SMALL BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
B1 Your Community Press newspaper serving Blue Ash, Montgomery, Sycamore Township, Symmes Township E-mail: nesuburban@communitypress.com We d n e s d a y, J u l y 2 2 , 2 0 0 9
Artist Merlene Schain, right with Abby Koenig.
Volume 46 Number 22 © 2009 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
$1,500 cash giveaway
Through July 24, you can win daily cash prizes and get entered for a $500 jackpot from CincyMomsLikeMe.com. Go to MomsLikeMe.com/cincy contests for all the info.
Moments in Montgomery
Montgomery now has a community blogger. Visit Cincinnati.com/ Montgomery to read “Moments in Montgomery,” a blog authored by Montgomery resident Jamie Green. While there, take a look at the “Blogging in Montgomery” blog, authored by Norheast Suburban Life staffers. You can also find a link to start your own community blog.
Kings Island bound
Readers who won tickets to Kings Island as part of our Readers Choice survey are: • Michael Brunner of Cincinnati • Tara Reese of Hamersville • Darla Hartmann of Cleves • Mark Class of Alexandria, Ky. Watch the newspaper for more Readers Choice announcements in coming weeks.
Pledge to serve
Sycamore Senior Center hosted its monthly veterans luncheon for veterans and widows of veterans and their guests. SEE LIFE, B1
’09 was fine
Members of the Sycamore High School Class of 2009 distinguished themselves by earning a large number of widely varying awards before graduating last spring. “We are proud of our students and congratulate all of them on their achievements,” said Adrienne James, superintendent of the Sycamore Community Schools. SEE SCHOOLS, A6
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B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
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$13.5M later, time to cut ribbon
The schedule of activities for the rededication ceremonies for Blue Ash’s recreation center, Saturday, July 25: 10 a.m.-11 a.m. – Ribbon cutting & reception 11 a.m.-2 p.m. – Fitness fair 11 a.m.-4 p.m. – Open climb at the climbing wall Noon-3 p.m. – Family fun zone (inflatables) Noon-5 p.m. – Pool games
Noon-2 p.m. – American Red Cross information 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m – Keith Swinney Band concert (Café area) 3:30 p.m-5 p.m. – Magician Tom Bemmes 6 p.m.-9 p.m. – Dinner & entertainment (Robin Lacey & DeZydeco) According to city officials, the approximate $13.5 million renovation and expansion includes:
The new front of the Blue Ash Recreation Center faces Cooper Road. • a new gymnasium; • a greatly expanded twostory fitness center, including a 1⁄10 mile indoor running track; • a new family café area;
JEANNE HOUCK/STAFF
• a new family gameroom; • whirlpool and saunas; • new locker rooms, including family changing areas; • climbing wall
Art show to feature new original Charley Harper paintings By Caitlin Varley cvarley@communitypress.com
Although artist Charley Harper died two years ago, fans will have the chance to see 50 unseen original Harper paintings. Charley’s son, Brett Harper of Finneytown, said the paintings were found by Ford Motor Co. Harper had been commissioned to paint them for the Ford Times magazine. “We all believed that they were gone forever,” Harper said. The paintings will be show through Aug. 8 at Fabulous Frames and Art in Montgomery. Ken Carl, owner of Fabulous Frames and Art, said they are ecstatic about hosting the show. “It’s quite an honor, really, to be displaying these for the first time,” Carl said. Fabulous Frames and Art is the largest Charley Harper dealer in the world. Carl said it took 35 years to get to that point. Carl said the new originals are similar to Harper’s other work, but it is a larger breadth that goes beyond wildlife. “Once you appreciate Charley’s understanding of nature, then they all become so interesting,” Carl said. Carl said the pieces are kind of
FILE PHOTO
Fabulous Frames and Art will show the works of the late artist Charley Harper, here at his Finneytown home in 2006. an anomaly because most people do not know much about them or why they were created. Some of them were made into prints after they appeared in the magazine, while others have only been seen in the magazine decades ago. Harper said the corporate historian e-mailed him because they wanted to divest their art collection. The company wanted to retain a small, core collection, but they wanted to offer the bulk of it to the artists’ families or their estates. “I thought that was very gra-
cious of Ford,” Harper said. Harper went to Dearborn, Mich., a few weeks later to see the original paintings. “I just looked at them when I walked in the door and a lot of emotions went through me,” Harper said. Harper said it was like seeing part of his father at a young age again. “He was so vibrant and energetic and just teeming with ideas,” Harper said. There were between 108 and 120 paintings, Harper said. Some were close ups of Ford hardware and the company did not want them to be taken. Harper sorted through the paintings and ended up with 50 that he wanted to buy. He said they were a range of themes, including fish, birds, travel and a mix of other subjects. Harper said finding originals for the vintage Ford Times prints was one of the most exciting things. That includes the fish, bird and travel pieces. Harper said the originals also include about 25 collages that are really special. “(My father) and I had both thought they were gone forever,” Harper said. Harper said he wants to keep
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The 50 Charley Harper originals include fish, birds, travel, terrestrial animals and scenic attractions.
some of the paintings for major exhibitions. Harper said the paintings at the show will be priced at east and west coast prices, which is what he thinks they should cost. He doesn’t expect any of the paintings to be priced under $20,000. “If they sell, they sell,” Harper said. “If they don’t, it’s been a very good reason for Ken to bring people in.” Carl said he hopes they will sell some, but he knows not all will sell. Harper said the show will travel if the paintings do not sell. He picked Fabulous Frames and Art for the first stop because they have been a loyal, long-standing dealer. Harper added that it made sense to start in Cincinnati because that’s where his dad’s career was. “(He) had a love affair with Cincinnati, which I think has been reciprocated,” Harper said.
Feds to pay for Reed Hartman upgrade By Jeanne Houck jhouck@communitypress.com
Blue Ash City Council voted July 9 to hire a Sharonville company to resurface part of Reed Hartman Highway. The city will use some $840,000 in federal stimulus funds to pay the John R. Jurgensen to do the work, which is between Glendale-Milford and Cooper roads on Reed Hartman. Jurgensen is to complete the proj-
ect by the end of October. In other action July 9, city council agreed to buy self-contained breathing apparatus units for the fire department from the Vogelpohl Fire Equipment of Erlanger, Ky., for a maximum of $173,334. Council also voted to pay contractors associated with the renovated and expanded Blue Ash Recreation Center on Cooper Road the following sums for various changes made to initial con-
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tracts: • PJ Plas Plumbing of Sycamore Township – $34,900. • Langdon Inc. of Lincoln Heights – $26,400. • Volpenhein Brothers Electric of West Chester Township – $12,394. • Weisbrod Masonry of Reading – $12,200. • Dalmatian Fire Inc. of Deerfield Township – $10,916. • Flannery Painting Inc. of Covington, Ky. – $4,500.
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• Champion Bridge Co. of Wilmington – $2,634. The city will rededicate the recreation center on Saturday, July 25. The project cost about $13.5 million. Blue Ash issued nearly $10 million in bonds to pay most of the construction costs over a 15year period and the rest will be paid with proceeds from an increase in the city’s earnings-tax rate approved by voters in 2006.
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