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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2019 ❚ BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS ❚ PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK
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Astronomer leaves PBS’ ‘Star Gazers’ show after 9 years Madeline Mitchell Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK
Mesa Loca moves into Hyde Park Square at the corner of Edwards Road and Erie Avenue. SHARON COOLIDGE/THE ENQUIRER
Is Mesa Loca pretty enough for Hyde Park Square?
is there?” Adds another: “How could this have been allowed? Unbelievable! OMG. It’s ugly and horribly diminishes the traditional ‘look’ of the square! Oh, and pleez (sic), enough with the boomer sarcasm.” Then, fi nally a woman with the long view: “Anyone remember Deckers Pharmacy? ... It’s been many diff erent businesses, which have created jobs, and always brought people to the square. Remembers Krogers, Lippert Bakery, Tischbeins Apothecary, the Hyde Park Theatre? They have all come and gone and the square continues to fl ourish! Folks please get a grip, it’s only a few gallows on See SQUARE, Page 2A
See REGAS, Page 2A
USA TODAY NETWORK
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A star is born Jack Horkheimer hosted “Star Gazers” — which originated as “Star Hustlers” in the 1970s — until his death in 2010. At that time, Regas came down to south Florida for a test screening. He said he never thought his career would land him on the big screen. “I was nervous as all can be,” Regas said. “You know, you’re reading from a teleprompter and I just felt like my eyes were gigantic and I was stiff and all this stuff . And at the end of the– I guess, ‘audition,’ I thought, ‘OK, well, I bombed that.’ And they said, ‘Want to come back next month?’” Every other month since then, Regas has fl own from Cincinnati to south Florida to shoot two months-worth of episodes for “Star Gazers.” His episodes have explained the mythology behind certain stars and constellations, shown what it would be like if humans could to fl y to Venus (we would melt), transformed the constellation Orion into a portrait of Elvis Presley and explored what might happen if someone fell into Jupiter’s Great Red Spot. Regas said it was exciting to have the freedom to write pretty much whatever he wanted. But the coolest part was watching the green screen make his ideas come to life. “You can see yourself on the TV screen sitting in space,” he said, smil-
Sharon Coolidge Cincinnati Enquirer
It’s times like these – when a new restaurant moves in and the new management paints the building orange and white – that the chat site Nextdoor Cincinnati really comes alive. In this case it’s the Hyde Park group taking aim at Mesa Loca, a new Mexican restaurant moving into the space vacated by Cock and Bull at the corner of Erie Avenue and Edwards Drive, right at the main corner of Hyde Park Square. Cue a debate that includes exclamations of “OMG” and boomer shaming. A sampling: One man: “I feel your pain. It looks awful.” A woman responding: “ I think it looks fresh and fun! I welcome a little diversity to HP square.” Says another woman: “Looks awful – out of place. Don’t worry it won’t last long.” And then another: “.. Heaven forbid change.” And then, this: “God, this entire platform is boring old baby boomers complaining about things they don’t understand. ‘I’m aging poorly and the world doesn’t make sense to me.’” Janet Buening, a Hyde Park Neighborhood Council trustee, said the design complies with the neighborhood plan and she hasn’t heard complaints about it. But social media clearly tells a different story. Another woman: “It’s an unfortunate choice of decor that isn’t authentic at all. I guess it would fi t in an amusement park. And there is nothing wrong with preserving buildings or squares for that matter
Cincinnati Observatory astronomer Dean Regas does not consider himself a “classically trained” astronomer. He has never even stepped foot in an astronomy class. “That sounds bad,” he laughs. But it isn’t. Regas’ expertise is based on self-taught techniques and is grounded in a genuine appreciation for the subject. Because of that, he can explain what he knows to other people without getting caught up in sciencetalk, which can confuse or alienate those who aren’t experts themselves. “I’m just teaching people the way I learned,” he said. Regas will continue to do that even after his last episode of “Star Gazers” at the end of this month. Regas has cohosted the show with James Albury, who is also leaving, for the last nine years, writing and starring in more than 900 episodes during his tenure. Regas told WVXU the show’s producers wanted to consult with new hosts and other content editors to create something more appealing to the YouTube generation.
This Hyde Park condo featuring Lululemon was controversial. AMANDA ROSSMANN/ THE ENQUIRER
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