^is British group so inspired director Mark Magidson with its score for his film Baraka, that he filmed a 1994 performance in Santa Monica, Calif. Toward the Within has the difficult task of creating a visual match to the band’s exotic sounds.
(Unrated; opens Friday at the Little Art Theatre, Yellow Springs, Ohio.) No screening.
HOOP DREAMS Finally, one of the best movies of 1994 arrives in Cincinnati. Still, lovers of good film will discover that Hoop Dreams was definitely worth the wait.
SUMMARIES ANDCAPSULE REVIEWS
BY STEVE RAMOS
Documentary filmmakers Steve James, Peter Gilbert and Frederick Marx spent seven years following the lives of Arthur Agee and William Gates, two AfricanAmerican boys from Chicago’s innef-city. Gates and Agee share a common dream. These two envision a time when NBA uniforms will drape their bodies. It’s the of their hope. Coming from backgrounds full of hardship, this wish sustains their beliefs for a better tomorrow.
Opening
BILLY MADISON Comedienne Adam Sandler of TV’s Saturday Night Live makes the leap to movie-star status in this story about a 27-year-old man, Billy Madison (Sandler) who wants to inherit his father’s (Darren McGavin) billion-dollar hotel business.
Crossing into the realm of dramatic narrative, Hoop Dreams packs more emotional punch than recent movie dramas. Tragedies such as father’s struggles with drug addiction or a family sitting around a dark apartment because the electricity has been turned off take on more meaning when they’re real. Hoop Dreams weaves together the best elements of two different film genres. It has all the emotional intensity of a dramatic narrative and the educational impact of fine documentary filmmaking. Hoop Dreams hits both the head and the heart with equal intensity.
Competing against a ruthless vice president in his father’s company (Bradley Whitford), Billy makes a bet with his doubting father. If he can repeat all 12 grades of school in less than six months, than he inherits control of his family’s fortune. Comedies do not get any more high-concept than this. With this type of mainstream crowd pleaser, director Tamra Davis (CB4, Guncrazy) looks ready to join the Hollywood big boys. Of course, the success of Billy Madison at the box office may be determined by whether Sandler does his “Opera Man” routine. With Bridgette Wilson and Josh Mostel. (Rated PG-13; opens Friday at area Showcase Cinemas.) No screening. DEAD CAN DANCE TOWARD
CityBeat grade: A.
MARNIE Another entry in the three-month-long series of Alfred Hitchcock movies sponsored by the Dayton Classic Film Society. This interesting experiment in film by Alfred Hitchcock uses some curious set designs and camera angles to tell this story of a rich man (Sean Connery) who marries a kleptomaniac (Tippi Hedren). In 1964, audiences were surprised by the strong sexual undertones of this suspenseful drama. Today, Mamie comes off as a rather ordinary thriller that is important only as a film that signifies the closing phase of a great filmmaker’s career. For Hitchcock buffs only. (Unrated; opens Friday at the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
CityBeat grade: C.
RED People either love or hate Polish filmmaker Krzysztof Kieslowski. All of which is testament to the power of his movies. In his stories, emotions are not simply expressed by his actors. They are represented visually through objects like telephones and short-wave radios. Here, dramatic narrative is powered solely by the force of picture metaphors. Closing out a three-film series based on the French tricolor, Red (which was preceded by Blue and White) addresses the theme of fratemity. Valentine (Irene Jacob), a young Swiss model and student, steps into the life of a retired judge (Jean-Louis Trintgnant) who has become bitter with life. His anger puzzles her. Still, she cannot keep this old man out of her thoughts. The ex-judge’s daily ritual of eavesdropping into the privacy of his neighbors intrigues the young
Winner of the Audience Award for Best Documentary at 1994’s Sundance Film Festival, Hoop Dreams offers a hard and personal look at the most American of stories: families striving for a better life. In the process, filmmakers James, Gilbert and Marx reveal some personal feelings on the pressures of high school and collegiate sports. Truly American in both content and spirit, Hoop Dreams is the type of masterwork that comes along once in a great while. Consider yourself lucky.(Rated PG-13; at the New Neon Movies, Dayton; opens Friday at the Esquire Theatre.)
Rage With The Machine
With debut disc, Machine Head givesfull-blown, metallic testament offurious heaviness
REVIEW BY MIKE BREEN
ot only is Machine Head’s debut the best Thrash album in recent memory, it very easily ranks as one of the heaviest records of all time. With a still-untainted, raw metallic grind, Bum My Eyes (Roadrunner, 536 Broadway, Fourth Floor, New York, NY 10012) ranks, in sheer power, near the top of a short list that includes Black Sabbath’s Masters of Reality, Bad Brains’ IAgainst I, Slayer’s Reign In Blood, Pantera’s Vulgar Display ofPower, and Metallica’s Ride the Lightning.
“Metal” albums that combine Punk’s speed and anti-conformist stance with Sabbath-like heaviness have been somewhat in vogue, at least in terms of sales, for the past seven years or so. Oakland’s Machine Head which will perform at Dayton’s Hara Arena on Saturday isn’t breaking Metal barriers. But, quite simply, band members do what they do extremely well.
Intensity, rage and pessimism are the leading factors in the Machine. Most of the lyrics are based on something burn-
ing inside of singer/guitarist Robb Flynn or about how much society sucks. While a poetry book by Flynn might come off as enraged redundancy, the words fit the riotous nature of Machine Head’s music perfectly. Anyway, society does suck. It’s musically where Machine Head outshines the competition. The grooves and guitar lines don’t stick to the standard, boring and repetitive verse-chorusverse but, at the same time, they’re still catchy songs. And, despite the untraditional song structures, they never fall into that Metal slur that some “guitar virtuoso” bands slip into. Machine members aren’t showing off the fact that they can write 30 different parts into one song, but when they expand, it all seems for the good of the song.
Without an exact commercial accessibility and without the scariness of more devilish Thrash, Machine Head’s powerful precision and creative riffing shows a band that has looked its influences right in the eye and said, “We can do better than that.” And they do.
CityBeat grade: A.
New Tunes
POSITIVEIY YEAH YEAH YEAH
BY JOHN M. JAMES
Love Is in the Air
Satin Suit (Restless); Creation Rebel Historic Moments Vol. 2 (On U Sound); the Electric Company A Pert Cyclic Omen (Onion); Roky Erikson All That May Do My Rhyme (Trance); Fun-da-mental Seize the Time (Mammoth); Girls Against Boys Kill the Sex Player & Live (Touch & Go); Godheadsilo Elephantitus of the Night (Kill Rock Stars); Golden Paliminos"No Skin” (Restless); Guant / Can See Your Mom From Here (Thrill Jockey); Guided By Voices Box Set (Scat); Hazel Are You Going To Eat That (SubPop); Ivy Realistic (Seed); the Jayhawks Tomorrow the Green Grass (Warner Bros.); Killdozer God Hears the Pleas of the Innocent (Touch & Go); Kronus Quartet Performs Philip Glass (Nonesuch); Pansy Division Pile Up (Lookout); Poster Children Junior Citizen (Warner Bros.); Sebadoh “Rebound” (SubPop); Siouxsie & the Banshees The Rapture (Geffen); Sixteen Deluxe "Idea”/ "Honey” (Trance), 7-inch single; Slash’s Snakepit It’s Five O'Clock Somewhere (Geffen); Sonic Youth Bad Moon Rising and Confusion is Sex (Geffen), reissue; Television Personalities Yes Darling, But Is It Art? (Seed); Timbuk 3 A Hundred Lovers (High Street); The Tragically Hip Day For Night (Atlantic); Bunny Wailer Retrospective (Shanachie); John Waite Temple Bar (Imago); Ween The Pod (Elektra), reissue; the Who Live at Leeds (MCA), remastered and expanded to 76 minutes. JOHN JAMES can be found behind the counter at Wizard Records in Corryville.
Rhino Records wants you to try a little tenderness this Valentine’s Day when it releases a four-volume CD or cassette set of soft ’n’ silky soul titled Smooth Grooves: A Sensual Collection. The list of artists reads like a who’s who of midnight R&B Teddy Pendergrass; Marvin Gaye; Earth, Wind & Fire; Teena Marie; the Stylistics; the Delfonics; the Floaters; Confunkshun and more.
On the flipside of the musical fence, those of a more progressive nature might want to search out another new lovin’
woman. Together, they form a friendship that reveals some new information about themselves.
Now, where most young adults are lining up to see Pulp Fiction for the 10th time, let’s hope that they give this great love story a chance. Hey, there’s more to life than brains splattered against a car windshield. (Rated R; at area Loews Theatres.)
In Red, dialogue takes a back seat to the director’s photography. It’s a style that sometimes leaves audiences questioning. Here’s the rule for enjoying a Kieslowski film: Don’t think, just feel. You will get nowhere by trying to theorize something that exists primarily on the emotional level. Red is a film to immerse yourself in, not contemplate. (Rated R; opens Friday at The Movies, formerly Real Movies; and at the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
CityBeat grade: A. THE QUICK AND THE DEAD
BOYS ON THE SIDE Director Herbert Ross tells a woman’s tale that deals with trust, friendship and hope for the future. Now that doesn’t sound like just a woman’s movie anymore. Maybe Whoopi Goldberg, Drew Barrymore and Mary-Louise Parker have some important lessons to share with men as well. Chances are that they do. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ DEATH AND THE MAIDEN
In comparison to his last film Bitter Moon, director Roman Polanski’s movie adaptation of the Ariel Dorfman play Death and the Maiden seems relatively ordinary. For Polanski, a standard thriller is a refreshing change of pace from his recent attempt at pushing the barriers of good taste.
Just because two gunfighters are facing each other in the middle of a dusty street doesn’t mean director Sam Raimi’s (Darkman, The Evil Dead Trilogy) latest film is a western. Describing The Quick and the Dead as a western is an injustice to that classic American film genre. The Quick and the Dead is a series of cliches taken from standard western elements and lumped together to form a film that possesses nothing resembling a story.
British screenwriter Simon Moore attempts to fashion a narrative around a young woman, Ellen (Sharon Stone) who rides into the town of Redemption to take on its ruthless leader Herod (Gene Hackman) in a deadly gunfight contest. Unfortunately, Moore’s script contains none of the wacky sense of humor that audiences expect from a Raimi film. The Quick and the Dead needs to be funny, and it’s not. Stone survives this ordeal relatively unscathed. She’s believably dirty and ragged in her cowboy clothes. Although, her cleavage seems a bit out of place. Poor Hackman gets beaten up the worse. Here’s a character who thrives on dialogue, stuck in a movie that’s interested only in funky camera angles.
Paulina Escobar (Sigourney Weaver) seeks justice from Dr. Miranda (Ben Kingsley), whom she believes was responsible for torturing her some 15 years ago. Cowritten by Dorfman and Rafael Yglesias, the screenplay remains true to the play’s original themes of the blurred lines between justice and wrongful revenge. Under Polanski’s artistry, the story becomes charged with the quick pace and an ever-increasing tempo of a great movie thriller. Its shocks are more psychological than physical. Death and the Maiden drags audiences to the edge of their seats and leaves them there. It’s too bad Polanski is legally banned from working in Hollywood; it needs him. (Rated R; at Showcase Cinemas Cincinnati; closes Thursday at Showcase Cinemas Springdale and Erlanger.)
★ DESTINY IN SPACE Sure, everything looks cooler when it’s blown-up super huge in the IMAX format, but too often the initial excitement fades fast. (Remember Antarctica?) This time, IMAX cameras follow the space shuttle as it repairs the Hubble, and the images are amazing. Move over Star Trek Generations, here’s a real out-of-space adventure. (Unrated; at Robert D. Lindner Family Omnimax Theater.)
Still, Raimi’s eclectic brand of cinematography remains intact. Chances are that no other western will literally show a gunslinger’s bullet hole much like The Quick and the Dead./Aficionados of film photography may find pleasure in The Quick and the Dead. Chances are, no one else would.
CityBeat grade: D.
★ DISCLOSURE Sex. Power. Betrayal. Disclosure, director Barry Levinson’s film of the bestselling novel by Michael Crichton, rightfully sidesteps any controversy and sticks to pure entertainment. Set in the offices of DigiCom, a high-tech computer firm, Disclosure turns sexual harassment upside-down. Few topics are as timely and volatile as sexual harassment. Still, Hollywood is not in the business to develop polemics. Hollywood makes movies that simply entertain. Those who go to Disclosure expecting an intelligent treatment of a controversial issue are forcing their brains where they do not belong. With Michael Douglas and Demi Moore. (Rated R; at area Loews Theatres.)
Continuing
A LOW DOWN DIRTY SHAME
It looks like A Low Down Dirty Shame is high on car chases and shoot-outs. With funny man Keenan Ivory Wayans in the lead, A Low Down Dirty Shame could turn out to be a Shaft with a sense of humor. With Jada Pinkett, Charles S. Dutton and Sally Richardson. (Rated R; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
DUMB AND DUMBER Before movie audiences get to see Jim Carrey vamp it up as the Riddler in Batman Forever, he returns just in time for some tomfoolery. This time, he teams with Jeff Daniels to play bumblers who cross the country to return some stolen loot to its rightful owner. Carrey has emerged as Hollywood’s man with the Midas touch for ’94. Rumors are that in France, people have thrown out their posters of Jerry Lewis and replaced them with ones of Carrey. A new slapstick god is bom. With Teri Garr and exMTV veejay Karen Duffy. (Rated PG-13; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
An American Dream Chicagofilmmakers
As cinematographer Peter Gilbert and director Steve James remember, it was one of the most amazing moments in their lives. For seven years, they struggled to tell their tale about two inner-city black boys who dream of playing professional basketball. Their film Hoop Dreams became the first documentary to close the New York Film Festival on Oct. 16.
A MAN OF NO IMPORTANCE
FAR FROM HOME THE ADVENTURES OF YELLOWDOG After seeing Lion King for the umpteenth time, children may be sick of animated fare. Sure, there’s MORE, PAGE 22
This soft-spoken poem of a film stands distinctly apart from the flash and crash standard of most movies. Its story of a Dublin bus conductor, Alfie Byrne (Albert Finney), who finds personal happi-
hit paydirt by documenting of two who wishfor basketball stardom
INTERVIEW BY STEVE RAMOS
Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall was filled to capacity. “The peopie were of some wealth and privilege by and large,” James recalls. Some key people stood out. Arthur Agee, William Gates and their families, the subjects of Hoop Drearps made the trip from Chicago. Sitting in a private box, their eyes were not on the film. “Sheila Agee, Arthur’s mother, kept watching the audience,” James says. “She turned to me and said, ‘It’s just amazing that they care about our story so much.’”
The film ended. A spotlight shone on the families. “There was a screaming, standing ovation,” Gilbert adds. “They were not applauding the film. They were applauding these people.”
Filmmakers live for these moments. “You believe that maybe a film can make a difference,” James says. “We are not that naive of guys, but it’s hard not to feel that way when you have that kind of experience.”
In 1986, James, Gilbert and producer Frederick Marx began Hoop Dreams with grand ideals and little money a $2,000 grant from the Illinois Arts Council and a $500 donation.
Two and half years later, PBS station KTCA in St. Paul helped with a $70,000 endowment from, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
On the first day of shooting, crew members met Arthur Agee playing basketball. They followed Agee and another boy, William Gates, to St. Joseph’s, a Catholic high school in the suburbs with a powerhouse basketball program. Agee and Gates had heard promises of high school and college scholarships. This was the story, these inner-city kids and families who want a piece of the American dream. “We never lost sight of the fact that we’re trying to make a film about America,” James says.
Shown at 1994’s Sundance Film Festival, Hoop Dreams won an audience award for Best Documentary. It also picked up a lucrative distribution deal with Fine Line Features. All its hype may lead one to believe that the filmmakers got rich off Hoop Dreams.
“The truth is that if you looked at our credit-card balances, you would see that is not the case,” James says. “I gave up an opportunity to pursue a certain track in the commercial world. I have three children and a wife who works. They gave up a lot by me making this movie. They gave up me being there.”
For Gilbert, the Agee and Gates families gave up even more. “Think about what a leap of faith they took in us. There was a couple of years when nothing went well for them. It’s a hard thing to deal with, but dramatically it’s good. The more you care about the people, the worse their lives were getting.”
Everyone did not always see eye to eye. In January
1994, Hoop Dreams tors. They felt that most September, St. Joe’s Dreams crew of misrepresenting profit filmmakers. “The ing any money are slim all these articles written now want a piece of tary that was made for house. It is still going ence is that the film has is receiving phenomenal Dreams opens Friday Gilbert and James NCAA. As the film shows, collegiate basketball Hoop Dreams is a unique should not preclude ed for the film. The NCAA it-making venture for paid. Arthur, William way to the New York are hopeful the NCAA The filmmakers have goals for Hoop Dreams. James explains. “We communities that
(From left) Steve James, Peter Gilbert and
HIGHLANDER 3 Christopher Lambert returns as the Scottish clan leader who finds that being immortal can be a real pain. No surprise. This time around, Mario Van Peebles turns up as an evil sorcerer. Sooner or later, somebody always loses his head in these Highlander movies. Maybe for Lambert, the third time is the
charm. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
HOUSEGUEST Kevin Franklin
(Sinbad) is a con artist on the run from loan sharks. During a desperate escape attempt at the airport, he spots the key to his safety. Gary Young (Phil Hartman) is waiting for a long-lost friend whom he has not seen in more than 25 years. Before long, Kevin has
convinced the absentminded Gary that he is that friend. It looks like worlds and cultures collide in this family comedy of mistaken identities. Let’s see if such street humor can survive in an antiseptic Disney environment.
Comedy sometimes requires subtleties. It need not be so blatantly black and white. With Jeffrey Jones and Kin Greist. (Rated PG; at area Loews Theatres.)
★ IMMORTAL BELOVED Director Bernard Rose takes liberties with the life of Ludwig van Beethoven in this rather ordinary mystery that searches for the composer’s immortal beloved. The ordinary story offers balance to a film that is lush and extravagant in its production that this film crosses class barriers and epitomizes junk culture. Gary Oldman finally finds a role that is deserving of his intensity. Of course, the musical score is fantastic. This is high culture served at its low-brow best. With Jeroen Krabbe and Isabella Rossellini. (Rated R; at Showcase Cinemas Cincinnati.)
★ INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE It still puzzles why author Anne Rice took a full-page ad out in Variety (later reprinted by producer David Geffen in the New York Times) to praise Neil Jordan's adaptation of her novel. Her grandiose, self-congratulatory stance outshines the movie that is just good, not great. Interview possesses a few scary moments, some horrific, blood-drenched sequences and one truly creepy scene. Tom Cruise is fine as Lestat, as is Brad Pitt as Louis. Thankfully, Interview ends on a wild scene
that is both terrifying and hilarious. Too bad that tone was not held throughout the entire film. With Antonio Banderas, Stephen Rea and Christian Slater. (Rated R; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair, Biggs Place Eastgate and Westwood.)
IN THE MOUTH OF MADNESS
Director John Carpenter’s In the Mouth ofMadness puts a great twist on Stephen King-mania through its tale about a best-selling horror author whose books literally turn readers into monsters. Insurance fraud investigator John Trent (Sam Neill) is brought in by the publishing company of megaselling author Sutter Cane (Jurgen Prochnow)..Cane is missing. Trent believes that it’s just a publicity hoax. Unfortunately, he discovers otherwise, and his life will never be the same. In past films, (Prince of Darkness, Halloween), Carpenter used less-clever material for a more-frightening effect. Here, the terrible irony is that he wastes what might be the best idea for a horror film in some time. There is not one single sequence that frightens to the point that you will squirm in your seat. For a Carpenter film, such scenes are normally a given. Don’t give up hope. His version of horror classic Village of the Damned arrives later this year. With Julie Carmen and Charlton Heston. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ I.Q. As the niece to renowned physicist Albert Einstein (Walter Matthau), Catherine (Meg Ryan) emphasizes her head over her heart. Ed (Tim Robbins) reads sci-fi magazines when he is not
busy fixing cars at the local gas station. Upon seeing Catherine, Ed knows that she is the woman he loves. Ed is just an Average Joe with an Average Joe-like noodle. Catherine only has eyes for whizkids like herself. Here, her Uncle Albert and his group of loopy colleagues come to Ed’s rescue. Director Fred Schepisi (Roxanne, Six Degrees Of Separation.) has taken a screenplay from two seasoned TV writers,. Andy Breckman and Michael Leeson, and fashioned the most enjoyable romantic comedy of the year. In a time when Hollywood believes laughs only occur in ^ broad slapstick, I. Q. reminds us that believable characters with humorous dialogue create the finest comedy. With Charles Durning and Gene Saks. (Rated PG; at Loews 275 East.)
THE JERKY BOYS Those pop cultural phenomena who go by the name of Jerky are siting the cusp of mass stardom. This feature movie may push them oyer the edge. Hey, what film did for those Ninja Turtles, it could do the same for the Jerky Boys. Now what this movie really needs is a Ren & Stimpy opening cartoon. Maybe for the sequel. With Johnny Brennan and Kamal. (Rated R; at area Loews Theatres.)
THE JUNGLE BOOK Because it’s just too hard to get children to watch National Geographic videos, here’s a new adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling classic that combines great photography of the Indian landscape and wildlife with a timeless story. Children love animals and the idea of a wild jungle boy like Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee). Sounds like Disney has put together a fun way for young people to learn something new about their world. With Sam Neill, Cary Elwes and Lena Headey. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
JUNIOR Director Ivan Reitman (Kindergarten Cop, Twins), more than any other filmmaker, should know how to make Arnold Schwarzenegger funny. In Junior, he has the best sight gag, a pregnant Schwarzenegger. Reitman blows this golden, comic opportunity by miscasting Danny DeVito as a straight man and Emma Thompson as some slapstick clown. Junior could have been hilarious instead ofjust being cute. With Pamela Reed and Frank Langella. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
★ THE LAST SEDUCTION
Earlier, director John Dahl’s film noir thriller Red Rock West traveled from cable TV to video and finally to a successful theatrical release. Now, with The Last Seduction Dahl runs through that vicious cycle again. Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) persuades her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), to pull off a drug deal and then turns on him. In the process of her get-rich schemes, she cons small-town boy (Peter Berg) to do her bidding on some deadly deeds. Fiorentino grasps what might have been another cliche-ridden femme fatale character and pulls her kicking and screaming to new heights. For her performance, Fiorentino has earned Best Actress awards from both Los Angeles and New York film critics. At every level, The Last Seduction is a superior thriller. Dahl’s next pro
ject will be for MGM. He’s ready for Hollywood. One wonders if Hollywood is ready for the dark visions of John Dahl. With J.T. Walsh and Bill Nunn. (Unrated; closes Thursday at the Esquire Theatre.)
★ LEGENDS OF THE FALL As the owner of a large Montana ranch, Col. William Ludlow (Anthony Hopkins) and his three sons Alfred (Aidan Quinn), Tristan (Brad Pitt) and Samuel (Henry Thomas) share an isolated existence. The colonel’s wife left some years ago, and he chose to raise the boys alone. Something happens to men who have lacked the company of women for a long time. The youngest Ludlow, Samuel brings his fiancee, Susannah (Julia Ormond), back
MIXED
heard of the circle of life? Think of this as the circle of cash. With the voices of Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons and Whoopi Goldberg. (Rated G; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair, Biggs Place Eastgate and Westwood.)
★ LITTLE WOMEN A cherished literary classic receives a wonderful adaptation at the hands of director Gillian Armstrong (My Brilliant Career). Almost everyone knows Louisa May Alcott’s tale of the young March women, but Armstrong brings this story alive with such visual flourish and for her actresses that this film takes its place as a classic in its true right. Told through the narration of the tomboy Jo (Winona Ryder), Little Women emerges as one of those few family films that deserve to be described as a treasure. Leaving behind her persona as some Slacker-generation role model, Ryder excels in a role that perhaps she destined to play. Beautiful to watch, touching to hear and so moving upon its end, Little Women touches the hearts of young and old alike. Sure, you know how the stoiy ends, but the tears will fall anyway. With Susan Sarandon, Trini Alvarado and Kirsten Dunst. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ THE MASK In this specialeffects-laden comedy, Jim Carrey’s performance resembles a Tex Avery cartoon. Still, his manic contortions remain true to the spirit of the film. Of all the fluff from summer, The Mask possessed the most originality. With this hit, Carrey became million-dollar baby. Who knows if he will ever lose his Midas touch? With Peter Riegert and Cameron Diaz. (Rated PG-13; closes Thursday at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
MILK MONEY Other than catching a glimpse of some local scenery, this tale of two young boys who match their dad up with a prostitute possesses few redeemmg qualities. Director Richard Benjamin (My Favorite Year, Racing with the Moon) piles on the mush and forgets about the laughs. An ultra-thin Melanie Griffith as hooker with a heart of gold gets lost in the process. With Ed Harris and Malcolm McDowell. (Rated PG-13, at Norwood and Turfway.)
Samuel Lebihan and Irene Jacob work on an ad shoot in Krzysztof Kieslowski’s Red.
UtterKiosk
never weighs the story down with
adult concerns. Hey, any
that has a character called
Keenbean has to be
Plus, Warner Bros, unveils its first new Roadrunner cartoon, a short titled Chariots ofFur, in more than 30 years. Now that’s something that even adults will get excited about. With Jonathan Hyde and Edward Herrman. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ THE RIVER WILD Meryl Streep takes a successful leap as an action heroine in the latest effort from director Curtis Hanson (The Hand that Rocks the Cradle). Streep’s character leads her husband and son on a whitewater rafting trip, only to face terror from two criminal goons. What the story lacks in substance and character development, it makes up with frantic action and breathtaking photography. For her fans, Streep’s role may seem like slumruing. Hey, the girl just wants to have fun. With Kevin Bacon and David Straithaim. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
THE SANTA CLAUSE Tim Allen makes the leap from TV stardom to the big screen. His sense of ease for kiddie comedy is wasted on this umimaginative story. Hopefully, Disney has Allen in mind for another Son ofFlubber. Kids may eat up the story about a grouchy dad who becomes Kris Kringle. Do they know what ‘tool time’ even means? In film, quality and box-office do not always match. With Judge Reinhold and Peter Boyle. (Rated PG; opens Friday at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
SPEECHLESS Director Ron Underwood’s Speechless tackles the most basic of stories two adults falling in love. Two political speech writers, Kevin Vallick (Michael Keaton) and Julia Mann (Geena Davis), meet incognito in the middle of a tense campaign for New Mexico congressional seat. The film should have appropriated All’s Fair, the book that chronicles the romance between President Clinton’s campaign manager, James Carville, and head of the George Bush campaign, Mary Matalin. Carville and Matalin’s real-life story contains more laughs than anything that Speechless screenwriter Robert King dreamt up. With Christopher Reeve and Bonnie Bedelia. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
STARGATE Cutting-edge special effects wrap around a rather oldfashioned science-fiction epic. Unlike recent action films, Stargate takes nothing seriously. Its childlike innocence is refreshmg. Consider Stargate as a hip Forbidden Planet. In true '90s fashion, The Crying Game’s Jaye Davidson steals the show instead of Robby the Robot. With Kurt Russell and James Spader. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
STAR TREK GENERATIONS There is a changing of the guard in the Star Trek movie universe. TV’s Next Generation has pushed James T. Kirk and company off the silver screen. Who would have thought that a seemingly momentous occasion would result in such a dull affair? Generations’ flimsy story about an evil scientist who harnesses a rift in time is high on technology and low on drama. Too bad: Trekkers deserve better, and non-fans won’t get any of the inside jokes. A mediocre movie doesn’t seem to stop moviegoers. With Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes. (Rated PG; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
STREET FIGHTER Jean-Claude Van Damme might have finally found the perfect vehicle for himself. Inspired by the video game, Street Fighter puts the Muscles of Brussels in a cartoon environment that requires few thespian skills. Van Damme leads an Allied Nations commando team against the psychotic warlord Gen. M. Bison (the late Raul Julia). Steven De Souza has proven his knack for action by writing the successful screenplays for Die Hards 1 & 2. Now, he gets the chance to prove if he can direct all the cool stuff that his imagination comes up with. When the children get bored with their toys, this may be the movie they want to see. With Kylie Minogue and Wes Studi. (Rated PG-13; at Norwood, Turfway, Forest Fair and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
TALES FROM THE CRYPT PRESENTS DEMON KNIGHT That giggling ghoul the Crypt Keeper has developed a huge following from its TV airings of Tales of the Crypt. Now, this unique mix of black comedy and pulp horror makes its way to the big screen. One wonders if these adaptations of the old EC Comic can be anymore gross and disgusting. Director Ernest Dickerson (Juice) does his best to keep the horror and gross-out fiends happy. With Billy Zane and Jada Pinkett. (Rated R; at area Showcase Cinemas.)
★ WES CRAVEN’S NEW NIGHTMARE Forget Frankenstein and those hip vampires, Freddy outscares them all. Director Wes Craven takes the monster that made him famous and puts him in a twisted movie-within-a-movie plot. With Heather Langenkamp and Robert Englund. (Rated R; at Turfway and Biggs Place Eastgate.)
THE SPECIALIST Two of Hollywood’s hardest bodies, Sly Stallone and Sharon Stone, come together in a soft-and-limp action vehicle. On paper, the film looked like a winner. The sad reality is this is a story with too much talk and not enough action. It’s frustrating when Hollywood starts missing the mark on this type of fluff. With James Woods, Eric Roberts and Rod Steiger. (Rated R; at Norwood, Turfway and Forest Fair.)
represents ’50s American cinema so well.
Repertory
A fantastic soundtrack of early rock-n-rollers like Fats Domino, Little Richard and The Platters add spunk to this tale about a gangster’s moll (Jayne Mansfield) who positions herself for musical stardom. Film historians may appreciate The Girl Can’t Help It as the first rock musical. Everyone else will simply enjoy Mansfield’s funky update of the screwball comedy Bom Yesterday. (Unrated; 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Emery Theatre.)
Theater Directory
DOWNTOWN
Center at Union Terminal, Queensgate. 287-7000.
SHOWCASE CINEMAS SPRINGDALE 12064 Springfield Pike, SpringdMe. 671-6884.
THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW With the Real Movies currently dark, local lovers of the time warp may want to travel up Interstate 75 for the opportunity to throw toast and toilet paper. Hey, how far will you go for a sweet transvestite from Transsexual, Transylvania? (Rated R; midnight Saturday at the New Neon Movies, Dayton, Ohio.)
Do not believe for a second that this wonderfully wacky musical is too cool for you. Priscilla’s fun is infectious. This musical-comedy about a singing troupe’s tour of the Australian outback wears an oldfashioned heart on its goldsequined sleeve. But in true ’90s fashion, these protagonists dress in drag. With Terence Stamp and Hugo Weaving. (Rated R; midnight Friday at the New Neon Movies, Dayton.)
THE WORLD AT YOUR DOOR Since 1938, the University of Cincinnati has been hosting this film and lecture series that places the spotlight on foreign nations and cultures. A New England Sampler starts at the tip of Cape Cod and travels through the six states that comprise America’s New England region. With commentary by Woody Thomas. (Unrated; 3:00 p.m. Sunday at the Emery Theatre, Over-the Rhine.)
SUPER SAVER CINEMAS BIGGS PLACE EASTGATE Route 32 and Interstate 275, Summerside. 753-6588. LOEWS 275 EAST Highway 28 and Montclair Boulevard, Mulberry. 831-8900. SHOWCASE CINEMAS EASTGATE 4601 Eastgate Boulevard, Summerside. 752-9552.
BLADE RUNNER: THE DIRECTOR’S CUT With less narration and a different ending, director Ridley Scott’s masterful film adaptation of the Philip K Dick novel Do Androids Dream ofElectric Sheep? acquires a radically different tone. Hard to believe that this modem sci-fi classic can seem even more dark and brooding. A box office bomb upon its release, repeated viewings reveal Blade Runner to be a milestone regarding special effects and science fiction films. TV does not do justice to Douglas Trumbull’s set designs. Watching Blade Runner on a big screen is a wonderful opportunity that should not be passed up. With Harrison Ford and Rutger Hauer. (Rated R; midnight Friday and Saturday, The Movies, formerly the Real Movies.)
CENTRE THEATRES 7875 Montgomery Road, Kenwood Towne Centre, Kenwood. 791-2248.
SHOWCASE CINCINNATI 1701 Showcase Drive, Norwood Lateral and Reading Road, Bond Hill. 351-2232.
WEST
The zoo has a great idea: Come out and watch the animals play in the snow, and then stick around and enjoy a family movie. This week, National Geographic's Wonders Down Under will teach the kiddies some things about the animals who call Australia home. (Unrated; 11 a.m. Saturday at the lower level of the Education Building and Sunday at the Coors Pavilion Lodge, Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens. 281-^4701.)
MORE, PAGE 24
BOOKS ON FILM Sooner or later, the Main Library would schedule a series that’s simply titled Books on Film. This weekend’s selections possess a snakelike theme, The Hundred Penny Box, A Boy and a Boa and Once Upon a Boa. (Rated G; 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the Main Library, Downtown. 369-6922.)
CABARET Another entry in Xavier University’s Women as Artist film series. Director Bob Fosse won a Best Picture Academy Award for his take on author Christopher Isherwood’s novel Goodbye to Berlin. Fosse's film possesses some of the most remarkable shots to be found in 70s cinema. Fosse retains the great songs from the Broadway musical, but puts his own personal stamp on Isherwood’s story. American Sally Bowles (Liza Minnelli), a nightclub singer in early ’30s Berlin searches for love during lusty times. Both Minnelli and Joel Grey took Oscars home for their performances. (Unrated; 7:30 p.m. Friday at Kelley Auditorium in Alter Hall, Xavier University. 745-3550.)
★ DAZED AND CONFUSED
The longest, continuous run of filmmaker Richard Linklater’s Dazed and Confused takes place just up Interstate 75. If one movie warrants a road trip, this is it.
After his cult classic Slacker, Linklater proves himself to be an up-and-comer with this thoughtful story about a group of teen-agers set in a Texas high school, circa 1976. Just another example of inspired programming from the brothers at the Westwood Cinemas. (Rated R; midnight Friday and Saturday at the Page Manor Cinema, Dayton, Ohio. 513-258-2800.)
SHOWCASE CINEMAS ERLANGER Route 236 West off Interstate 75, Erlanger. 342-8866.
TURFWAY PARK 10 7650 Turfway Road, Erlanger. 647-2828.
WORTH THE TRIP LITTLE ART THEATRE 247 Xenia Ave., Yellow Springs. 513-767-7671. THE NEW NEON MOVIES 130 E. Fifth St., Dayton, Ohio. 513-222-SHOW.
Openings
★ ARTERNATIVE GALLERY Coffee Break features oils and pastels by Carole Meyer, pottery by Terry Kern, wearable art by Suzanne Poag, Kimberley Henson and Vera Stastny and dolls by Michele Naylor. Reception is 7-
10 p.m. Friday. Through March 25.
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Wednesday and Friday; 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 2034 Madison Road, O’Bryonville. 871-2218.
ARTISTREE STUDIOS
Celebrates its grand opening, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The studios will offer an array of artwork in a variety of media from artists around the tri-state.'ArtisTree will also offer classes, workshops and lectures.
II a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Sunday. 6818 State Rt. 128, Miamitown. 353-2100.
★ CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM CAM members are invited to the preview of Singing The Clay: Pueblo Pottery ofthe Southwest Yesterday and Today, featuring III examples of pottery from each pueblo. $10 gets you hors d’oeuvres and access to a cash bar, and if you’re wearing Southwestern attire, you’ll receive a complimentary beverage. 5:30- 9 p.m. Friday. Through June 4. $5 adults; $4 students and seniors; children free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Eden Park. 721-5204.
★ CLOSSON’S GALLERY KENWOOD Paintings, primarily abstracts, by Nellie Leaman Taft. Opening reception, 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Through March 18. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 7866 Montgomery Road, Kenwood. 891-5531.
MIAMI UNIVERSITY’S HIESTAND GALLERY Two and Two features works by graduate students at UC and Miami. Opening reception is 7-9 p.m. Saturday. Through Feb. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Maple St., Miami Universty, Oxford. 513-529-1883.
★ NORTHERN KENTUCKY UNIVERSITY ART GALLERY The Main Gallery features Finite Yet Unbounded, works by Ana England and Dark Flowers, by Suzanne Fisher. The Third Floor Gallery features Reconsiderations, works by Darryl Curran and Kenda North. Opening receptions. 5-8 p.m. Thursday. Through March 10. 9 a.m.-9 p.m. weekdays, 1-5 p.m. weekends. Fine Arts Building, NKU, Highland Heights. 572-5148.
840 GALLERY Students of electronic media in the School of Art exhibit their work. Opens Feb. 13. Through Feb. 17. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. D.A.A.P. Building, University of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556-2962.
Galleries & Exhibits
ARTS CONSORTIUM OF CINCINNATI, UNION TERMINAL —Art for City Walls is yearlong exhibit focusing on local artists. Bein’ Round Natti Town, a permanent exhibition, highlights the first 150 years in Cincinnati. 1-5 p.m. Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. weekends. Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. 241-7408. TheNeo Ancestralist Resident Artist
Exhibit, retrospective in nature, explores the various styles and mediums while focusing on major issues, both social and cultural. Through Feb. 28. 1-5 p.m.
Wednesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. weekends. Union Terminal, 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate. 241-7408.
ARTS CONSORTIUM OF CINCINNATI, LINN STREET Artfor City Walls is a yearlong exhibit focusing on local artists. 1-8 p.m.
Tuesday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekends. 1515 Linn St., West End. 381-0645.
CIVIC GARDEN CENTER OF GREATER CINCINNATI Works by Carole Parrish. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 2715 Reading Road, Avondale. 221-0981.
★ CLERMONT COLLEGE ART GALLERY A Kaleidoscope: Appalachian Art ofSouthern Ohio. Through Feb. 24. 8 a.m.5 p.m. weekdays. 4200 Clermont College Drive, Batavia. 732-5224. -
CARL SOLWAY GALLERY An exhibition of new interactive sculpture by San Fransisco multi-media electronic artist, Paul DeMarinis, will be on view. DeMarinis’ recent series of installation works, “The Edison Effect" uses optics and computers to make new sounds by scanning phonograph records with lasers. Through March 31.
Exhibition mixed media show. Through Wednesday. 10 a.m.3 p.m. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. 522 W. Short St., Lexington, Ky. 606-233-1263.
HILLEL JEWISH STUDENT CENTER Michal Koren, Jonah Tobias, Nate Waspe and Pam Zelman, students from UC’s school of Design, Art, Architecture and Planning display their work. Through March. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday. 2615 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 221-6728.
MILLER GALLERY Giftsfrom the Garden focuses on floral paintings in
BABA BUDAN’S ESPRESSO BAR Colorful and cartoonish oil paintings by Laura Herman. Through Feb. 28. 7 a.m.-ll p.m.
BASE ART Jay A. Plogman, a member of the gallery, presents his ideas of what it means to be “American” with photos and words in Being American. Noon-4 p.m. Saturdays and by appointment. 1311 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 491-3865.
BEAR GRAPHICS AND ILLUSTRATION GALLERY Chris Payne’s illustrations and Jan Knoop’s paintings, prints and sculptures. Through February.
Noon-5 Tuesday-Saturday.
★ CLOSSON’S GALLERY DOWNTOWN Permanent collection features some of the best art by Cincinnati’s earlier artists including Frank Duveneck, John Henry Twachtman, Herman and Bessie Wessel, Charles Meurer, William Louis Sonntag, John Weis, Charles Salis Kaelin and Henry Mosler. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, noon-5 p.m. Sunday. 401 Race St., Downtown. 762-5510.
Painter Julian Stanczak, who was bom in Poland and studied under Joseph Albers, displays his paintings that create intense perceptual
★ COLLECTOR BOOK AND PRINT GALLERY The politically motivated lithographs of Gabriel Glikman, Russian Jewish artist and sculptor, on display. Through March 31. 3-6 p.m. WednesdaySaturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 1801 Chase Ave., Northside. 542-6600.
SHARON COOK GALLERY Serene transitional to wild abstract imagery. The gallery represents Phoenix Art Press and Winn-Devon. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 1118 Pendleton, Over-the-Rhine. 579-8111.
★ FITTON CENTER FOR CREATIVE ARTS Highlights the works of Cincinnatian Kay Muir. Through Sunday. 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m.-noon Saturday. 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton. 863-8873.
★ GALLERY 48 Photos, paintings and drawings by the African-American group, UMOJA, which means ‘unity’ in Swahili. Through Feb. 28. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 1223 Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine. 381^033.
GALLERY 99 Twenty artists from this co-opferative gallery have contributed to put together their show, Faces. Through Feb. 28. Noon-6 p.m Thursday-Sunday, noon-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. 1101 St. Gregory St., Mount Adams. 651-1441.
★ GALLERY AT WELLAGE & BUXTON Ballard Borich, a noted poet, displays his abstract paintings on paper in A Larger Group ofSmaller Paintings. Through March. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 1431 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 241-9127.
GLASS CRAFTERS STAINED
★ IN SITU Gregory B. Saunders’ The Kentucky Series: A Personal Archeological Dig is a collection of large scale drawings based the Kentucky landscape. Saunders, bom and raised in Newport and now living in Florida, combines remnants and artifacts of his past unearthed recently during a visit to his now tom-down former residence with these powdered graphite drawings. Through March 18. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. TuesdaySaturday. 1435 Main St., Over-theRhine. 651-4613. INNER SPACE DESIGN Presents one-of-a-kind necklaces by New York jewelry designer Nancie Taphom. Through Feb. 28. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 2128 Madison Road, O’Bryonville. 533-0300.
★ JAMAR GALLERY Features an exhibition of recent oils, watercolors, landscapes, florals and nudes by Yuri G. Savchenko, a renowned Ukrainian artist who will be honored by the Ukraine Government with an exhibition of his works in Kiev this year. Miniature Lithographs by Valerij Demyanshyn Oils by Italian artist Guido Buson Plus new. arrivals of antique Russian icons, tryptychs, crucifixes and crosses. Through Feb. 23 .10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday. 135 W. Fourth St., Downtown. 333-0022.
★ JULIA’S GALLERY OF PHOTOGRAPHY Sixty Years of Photography, a retrospective of the work of Ruth Bernhard, a pioneer of American photography, focuses primarily on the nude figure and still life. Through Wednesday. Civic Center Shops, 410 West Vine St., Lexington, Ky. 606-225-8260.
KALDI’S COFFEE HOUSE & BOOKSTORE Photographs by Robert Derr. Exquisite Drawings by 6-year-old Lexan Rosser. Through Wednesday. 7 a.m.-l a.m. Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-2:30 a.m. Friday, 10 a.m.2:30 a.m. Saturday, 10 a.m.midnight Sunday. 1202 Main St., Over-the-Rhine. 241-3070.
GLASS STUDIO Features handcrafted stained and beveled glass miniatures, windows, lamps, mirrors and more. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday. 11119 Reading Road, Sharonville. 554-0900.
GOLDEN RAM GALLERY Paintings by John James Audubon. Through Feb. 28. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Wednesday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 6810 Miami Ave., Madeira. 271-8000.
The text accompanying Carrie Mae Weems’ “Mirror, Mirror” (1987) reads: Looking into the mirror, the black woman asked, “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the finest of them all?” The mirror says, “Snow White, you black bitch, and don’t you forget itlll” A show of Weems’ work is on display at the Contemporary Arts Center through March 26.
HARROGATE Works exhibited are mostly of maritime themes including 19th and 20th century paintings, ship models and artifacts. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. MondaySaturday. 3075 Madison Road, Oakley. 321-6020.
effects by working in a systematic way; often referred to as “Op Art.” Through March 31.9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday, Saturday by appointment. 424 Findlay St., West End. 621-0069.
CARNEGIE ARTS CENTER
★ HEBREW UNION COLLEGE SKIRBALL MUSEUM —Aishet Hayil: Woman of Valor features paintings, textiles and sculptures. Through March. In conjunction with this exhibition, seven local women artists will be present on Sunday from 1-5 p.m. to discuss their work on display. Included are: Lois Cohen, Reabelle Emdin, Dana Flores, Vivian Kline, Estelle Laibson, Rita Wasserman and Ann Zeff. ll a.m.-4 p.m. MondayThursday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday. 3101 Clifton Ave., Clifton. 221-1875.
HEIKE PICKETT GALLERY Kentucky Folk Art. Through Feb. 28. ...Invitational Group
Art-The Universal Language celebrates diversity with abstract landscapes by Korean artist Yung Ja Lee, African-American Old and New Memories by Richmond, Kentucky’s Betsy Johnson, painting and pottery by living Native American Artists, curated by Alice Lambert and Linda Whittenberg and Sacred Run Photographs by Alice Lambert. Through Feb. 25. 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday. 1028 Scott Blvd., Covington. 491-2030.
KZF GALLERY Paintings and drawings by Ken Landon Buck; sculpture by Barbara Beatrice; paintings and prints by B.B. Hall. Through April. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 655 Eden Park Drive, 7th Floor, Walnut Hills. 621-6211.
LEFTHANDED MOON A continuing exhibition of hand carved and painted fimo pendants by Jeni B. and ceramic rattles by Nance Emmet.... Tarot readings noon3 p.m. every Saturday. 11:30 a.m.7 p.m. Monday-Saturday. 48 E. Court St., Downtown. 784-1166.
LOUISVILLE VISUAL ART ASSOCIATION Oddities, such as losing lottery tickets, mattress tags and underwear, are part of Bart Kasten’s Permanent Collection, through Feb. 26. DinnerWorks features some of the nation’s best handmade original dinnerware by 16 talented artists or teams of artists. 3005 Upper River Road, Louisville, Ky. 502-896-2146.
★ MARTA HEWETT GALLERY Seeing Things: 5th Year Anniversary Exhibit features pieces by gallery artists including glass, ceramics, furniture, paintings and prints. Through Feb. 20. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon5 p.m. Saturday. 1209 Main St., Over-the-Rhine.
PHOTO: ADAM REICH. COURTESY OF P.P.O.W. INC.
★
★
Cartwright, Denise Burge, Jane Alden Stevens and Nicholas Chaparos, to name few. Through Feb. 17. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. Tangeman Student Center, UC, Clifton. 556-2962.
THOMAS MORE GALLERY
Akron-area artist Jack McWhorter will be showing his new work, Iconic Images, from Friday through Feb. 17. 8 a.m.-9:45 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, noon-4 p.m. Saturday, 48 p.m. Sunday. Thomas More College Library. 333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills. 606-344-3309.
★ TONI BIRCKHEAD GALLERY Group show focusing on abstract painting highlights the works of Tarrence Corbin, Alan Crockett, Stuart Fink, Peter Gooch, Frank Herrmann, Tom Levine and Thom Shaw. Through Feb. 24. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. weekdays, Saturday by appointment. 342 W. Fourth St., Downtown. 241-0212.
TOON ART GALLERIES Disney Dimensions highlights limited-edition and one-of-a-kind 3-D pieces from raku pottery to collector plates and jeweliy. 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. By appointment Monday. 21 E. Fifth St., Westin Hotel, Downtown. 651-3500.
★ UC CLERMONT COLLEGE ART GALLERY Clermont Art Gallery hosts A Kaleidoscope: Appalachian Art ofSouthern Ohio. Area Appalachian artists combine their talent for an eclectic show with works ranging from pine-needle baskets to artwork on hard-shelled gourds. 11 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays. 4200 Clermont College Drive, UC Clermont College, Batavia. 732-5224.
★ UC HEALTH SCIENCE LIBRARY Jeff Casto and Melissa Steinman’s show, Lost and Found, combines mixed media and found objects. Through March 3. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 231 Bethesda Ave., Clifton. 558-5627.
Artist’s magazine award. A good look at conservative landscape work. Studio 701 of the Pendleton Art Center, 1310 Pendleton St., Over-the-Rhine. 241-4123.
★ TANGEMAN FINE ARTS GALLERY The annual Faculty Exhibition for UC’s College of D.A.A.P. includes the works of faculty members John Stewart, Roy
WENTWORTH GALLERY —Art Deco opens and includes the work of Erte, Shao, Kiraly and Jiang. Opens Tuesday. Family features the works of Hatfield, Fisher and
UtterKiosk
Dyer. Through Feb. 13. 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Sunday. Kenwood Towne Centre, 7875 Montgomery Road, Kenwood. 791-5023.
★ WOLF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS
Spanning the Ohio: Photographs of Cincinnati’s Bridges by local photographer J. Miles Wolf and Innervisions: Largeformat Black and White Photographs by Florida artist Woody Walters will be on display through March 15. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays. 708 Walnut St., Downtown. 381-3222.
WOMEN'S ART CLUB OF CINCINNATI The members of the Women’s Art Club present their work in the Pendleton Art Center 6-10 p.m. Friday in conjunction with the center’s Final Friday show. 1310 Pendleton St., Over-the-Rhine. 5220117.
WOODBOURNE GALLERY
Renewing their Cincinnati Artist ofthe Month series, the Woodbourne Gallery presents the Tuscany Hill hand-wroughtjewelry of Stuart C. Nedelman. 24K gold, sterling, beadwork and semi-precious stones are crafted into earrings, ping necklaces and pendants. Through Feb. 28. 10 a.m.-
WRIGHT STATE UNIVERSITY ART GALLERIES 10 a.m 4 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, noon-5 p.m. weekends. Creative Art Center at Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio. 513-873-2978.
★ YWCA WOMEN'S ART GALLERY Twelve artist/craftswomen present works ranging from multi-media artwork, quilts, decoupage boxes, ceramics, stained glass, birdhouses, baskets, cut paper collages and assembled textiles in Assemblage ’95. Through March 3. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. 898 Walnut St., Downtown. 241-7090.
★ XAVIER UNIVERSITY GALLERY Paintings and drawings by Johana. Through Feb. 24. Noon-4 p.m. Monday-Friday. 3800 Victory Parkway, Evanston. 745-3811.
840 GALLERY Life Painting students in the School of Art exhibit their recent work. Through Feb. 10. 8 a.m.-5 p.m. weekdays.
D.A.A.P. Building, University of Cincinnati, Clifton. 556-2962.
Museums
★ CINCINNATI ART MUSEUM
Manet to Toulouse- Lautrec: French Impressionists to PostImpressionist Prints and Drawings presented by PNC Bank, through March 5. Edward Potthast 1857-1927 features eight paintings by the native Cincinnatian, through March 5. Richard Bitting: Nine Summer Haiku is a suite of nine color lithographs with music and text transformed into designs, through April 9. ...Air in Motion, Heart in Motion includes 14 prints by Shinoda Toko, trained in calligraphy but best known for her paintings, through May 14. Free tours include Manet to Toulouse-Lautrec, 1 p.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday; American Portraits - 1750-1850, 1 p.m. Friday, Highlights of the CAM, noon Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday; Object of the Month: “Italian: Composite Armor", 2 p.m. Sunday; and thefamilyfun tours, Wildlife in Art, 1 p.m. Saturday and Animal Safari, 3 p.m. Saturday. Explore the sights, sounds and words of the Renaissance and Baroque eras with an in-depth gallery tour.
10:15-11:30 a.m. Saturday and 1:15-2:30 p.m. Tuesday. $15, $24 non-members, $18 students and seniors. The seminar will be repeated 10:15-11:30 a.m. Feb. 11, Feb. 25 and March 4 and 1:15-2:30 MORE, PAGE 26
The Three R’s: Reading, Writing And Romance
The Ohio Valley Romance Writers ofAmerica hosts annual conference
BY BILLIE JEYES era
Imust admit that I am somewhat cynical about romance. After all, isn’t it just another way to get someone in the sack?
But romance is big business for flower stores, card shops, dimly lit Jazz clubs, cozy restaurants and, most of all, for publishers.
Here are a few “fun facts” sent to me by Harlequin:
If you set out to read all the Harlequin books sold over the past 10 years, averaging a little more than two hours per book, you would be reading for the next quarter of a million years.
If all the Harlequin books sold in a single day last year were stacked on top of another, the pile would be five times as high as New York’s World Trade Center.
If placed end to end, Harlequin books sold last year could run along both banks of the Nile, both banks of the Amazon and one bank of the Rio Grande.
If all the words of all the Harlequin books sold last year were laid end to end, they would stretch 1,000 times around the earth or 93 times to the moon; a distance of one quarter of the way to the sun.
Which only goes to show that romance novels are popular, damn popular.
Not only are there a multitude of peopie reading these books, but there are a lot of people writing them.
In fact, when I was 15 years old, I decided to write a such a novel. And, since this inspiration came to me in my chemistry class, I named all my characters after elements in the Periodic Table.
It took me awhile to find a name for my hero, but I eventually decided upon Carbon. My heroine’s name was much easier to come up with. She, being somewhat unstable, was named Lithium.'
Unfortunately, I never got very far with my endeavor since my chemistry teacher confiscated my efforts. Which was probably for the best since the story lacked an essential element, namely a plot.
There is a group in town, however, that would have helped me enormously if I had actually been living in this country at the time.
The Ohio Valley Romance Writers of America, the local chapter of a national organization, has devoted itself to nur-
turing aspiring writers through monthly meetings and critique groups.
Lynn Miller, a writer whose latest novel is on the verge of being published, attributes much of her success to this group.
“1 wrote my first novel in 1990,” she says. “In 1991,1 got it back from a publisher who liked it but told me that it needed help. They told me to find a local Romance Writers of America (RWA). Miller managed to track down the local chapter and became part of a critique group that included two unpublished authors and published author Robin Wiete.
“My critique partners were so helpful,” Miller says. “I write scripts for a living, but writing scripts is very different from writing novels. I was used to the visual of the camera, but I had to learn to put it on paper.”
RWA also offers services to make the task of getting published easier. This Saturday, for instance, in conjunction with WaldenBooks, RWA presents the fourth annual “Reading, Writing and Romance” conference. Guest speakers include writers Virginia Henley, Stella Cameron and Jennifer Crusie, plus Harlequin editor Brenda Chin.
“I used to think that romance novels were just for escape,” says Henley, author of the newly published historical novel Enticed. “Now they have new theories. These books empower women to act for themselves.”
I am somewhat skeptical. And I tell her so. To me, romance novels are the female equivalent of pornography with rich, handsome, sensitive heroes as unreal as the airbrushed bodies in girlie magazines. Surely, these books only serve to fill their readers with hopelessly unattainable desires.
Henley disagrees: “I really think that women are too smart to fall for that. We really do know what men are like.”
We both chuckle, knowing. I realize, just then, that I shouldn’t rain on this parade. After all, what’s wrong with dreaming?
“READING, WRITING
Harlequin editor Brenda Chin will speak at Saturday’s conference.
Art
p.m. Feb. 21 and Feb. 28. $5 adults; $4 students and seniors; children free. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday. Eden Park. 721-5204.
COLUMBUS MUSEUM OF ART Landscape As Metaphor is a special exhibit highlighting multimedia works by 13 living American artists. Through March 5. Discover the. Landscape of your History gives you an opportunity to delve into geneology. 1-4 p.m. Saturday. $15, $17 non-members.
The museum has two important collections: the Sirak Collection of French Impressionist and German Expressionists that includes Degas, Renoir, Monet, Ensor, Picasso and Klee; and the Howald Collection of American painters that includes O’Keefe, Homer, Bellows and Cassatt. The museum collection is free. Special exhibits $3 adults, $2 children. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. TttesdayFriday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday. 480 E. Broad St., Columbus. 614-221-6801.
★ CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER In Memory Spaces, Pittsburgh artist Paul Glabicki uses state-of-the-art computer programs while working simultaneously with paintings, drawings, photographic sequences and installation plans to create a continuous architectural landscape for the viewer to experience when projected three-dimensionally and viewed through polarized glasses, through April 5.... Carrie May Weems examines the status of AfricanAmericans in today’s society through narrative photographic images, through March 26. Cincinnati sculptor Patricia Renick explores the loss and violation of identity and the metaphoric voyage of the spirit through her installation of female figures atop boat forms in 2068 through March 12. Sponsored by Reece Cambell Inc./Chronis Inc. Fine Arts Fund Corporate Partner: The Kroger Co. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday-Saturday. $2 adults; $1 students and seniors; children 12 and under free; free to CAC members; free to all on Mondays. 115 E. Fifth St., Downtown. 345-8400.
DAYTON ART INSTITUTE
9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Sunday; 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday. 456 Belmonte Park North, Dayton, Ohio. 513-223-5277.
★ DAYTON VISUAL ARTS CENTER Mixed Media
Constructions ofCraig Lloyd, explores the interaction between the natural and reconstructed
worlds. Through Feb. 18. 9 a.m.-6 p.m. weekdays, l-A p.m. Saturdays, or by appointment. 40 W. Fourth St., Dayton, Ohio. 513-222-3822.
★ INDIANAPOLIS MUSEUM OF ART Indiana Jacquard Coverlets features coverlets woven by professional male weavers in the 1840s and 1850s; through Oct. 8. Cabinet of Curiosities and The Natural History Museum is a site-specific wall installation by Shelagh Keeley, a Canadian conceptual artist. German painter
Continuing exhibits include Stitched, Woven and Plaited: Contemporary Craft Traditions ofAfrica, through June 11, and The Belle Epoque in Caricature, drawings and lithographs from tum-of-the-century France, through Feb. 19. Forever Flowers continues through October. Also showing is a joint exhibition by the faculty of the Miami University Department of Art & Architecture and the University of Cincinnati Department of Art. 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday. Free. Patterson Ave., Oxford. 513-529-2232.
which are collected both in the U.S. and in several foreign countries will be on display through Feb. 28. Riley to Tarkington: Images ofIndiana Authors; through March 12. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thursday; noon-5 p.m. Sunday. $4 adults; $3 students and seniors; children 12 and under free. On the first Friday of the month, there is a party with a cash bar. 5:30-8 p.m. $4 members, $7 non-members. 1200 W. 38th St., Indianapolis. 317-923-1331.
★ NATIONAL AFRO-AMERICAN MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER Dream, Myth, and Reality: Contemporary Artfrom Senegal is comprised of 70 works by 50 Senegalese artists working in oils, acrylics, fibers, collage and glass. Through March 5. From Victory to Freedom: AfroAmerican Life in the 50s is a permanent exhibition featuring artifacts staged in settings reminiscent of the period. $3.50 adults, $1.50 students. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 1350 Brush Row Road, Wilberforce. 513-376^944.
SOUTHERN OHIO MUSEUM Photoglyphs by Russian artists Rimma Gerlovin and Veleriy Gerlovin. Collabrative works by two Russian artists. Through March 5.... Permanent collection of works by Portsmouth native Clarence Carter. Through March 5. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday. 825 Gallia St., Portsmouth. 614-354-5629.
★ THE TAFT MUSEUM A special display of four works by Grandma Moses continues through March 19. To commemorate the Year of the Pig, children are invited to search for plant and animal images the Taft Museum’s collection of Chinese ceramics. All children who participate will receive a gift in the Museum Store, and any child who finds a pig anywhere in the collection will be entered in a raffle to win a $25 Museum Store gift certificate. Artists Reaching Classrooms Student Art Exhibition displays 84 works in a variety of media reflecting the interaction of high school students and professional artists in the classroom and the studio as well as the students experiences in the galleries of the Taft Museum. Fine Arts Fund partner is Cincinnati Bell Inc. Through Feb. 19.10 a.m.-5 p.m. MondaySaturday, 1-5 p.m. Sunday. 316 Pike St., Downtown. $3 adults; $1 seniors and students; children 12 and under free. 241-0343.
Albert Oehlen and American artist Christopher Williams are featured in a joint exhibition titled Oehlen Williams 95. The jointly selfcurated exhibit introduces new paintings and computer-generated works by Oehlen. Williams will present work from an ongoing photographic “travelogue” with conceptualunderpinnings. Chris Marker’s Silent Movie is a new installation by this internationally respected French filmmaker. The installation, a personal response to the 100th anniversary of cinema, includes five video monitors, as well as a series of enlarged blackand-white video stills and computer-designed sketches of movie posters. Dennis and Dee Gregory’s traditional oak baskets
★ J.B. SPEED ART MUSEUM Old Master Prints and Drawings from the Permanent Collection features, among others, prints by Albrecht Dtirer and Giovanni Domenico Tiepoloas, as well as a chalk drawing attributed to Giorgio Vasari. Through April 16. 10 a.m.4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, noon5 p.m. Sunday. 2035 S. Third St., Louisville, Ky. 502-636-2893.
★ MIAMI UNIVERSITY ART MUSEUM Distinctfrom Shellfish, a collaborative effort by Diana Duncan Holmes and Timothy Riordan, combines books, poetry, photographs and mixed-media pieces. Husband-and-wife Cincinnatians team up again with superior poetry and photographs.
AMERICAN MUSEUM ING HISTORY AND Houses the largest display ing and beer artifacts 10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. and tasting; $3 adult beer tasting only; under Oldenberg Complex, at Buttermilk Pike, Fort 341-2802.
BEHRINGER-CRAWFORD
UM
a.m.-5 p.m. Friday, 1-5 p.m. weekends. adults; $1 students and Devou Park, Covington.
BENNINGHOFFERN
This restored Victorian built in 1861, provides for the Butler County Museum. 1-4 p.m. TuesdaySunday. $1 adults; free and under. 327 N. Second German Village, Hamilton. 513-893-7111.
BICENTENNIAL COMMONS A picturesque riverfront Skating hours: 4-9 p.m. 5-10 p.m. Friday, noon-10 Saturday, noon-7 p.m. Admission: $2 adults; 12 and under. $1 skate rollerblade rental. Bicentennial Commons at Sawyer Downtown. Call first times. 352-6316.
BUCKINGHAM
UtterfCrosk
DINSMORE HOMESTEAD The historic farmstead built in 1841-42 was home to the Dinsmore family who never threw anything away, leaving a fascinating collection of letters, diaries and receipts. 15 p.m. Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday. $3 adults; $2 seniors; $1.50 children under 12. 5654 Burlington Pike, Burlington, Ky. 586-6117.
FOUNTAIN SQUARE ICE RINK Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. MondayThursday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; closed Sunday. The ice-skating fink will be open 48 p.m. Thursday; 4-9 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday and noon6 p.m. Sunday. Through Feb. 20, weather permitting. $1 to skate, $1 skate rental. You can skate for free by presenting a receipt for Sudafed. Downtown. 684-4945.
GREATER LOVELAND HISTORICAL SOCIETY Features its winter exhibit, Antique Valentines, Highlights include a tum-of-the-century kitchen and the Nisbet Library. Through Feb. 26. 201 Riverside Dr., Loveland. 683-5692.
HARDING MUSEUM OF THE FRANKLIN AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Open 1-5 p.m. Sunday and by appointment. 302 Park Ave., Franklin. 513-746-8295.
JOHN HAUCK HOUSE MUSEUM The Victorian house and garden has re-opened with display of Victorian Valentines, circa 1840-1900.... There will be a slide lecture on the subject. 2 p.m. Sunday. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday and 1-5 p.m. Sunday. $2 adults; $1 seniors; $.50 children. 812 Dayton St., West End. 721-3570.
KROHN CONSERVATORY Cincinnati’s flower house continues its Pre-Spring Floral Show. Florists will create the aura of New Orleans with lampposts, fountains, mirrors and thousands of brilliant blooming early spring bulbs. Through March 5.10 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. Free for Cincinnati residents, children 5 and under and school groups; $2 adults; $1 children, seniors and groups of 25 or more. 1501 Eden Park Drive, Eden Park. 421-4086.
LITTLE RED SCHOOLHOUSE
“The Collectors of Indian Hill” display their valuables in a brunch setting. 1 p.m. Sunday. $12 includes brunch. Call for reservations. Built in 1873, the brick house served as a school for 63 years. Restored by the Indian Hill Historical Society, it is now a museum. By appointment only. Free. 8100 Given Road, Indian Hill. 891-1873.
MIMOSA MANSION Built in 1853-55 as a Tuscan Villa featuring 1850s laminated Rococo Revival furniture and an exceptional collection of early lighting devices. The house also features two player grand pianos: a Mason and Hamlin and Chickering. 1-6 p.m. weekends. Group tours available by appointment. $4. 412 E. Second St., Covington. 261-9000.
PROMONT Completed in 1867, this Italianate villa belonged to former Ohio Gov. John M. Pattison. All rooms are furnished with period antiques. 1:30-4:30 p.m. FYiday and Sunday. $2 adults; $1 children; group tours can be arranged. 906 Main St., Milford. 831-4704.
SHARON WOODS VILLAGE
Guided tours of eight restored and furnished 19th century homes. 15 p.m. weekends. $5 adults; $3 seniors; $2 children 6-12; free to children 6 and under. Sharon Woods Park, Route 42, Sharonville. 563-9484.
STAR OF CINCINNATI
Featuring lunch, dinner, weekend and brunch cruises which depart from Star Landing at 15 Mehring Way, Downtown. 723-0100. MORE, PAGE 28
famous George Remus display.... The parlor and kitchen features a thenand-now exhibit of tools for the house and farm. 468 Anderson Ferry, Delhi Township. 451-4313.
Ghostly Echoes for the ’90s
CCM gives Britten's ‘Turn of the Screw opera a twist with update inspired by Annie Liebowitz photos
INTERVIEW BY ANNE ARENSTEIN
When Henry James’ novella The Turn of the Screw was first published in 1898, it created a minor sensation. James was America’s literary master, but nothing in his previous short stories, essays or novels prepared his readers for a ghost story teeming with illicit passion, repressed sexuality and disturbing ambiguity about the supernatural. More than 50 years later, librettist Mifanwy Piper recommended the story to British composer Benjamin Britten, and the resulting opera has become one of Britten’s most frequently staged works.
The tale of an unnamed governess who believes her young charges, Miles and Flora, are being corrupted by the ghosts of their former governess and her lover, the master’s former valet, is no period piece, although “it’s a good yarn just in terms of a story,” says Malcolm Frazier, the J. Ralph Corbett distinguished professor of opera at University of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music.
In preparing for the Cincinnati premiere of The Turn of the Screw (Thursday through Sunday at CCM), Frazier envisioned a conventional production on a black stage with Victorian costumes and sensibilities. But when costume designer Rebecca Senske presented him with a series of collages based on the photography of Annie Liebowitz and Sally Mann, two of the collages challenged Frazier to reconsider his approach.
The first, a series of four blurred images of the actress Diane Keaton in stages of anguish, suggested to Frazier the governess’ emotional disintegration as she fights a losing battle for the children’s souls.
While he didn’t use the photos themselves, they inspired Frazier to update the production.
“In the governess’ mind, the children are being corrupted, but the children aren’t aware of what’s happening, and, in the novel, the ghosts never speak,” Frazier says. “As the opera progresses, the governess becomes more overwrought as she tries to fight what she imagines to be the power of the ghosts.”
Ultimately, the governess fails. Flora rejects the governess and leaves with the housekeeper, while Miles dies in the governess’ arms just as she imagines that she has triumphed over the malevolent spirit of the valet. For Frazier, the other defining Liebowitz image was that of Punk star Patti Smith, disheveled, sullen and surrounded by flames The image suggested that post-traumatic stress disorder was not entirely far-fetched in reinterpreting the opera.
“As I looked at those images, the contemporary settings absolutely captured the governess’ inner turmoil, so that pushed me into the 20th century,” Frazier explains. “And it became clear to me that after the death of Miles, the governess would have gone through
some sort of emotional trauma and be sent away to recover. The opera is staged as a series of flashbacks as the governess relives the horrific events.”
Frazier acknowledges the psychological advantage in updating the setting. “When you put people on a stage and tell them they’re Victorian, they feel restricted and corseted.” Frazier also insists that there’s ample latitude in both the story and the score. “Britten has written in a huge potential of interpretation, and that’s taken partly from the structure of the original story. A work like
Malcolm Frazier, right, directs a rehearsal of Turn of the Screw.
Meredith Harewood plays the governess and Chris Jacoby plays Miles.
this expands its possibilities as time moves on, and the resonances develop over time as well.”
CCM audiences can almost anticipate that a Malcolm Frazier production will have its share of the unconventional, no matter how traditional it looks. He made his Cincinnati debut with a dazzling production of Prokofiev’s Lovefor Three Oranges in 1985, and his productions over the past 10 years have helped to make CCM a mecca for opera buffs seeking life outside the war-horses. They’ve also achieved national attention; since 1989, Frazier’s productions have taken first-place awards in the National Opera Association’s annual competition.
Britten’s music has a special appeal for Frazier.
“Britten is one of the best composers for young singers, right up there with Mozart. His music is terribly dramatic and, although it makes demands on singers, it’s not like Wagner or Verdi.
“Musically, The Turn of the Screw is an amazing structure, the work of a true genius,” Frazier says. “The structure may not be all that obvious to the audience, but the music has its own power and captures all the story’s internal struggles.” he says.
“For someone who wants a good night at the theater, this is a great yarn just on its surface, but if you want to go below it, there’s a lot revealed about human passion,” he continues. “I don’t know whether that’s disturbing or not, but because it was written by a man who was honest enough and brave enough to write about his real emotional connection to other people, it can be a revelation.”
TURN OF THE SCREW runs Thursday through Sunday in CCM's Patricia Corbett Theater. Tickets ($17): 556-9569.
Attractions
WARREN COUNTY HISTORICAL
SOCIETY MUSEUM Features artifacts from 1790 to the present, including Shaker and Victorian furniture and an extensive collection of paleontological and archaeological artifacts. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday. 105 S. Broadway, Lebanon. $3 adults, $1 students. 932-1817.
WILDER-SWAIM HOUSE This 1832 farmhouse, originally owned by the Wilder family, is now home to the Montgomery Historical Society. By appointment only. Free. Zig-Zag and Cooper roads, Montgomery. 793-0515.
WILLIAM HOWARD TAFT
NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE
Designated by Congress in 1969, this Greek Revival-style house has been restored to its appearance during the years Taft lived here as a child and young adult, and serves as the only memorial to the nation’s 27th president and 10th chiefjustice. Free. 2038 Auburn Ave., Mount Auburn. 10 a.m.4 p.m. daily. Closed Monday. 684-3262.
AFRIKAN AMERICAN DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE Offers classes 12:30-2 p.m. every Saturday. $5 adults; $2.50 children 12-16; $1 children under 12. West End YMCA, 821 Ezzard Charles Drive, West End. 281-7909 or 241-9622.
ART ACADEMY Offers Saturday art classes for children, ages 5-14. Drawingfrom Life and Printmaking and Drawing run through March 4 and Junior High Drawing and Painting runs through April 22. 1125 St. Gregory St., Mt. Adams. 562-8748.
ARTS CONSORTIUM OF CINCINNATI Offers an array of photography, art, dance, martial arts, music arid theatre classes. 1515 Linn St., West End. 381-0645.
CINCINNATI BALLET Offers classes for both adults and children. Adult Ballet Class Session II takes place 7:15-8:45 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. $10 per class. 100 E. Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine. 621-5219.
CINCINNATI MARLIN MASTERS Coached swim workouts for all abilities. Monday and Thursday evenings and Sundays at noon. Keating Natatorium, St. Xavier High School, 600 Northbend Rd., Finneytown. Call Chris Gilligan at 232-0382.
CITIZENSHIP CLASSES Travelers Aid International continues its citizenship classes. The non-profit group also offers English for the foreign born, immigration counseling, application assistance, finger printing and photos. 707 Race St., Suite 300, Downtown. 721-7660.
CONSUMER CREDIT COUNSELING SERVICE OF CINCINNATI The four-week Money Control Workshop takes place 7-9 p.m. Wednesdays and continues through Feb. 22. Call for price. CCCS, 151 W. Fourth St., Downtown. 651-0111.
CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATER Offers classes in tap, jazz, ballet, modem dance, African dance, creative movement for children and yoga. Vine and East Daniels, Corryville. 751-2800.
FLYING CLOUD ACADEMY OF VINTAGE DANCE Offers classes in 19th and 20th century social dance at 8 p.m. every Wednesday. $3 members; $5 non-members. University YMCA, 270 Calhoun, Clifton. 351-7462 or 733-3077.
GLASS CRAFTERS STUDIOS Offers classes in the art of stained glass. 11119 Reading Road, Sharonville. 554-0900.
GOSPEL STUDY Father Jim Willing presents and discusses the Gospel for the coming Sunday 12:05-12:55 p.m. every Wednesday in the Undercroft. Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains, 325 W. Eighth St., Downtown. 421-5354.
JERRY MATHERS The Beav” himself be signing autographs and hosting an “Eddie Haskell Look-Alike/Sound-Alike Contest”. The winner will receive a Sony Minidisc Portable Walkman. So dress up in your old platform shoes, gold chains, bell-bottom pants and silk shirts and come on down to the Q102 Time Warp Party. Free. 21 and over. Yucatan Liquor Stand, Covington Landing, Covington. 763L5686.
Classes & Exhibits
C.I.C. PERCUSSIONS Offers adult drum classes in Djembe and Conga, 3:30-6 p.m. Saturdays; children’s class in Nigerian Drum and Dance, 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Classes through March 25. The Miller Gardette Loft, 2401 Concord, Walnut Hills. 221-2222.
SCRIPPS HOWARD SCHOOLS PROGRAMS Intensive, multilayered, first-hand experience with original works of art designed for students in grades 1-12.
Scheduling is arranged to meet the teacher’s needs. $5 per student for the year covers gallery admissions, teacher manuals and materials.
Contemporary Arts Center, 115 E. Fifth St., Downtown. 721-0390.
SUNWATCH ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK Children ages 7-10 can learn about Native American Symbols, then create their own
petroglyph. 3-4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Ages 10 and up can learn about baskets and the natural materials used to make them as they create one of their own. 3-5 p.m. Wednesday. SunWatch Prehistoric Village, 2301 W. River Rd., Dayton, Ohio. 513-268-8199.
TREASURE ISLAND JEWELRY
Offers classes on stained glass; basic, beaded and wire-wrapped jewelry; polymer clay; and lamp work beids. 34 W. Court St., Downtown. 241-7893.
VITAL VISIONS PROGRAM Targets at-risk students. A multifaceted program includes a visit with an artist of international and/or national reputation, plus a tour of the materials and techniques employed by the artist. Each student receives a complementary exhibition-related workbook. Free to eligible schools. Contemporary Arts Center, 115 E. Fifth St., Downtown. 721-0390. Highland Heights. 572-6500.
Events
ALL-REGIONAL JURIED UNDERGRADUATE SHOW Students taking at least undergraduate course at UC, NKU, Xavier, Mount St. Joseph, Miami, Cincinnati Art Academy and Central State may submit a maximum of three works of any size or medium. There will be $1,500 in cash and prizes and the works chosen will be displayed at the Machine Shop Gallery Feb. 24-March 17. Awards will be announced during the opening reception, from 6-9 p.m. Feb. 24. Submissions should be delivered between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. 100 E. Central Parkway, Over-the-Rhine. 556-1928.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH LEC-
TURE AT NKU Sharlene
Lassiter, assistant professor at Chase College of Law speaks on “Zero Tolerance.” Noon Monday. Free. University Center Ballroom, NKU, Highland Heights. 572-6388.
BREAKFAST ROUNDTABLE AND DESSERT DISCUSSION The College of Mount St. Joseph Leadership Network presents “Bet You Can Bet You Can’t” with speakers Jerry Lawson, J. D., and Sherri Goren Slovin, J.D. Lawson and Slovin are both mediators for the Center for Resolution of Disputes in Cincinnati. The program includes a continental breakfast. 8-11 a.m. Tuesday. $35. Downtown University Center, 617 Vine St., 10th Floor, Downtown. 244-4610.
CINCINNATI WINTER SCENES TOUR Hop on board a trolley as the trained Cincinnati Historical Society tour guides will take you through Covington’s historic district as well as Cincinnati’s Riverfront area and many of the surrounding hillsides. 9:30 a.m.noon Saturday. $16 for CHS members, $20 non-members. Registration deadline is Friday. 287-7056.
THE CENTER FOR WOMEN’S
Cincinnati’s ArtReach Touring Theatre will perform Young Cherokee on Saturday at Playhouse in the Park as part of the Rosenthal Next Generation
STUDIES AT UC Presents Kathleen Jones, a professor of Political Sciences at San Diego State University, for a brown bag lecture titled From ‘Jus Solis’ to ‘Jus Civitas’: Toward a Feminist Reconceptualization of Citizenship. Noon. Monday. 130 McMicken Hall, UC Campus, Clifton. 556-6776.
CONTRADANCE Join fellow dance enthusiasts for a Traditional American Folk dance done in longways sets, like the Virginia Line. The group meets every 8—10 p.m. every Monday. Annunciation Church, corner of Clifton and Resor, Clifton. 541-8753.
CUSTOM CAR SHOW Car enthusiasts can check out the latest in custom cars. 5-11 p.m. Friday, noon-11 p.m. Saturday and noon-9 p.m. Sunday. $7.50 adults; $3 children 4-12; children under 4 free. Cincinnati Convention Center, 525 Elm St., Downtown. 352-3750. LONGHORN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP RODEO This year s rodeo salutes the American Indian. 8 p.m Friday and Saturday, 2 p.m. Sunday. $10 Friday, $8-$15 the weekend. Riverfront Coliseum, 100 Broadway. Downtown. 721-1000.
* UC’S DISTINGUISHED AFRICAN AMERICAN LECTURE SERIES Presents nationally recognized theologian and ethicist Samuel Proctor who was recently selected by Ebony magazine as one of America’s 15 greatest black preachers. 4 p.m. Thursday. Free. Zimmer Auditorium, UC Campus, Clifton. 556-1646.
UC TAFT LECTURE Kathleen Jones, a professor of Political Sciences at San Diego State University, will deliver a Taft Lecture on Woinen and the Public Interest Revisited. 3 p.m. Annie Laws, Teachers’ College, UC ^Campus, Clifton. Park in CCM Garage or Calhoun St. 556-6776.
★ UMOJA WEEK: CELEBRATING AFRICAN HERITAGE The Gospel Choir presents a Gospel Exravaganza. 6 p.m. Sunday. Greaves Concert Hall.... Pamela Hill, assistant dean for African-American Affairs and Ethnic Services discusses “An Afrocentric Perspective on Black Male/Female Relationships." 7 p.m. Tuesday. Free. Norse Commons.... The Rebuilders of African Humanity. Noon, Wednesday.
University Center Ballroom. All programs are free. NKU, Highland Heights. 572-6514.
Groups & Programs
AIDS VOLUNTEERS OF CINCINNATI AVOC offers support groups for persons living with HIV, as well as their families, friends and loved ones. All services are free and confidential. 2183 Central Parkway, West End. 421-2437.
CAFE MATIN Vous etes invite a nous rejoindre tous les samedis matins au cafe Baba Budan a partir de 11 heures. Bienvenue aux etudiants, professeurs et connaisseurs de la langue frangaise. Baba Budan’s Espresso Bar, 243 Calhoun St„ Clifton. 221-8952 or 556-7474.
THE CENTER FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING OPTIONS An agency that works with people with disabilities to achieve goals of independence. 23 E. Seventh St., Suite 601, Downtown. 241-2600.
COUNCIL ON SELF ESTEEM Meets at 7 p.m. on the fourth Wednesday of every month. Sharonville Community Center, comer of Creek Road and Thomview Lane. 941-8802.
DROP INN CENTER SHELTERHOUSE Provides shelter, food, clothes, showers, counseling and first aid to the needy. 12th and Elm streets, Over-the-Rhine. 721-0643. GAY AND LESBIAN SWITCHBOARD Open 6-11 p.m. daily. 651-0070.
THE GREATER CINCINNATI LITERACY TASK FORCE Dedicated to providing services for those who cannot read or write, its members promote community awareness of the adult literacy problem. 621-7323.
LAVENDER LIGHTS Gays and lesbians helping the hungiy and homeless in Cincinnati. To volunteer or get information, call 793-7937.
NAAMEN’S RETREAT AfricanAmerican community-based support group for HIV-challenged individuals. 559-2933. PLANNED PARENTHOOD ASSOCIATION OF CINCINNATI 2314 Auburn Ave., Mount
Theatre Series.
★
Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
BORDERS OPEN MIC NIGHT Poets are invited to read their works. 7 p.m. Monday. 11711 Princeton Road, Springdale. 671-5862.
CELEBRATION OF THE POET Local poets are invited to read their work 9-11 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month. Mt. Adams Bookstore and Cafe, 1101 St. Gregory Place, Mount Adams. 241-9009.
CHRIS FREEMAN The author of When Life Throws You A Curveball, Hit It, signs his book. 12:30-2 p.m. Saturday. JosephBeth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
DOUG HALL The creative guru signs copies of Jump Start Your Brain. 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Borders Books and Music. 11711 Princeton Road, Springdale. 671-5852. Hall and co-writer David Wecker will also make an appearance at Joseph-Beth Booksellers. 7-8:30 p.m. Thursday. Norwood. 396-8960.
VIRGINIA HENLEY The suecesful historical romance writer, who is in town for the Ohio Valley’s Romance Conference of America’s meeting, signs her latest best seller, Desired. 1-2:30 p.m. Sunday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-8960.
STEPHEN LEHRER Signs Cooking With The Chicken Breast. He will also bring samples of his heart healthy recipes. 24 p.m. Saturday. Joseph-Beth Booksellers, Rookwood Pavilion, Madison and Edwards roads, Norwood. 396-89^0.
★ READING, WRITING AND ROMANCE The Ohio Valley’s Romance Writers of America and Waldenbooks present this daylong event. Stella Cameron, Virginia Henley, Jennifer Crusie and Harlequin editor Brenda Chin will speak. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday. $25.
A portion of the proceeds to benefit the Literacy Network of Greater Cincinnati. Holiday Inn, 3422 Lyleburn, Sharonville. 751-1892.
JEFF RITCHIE Reads one of his gripping short stories at the February meeting of CWP. 7 p.m. Wednesday. Carnegie Arts Center, Scott and Robbins streets, Covington. 689-5283.
BARBARA ROSENBERG The author of Beguiled By The Wild teaches us how to eat properly as she signs copies of her new book. 1-2 p.m. Sunday. You may already know her from her previous two books, In The Beginning and Beginning Again. Barnes & MORE, PAGE 30
Montezuma’s Revenge?
Lowly Aztec drink called ‘bitter water evolves into chocolate, thefood of the gods
BY ELIZABETH CAREY
Did you know that: People used to get paid in chocolate?
The early Aztecs, as well as people of the 1700s, thought chocolate was medicinal?
Cocoa butter, the fat extruded from the cocoa bean, is the same cocoa butter we slather all over our bodies in the summer?
Chocolate as we know it is not the chocolate that was all the rage back in the day of the Aztecs. When Cortes descended upon the Aztecs, he was greeted with a feast that consisted of wild and exotic dishes, including wild turkey, guinea pigs and a native drink called xocolatl. This drink was the precursor of chocolate. Made from roasted, ground cocoa beans, its name is derived from the Aztec roots xoc (meaning bitter) and atle (meaning water).
One recipe for xocolatl cited in Chocolate, The Food of the Gods, by Chantal Coady, lists these ingredients: 700 cocoa beans, one and a half pounds of white sugar, 2 ounces of cinnamon, 14 long red peppers (chilies), half an ounce of cloves, fennel and aniseed; among others. Because the fats had not yet suecessfully been extruded from the beans, when combined with water this mixture released the fat, which, floated to the top. To prevent one from having to drink this fat, according to Coady, “the addition of cornmeal... acted as a crude emulsifier binding the fat to the water.” Mmm, mmm, mmm, give that to your Valentine.
European Epicureans
This drink, introduced to the European continent by Cortes, became a favorite of the more privileged. Consumed in the same manner as tea and coffee, Coady suggests that “by 1692, wine merchants were complaining that chocolate, tea and coffee were adversely effecting their trade.”
Throughout Europe, the once expensive elixir became more affordable to the common people, and the English began their love affair with cocoa. According to Coady, in the early 1700s “(Chocolate) was sold at the majority of coffeehouses for 12 pence a quart, or 2 pence a dish, a price just about double that of coffee and tea.” These houses became centers of politics and gambling, according to Coady, and were soon equated with the downfall of many a man and woman. Despite its guilt by association, chocolate continued to become an alternative drink to wine and spirits, an association that
greatly interested the Society of Friends, or Quakers.
The Quakers believed chocolate, the drink, was the alternative to gin for the less fortunate of society. Quakers began to make their fortune in the buying, processing and selling of chocolate to the masses.
CONTINUES ON PAGE 30 Food & Drink
During a visit to the Chicago exhibition celebrating the 400-year anniversary of Columbus’ “discovery” of the New World, American Quaker Milton Hershey became interested in German machinery for making chocolate.
Says Coady: “Inspired by the sight, and being the classic American entrepreneur, as well as a Quaker, he decided that chocolate was a really enduring product. (one) he firmly believed to be the snack food of the future.”
It wasn’t until Hershey^perfected the bar process that it became the American treat that it is so popular even that it became a staple in the rations of American soldiers in World Wars I and II.
Marks of goodness
Like coffee, cocoa beans are roasted and then ground into submission. The pressing process squeezes out all the cocoa butter and fat, leaving the manufacturer with a sort of chocolate dust. This is added to sugar and then readded to the fat that has been previously extracted (lesser chocolates are sometimes made with vegetable fats), and then blended into the confection we know today as the chocolate candy, or the chocolate bar.
So what should you look for in chocolate? Coady likens it to tasting wine, explaining that it should appeal to all five senses.
In touching chocolate, one should notice how quickly it melts. The quicker the chocolate melts in your hands, the better the quality. (Kind of gives new thought to M&Ms, doesn’t it?) In sound, you should hear a crispness when you break the chocolate, attributed to the crystalline structure of the cocoa butter. Sight and smell are fairly obvious. You should not discredit chocolate with white dust, or bloom, on it; only criticize the person who stored it. This bloom usually means that the chocolate was allowed to melt slightly or that it came in contact with moisture. You should also smell chocolate for too much salt, and too much sugar. Ultimately good chocolate will be a mixture of a glossy surface of reddish brown color, with a delicate
e Noble, 3802 Paxton Ave., Hyde Park. 871—4300
PUBLIC LIBRARY OF CINCINNATI AND HAMILTON COUNTY Library branches offer a variety of children’s storytimes groups, activities and reading groups. Call your local branch for details.
★ JONATHAN VALIN The nationally acclaimed mystery author discusses his new book, Missing. Noon. Wednesday. The lecture is free but lunch is available at 11:30 p.m. $6.50 members, $9 non-members. Reservations required by noon Feb. 6. Mercantile Library, 414 Walnut St., Downtown. 621-0717.
CINCINNATI
7TH
Groups
BOOKED ON THURSDAY The group will discuss Alcott’s Little Women. Meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. Thursday. Little Professor Book Center, 814 Main St., Milford. 248-BOOK. BOOKSHELF BOOK CLUB Meets at 9 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of every month. Coffee Please, 6930 Miami Ave., Madeira. 271-9140.
CHRISTIAN WRITERS’ FELLOWSHIP Critique group meets at 7:30 p.m. on the second Thursday of the month at Vineyard Community Church, 1391 E. Crescentville Road, Springdale. 521-1913.
CINCINNATI PLAYWRIGHTS Critique group for playwrights meets at 7 p.m. every Monday at the Carnegie Arts Center, Robbins and Scott streets, Covington. 556-3914.
CINCINNATI WRITERS PROJECT Support group for writers of every genre offers monthly meetings. 689-5283.
CINCINNATI WRITERS PROJECT
FICTION CRITIQUE GROUP Meets at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday. Arnold’s Bar’& Grill, 210 E. Eighth St., Downtown. 441-5573.
CRAZY LADIES BOOK DISCUS-
SION GROUP Meets the fourth Monday of eveiy month at 7 p.m. in the May Sarton Room. Crazy Ladies Center, 4039 Hamiltqn Ave.,
Northside. 541-1198.
GATHERING HOUSE Founded in 1993 by journalist, author and community activist Susan Kammeraad-Campbell to offer a safe environment for women to gather, write and work creatively, it now offers classes and workshops designed to help both men and women discover their innate ereativity. 100 S. College Drive, Oxford. 513-523-4284.
GREATER CINCINNATI WRITERS LEAGUE Critique group meets at 8 p.m. on the second Friday of every month at the Regency, 2444 Madison Road, Hyde Park. 753-5697.
MYSTERY AND MAYHEM The mystery book group is reading Minette Walters’ The Sculptress. It medts at 7:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of every month. Little Professor Book Center, 814 Main St., Milford. 248-BOOK.
OHIO VALLEY ROMANCE WRITERS OF AMERICA Local chapter of the national organization meets at 1 p.m. on the second Saturday of every month at the Holiday'Inn, 3422 Lylebum, Sharonville. 863-6053.
QUEEN CITY WRITERS CLUB Critique group meets at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month. Northside Bank and Trust, 9135 Colerain Ave., Colerain Township. First meeting free. 522-0108.
SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS Organization of workingjournalists and writers offers monthly programs, monthly newsletter and subscription to national Quill magazine. Local and/or national dues. 665-4700.
WRITERS WORKSHOP Open to all emerging writers, the workshop meets once a month to discuss and share works in an open forum atmosphere. $3. Arts Consortium of Cincinnati, 1515 Linn St., West End. 381-0645.
WRITING LIVES WRITING WORKSHOP Workshop for female writers. 871-8702.
Suburban Torture
BY JULIE LARSON
Theater
★ CINCINNATI PLAYHOUSE IN THE PARK Presents The Caretaker, the play that catapulted Harold Pinter to international fame. Through March 5. 8 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, 5 and 9 p.m. Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. $22-$29. Thompson Shelterhouse. Meet theArtists takes place after the Sunday matinee and the
Wednesday show and allows audience members to interact with the cast and the production staff. The program is free and attendance at that performance is not required.
Jar The Floor, Cheryl L. West’s hit play about the bittersweet nature of family love, closes Thursday. Not recommended for children. Robert S. Marx Theatre. $19-$31 adults.... The Rosenthal Next Generation Theatre Series, a program of performances for young people, continues with Kathryn Schultz Miller’s Young Cherokee, a story of Native American history and customs performed by the ArtReach Touring Theatre. 10:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Saturday.... Tickets to all shows half-price when purchased noon-2 p.m. the day of the show. Eden Park. 421-3888.
★ COLLEGE-CONSERVATORY OF MUSIC Presents Benjamin Britten’s operatic adaptation The Turn ofthe Screw. 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 2:30 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday. $17 adults; $11 students and seniors. Not recommended for children. Patricia Corbett Theater, UC campus. 556-9569.
DRAMA WORKSHOP Presents A.U. Gurney's The Snowball. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 p.m. Sunday and Feb 17-18. $7. Westwood Town Hall, Montana and Harrison avenues, Westwood. 741-8303.
ENSEMBLE THEATRE OF CINCINNATI Presents fast-paced adaptation of Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 8 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. Through Feb. 26. $20 adults; $15 students; group rates available. 1127 Vine St., Over-the-
CHOCOLATE: FROM PAGE 29 chocolate bouquet.
Lastly, and most importantly, the taste. Anyone should be able to tell the difference between the smooth, delicate flavor of Godiva, the stronger, bolder flavors of Ghiradelli and the relatively good tastes of a Hershey’s bar. By comparing several bars, it’s easier to begin to determine the differences in tastes.
As for its medicinal qualities, scientific data is still inconclusive. Often known as a stimulant and aphrodisiac, it has been said to contain the same
chemicals as produced by the body when one falls in love. Sort of explains why so many people use it as comfort food after breakups.
Despite its otherwise exotic beginnings, chocolate has become part of the American heritage. Where would we all be this Valentine’s Day without boxes of chocolate?
Bauer Room and 3 p.m. Friday in 241 Mary Emory Hall. UC campus. 556-9569.
CINCINNATI DULCIMER SOCIETY —Presents an afternoon of music. 3 p.m. Sunday. Woodland Mound,-Old Kellog, Anderson Township. 572-PARK.
DAYTON PHILHARMONIC CARILLON BRASS QUINTET AND THE PERCUSSION TRIO The Brass Quintetwill perform tuba-player Steve Winteregg’s China Crossing. The Percussion Trio will perform Paul Goldstaub’s Six Slick Stix Click Licks and music by native Daytonian Daniel Levitan. 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. $10. Dayton Playhouse, DeWeese Parkway and Siebenthaler Avenue. 513-224-9000.
MUGAN-HILLELSON DUO The classical guitarists perform 13 p.m. Sunday. Borders Espresso Bar, 11711 Princeton Pike, Springdale. 671-5852.
Rhine. 421-3555 or 721-1000.
★ FIFTH THIRD VOICES OF HARMONY A seven-week festival celebrating ethnic and cultural diversity continues 8 p.m. Saturday with Fbzees of Tradition, featuring the Corbett Quartet, the Professional Quartet and classical Indian dancer Padma Chebrolu. School for the Creative and Performing Arts Theatre, 1310 Sycamore St., Overthe-Rhine. 632-5910.
FOREST VIEW GARDENS Sit down to a three-hour meal brought to you by singers-servers who perform The Fabulous Forties. Through Feb. 26. Reservations required. 4508Tlorth Bend Road, Monfort Heights. 661-6434.
MIAMI VALLEY DINNER THEATRE Presents Driving Miss Daisy. Through Feb. 12. $26.95$34.95. Route 73, Springboro. 513-746-1554.
TRI-COUNTY PLAYERS Presents the 34th annual speakeasy and melodrama musical variety show, A Night at the Albee and Shiver My Timbers. 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 17-18 and Feb. 24-25. $8. College Hill Town Hall, 1805 Larch Ave., College Hill. 825-0094.
VILLAGE PUPPET THEATRE Charles Killian, the original founder of the theater, presents The Dream ofPrince Shiraz, an original work written and directed by Salil Singh with music by Ewar. The play is based on tales from Indian folklore and mythology and uses both marionettes and shadow puppets. Through May 28. 4:30 and 7 p.m. Friday, 12:30, 2:30 and 4:30
p.m. Saturday and 12:30 and 2:30
p.m. Sunday. $5.25. Special showings and prices available for groups of 15 or more. 606 Main St., Covington. 291-5566.
Classical Music
ATHENAEUM CHORALE Presents Sunday Vespers. 7:30 p.m. Sunday. Athenaeum of Ohio/Mt. St. Mary’s Seminary, 6616 Beechmont Ave., Mount Washington. 231-2223.
BERKNER AND BELL The flute and harp duo performs light romantic music for Valentine’s Day. Noon Sunday. $15 ($25 non-members) gets you brunch. Southern Ohio Museum, 825 Gallia St., Portsmouth. 614-354-5629.
CCM VISITING COMPOSER SERIES Augusta Read Thomas from the Eastman School of Music will lecture. 3 p.m. Thursday in the
NORTHERN KENTUCKY SYMPHONY BENEFIT Nick Clooney hosts this nostalgic trip through time to the Golden Age of radio. The evening begins at 7 p.m. with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction against the background of original Crosley radio programs. Club 19’s Michael Flannery will also appear. Saturday. Omni Netherland, Fifth and Race streets, Downtown. 665-9913.
SEASHOLES CONCERT SERIES The First Baptist Church Chancel Choir performs John Rutter’s The Sprig ofThyme a collection of 11 English, Irish and Scottish Folk Songs. 4 p.m. Sunday. The First Baptist Church of Dayton, 111 Monument Ave., Dayton. 513-222-1691.
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH Pianists Mary Jo Louis and Dr. John Deaver will perform Mozart’s Sonata in B-Flat major, three of Schumann’s pieces for Large and Small Children and Respighi’s Six Little Pieces for Piano. 12:15 p.m. Wednesday. Lunch is available at 11:40 a.m. for $5, $4.50 for seniors. The concert is free. 326 Madison, Covinton. 431-1786.
Dance
★ AFRICAN-AMERICAN MUSIC AND DANCE FESTIVAL Experience traditional drumming, jazz, blues, samba and their respective dance forms during The Journey, Part 1. Folklorist Omope Carter Daboiku will emcee the event with Essence of Africa, Queen City Dance Theatre, Espere Dance Ministry, The Last Bopper, UMOJA Dance Co., Troy Lambert, Avery Hammonds and Jeaunita Weathersby performing. 2 p.m. Saturday. $10 adults; $8 students, seniors and persons in groups of eight or more; $6 members; $3 children under 18. Cincinnati Art Museum, Eden Park. 721-5204, Ext. 293.
★ CINCINNATI BALLET Performs Giselle, the passionate tale of love and tragedy that is often called the Hamlet of dance.
8 p.m. Friday; 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday. $7-$48. Group rates available. Music Hall, 1241 Elm St., Over-the-Rhine. 749-4949.
Comedy
GO BANANAS Spike Davis and Dave Markwell through. Sunday. Trip Wingfield and Mike Juris. Wednesday. 8:30 and 10:45 p.m. Friday and
How to Submit Classified Ads
housing ads, with the exception of Roommates, must, be placed at commercial classified rates. Rates and discounts will be quoted upon request by calling 665-4700 during regular business hours. Deadline for receipt of paid classifieds is Friday, 5 p.m., 6 days prior to publication. To keep our rates as low as possible, payment must, accompany all ad orders. We accept cash, local check, money orders, Visa or MasterCard. Ads can be placed by phone, in person or by mail. (Note: Deadlines will likely be advanced during holiday weeks).
Please check your ad and report any errors to us within 1 week of publication so that corrections can be made. Publisher will not be responsible for errors or failure to run an ad except to the extent of the cost of the first insertion of the ad. Publisher reserves the right to categorize, edit., cancel or refuse ads.
ACTRESSES & UNDERSTUDIES
am forming a new theater group and need four actresses and three male understudies. Experience helpful, but not necessary. am also seeking experienced production people. Call Phil at 831-0118.
Body/Mind/Spirit
ADVISOR
Psychic Reading, Spiritual Channeling, Bodywork and Metaphysical Healing. Serving the Midwest and Southeast including Cincinnati. Call Barry Helm at 1-800-239-9796, Extension 517-6061.
ASTROLOGY CLASSES
Professional reader and experienced astrologer is offering beginner astrology classes. Every Monday starting March 27 through May 1, join in exploring your spiritual meaning and answer questions about personal concerns. Held at 18 Blossom Drive in Cold Spring, Kentucky. Cost is $50. Call Norita Ruehl for information and reservations, 606-441-0908.
DEEPEN SELF-AWARENESS
Appreciate your unique strengths. Discover yourself. Established astrologer interprets natal, progressed, transit, and event charts. Compatibility and birth reports. Readings, counseling, and tutoring available. Call Marifran Korb, 661-9464.
MASSAGE Partner/Couple Workshops
Partner/couple massage workshops. Two 2-1/2 hour sessions, two coupies, $110 per couple. Shiatsu therapeutic massage, one hour+, $40. Gift certificates available. Jeanne Theodore. 769-3869.
MASSAGE Affordable Massage
Receive an affordable massage for only $25 per hour. In the Roselawn area. Outcalls are available for $30$50 per hour. Male, Ohio licensed therapist. Hours by appointment only. Call 284-3421. MASSAGE THERAPY
offer therapeutic massage, Swedish massage, cranial sacral, body reflexology, polarity therapy, and accupressure. The Body Mall has a fully trained professional staff, and offers study groups, development workshops, children’s classes, and many alternative methods of caring for yours'elf. 3519 Glenmore Avenue, 662-5121.
iimmaiEia
ASSOCIATES- 3 NEEDED
Weight management/wellness and athletic performance programs. Earn $500-$5000+ per month, part-time. Complete training, immediate income potential. Moderate investment required. Call Kathie Stuhlbarg, 871-2434.
ENVIRO-CONCEPTS
We are an environmental company, just starting in Cincinnati, that offers environmentally friendly alternative products. We are looking for people who like people, preferrably dynamic individuals with outgoing personalities. If you are looking for a job where you can't be fired or laid off, we need to talk. Part-time or full-time $500 to $5000+. Call Jerry, 631-8935.
Business Services
CERTIFIED NURSES ASSISTANT
Experienced certified nurses assistant available for in home care, mornings and afternoons. Have references and reliable transportation. Quotes available upon request. Call Tawana Moore at 271-6411.
CUSTOMIZE YOUR GIFT No Time To Shop?
Our custom gift service answers all of your pain-in-the-neck gift buying needs. Employees, co-workers, inlaws...we can customize a gift basket for that person who is impossible to buy for. Free gift wrap! Free shipping anywhere in the U.S.! It’s fast, it’s painless, and you don't have to go to the mall! 481-7161.
DESKTOP PUBLISHING
20% Off
B&B Publishing is offering 20% off on Typesetting/Design fees on your initial order. Call or fax 481-0515.
SECRETARIAL SERVICE
etc..UFO photo library. 751-7515.28.8k
CUSTOM SYSTEMS IN MS ACCESS
Database design and programming in a personable manner. Professional references available. For specifics call Speier Associates at 481-1828. USED IBM COMPUTERS
Do you want a computer, but don’t want to spend thousands on a brand new system? have used computers that will meet your needs. All are IBM compatible XTs, 8088s, 286s, and 386s. All under $600! also have faxes, tape back-ups, modems, printers, and P.C. mouse. If you have any questions, please call me. Remember, don’t buy a computer that’s new until you see what mine can do! Call Kevin Birchfield at 598-9703 and leave a message.
BEADS BEADS BEADS
Your complete jewelry and bead shop. We offer a variety of classes, including wire wrap jewelry and stained glass. Please call for details. Treasure Island Jewelry, 241-7893.
CREATIVE KITCHEN COOKING CLASSES
Join Carol Tabone, director of Lazarus Creative Kitchen, for her winter cooking program. Italian to French, Chinese to Thai, and more. Beginners, join us for the Basics of Hearth Baked Pizzas on February 13! Chef Shirley Corriher teaches A Fast & Low Fat Menu on February 16 & 17. Other classes include Strictly Seafood on February 20, A Cozy Supper By The Fire on February 22, and An Italian Family Meal on February 23. Evening and day classes available. For reservations and a free brochure, call 369-7911. HOME INSPECTION CLASS
Oak Hills Community Education is sponsoring a seminar on inspecting a home before you buy it. Instructed by Gene Carroll, engineer and certified home inspector. Held at Oak Hills High School, 3200 Ebenezer Road, Wednesday, February 22 at 6:30 p.m. Pre-registration required, cost is $15. Call 451-3595.
For Sale
CARD COLLECTION
Baseball and football card collection for sale. Includes thirty two 1933s, including Babe Ruth. Entire collection for $2500. Approximately 30,000 commons for $500. O.J. Simpson collection includes two O.J. rookie cards. Asking $800 or best offer. Call 271-2172.
ROLLERBLADES & EQUIPMENT
Rollerblade monoblades (4 wheels) for sale. Two years old, hardly ever worn, so they are in excellent condition! Come with knee pads, elbow pads, wrist pads, helmet, and skate bag. Men's size 11. Call 761-3910.
Help Wanted
CHILDREN’S MUSEUM
The Children’s Museum of Cincinnati is now hiring for part-time positions, including Reception Desk( operating cash registers, answering phones, general information), Front Door Security (assuring safe environment in lobby), Facility Maintenance ( rou-
MERL’S
Merl’s, located Downtown at 815 Elm, is now hiring servers, bussers, dishwashers, and delivery people. Experienced or inexperienced, stop by and grab an application Monday through Friday, 2p.m.4p.m. No phone calls, please!
PERSONAL CARE ASSISTANTS
People with disabilities are seeking assistance to achieve an independent lifestyle. Need assistance with personal hygiene, housekeeping, driving. Must be dependable and punctual. Transportation and telephone required. Call 241-2600.
ALTO SAXAPHONE
Bundy alto saxaphon with case, in good condition. Previously used by student who quit lessons. Asking $400 firm. Call and leave message on extension #1 or #2, 731-2887.
AMP STACK
Selling amp stack. Marshall MiniMosfet 100 with two four by ten cabinets. Asking $450. Call 731-0504.
BASS PLAYER WANTED
Bass player wanted. Arranca wants you if you think Dee Dee is better than Flea Flea. Bilingual (English/Spanish), pop punk. Leave message, 557-3466.
DRUMMER SEEKING BAND
Drummer seeks established jazz, fusion, or funk band. am also willing to form new band with other serious musicians. have over seventeen years of experience! Call Rob at 356-5346.
DRUMS
Pearl Black 6 piece drum set for sale. In flawless condition, not even one year old. Asking $1850, or best offer. Call 943-0032.
MUSICIANS EXCHANGE
Sunday, February 19, from noon to 5 p.m., join us at the Musicians Flea Market. Located at Bellevue Vets, Interstate 471 and Route 8, next to the Party Source. $3 for admission, $25 for booth space. Enter the door prize for an electric guitar! For more information, call Ron at 606-441-8001.
GIBSON GUITAR
Gibson L12 Super 400 for sale. This one-of-a-kind is from 1953 and has been appraised at $15,000. Will sell for $8000 or best offer. Call 271-2172.
GUITAR AMP
Ampeg 150 watt, two channel guitar amp for sale. In excellent condition, it has a built in 12 inch speaker and a foot switch for channel selection and reverb. Will sell for $375. Call 221-1056.
GUITARS
Selling two guitars: The first is a Martin Cigma guitar, wood grain, just like new, asking $200. The other is an Alvarez Classical with rosewood finish, also in excellent condition, asking $300. Call 575-5100.
JEWEL
BackBeaf
Classifieds 665-4700
PROFESSIONAL SOUND STUDIO
24 track digital technology at an affordable rate. Call an experienced sound engineer at BACKSTAGE STUDIOS 292-8863
FREE INTERNET E-MAIL/USENET ADDRESS!
Adult file/mail areas*Large alternative section US Robotics V.FC 28.8k*Helpfull SysOp NERVENET I.S. **751-7515 * 24 HRS**
MIAMI UNIVERSITY CONCERT BOARD PRESENTS: LIVE
March 24, 8 p.m., Millet Hall, Oxford Tickets at Shriver Center or Ticketmaster 749-4949
TRINIDAD FOLKSINGER, CANDLELIGHT, & CARIBBEAN MENU ZARABANDA WORLD CAFE & RESTAURANT
Now featuring new menu item: Roti! Hot, delicious, Caribbean bread used to scoop up curried chicken 3213 Linwood Ave., 321-1347 CAFEZ
Comfort food, homemade daily CUBAN NIGHT DINNER $4.95 Saturday February 11 227 W. 9th St, 651-3287
ONLY ARTISTS CONTEMPORARY FOLK ART GALLERY presents a new inventory of works by Howard Flnster, Michael Finster, R.A Miller, Mose T.,and others.
STILL HUNTING FOR A VALENTINE’S DAY PRESENT? STOP LOOKING!
Call our custom gift service and order a fabulous personalized gift for that fabulous certain someone! Fragrances, lingerie, chocolates, cute fuzzy stuffed animals (she’ll love it!). 481-7161
VIDEO DESIGNER
Do you have a project that needs that special touch? Specializing in documentation of events, arts and commercial projects, & non-linear editing. Call Bob Leibold, voice/fax 481-1444
FUN & MONEY!
Fast growing multi-million dollar marketing co. is brand new in area If you are upbeat, with a good image, call 621-9160.
KATMANDU CAFE
February 10 & 11 CHALICE 1811 MONMOUTH In the Newport Shopping Center
COFFEE!
FRESH, LOCALLY ROASTED BEANS. KAFFEE KLATSCH
120 E. 4th St Mercantile Arcade 721-2233
CATCH PORTERHOUSE AT SALAMONE’S Friday February 10th with THE PSYCHODOTS
BEADS BEADS BEADS FROM AROUND THE WORLD CALL ABOUT CLASSES Treasure Island Jewelry, 34 W. Court, 241-7893
JAZZ LIVE! FROM THE HYATT
Eugene Goss & Volition
Saturday, February 11, 8 p.m. 151 W. 5th Street 579-1234
CINCINNATI BALLET PRESENTS: GISELLE
A PERFECT VALENTINE’S DAY BALLET
February 10 at 8 p.m. February 11 at 2 p.m. & 8 p.m. Tickets at Ticketmaster 7494949, Thriftway, Music Hall Box Office. For group rates call 621-5282.
ITS THE BIG CD WITH THE LITTLE PRICE. 18 SONGS. 70 MIN. OF MUSIC. $5.98
RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. OASIS. TIE THE. G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE. PRONG. SHUDDER TO THINK. Plus 12 more artists you really need to hear. So give it a tty. Its good. We promise. Available at your favorite record store.
USED IBM COMPUTERS UNDER $500 Kevin 598-9703. Leave Message. See classified ad on inside page!
WHERE NOTHING IS ORDINARY LeftHanded Moon 48 E. Court St, 784-1166
BAD HABIT
UVE ROCK-N-ROLL
FEBRUARY 10 & 11 AT THE BLUE NOTE
FREE CALLS!
Men/Women 366-2349 ext 6000
Men/Men 366-2353 ext 8000
Others 366-2357 ext 9000
RIPLEYS PRESENTS!
OROBOROS - FRIDAY, FEB.10
HEAVY WEATHER - SATURDAY, FEB. 11
NEW POTATO CABOOSE WITH UNCLE SIX - FRIDAY, FEB. 17
WATERSHED - SATURDAY, FEB. 18
MULLANE’S PARKSIDE CAFE
Lunch & dinner. Great food. Art shows. Vegetarian specialties 723 RACE ST. 381-1331
ROCK & ROLL PHOTOGRAPHY
Promo photos, studio work, on-location shoots. Call Lisa at Equus, 281-2733.
THE MOVIES PRESENTS: RED
a film by Krzysztof Kieslowski Opens Friday Feb. lO.at The Movies GRAND RE-OPENING
The Movies, 719 Race Street 381-FILM
AFFORDABLE MASSAGE!
Roselawn, male therapist $25/hr 284-3421
CINCINNATI RECREATION ROWING & FITNESS CENTER
$40 PER QUARTER
Located at Montgomery Inn at The Boathouse. Call 241-BOAT.
THE GOOD DEED EXCHANGE
Send information about skills and services you can contribute. We’ll find a worthy match. Write: PO Box 9316 Cinti., OH 45209-0316
SEND NO MONEY OPEN YOUR HEARTS PASS THE WORD
FAHRENHEIT THEATRE CO. PRESENTS Stacy Jordan Pershall’s THE COLOR WHEEL
Feb. 16 - March 12. For information and ticket reservations, call 559-0642.
FUTONS
STARTING AT $129.99
Largest selection of quality futons anywhere WHATSA FUTON 2610 Vine St 281-6501
T-shirts, hats, bumper stickers. Full art staff. 1-523-7775
The Playhouse In The Park presents THE CARETAKER by Harold Pinter
A compelling combination of laughter, tears, & goosebumps. Feb. 7-March 5 For reservations, call 421-3888.
BELKIN PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS: TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS
SUNDAY, MARCH 12, 7:30 P.M. CINCINNATI GARDENS With special guest Pete Droge Tickets on sale now at Garden’s box office, all Ticketmaster location, or byphone at 7494949
FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY! TOMMY’S ON MAIN TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14 *Goshom Brothers* 9 p.m.-l a.m. *WEBN’s Laura Steele*
