EASTERN HILLS JOURNAL Your Community Press newspaper serving Columbia Tusculum, Hyde Park, Mariemont, Mount Lookout, Oakley and other Northeast Cincinnati neighborhoods
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 24, 2020 | BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
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Madeira offi cials developing plan for ‘racial equity’ Jeanne Houck Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
Harold and Eugenia Thomas at a recent ribbon cutting for the Harold and Eugenia Thomas Comprehensive Care Center for cancer and heart disease treatment. ANNE SAKER/THE ENQUIRER
Indian Hill philanthropist lauded for ‘incredible generosity’
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Jeanne Houck | Cincinnati Enquirer | USA TODAY NETWORK
arold Thomas of Indian Hill says he has given away tens of millions of dollars to hospitals, colleges, municipal public-safety departments and more because he believes in the adage that charity begins at home.h If that’s the case, the 87-year-old retired businessman has a family that stretches from Corryville to north of Columbus.h The most recent “relatives” to benefi t from Thomas’ generosity are the residents of Indian Hill, Madeira and Montgomery. Thomas has donated $250,000 to each of the police departments in those cities. “My reason was I knew Indian Hill needed new state-of-the-art radio equipment for each of their offi cers to be more effi cient when on patrol,” Thomas said. “I also learned they needed other items but did not have the funds to purchase them. “They spent over $100,000 (of the donated money) to equip all their offi cers with the new radios. I assumed Madeira and Montgomery had the same problem, so I included them in my giving,” Thomas said.
Cities have benefi tted from Thomas’ largesse before Indian Hill, Madeira and Montgomery have benefi tted before from Thomas’ largesse. Thomas paid for the construction of fi re stations in Indian Hill and Madeira for the Madeira & Indian Hill Joint Fire District and for ambulances for the fi re district and Montgomery. Madeira City Manager Tom Moeller said his city used the money Thomas recently donated to make improvements to the police department’s offi ces, including upgrades in security systems, and to buy equipment for offi cers. Thomas’ fi rst wife and the woman he married after she died have supported his charitable work. “Our taxpayers and residents have benefi tted
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tremendously from their incredible generosity and we cannot adequately express our deepest appreciation for all they have contributed to our communities,” Moeller said.
‘We will forever be grateful to them’ Montgomery City Manager Brian Riblet said, “The Thomases’ contribution will enable us to purchase protective equipment and tools to keep our staff safe while providing critical services to our community. “We will forever be grateful to them for their generosity and compassion in support of our fi rst responders.” Thomas is a native of Pleasant Ridge who graduated from Withrow High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at the University of Arizona and an MBA from Xavier University. He married his grade school sweetheart, Margret “Mitze” Jung, in 1954 and the couple had two children. Thomas’ wife died in 2015. Thomas now has eight grandchildren and one great-grandson. He recently celebrated his fourth wedding anniversary with his second wife, Eugenia. Thomas worked for his father’s company, Thomas Foods, and then for Sysco Foods before becomSee DONATION, Page 2A
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Offi cials in Madeira are throwing their support behind the movement promoting the rights of Black people, offi cials said. Madeira City Council has voted to develop a community action plan to promote racial equity in the city. “We have all been confronted the last (couple) weeks with the astonishing normalcy with which African Americans face systemic racism and rules of injustice breaking lives apart and literally killing them,” Mayor Nancy Spencer says in a statement posted on the city’s website. “Quite simply, Black Lives Matter and we must not wait for perfection in words or plans to take action.” City Manager Tom Moeller said Madeira is “in the very early stages of discussion on this issue. Mayor Spencer is leading the discussion with other community leaders and city staff .” Spencer told The Enquirer that Madeira City Council has decided to pursue a community action plan for racial equity with four components: commitment, connection, communication and correction. “Connection will leverage key relationships to assess needs and actions, across local leaders (city, police department, school district, fi re department and faith leaders), community input and regional connection to efforts across Hamilton County,” Spencer said. “Communication will identify tactics to listen and respond, via community forums, social media and other tools. “Correction will include specifi c actions to address opportunities,” Spencer said.
Mayor: ‘Police Chief Dave Schaefer has my full support and appreciation’ Spencer added that, “Madeira Police Chief Dave Schaefer has my full support and appreciation for his leadership developing policies and initiatives responsive to ensuring racial equity and equal justice.” Protests have already spread from Downtown Cincinnati to the suburbs, including Madeira. The most recent U.S. Census Bureau statistics show Madeira has a population of 9,245 people, of which 93.7 percent are white. See MADEIRA, Page 2A
Officials in Madeira, a well-heeled Hamilton County city where African Americans comprise just 1.4 percent of the population, are throwing their support behind the movement promoting the rights of Black people. JEANNE HOUCK/THE ENQUIRER
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