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NEWS

Organizers Tahji Woods, Danielle Horsley and Susie Lutes speak to a crowd at a rally against racial injustice in Greenhills P H OTO : N I C K S WA RT S E L L

In a Cincinnati Suburb Created Segregated, Protesters Proclaim Black Lives Matter Several dozen people turned out under the blazing summer sun for a rally in Greenhills — once segregated by the federal government — to protest racial disparities in policing

BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L

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he grass is green on the commons and the Greenhills Community Building shines white in the sunlight. It’s a textbook early summer Friday in the quiet suburb just north of Cincinnati.

But June 5, 2020 is also unique.

Several dozen people, mostly but not all white, have put down their Black Lives Matter signs and taken a knee in that grass around the gazebo that sits before the community building. For nine minutes — one for every minute white Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin held his knee to the neck of George Floyd May 25 as Floyd, who was black, died — there is nothing but

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the chirping of birds and the sound of traffic many yards away on Winton Road.

It’s just nine minutes in the 81-year existence of this small American village of about 3,600 people. But they are a poignant nine minutes, given the town’s history.

As protests over the deaths of Floyd, Louisville’s Breonna Taylor and others have rolled through many large American cities, drawing crowds of thousands, they have also come — sometimes more slowly and quietly — to the nation’s suburbs, including West Chester and Greenhills.

The federal government created

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Greenhills in the depths of the Great Depression during President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal program.

It was one of three small towns designed to provide ideal, somewhat communal living for poor and working class Americans suffering from the Depression and crowded, polluted conditions of cities like Cincinnati.

It was also expressly whites only.

Long after the federal government divested from the town following World War II, that segregated legacy continued. Though a few black students attended the village’s school district prior, the district drew up a voluntary plan to integrate its high school in 1979, 40 years after it was founded. But in 1984, the year after the first black students brought in under that plan graduated, only 23 of Greenhills’ 5,000 residents were black.

Lisa Leace was one of those students.

She grew up in neighboring Forest Park.

For her, the rally on the green was a revelation. Wearing her Greenhills High School pride gear, Leace climbs into the gazebo and takes a small bullhorn to praise both the organizers and attendees at the event — and pushes them to continue their work.

“Imagine my experience — black people, whom Greenhills was not used to seeing, sent to a school with white students,” she says. “We were not welcome. This would have never happened in 1983.”

Greenhills has gotten more diverse in the years since Leace graduated — blacks account for about 13 percent of the village’s population today. But a reputation for racial tension and disparities linger among some in Greater Cincinnati, not helped by some unfortunate associations.

The last time Cincinnati saw massive protests over racial disparities in policing, they were sparked by the 2015 shooting of unarmed black motorist Sam DuBose by former University of Cincinnati Police Officer Ray Tensing, who got his start as a part-time officer with the Village of Greenhills Police Department.

Greenhills residents, however, take pains to stress that it is a welcoming community. Black-owned businesses occupy the town’s small business district. And like a lot of American suburbs, it continues to diversify.

Some openly acknowledge its painful history with race, but say they have hope the town — and America as a whole — can transcend that history.

“This was a sundown town,” says Pat Andwan, who has lived in Greenhills for decades and once ran for mayor.

“That meant blacks were not allowed in the town after sundown. I hope with the efforts of all the people here, their hearts and minds, things will change.”

Danielle Horsley of neighboring Woodlawn speaks to the crowd before the moment of silence. She’s one of four

young, local organizers who put the rally together.

Horsley focuses on the fact that June 5 is Breonna Taylor’s birthday.

Horsley says she identifies with Taylor, who would be turning 27 this day had she not died after Louisville police shot her eight times during a no-knock raid on her apartment. Taylor was not armed, though her boyfriend fired one round as police pounded down their door. Officers were serving a warrant on a person who did not live there and turned out to already be in custody.

Like Taylor, Horsley is 26. Like Taylor, Horsley is black.

Three other organizers — Tahji Woods of neighboring Forest Park and Greenhills’ Nick Purdin and Susie Lutes — asked Horsley to come speak.

“I didn’t expect anyone to join us, but it turned into a great thing,” Purdin says.

“I value these people because they’ve spoken some great words.”

Woods has both positive and negative associations with Greenhills, including some experiences with racism, he says.

“This was my roaming ground growing up,” he says. “I stayed in Forest Park but I was always over here meeting people at the pool. We used to meet up here and play football. I really did feel

the need to mention the injustices that have happened in this community.”

Susie Lutes is the fourth member of the group that organized the event. Like Purdin, she grew up in Greenhills.

“I couldn’t ignore it,” she said of the protests happening across the country over racial disparities. “We had to bring it here to our town. We wanted to bring it to the smaller communities where it is easier to look away and not pay attention. People are just going to the pool and living like normal. We wanted to put it in peoples’ faces who aren’t paying attention.”

But the message this day on the sunny green is one of understanding, too. It is understandable to be overwhelmed about America’s racial tensions, organizers told the crowd.

Everyone is still learning.

“It’s OK not to know,” Horsley tells the crowd mid-afternoon. “I understand that when tensions rise, it’s hard to listen. You feel attacked. You’re going to feel attacked — trust me, I know. But it’s about stepping out of that, removing yourself from that emotion. We have to be willing to learn from each other and teach each other. It’s OK to say ‘I have no idea what is going on, but I know this is not right.’ I will not judge you. I will support you, as long as there is genuine support for me.”

The Suffoletta family at a June 5 rally protesting racial injustice in Greenhills P H OTO : N I C K S WA RT S E L L

Those who come out to the event are receptive.

Greenhills-Winton Woods School District educator Gary Giblin has taught middle school just down the street from the rally location for two decades.

“We’re privileged to be here,” he tells organizers. “Thank you for stepping up here and speaking. You made me want to cry. I’m an old white guy… and I’m embarrassed. But I want to tell you that we’re learning. At a time when black lives don’t seem to matter, we need to say ‘black lives matter.’”

As the rally progresses, Kim Suffoletta

stands with her family on the green lawn watching. Her son Drew holds a white sign with three black letters — “BLM.” “I know right from wrong,” Kim says.

“And what I’ve been seeing is wrong. It’s time to stop sitting in the safety of my house and to come out and show my support.”

“To see people gather where I’ve lived and grown up, it’s really eye-opening,” Drew says. “It fills my heart to see people standing up for what is right.

This is the least I can do — come out here and stand with them.”

Covington’s NKY Pride Center to Provide Safe Space, Support for LGBTQ+ Youth

BY G R AC E D E A R I N G Last year, cities in Northern Kentucky witnessed an incredible amount of momentum in the efforts to further the LGBTQ+ movement. When the city of Covington issued a call to action for surrounding cities to join them in passing fairness ordinances which would extend protections to LGBTQ+ citizens, Bellevue, Highland Heights, Fort Thomas, Cold Spring and Dayton, Kentucky implemented their own ordinances.

Covington was also the first city in Kentucky to pass a ban on conversion therapy for minors. Last year, the city also scored a 94 out of 100 on the Human Rights Campaign’s LGBTQ Municipal Equality Index, jumping 20 points in 2019 from its 2018 score of 74. It was second in the state behind Louisville, which scored a 100.

And, as NKY Pride celebrated its 11th annual festival this year, Northern Kentuckians also commemorated another marker: the opening of the NKY Pride Center.

The center planned to open its doors on Friday June 5, but that was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

Bonnie Meyer, co-chair of the NKY

Pride Center, says she hopes the center will be open to the public later this summer or early fall.

to serve Northern Kentuckians who don’t have access to some of these support services,” Meyer says.

The NKY Pride Center has been more than 10 years in the making and will serve as a physical space for LGBTQ+ youth to receive support.

So far, they have been promoting events and organizations including the Black Trans Advocacy Coalition, OutReels Cincinnati and a variety show from The Cincinnati Sisters to benefit the Black Trans Protesters Emergency Fund.

“What we hope to provide, through the NKY Pride Center, is additional efforts to promote equity and inclusion across the region, while also providing community-based services,” Meyer says. “We’re working with partners across Northern Kentucky to offer things like cultural and social opportunities.”

These opportunities include everything from open mic nights to training, workshops and discussions to networking happy hours. Until the center can officially open to the public, Meyer says a variety of virtual programs and resources, including support groups, will be hosted on the NKY Pride Center website and Facebook page.

“There are few resources that are actually located in Northern Kentucky, so we what we hope that we can do with the NKY Pride Center is pull these resources, organizations and partners together so that we’re able

In addition to postponing its grand opening, the NKY Pride Center hosted a virtual NKY Pride celebration as a result of the COVID19 pandemic.

Instead of the previously scheduled parade and festival, which would have taken place on June 7, a variety of virtual performances and panels were hosted on the NKY Pride Center website, Zoom and Facebook Live.

Additionally, the center posted this statement on their Facebook page, as the Pride event coincided with local protests over the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tony McDade, David McAtee and other black citizens at the hands of law enforcement: “As we celebrate NKY Pride, it is important to remember that Pride was born of an uprising, a rebellion against injustice. We’ve

designed a mix of inclusive programming that we hope will inspire, educate, and entertain, and we certainly want to acknowledge Northern Kentucky’s advancements in LGBTQ equity. But at the same time the LGBTQ community realizes that this region and this nation has far to go, especially for our black and brown communities. That’s critical context for this year’s Pride weekend, and it makes this more than a celebration — it makes it a call to action and a message of solidarity.”

“We remain fixed and compassionate to the black and brown LGBTQ+ community,” Meyer says. “At the same time, we feel it’s also important to continue to uplift and celebrate progress around LGBTQ+ equity.

We’re also thinking about ways that we can elevate that message and hopefully raise some funds for organizations doing the hard work of fighting for equity in our black and brown communities.”

The NKY Pride Center is located at 230 W. Pike St., Covington, nkypridecenter.org.

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Cincinnati Police Reform Veterans and Younger Activists Offer Up Proposals to Address Racial Disparities in Policing

BY N I C K S WA RT S E L L

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housands of Cincinnatians have joined protests put together by a diverse, often young group of organizers over the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd and similar incidents.

With all the anger and mourning, suggestions for reforms and new ways of approaching policing have emerged from both younger activists and veteran police accountability advocates who have seen success in pushing reforms in past decades.

Common among them is reducing the amount of money police get from the city.

That idea is somewhat similar to those floated in other cities. Members of Minneapolis City Council, for example, have announced their intention to defund and disband the police department altogether and start over with a new model of public safety.

Continued anger swirls over the death of Floyd, who was killed by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin May 25 after Chauvin held his knee on Floyd’s neck for nearly nine minutes.

The protests have also highlighted a number of other deaths of black citizens at the hands of police, including the killing of medical professional Breonna Taylor in Louisville, who was shot to death after police served a no-knock search warrant on her apartment looking for someone who was not a resident there.

Younger Cincinnati organizers who have put together recent protests here have released a 15-point set of demands aimed at national and local police reforms.

Local demands include: • Demilitarization of the Cincinnati Police Department, including a ban on use of assault rifles, armored trucks and other military equipment.

• Reallocation of the Cincinnati Police Department’s budget to include much more money for mental health services for officers, increased de-escalation training and more body cameras for officers. All interactions between the public and police should be recorded with either body cameras or dash cameras.

• CPD should create and enforce a no-tolerance policy for use of excessive force.

• The department should increase the number of training hours it takes to become an officer, including 40 hours of cultural awareness courses and 80 hours of de-escalation training.

• Officers should be required to

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Iris Roley of the Black United Front speaks on the steps of Cincinnati City Hall June 4 P H OTO : N I C K S WA RT S E L L

complete a minimum of 80 hours of community service a year in the communities they police.

• Cincinnati Public Schools and local universities should reconsider relationships they have with CPD and take into account input from teachers, students and parents.

• Greater transparency about complaints against Cincinnati police, including a comprehensive count of complaints available on the city’s website.

• Release of protesters arrested during George Floyd protests in Cincinnati.

• Efforts by local and federal law enforcement to “bring Ray Tensing to justice.” Tensing is the former University of Cincinnati police officer who shot and killed unarmed black motorist Sam DuBose in Mount Auburn in 2015. Multiple juries could not agree on a conviction of Tensing, and the University of Cincinnati later paid Tensing a $250,000 settlement over his termination.

And they’re not the only ones with suggestions.

Cincinnati’s Mass Action for Black Liberation, formerly Cincinnati Black Lives Matter, was responsible for protests around the police killing of unarmed black motorist Sam DuBose in 2015. The group issued its own set of demands June 8. Those demands go further and seek an end to disparities in

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law enforcement via the defunding and demilitarization of Cincinnati police; an end to CPD presence in Cincinnati Public Schools; criminal investigations into past police killings; reparations for families of those killed by police; increased funding for social services, health measures, cooperativelyowned, black-led economic efforts and affordable housing; full funding of a police oversight body; and more.

Some suggestions by activists are more narrowly focused.

On the steps of City Hall, veteran Cincinnati police accountability activists June 4 introduced their suggestions for reforms to local policing as a full week of protest around police killings continued. Iris Roley, Rev. Damon Lynch III and civil rights attorney Al Gerhardstein of the Black United Front said the suggestions could prevent deaths like Floyd’s.

The group suggested structural changes in the way public safety is funded at the city level. Currently, roughly 70 percent of the city’s operating budget goes to public safety.

And 36 percent of that operating budget — almost $152 million a year — goes to the police department.

“Seventy percent of the money in this building goes into public safety... and yet we aren’t safe,” Lynch said.

“One of the struggles in this fight is to come into this building and get some of that money we spend and make

public safety something that we do for ourselves. We have got to police our own communities. We have to provide our own safety. We cannot trust the police to provide safety for us. We have to figure out how do we wrestle this money that you put in here so that safety becomes a community issue.”

Cincinnati is no stranger to police killings of unarmed black residents. In April 2001, the city witnessed several days of civil unrest after the killing of unarmed black 19-year-old Timothy Thomas by Cincinnati police officer Stephen Roach.

That killing and the furor over it eventually led to the city’s Collaborative Agreement, a police reform effort spearheaded by Roley, Lynch and Gerhardstein.

The main thrust of the Black United Front’s message at City Hall June 4: that agreement needs to be renewed and strengthened.

The Collaborative Agreement sought to shift the Cincinnati Police Department away from aggressive tactics toward more communityoriented policing, created the Citizens Complaint Authority to receive and act upon complaints of officer misconduct or bias, aimed to diversify the city’s police force and other efforts.

But an independent review in 2017 that was commissioned as part of a refresh of the Collaborative found that the city had effectively walked away

from several parts of the agreement.

That shouldn’t happen, Gerhardstein and others argue.

“Through problem-solving, Cincinnati has cut the number of arrests by 50 percent since the Collaborative went into effect,” Gerhardstein said. “That’s a big deal. When you don’t arrest people, you don’t beat them up. When you don’t arrest people, you don’t lock them up. That’s why it’s important to pursue these remedies.”

The Black United Front is pushing for six specific reforms: • Full funding for the Citizens Complaint Authority, an entity created by the Collaborative and designed to independently investigate complaints of police misconduct.

“The city and the county have been whittling away at the CCA,” Gerhardstein said. “The city cut the funding. Now we don’t have a director and we’re down two staff. The caseload is too far up. All that has to end. Full funding. Full staff. We have to get the CCA going.”

• Better data on arrests and police stops.

“We’ve been saying that we need to know exactly the race of everyone stopped and arrested and the race of every cop who stops and arrests them.

We need that on the city’s website and

we need to stop disparities, which we know exist,” he said.

• A problem-solving team for youth disparities in the local juvenile justice system. A CityBeat deep dive into the juvenile justice system here last year found profound racial disparities in arrests and incarcerations among young people in Hamilton County.

“There is a huge disparity,” Gerhardstein said. “The police are beating up, tasing and arresting blacks at a much higher rate than whites among youth.”

• Boost the number of black safety workers including police and fire fighters via a first responders academy at Cincinnati Public Schools. Currently, CPD is roughly 30 percent black, though the city is 45 percent black.

• Robust public input and efforts at dialogue around police abuse and policing disparities.

“We ought to be on the street listening to every one of you and every one of your neighbors so we know what you want and so that we make it happen in any rejuvenated agreement. We have to have something that represents people in the community,” Gerhardstein said.

• Prioritizing a refresh of the Collaborative Agreement. That refresh has “been on the backburner,” Gerhardstein said.

Several Cincinnati City Council members have expressed support for the recommendations and they, along with other suggestions, could come before full council soon.

But council member Greg Landsman said that change won’t come from council alone.

“It is going to take an army,” Landsman said. “It is systemic. It is not going to be one person. It’s not going to be a mayor or a couple council members or even a police chief. It is going to require an army of people who stick together every day for the next five to 10 to 20 years until it is changed.”

Of course, not everyone is sold on the reform approach. A few protesters at the event by the Black United Front expressed impatience with the pace of change that has happened.

“If what y’all were doing had changed the narrative, George Floyd would be alive right now,” one man yelled.

One other protester also skeptical of the reform efforts on offer had a very specific change he wanted to see: the cessation of arrests for those suspected in non-violent offenses. Landsman said that is something he could introduce into city council.

Many in the crowd were supportive of the Black United Front and cheered the suggestions. Roley encouraged younger

protesters to build on what the group accomplished while acknowledging change hasn’t come fast enough.

There are deeper issues that their recommendations don’t address tied to racial disparities in economic issues, the group acknowledged.

“Before George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, we were already suffering,” Lynch said. “We already had one of the highest poverty rates in the nation. In a city where you’ve got Procter & Gamble, Kroger, Macy’s, and all of that power and money, our communities are starving. You’ve got communities with no grocery stores and the largest grocery company in the world is headquartered in your city.”

At least some of the debate about policing will likely play out during the city’s coming budget season, when Mayor John Cranley, City Manager Patrick Duhaney and city council will hammer out the city’s spending plan in the face of a roughly $73 million deficit, caused by the coronavirus pandemic and its attendant economic devastation.

Currently, the city spends more than 36 percent of its operating budget — $151.7 million — on police. Cranley and Duhaney must propose a new spending plan, and Cincinnati City Council must approve it by June 30 ahead of the first day of the new fiscal year July 1.

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ARTS & CULTURE

Staircase at the intersection of Greenwood Terrace and Hutton Street P H OTO : M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

Cincinnati’s Public Stairways Offer Flights of Urban Exploration More than 400 sets of steps connect communities and cultural assets, offering ways for pedestrians to see the city from new perspectives

BY M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

O

ver 400 sets of steps carve through Cincinnati’s hillsides and valleys, threading through the city’s 52 neighborhoods and making space for pedestrians to get from here to there. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, social distancing measures have left many with a renewed interest in exploring Cincinnati’s outdoor spaces, including its many urban staircases.

In a preface to her book Walking the Steps of Cincinnati, which was originally published in 1998 and updated in 2014, Mary Anna DuSablon posed the question as to why the Queen City is home to so many steps. Laid out in a basin along the Ohio River, downtown Cincinnati is bordered by steep hillsides. And though it has been called the

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City of Hills, she argues that it’s really a “City of Valleys,” ones that were “carved in a rolling plain formed more than two million years ago.”

Cincinnatians moved from the basin and took to the hills, forming pockets of unique neighborhoods. “Toward the end of the 1800s, as various modes of transportation evolved, trolley car routes terminated at the steps, and eventually, at one of the five inclinedplane railways as well. More stairways branched out from inclines to accommodate residents on the streets underneath,” DuSablon writes.

The longest of Cincinnati’s public stairways — the Main Street Steps — tallies 354 stairs and sprawls from Overthe-Rhine’s Mulberry Street all the way to Eleanor Place in Mount Auburn.

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According to DuSablon’s book, they were built expressly for that purpose — to connect the two neighborhoods, and everything that falls in between.

From the bottom, walkers can’t quite see the top. Between flights, there are brief stretches of respite that reveal stunning views, often shaded by greenery. Between slats of tree limbs, peaks of buildings, roadways and murals unfurl. At the mouth, colorful chalk-like art swirls along the concrete steps. She notes that the phrase “oxygen sickness” has been used in reference to the steep, lengthy ascent. Make it to the top and you’ll be rewarded with a pause at Jackson Hill Park.

On a recent sunny day in May, Metro Scooter owner Seth Hershey met me at the foot of the stairs on Mulberry. It’s just one of many flights featured on his Instagram account @cincystairs, which he began in November 2019.

“I was born and raised in Cincinnati and the surrounding area; anytime that we’d come into town I would always see the stairs,” he says, adding that they instilled in him a sense of adventure.

He also cites the now-decommissioned old yellow lamp shades known as turtles, which once designated transit stops. An avid explorer, hiker and biker, he was fascinated by these details from an early age.

Hershey discovered many of the staircases featured on his Instagram account while riding his bike/scooter

through Cincy. Even his kids will now point out staircases that blur past as they take family drives. And his documentations aren’t contained to one part of the city. Scroll through his 146 (and counting) posts and you’ll find climbable beauties from most pockets of the Queen City.

“I love them all,” he says when asked if he has a favorite set.

“There are some that I’m like ‘Bookmark!’ because next chance I get, if my girls will put up with me, I’ll take my girls there,” Hershey says.

Each post details the intersections (and parks) at which any given staircase can be located, alongside the amount of steps Hershey counts. Of the latter — especially when tackling larger flights — he says he often has to recount. Like Walking the Steps of Cincinnati (a book that Hershey himself has read), the account may be about stairs on the surface, but more than anything it acts as a guide for followers to explore Cincinnati by way of walking.

Take to the Main Street Steps and one will notice a concrete pillar marked with a blue aluminum sign. Cincinnatians have local nonprofit Spring in Our Steps to thank for that. The signage was placed there in 2017, along with 12 other bollards along eight pedestrian paths between Over-the-Rhine and Mount Auburn.

A collaboration with the Department CONTINUES ON PAGE 11

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of Transportation & Engineering, the $20,000 project aimed to help students get to Rothenberg Preparatory Academy with ease, according to a 2017 article by CityBeat’s Steven Rosen. But really, it’s for anyone who uses the path.

Along with hosting volunteer-driven cleanups, this kind of initiative is at the core of Spring in Our Step’s (SIOS) mission. Founded in 2012, the organization has “promoted and improved walkable, public pathways to reconnect communities to the city’s greatest cultural assets.”

In a recent Zoom interview with founder Christian Huelsman — who now lives in Minneapolis — and board member John McCue, Huelsman says that in 2011 he began to notice that public alleys and stairways weren’t being maintained by the city. He later learned that much of the funding to maintain these spaces had been stripped, so the organization took it upon themselves to start cleaning up alleyways. They reached nonprofit status in 2015 and have taken on over 70 projects, focusing on what Huelsman says has altogether been almost 175 public stairways and alleys.

“These are historical walking connections in the neighborhoods for reasons that are still apparent today in the terrain,” he says. “They’re so ingrained in the communities’ accessibility without a vehicle. We find undeniable value in maintaining those connections, especially as streets and sidewalks may not be properly maintained, made accessible or repaired.”

In many cases, these stairways connect from one bus route to the next, but many are without proper signage or lighting. SIOS advocates not only for their preservation but also for their enhancement, enabling pedestrians to travel safely between parts of the city.

“Especially for a lot of transit users in Cincinnati who rely on that as their main source of transportation, if they live in a hillside neighborhood, those staircases are the best — or fastest — way to get down to the transit route they’re using consistently,” McCue says.

These spaces should function for everyone, Huelsman adds, no matter the economic background, racial or ethnic makeup of any given neighborhood. Though projects have been on pause due to the coronavirus pandemic, Huelsman says they connected with members of the South Fairmount community last year to restore access to their public stairways, some of which have been formally closed by the city due to lack of handrails, structural issues or overgrowth. With no dedicated funding to maintain them, SIOS initiated that dialogue in the summer of 2019 and had two outings in which they cleaned three different stairways.

Pre-social-distancing, they held a hillside cleanup event in February at the Fairmount Avenue Steps, which lead to Saint Clair Heights Park.

“There were fallen trees, which some white knight came through and cleared like two days before our outing,” Huelsman says of the project.

There have been multiple ongoing projects in the neighborhood, including the Lick Run Greenway Project, a landscaping initiative that will redirect water to Mill Creek, a preventative measure to keep sewage and storm water from overflowing local sewers. Huelsman says they find that investing in the neighborhood’s connectivity needs to come now while there’s a renewed interest.

McCue also mentions that the stairways are worth checking out because, if nothing else, they are unique to Cincinnati — only so many American cities are similarly home to such a large network of public staircases.

His favorite set? The Ohio Avenue Steps.

In her book, DuSablon describes them lovingly: “There is truly no more memorable or definitive picture of life in old Cincinnati than that of the Findlay Market shopper descending the fabulous Ohio Avenue Steps.” In Hershey’s post of the stairway, he counted 109 steps in total.

Exploring Cincinnati via its stairways presents a way to view parts of the city that might not be otherwise seen. It’s one of the reasons McCue got involved with SIOS to begin with — noticing the “incredible loops” in which one could walk through the Queen City, up and down its many hillsides.

“Speaking personally, I feel that the staircases derive some of the best vistas looking down into the basin from the hillside neighborhoods,” McCue says.

“What you can do, for example, going down the Ohio Avenue Steps and walking on McMicken and coming back into Fairview Park is a really cool walk that involves all sorts of staircases.”

One such flight is made up of 204 steps, which take pedestrians from McMicken to just south of McMillan before spilling out into Fairview Park Road. Each step is numbered with a square mosaic tile and the sides are decorated in an eye-catching floral pattern.

“I think (the staircases) are really unique and oftentimes, maybe surprisingly for some people, a beautiful part of the city,” McCue says, “and should be part of anyone’s summer plan to get to know their city better.”

Follow Seth Hershey’s explorations via Instagram @cincystairs. To get involved with Spring in Our Steps, visit their website springinoursteps.com.

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CULTURE

Cincinnati Art Museum’s Hillside Art Climb

BY M AC K E N Z I E M A N L E Y

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n asymmetrical, zig-zagging flight of stairs rises near the intersection of Eden Park Drive and Gilbert Avenue from the sidewalk, flanked on either side by greenery as it weaves through a hillside.

This is the Cincinnati Art Museum’s Art Climb: 164 steps The Art Climb and nine stories high P H OTO : H A I L E Y with 16 landings. The stairway also includes four “art plazas,” which CAM’s Director of Marketing and Communications Jill Dunne says are “earmarked for artwork.” (Those spaces may be filled this summer. Dunne says that they’re in talks to borrow three large-scale pieces from Hamilton’s Pyramid Hill Sculpture Park & Museum.)

Throughout the climb are light beam structures, meant to guide users toward the museum.

The multi-year project will unfold in phases with the total cost ringing in at $20 million (paid for with private funding and New Market Tax Credits).

Construction outside of the Art Climb encompasses a new front drive, art and paths.

Due to the hillside’s steepness, the Art Climb is not ADA accessible, according to the CAM’s website, which has caused controversy. Future phases will include ramps elsewhere on museum grounds; the stairway’s top landing — the one closest to the parking lot — will be made ADA compliant via a ramp.

Unveiled May 7, Dunne says the Art Climb saw over 5,000 people use the stairway during its first four days. When she first took to the steps, she said she was “within tears” — and not just because she was out of breath.

“We’re really proud. I think it looks really great,” she says. “It’s just something so different and smart of us, I think, to really open up outside our walls and give people something to do outside.”

Because of the pandemic, the Art Climb did not have a public opening celebration, though one is tentatively scheduled for later in the year. Still, stroll by and you’ll likely see visitors utilizing the off-white steps in a number of ways — running, exploring with their families, taking a break on a landing to read, photographing.

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BOLLINGER

Though unintentional — COVID-19 and social distancing certainly weren’t on their minds in the process of planning the Art Climb — Dunne says that the stairway has given people a way to connect with the museum while their building was closed.

Working alongside Turner Construction, the museum partnered with Emersion Design and Human Nature for the architecture and landscape design.

Dunne points out that the stairway was the “brainchild” of Director Cameron Kitchin, who joined the museum five years ago. It falls in line with CAM’s strategic plan laid out in 2016 and set to finish this year. More specifically, it’s an initiative toward their goal of expanding community impact and outreach.

Criss-crossing down the hillside, the Art Climb was intentionally mapped out to land near a Cincinnati Metro bus stop. It’s meant to physically connect the CAM to surrounding neighborhoods, including Walnut Hills, by removing barriers. Located in the northern part of the museum’s grounds, invasive honeysuckle and diseased ash trees were removed in the construction process, though a release notes that effort was put toward retaining as many healthy trees as possible.

Until the museum reopens its indoor space to the public on June 20 (and on June 18 for members), Dunne says she is happy that Cincinnatians are able to connect with the CAM’s exterior via the Art Climb, which joins over 400 sets of public steps in the city.

“We’re a hilly place and the fact that we have a new set of steps to join so many historic, beautiful steps that have been there throughout the years, we’re excited to be a part of that,” she says.

Cincinnati Art Museum, 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

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PRIME

TIME all the time.

Cincinnati | 441 Vine Street | 513.621.3111 | mortons.com

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FOOD & DRINK

Fifty West Burger Bar P H O T O : S AVA N A W I L L H O I T E

Eight Summertime Grab-and-Go Dining Destinations Some new and some classic roadside stands and walk-up windows where you can get a socially distant and satisfying meal

BY E R I N C O U C H A N D W I L L I A M M E Y E R

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othing says summer quite like a nostalgic stop at a seasonal roadside hot dog stand or burger joint — or really any outdoor walk-up window. The Greater Cincinnati area has had at least two open up during the pandemic, offering socially distanced outdoor dining as well as carry-out options, and other favorites have adapted their service to accommodate the new normal.

Fifty West Burger Bar Every sign told the pioneer of Fifty West’s new Columbia Township burger joint that opening up shop during a pandemic was a bad idea. “In the

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middle of the night, I couldn’t sleep,” says Bobby Slattery, co-founder of Fifty West. “I called all (the employees), and we decided to open up the Burger Bar in the middle of the crisis.” After laying off the majority of his staff, Slattery says the scant handful of employees left in the kitchen braced themselves for an opening devoid of orders and customers. But defying the odds, people flocked to the 1950s root beer standinspired burger bar. “Then the orders just started flying in,” Slattery says. The kitchen was barraged with an average of two tickets a minute from a COVIDfriendly online ordering system. The line grew so long, they were forced to start asking guests to wait in their cars.

Slattery was able to bring the entire

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staff back on, and he says it has been almost nonstop business since their opening at the end of April. The brewery spent around 10 years planning and building the Burger Bar. It’s connected to Fifty West’s sprawling campus, which now has a tent-covered beer garden with spaced-apart tables in addition to its existing beach volleyball courts. The menu features bread-and-butter diner specialties like classic cheeseburgers, flat-top hot dogs and loaded crinkle cut fries, but there are also 12 specialty burgers named for the 12 states that U.S. Route 50 runs through. They’re loaded with ingredients inspired by each state, including Cincinnati-style chili, tartar sauce from Maryland, apple butter from West Virginia and smoky barbecue sauce from Kansas. To combat the influx of business during a pandemic, Slattery says they’re taking extra cleanliness precautions, taking employees’ temperatures at the door, scrubbing down tables and religiously wearing masks. And he says it’s been worth it. “It’s been absolutely insane,” he says, “and so, so good.” 7605 Wooster Pike, Columbia Township, fiftywest.com.

Bridgeview Box Park Also opening in the midst of the pandemic is the Bridgeview Box Park, a cluster of small food, drink and shopping

vendors conglomerated where Mitchell’s Fish Market used to sit at Newport on the Levee. They are housed next to each other in shipping-like containers — hence “box park” — and are interspersed among a common outdoor area. What’s on the menu? Each eatery has its own unique flair: Che on Wheels, a food truck version of the OTR empanada bar, serves “picnicstyle grilled and smoked meats,” sandwiches and sides; Bon Mi Street offers Asian street food and milk tea; and The Little Spoon Bakery & Cafe serves baked goods and Carabello Coffee. There’s also Kon-Tiki tiki bar, an outpost of Newport’s Wooden Cask Brewing Co. and Second Sight Spirits, the Ludlow-based distiller, which has special cocktail options.

There’s also a plant shop. “We are creating an experience akin to sitting on your deck at home, except imagine that you are sipping an umbrella drink while people watching and taking in the four bridges stretching over the river,” said Adam Schwegman of North American Properties, developers behind the box park.

Officials say they’ll be adapting to the future stages of Kentucky’s reopening, but are planning for what the “new normal” brings. Newport on the Levee, 1 Levee Way, Newport, newportonthelevee.com.

Pata Roja Taqueria After visiting Mexico City and enjoying

the city’s street food, Derrick Braziel was inspired to create Pata Roja Taqueria. Braziel took cooking classes and went to Mexico City several more times to inform his business and honor his food’s Mexican origin. For the past several months, Pata Roja has been serving its sweet and savory al pastor tacos from a window at The Takeaway deli and grocer in Over-the-Rhine and various pop-up locations around Cincinnati. Other menu items include bistec and veggie tacos, guacamole, chips and salsa. Braziel plans to keep his taqueria operating out of The Takeaway through the summer, with hours 6 p.m.-midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Because of COVID-19, Pata Roja began offering taco kits for guests, but the service is on pause for now as the taqueria looks to build up its street food operations again. Braziel is also a co-founder of MORTAR, an organization that helps minority and marginalized entrepreneurs grow their businesses. 1324 Main St., Over-theRhine, patarojatacos.com.

Root Beer Stand Since 1957, Sharonville’s Root Beer Stand had operated as a cash-only business, up until two years ago when they started accepting cards. Now, because of COVID, they’ve completely ditched their old-school business tactics and jumped head-first into the 21st century with iPad transactions, online ordering and texting customers when their grub’s up. “It’s worked very well since we’re a very, very old business and we did it in a matter of weeks,” owner Eric Burroughs says. This seasonal favorite is currently open for walk-up or call-ahead/online orders with carport pick-up, which you can enjoy in their newly opened picnic area.

(They are also doing delivery.) They’ve slashed the menu to the most popular items and have simplified dishes: floats are now only one size and there are only single and double burgers. Regular 12- and 6-inch coneys are still available, but the Timmy Dog — a nine-ingredient footlong coney — is not. Thankfully, you can still get their famous root beer, brewed with the property’s well-water, by the gallon. Burroughs says the new tech they’ve implemented may stay on the menu for the future. 11566 Reading Road, Sharonville, therootbeerstand.com.

Mr. Gene’s Dog House While the original Mr. Gene will have been gone for five years in July, the grab-and-go has been owned by his son, Donald Kuester, for over 30 years.

This summer, customers can pair Mr. Gene’s piping hot chili-cheese melt or slaw dog with an ice-cold malt from the no-frills hot dog stand. Because of

COVID, its employees are required to wear masks and gloves, but customers aren’t. Bonus: The outdoor seating area is open. 3703 Beekman St., South Cumminsville, mrgenesdoghouse.com.

Ollie’s Trolley Ollie’s Trolley serves its Southern comfort food from its red and yellow trolley car located in the West End. Guests can enjoy dishes like deep-fried turkey, rib tips and collard greens. Before the pandemic, guests could enter a lobby and order food for carry-out. Now, two windows have been installed for placing and picking up orders. The trolley also has a $9 buffet where customers can pick one entree and three side items. Ollie’s Trolley serves its food, described by general manager Marvin Smith as having a home-cooked feel, for breakfast, lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday. 1607 Central Ave., West End, 513-381-6100 and searchable on Facebook.

Gomez Salsa As a walk-up window in a bar district, Gomez Salsa OTR is built for a pandemic. Xs line the sidewalk of the OTR to-go taco window to encourage customers to socially distance. Gomez is offering their full menu of chips and salsa, tacos, bowls and burritos, as well as their signature Turtle, often referred to as a gourmet Taco Bell Crunchwrap.

And you can wash it all down with a government-approved to-go margarita or Vive hard seltzer. The Walnut Hills location is working on opening their outdoor patio later in the summer, but for now it’s take-out only. 107 E. 12th St., Over-the-Rhine, gomezsalsa.com.

Kitchen Factory This Northside staple is still open, but the walk-up window featuring vegan, vegetarian and meat-based menu items has limited its hours and closed its small indoor seating area completely — now with only a two-top table outside.

But owner Melissa Howard says she’s proud of what the employees have been doing in addition to encouraging customers to keep spaced apart. “We’re rocking on our sanitation,” Howard says. Customers can pick up Kitchen Factory’s staple by-the-slice New Yorkstyle pizza with regular or vegan cheese; vegan meatball hoagies served with pizza sauce on a Sixteen Bricks bun; and gluten-free, vegan mac and cheese — lovingly dubbed “crack and cheese.”

“In a way, it’s easy,” Howard says of the new protocols. “My employees’ health and making sure they’re financially stable is pretty high up on my list.” 1609 Chase Ave., Northside, kitchenfactorynorthside.com.

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Woodward Theater P H OTO : H A I L E Y B O L L I N G E R

Local Music Venues Plan to Reopen Despite Uncertain Future “Everything is hanging by a thread nowadays. And it’s all contingent on whether that thread can keep us in the air.”

BY J U D E N O E L

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he economic impact of COVID19 on local businesses is one that has been felt uniquely by local music venues. While many establishments have been able to remain open in limited forms the past three months, either through curbside services or delivery, the congregational nature of live music has forced many independent spaces to remain closed.

Though Cincinnati’s economy has gradually begun to reopen in recent weeks, local owners say the future of their venues is somewhat uncertain.

“Everything is hanging by a thread nowadays,” says Dan McCabe, co-owner of both the Woodward

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Theater and MOTR Pub. “And it’s all contingent on whether that thread can keep us in the air.”

Though live music is slated to return to The Woodward in early July, MOTR — a bar with less dedicated space for crowds and more frequent shows — has yet to announce a reopening date (at press time).

According to McCabe, he and his business partner Chris Schadler are currently devising a plan to resume operations while keeping patrons and performers safe.

“We need to continue to educate ourselves,” McCabe says. “The landscape of live music changes daily.

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We participate regularly in webinars and Zoom meetings. We’re a member of the Greater Cincinnati Assembly Alliance. The National Independent Venues Association has offered, among other things, solace, but also a forum for everybody to get together and exchange best practices and ideas. Our position now is to keep our ears to the ground and study what operations in this new environment look like.”

Arnold’s Bar & Grill, which reopened its dining room on May 21, managed to host live music the past few months by hiring street performers to play their weekly drive-by fish frys — a curbside service held on Fridays.

The restaurant brought its live acts indoors on the same day that patrons were allowed to dine in, however.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s Responsible RestartOhio Plan and the Ohio Department of Health’s Dine Safe Ohio Order required that the “open congregate areas in restaurants, bars, and banquet and catering facilities that are not necessary for the preparation and service of food or beverages remain closed,” which allowed Arnold’s to open their stage while preventing visitors from gathering around the stage. (Though that order just changed

on June 5 to once again allow for “open congregate areas” to reopen, and for live entertainment to resume — with social distancing still in place.)

Because performers are required to remain six feet apart from audience members and fellow band members, owner Chris Breeden is only booking solo acts for the immediate future.

“I figured, why mess with it,” says Breeden. “Can’t mess up the spacing if it’s only solos.”

Across the river, Newport’s Southgate House Revival also plans to open its doors in early July, though owner Morella Raleigh says that it’s uncertain exactly what that reopening will look like.

Because the venue does not serve food, it isn’t considered a restaurant by the state of Kentucky. At press time, Gov. Andy Beshear had yet to release official guidelines for music venues, but Raleigh expects that it will require the Southgate House to operate at a third of its maximum capacity.

“When I reopen, my staff and I will all be wearing masks,” she says. “Is that going to be long-term or not? I don’t know. We’ve got to play this out and see.

A lot of it relies on the numbers that we see from the virus. We have to negotiate CONTINUES ON PAGE 31

A band at Arnold’s Bar & Grill P H OTO : H A I L E Y B O L L I N G E R

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what we can have fun with and do our thing with while still being safe.”

Raleigh also believes that it’s important for venues like hers to be a resource for smaller artists and bands to gain recognition. She cites bands like The Black Keys, Band of Horses and the White Stripes as currently established acts who played early shows at the Southgate House.

“None of those artists, when they first started out, had that corporate machine behind them that gets the word out.

So, we kind of help get the word out.

There’s a circuit of musicians that rely on independent venues in this part of the country,” she says.

McCabe agrees, stressing the value of independent venues as an alternative to spaces run by larger promoters like Live Nation.

“It’s a platform for artists to develop,” he says. “To help them learn their craft, give them an opportunity to build an audience and test their material. That’s a vital thing that happens in cities all across the nation. It would be a hardship to lose that.”

Before venues reopen, there are many things that fans can do to help them pay their bills.

Southgate House is currently offering gift cards alongside tickets on their online store, while an array of merchandise is available on MOTR’s website. On May 23, Northside’s The Comet offered T-shirts “for the first time in 25 years,” according to their Facebook page, live-printing designs onto patrons’ shirts or tote bags.

CincyMusic has also held livestreamed events to benefit local venues. Their virtual “Live with Inhailer Radio” series, for example, helped raise over $10,000 for the staff of MOTR and The Woodward.

“Many of the MOTR staff have been with us for 10 years,” McCabe says.

“They’re what’s integral in building what we have here on Main Street, so it makes sense to me that they’ve been supported as graciously as they were.”

To appeal for federal aid, more than 2,000 owners have banded together to form the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), launching the #SaveOurSpaces campaign to spread awareness of their cultural value and economic impact on the U.S. economy.

In May, NIVA board president Dayna Frank told Rolling Stone that 90 percent of the organization’s members “do not have cash on hand to last more than six months without federal intervention;” 55 percent said they didn’t have enough to last more than three months.

Southgate House’s Raleigh says that it’s in the music scene’s nature to band together during difficult times.

“Anytime there’s something that affects the community, the music folks really come together,” she says. “We’re all kind of feeling our way through this because nobody’s been through this before.

“I think at this point, the one thing that’s keeping us all going is the fact that we can reach out to one another and say, ‘Hey, I miss you. I miss hearing your guitar and hearing you play your song.’”

For more information on MOTR Pub, visit motrpub.com. For more information on the Woodward Theater, visit woodwardtheater. com. For more information on the Southgate House Revival, visit southgatehouse.com. For more information on Arnold’s Bar & Grill, visit arnoldsbarandgrill.com. For more information on the National Independent Venue Association, visit nivassoc.org.

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50 Socially Distant Attractions & Activities to Explore By CityBeat Staff

U

p until even just a couple of weeks ago,

it was unclear what entertainment destinations were going to reopen in Ohio (and Kentucky) this summer. What were kids going to do? How were parents going to entertain their children?

Or themselves? What about general humans who appreciated spending several hours in air-conditioned attractions or bodies of water to avoid the unbearable seasonal humidity?

While many typical summertime activities have already been canceled — music fests, the state fair, other assorted summer festivals — the rest that are reopening have been modified to accommodate for COVID-19-related health precautions. But just like sunscreen and sunglasses are essential warm-weather protection, it seems easy enough to add a face mask, hand sanitizer and/or a healthy dose of social distancing to your seasonal arsenal.

So here are several lists of things you can do this summer to get out of the house and into the outdoors or another building to have some fun and possibly have your temperature checked by a stranger.

Avondale, cincinnatizoo.org.

Cincinnati Art Museum — The museum reopens to the public June

BY MAIJA ZUMMO 20 and is requesting guests register for As of press time, these major museums a free timed-entry ticket in advance. and amusement parks had announced Hours will be shortened through dates to open their doors/gates/what early July, with special member hours have you for the season. Most also have Saturday and Sunday mornings. The special pre-opening dates in place for Rosenthal Education Center is closed, members. but the Terrace Cafe, Museum Shop Coney Island — Coney Island’s Sunlite and new Art Climb staircase are all Pool and Cannonball Cove reopened open. “Something Over Something Else”: June 12. In case you missed it: The Romare Bearden’s Profile Series is on park got rid of all of its rides last year view through June 21; Gorham Silver: because research showed most guests Designing Brilliance, 1850–1970 is on were coming to hang by “the world’s view through July 5; Women Breaking largest recirculating pool,” not ride Boundaries is also on view (end date the Ferris wheel. Big changes here are TBD). 953 Eden Park Drive, Mount social distancing guidelines, capacity Adams, cincinnatiartmuseum.org. limits and that guests are asked to wear Newport Aquarium — The aquarium masks — unless they are in the water, in reopens to the public June 25 with a which case they are asked not to wear reduced capacity and social distancing masks (choking hazard). Note: 2020 guidelines in place. All guests must passes are good for the 2021 season wear a mask (except those under the as well. 6201 Kellogg Ave., California, age of 3) and have their temperature coneyislandpark.com. taken before entry. If you have a fever Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden — above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, you The zoo reopens to the general public and your party have to come back on June 17, with reduced capacity and another time (refunds are available). timed-entry tickets. Reservations for a Animal encounters (no shark specific time and date are required and petting) and interactive exhibits are can be made online. Guests are encourclosed. 1 Aquarium Way, Newport, aged to wear masks, stand a “zebra’s newportaquarium.com. length” apart and must enter through Contemporary Arts Center — The CAC the Erkenbrecher Avenue gates. Rides will reopen to the public July 1. While and indoor attractions are closed admission remains free, visitors are for the time being, and current food asked to reserve a timed-entry ticket options are grab-and-go. 3400 Vine St.,

Nine Attractions

in advance so the museum can limit capacity. Masks are encouraged. Portuguese street artist Vhils’ explosive and anticipated solo show Haze is still on exhibit (now through March 2021). 44 E. Sixth St., Downtown, contemporaryartscenter.org.

Kings Island — If you want blue ice cream or to ride the new Orion giga coaster, you’ll need to wait until July 12 — and then complete a health screening 24 hours prior to your visit (online or on the Kings Island app) and have your temperature taken upon entry.

Guests are also required to wear masks and make a reservation in advance to comply with capacity limits. Keywords here: sanitizing, social distancing, safety. They haven’t released an opening date yet for waterpark Soak City, but they have said that all 2020 Kings Island season passes will be good for the 2021 season. 6300 Kings Island Drive, Mason, visitkingsisland.com.

Cincinnati Museum Center and Holocaust & Humanity Center — Both museums, located in Union Terminal, have a target reopening date of July 17. Like every other institution, they are asking guests to purchase timed tickets to limit capacity, maintain social distancing and to please wear a mask. Some interactive and high-touch exhibits will be offline. More details are forthcoming on both websites. Maya: The Exhibition is still on view at the CMC. 1301 Western Ave., Queensgate, cincymuseum.org, holocaustandhumanity.org.

Taft Museum of Art — The Taft says it expects to make a formal announcement regarding its reopening in midJune. For now, you can view Far Flung, a large-scale “unique fantasy experience” on the front lawn of the museum.

International sculptor Patrick Dougherty twisted more than six tons of willow tree saplings into a whirling structure that calls to mind a hobbit home. 316 Pike St., Downtown, taftmuseum.org.

National Underground Railroad Freedom Center — The Freedom Center is reopening July 24 and is asking guests to

purchase timed tickets (online preferably) to manage capacity. 50 E. Freedom Way, Downtown, freedomcenter.org.

Three Drive-In Movie Theaters

BY HAILEY BOLLINGER, WILLIAM MEYER

Starting Memorial Day weekend, the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC) transformed the neighborhood’s historic Hollywood Theatre — a former 1920s single-screen cinema — into a drive-in movie experience for the community.

Films are screened on the back of the theater building and moviegoers tune in to their car radios to listen to the audio. Films start at 9:15 p.m.; parking begins at 8:15 p.m. Currently there are 43 spots per showing and tickets are $20 per car.

It was so successful the first weekend that organizers decided to extend the event through the rest of the summer.

“We have been discussing the concept of a drive-in theater behind the Hollywood for a while now as part of a plan to bring the Hollywood Theatre back to life. Then, COVID-19 happened,” says Seth Walsh, executive director of CHCURC. “With people spending so much time apart, we wanted to find a safe way to bring the community back together. It also became a great way to support our local businesses by having them provide food for the event.”

For example, during the second weekend the drive-in was held, Red Rose offered pizza by the slice and hot dogs for sale from a walk-up window.

Walsh says “the realities of COVID mean we’ll need to continue social distancing throughout the summer,” so movies will be running Thursday through Sunday in June. And, he says, if there’s interest, they may expand to more nights in July.

Here’s the current schedule: June 18: Madagascar

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June 19: The Hate U Give June 20: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi June 21: Love, Simon June 25: Fever Pitch June 26: Sonic The Hedgehog June 27: The Martian June 28: Arrival The final movie of the summer will be screened Sept. 7. 1538 Cedar Ave., College Hill, hollywooddriveintheatre.com.

The Greater Cincinnati area also has two other traditional drive-in theaters — Holiday Auto Theatre in Oxford and Starlite Drive-In in Amelia — which screen both first-run and nostalgia flicks.

Todd Chancey, one of Holiday Auto Theatre’s owners, says that the driveins’ prominence in local and national news due to the closure of indoor theaters because of the pandemic is boosting business. (Indoor theaters have since been allowed to reopen in Ohio; the Esquire, Mariemont and Kenwood theaters have a soft reopening June 19-21, for example.)

“Drive-ins are getting a lot of attention, and folks are showing up and realizing ‘Wow, this is a great experience and was one even before the current state of COVID-19,’ ” he says.

Both of the decades-old cinemas have updated the policies on their websites to inform patrons about changes due to COVID-19. Most changes relate to capacity limits, how tickets are sold (online sales are encouraged) and social distancing as it applies to concession stands and restrooms.

Check out upcoming screenings online. Starlite films are $9 for adults (Tuesdays are car-load nights: six people in one car costs $23) and start at 9:10 p.m. Holiday films are $9.25 for adults and start at 9:10 p.m.

Starlite Drive-In, 2255 State Route Ohio-125, Amelia, starlitedriveinohio. com. Holiday Auto Theatre, 1819 Old Oxford Road, Hamilton, holidayautotheatre.com.

Six Bike Trails

BY SETH ROBINSON

From March 16 to April 6 of this year, local bike trail use was up 30 percent compared to last year — some trails even tripled their traffic, according to Tri-State Trails, which “connects people and places via a regional trail and bikeway network” — as people started using their quarantine time to get outdoors and exercise.

“Trails and bikeways are one of the few places that remained open during the stay at home order, and have proven to be an essential amenity for our community during this crisis,” said Wade Johnston, director of Tri-State Trails at Green Umbrella.

And that trend has continued, with media outlets like CNN and The

Hollywood Theatre Drive-In | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Guardian calling bicycles the “new toilet paper,” as demand has them flying off store shelves.

With more than 570 miles of trails, we asked Tri-State Trails’ Johnston his picks for the six best trails people should bike this summer — especially with social distancing in mind. Here’s what he said. Learn more at tristatetrails.org.

Little Miami Scenic Trail — “One of the most popular — and busiest — trails in the region. It traverses 78 miles from Cincinnati to Springfield, Ohio. It’s the southern leg of the 326-mile Ohio to Erie Trail, and Great Parks of Hamilton County is about to start construction on a bridge that will connect to Lunken Airport. The rural sections are definitely less busy if you are trying to social distance. From Loveland south it’s always packed on a nice day. There’s an 8-mile spur into Lebanon called the Countryside YMCA trail.”

Ohio River Trail — “There’s about 3 miles downtown in the Cincinnati riverfront parks, and another 4 miles around Lunken; these sections are connected by bike lanes along Riverside Drive. The section at Schmidt Field is right along the river and extra wide for physical distancing. Cincinnati is currently building a connection from Salem Road out to Sutton Road to connect Lunken Airport to Coney Island. You can also explore the Kentucky side of the Ohio River on the Riverfront Commons trail. There’s

about 2 miles through Covington and Newport — also known as the Riverwalk — as well as shorter segments in Dayton and Ludlow. The Dearborn Trail also follows the Ohio River for about 6 miles from Lawrenceburg to Aurora, Indiana.”

Wasson Way — “This is the region’s newest rail-trail. Right now there’s about 1.5 miles between Madison Road and Montgomery Road. Tri-State Trails helped secure $6 million last year to extend the trail west to Avondale and east through Ault Park to the Murray Trail. Through our #CROWNcincinnati project, we are working to connect this to the Ohio River Trail and Mill Creek Greenway to create a 34-mile trail loop around the city.”

Mill Creek Greenway — “There’s about 2.5 miles from Spring Grove Village through Northside to South Cumminsville. There are public art installations, including Space Walk, a to-scale model of the solar system that glows at night.

There’s also a public orchard installation. You can ride on Canal Bikeway, following Central Parkway and Eggleston, to connect to the Ohio River Trail at Sawyer Point.”

Devou Park and Mt. Airy Forest — “Beautiful natural surface trails right in the heart of the city. Great for mountain biking and hiking.”

Great Miami River Trail — “There’s 7 miles from Fairfield to Hamilton, 9 miles in Middletown, and 55 miles from

Franklin through Dayton to Piqua. The connection between the Middletown and Franklin sections is scheduled to start construction this year!”

Eight Public Pools

BY GRACE DEARING

The Cincinnati Recreation Commission (CRC) reopened seven of its 24 pools on June 8: the Dempsey Pool, Evanston Pool, McKie Center Pool, Dunham Armleder Aquatic Facility, Hirsch Pool, Oakley Pool and Pleasant Ridge Pool.

“Even though this summer doesn’t look or feel quite the same as other summers, we are pleased to be able to offer our citizens some relief from the heat and a place where families can have some fun together,” says CRC Director Daniel Betts.

All pools will be following new health and safety protocols. Each will have a maximum capacity and there will be specific blocks of time when the pool will be available for public swimming.

Guests are asked to make reservations in advance. And to allow for the most people to have access to the pool, there will be a limit on how many blocks of time you can reserve. The pool will be cleaned and sanitized after each time block. Guests will also have their temperature checked before entry and be asked a series of wellness questions.

They must also sign a waiver and wear

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a mask when they enter or exit, or when they aren’t in the water.

Only the spraygrounds at the McKie, Pleasant Ridge and Oakley pools are open at this time. (Cincinnati Parks’ Armleder Memorial Spray Ground in Yeatman’s Cove and the Washington Park sprayground are also open, with capacity limits and safety protocols in place.)

“The goal of these policies is to ensure appropriate social distancing, accommodate an enhanced cleaning and sanitation schedule and maximize the availability of these important community resources to as many residents of Cincinnati as possible,” says the CRC in a press release.

The 2-hour all-city swim block fee is $2 for adults and $1 for children and seniors for all pools except Dunham, which has a 3-hour swim block for $5 for adults and $2 for seniors and children. Get more info and specific time blocks cincyrec.org.

Dempsey Pool — This pool has a zerodepth entry, six lap lanes, spray features and a two-flume slide. Capacity is 68.

Hours are noon-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. 933 Hawthorne Ave., East Price Hill, call 513-251-4123 to reserve a block.

Evanston Pool — This spot features a shallow pool, wading pool, water slide and zero-depth entrance. Capacity is 61. Hours are noon-7 p.m. MondayFriday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. 3204 Woodburn Ave., Evanston, call 513-8619417 to reserve a block.

McKie Center Pool — The McKie offers a deep pool, wading pool and diving board along with pool decks. Capacity is 32. Hours are noon-7 p.m. MondayFriday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 1655 Chase Ave., Northside, call 513-681-8247 to reserve a block.

Dunham Armleder Aquatic Facility — This pool has a shallow pool, water slide and zero-depth entrance. Capacity is 113. Hours are noon-7 p.m. daily. 4356 Dunham Lane, Sayler Park/Westwood, call 513-251-5862 to reserve a block.

Hirsch Pool — This facility offers a water spray, water slide, shallow pool, wading pool and zero-depth entrance. Capacity is 58. Hours are noon-7 p.m. MondayFriday; 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday. 3630 Reading Road, Avondale, call 513-7513393 to reserve a block.

Oakley Pool — This classic neighborhood pool has a diving board and wading pool. Capacity is 32. Hours are noon-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 3900 Paxton Ave., Oakley, call 513-321-9320 to reserve a block.

Pleasant Ridge Pool — This spot offers a deep water pool, diving board and shallow wading pool area. Capacity is 32.

Hours are noon-7 p.m. Monday-Friday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

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Pleasant Ridge Pool | PHOTO: PROVIDED BY CINCINNATI RECREATION COMMISSION

5915 Ridge Ave., Pleasant Ridge, call 513-731-7894 to reserve a block.

Over-the-Rhine’s Ziegler Pool is another public pool — this one operated by 3CDC — which also has a reservation system in place. Each two-hour reservation block can hold 75 swimmers. Sessions are 10 a.m.-12:15 p.m., 12:45-3 p.m. and 3:30-5:45 p.m. There are additional sessions for lap swimmers at 7-7:45 a.m. and 8-8:45 a.m. for 10 people — two per lane.

Ziegler reservations are open to anyone, whether or not they have a season pass. But you must register online at least a day in advance. There is a $4 flat rate per person; any financial assistance vouchers will be distributed through neighborhood organizations. There is a waitlist if sessions are full. And if the pool is closed because of weather, rain checks will be given. 216 Woodward St., Over-the-Rhine, zieglerpark.org.

Six Boozy Juice Pouches

BY OLIVE COLLINS NIESZ

In a time when nothing feels normal, a little bit of nostalgia goes a long way in making us feel better. What better way to relive the summers of your childhood than with an ice-cold juice box on a hot day? And if that doesn’t do it for you… what if we told you there was liquor in them? Boozy juice pouches — like storage bags filled with cocktails — are making their way into bars and restaurants around the city, and we have collected a guide on where to find them.

Northside Yacht Club — Boasting perhaps the most creative name in the

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city for this trend, Northside Yacht Club offers the Capri Sun of Anarchy: lavender lemonade with vodka, all bagged up and ready to enjoy for $10. The bar also has Garfield-bedecked “Life’s a Beach” stickers on the booze bag’s label, which you can add to your nostalgia sticker collection. 4227 Spring Grove Ave., Northside, northsideyachtclub.com.

Jerry’s Jug House — The Yacht Club’s sister bar, Jerry’s, debuted their jalapeño and cardamom margarita in a bag in early April. Since then, they have added a classic margarita, peach margarita, peach bourbon iced tea and even the Bloody Jerry to their “paradise pouches” collection. The fun doesn’t stop there though, you can pick up Jolly Rancher Jell-O shots to go with your juice box for 3 for $10. To quote their Instagram, “it slaps.” 414 E. Seventh St., Newport, jerrysjughouse.com.

The Fairfield Café + Bar — The Fairfield has added three permanent “boozy bags” to their menu, including the vodka, blackberry and lemonade Fairfield Hooch; the lemonade, gin and honey-filled Bees Knees; and the classic Whiskey Sour. Owner Kate Moeves explains that they wanted to “play up the fun picnic environment” and utilize their outdoor space by offering these options.

The Fairfield will be introducing a new boozy bag flavor every week, designed by their bartenders. 700 Fairfield Ave., Bellevue, thefairfieldbellevue.com.

Libby’s Southern Comfort — Libby’s takes the trend to the next level by offering not only boozy slush bags, but boozy slush pops as well. All slush products come in Libby’s classic

Cheerwine Bourbon slush flavor, with rotating flavors available as well. Grab a 16-ounce bag for $12 or six pops (feel free to mix and match flavors) for $15.

Throw them in the freezer to save for later or enjoy now, but get them fast because Libby’s says they sell-out quick.

35 W. Eighth St., Covington, libbyssoutherncomfort.com.

The Listing Loon — Drink your way around the world with a Lucky Dog Sake juice box at the Listing Loon for $7 or five for $30. The sake has a whopping 13.5 percent ABV and can be enjoyed chilled or room temp. Feeling fruity?

They also offer pouches of their Uncle’s Sangria made with four different muddled berries and Uncle Nearest whiskey. Owner Melanie Quallen says it is “perfect for sipping on a warm summer night.” 4124 Hamilton Ave., Northside, facebook.com/thelistingloon.

Goose & Elder — More Uncle Nearest. Driven by their partnership with the whiskey, Goose & Elder is now offering their Tiki To-Go booze bag. Each bag contains enough for two servings of the tropical juice: orange, pineapple, lemon, bitters, almond, cinnamon and, of course, Uncle Nearest whiskey. Pick up a bag for $18; grab two and a food item for a free Uncle Nearest rocks glass.

1800 Race St., Over-the-Rhine/Findlay Market, gooseandelder.com.

Six Hiking Trails

BY SETH ROBINSON

Whatever you’re into — whether it’s biking, hiking, fitness, nature, horseback riding or just a casual stroll — you can find it within the Great Parks of

Hamilton County and their list of trails.

If you’re an avid explorer, you may want to consider entering their Hiking Staff Program. If you’ve ever been on a public trail, or even just a walk, you know the person with a hiking staff. And you know that every time you see the hiking staff person, you can’t deny asking yourself, “Where’s my hiking staff?”

You can become the hiking staff person. All you have to do is hike seven Great Parks trails and fill out a form confirming your explorations and then purchase your staff for $3. Oh, and every year you complete the seven trail task, you can add a medallion to your staff commemorating your work. So not only will you be a walking staff person, you’ll be a bedazzled walking staff person. You’ll practically own the trails.

You can pick any of the trails listed on Great Parks of Hamilton County’s website, but here are three to start with.

Learn more at greatparks.org.

Winton Woods — This Springfield Township trail runs along Winton Lake and features 2.6-miles of paved trails, including a 1.1 mile fitness trail and the 1.1 mile Kingfisher nature trail, plus an additional 0.7 miles of horseback trails. 10245 Winton Road, Springfield Township.

Sharon Woods — Sharon Woods is known for its Gorge Trail, which has been a designated state nature preserve since 1977 due to its abundance of native plant and animal life. This nature trail is made for casual strolls through 0.7 miles of natural scenery and breathtaking woodsy views. 11450 Lebanon Road, Sharonville.

Miami Whitewater Forest — The largest park of Great Parks of Hamilton County, Miami Whitewater Forest has multiple trails for explorers to navigate.

Visitors can really expect to get their numbers up on the 7.8 mile Shaker Trace trail. This trail wraps around the Miami Whitewater Forest where you’ll find yourself taking in all sorts of scenery like lake views, wetlands, neverending prairies and rich farmland. 9001 Mt. Hope Road, Harrison.

And if you want to explore some more, Cincinnati Parks’ system was just ranked no. 5 in the nation by the Trust for Public Land in their Annual ParkScore Index Report. Parks and trails have remained open during COVID-19 and Cincinnati Parks is encouraging users to maintain social distancing and healthy habits while outside. Rocky Merz, Cincinnati Parks’ business services division manager, recommends these trails.

Learn more at cincinnatiparks.com.

Mt. Airy Forest — “Last year, the city and partner organization CORA (Cincinnati Off-Road Alliance) opened the first 1.4-mile section of the new Mt. Airy Multi-Use Trail, which includes mountain biking. The trail is the first off-road bike trail in Cincinnati Parks.

Phase two will total 1.5 miles and work is underway now. Bikers and hikers are sure to enjoy this popular new attraction nestled within Mt. Airy Forest, our largest park at 1,474 acres.” 2239 W. Fork Road, Mt. Airy.

The Riverfront Trail — “Bordering downtown Cincinnati are three connected signature parks extending 2 miles along the scenic Ohio River — Smale Riverfront Park, Sawyer Point and Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park. Here, it’s easy to take in the beauty of the river, the majesty of downtown Cincinnati and Northern

have been working in Walnut Hills for more than a decade. In 2007, amid the recession, the group was working on rehabilitating housing properties that previous landlords had either lost or given up on. As Walnut Hills slowly began to revitalize and housing became more expensive, the group’s core mission has shifted to preserving affordable housing for long-term and lowerincome residents.

It wasn’t long before the idea of opening a business that aligned with this vision sparked between Mark and Sweeten. As a Walnut Hills native,

Putz’s Creamy Whip | PHOTO: HAILEY BOLLINGER

Kentucky. For nature lovers, despite its urban setting, Smale Park has even been designated as an arboretum.” 166 W. Mehring Way, Downtown.

French Park — “Last summer, the hiking trail system at French Park was refurbished, including the construction of new bridges, steps and reopening sections of trail closed due to fallen trees, debris and erosion...These trails, weaving around a beautiful stream, are great for individuals, friends and the whole family.” 3012 Section Road, Amberley Village.

Seven Creamy Whips

BY GRACE DEARING, WILLIAM MEYER

Four years ago, a bright blue and green soft serve truck parked itself smack dab in the center of Walnut Hills. With its colorful branding and playful slogan, “Life is hard enough, your ice cream should be soft,” Green Man Twist quickly became a soft serve staple in its community. However, this ice cream food truck serves more than just creamy whip, slushies and hot dogs — Green Man Twist’s core mission is to serve its community as well.

Green Man Twist was co-founded

by R.H. Sweeten, Anne Leeman, Mark Leeman and Katy Dietz, all of whom

Sweeten has become a valued mentor and consultant for Green Man Twist to ensure that nothing “unnecessary or unhelpful” happens to the neighborhood. Mark says the co-founders wanted to open up a business for many reasons, including to raise up social entrepreneurs.

“We were living in a neighborhood with a lot of poverty and we just knew a lot of people and a lot of young people who needed work,” he says. “We wanted to run a business where everyone gets to experience what it’s like to be an entrepreneur and to leave their mark on a business.”

Green Man Twist was also built on the foundation of bringing people of all different backgrounds together by providing a platform where neighbors can meet and get to know each other.

Its public and central location aids in accomplishing this mission. The desire to connect people across races, religions and cultures is also seen in the way that Green Man Twist is managed. As a nonprofit, Green Man Twist gives 100 percent of all profits back to the community through entrepreneur training, affordable housing and education initiatives. But, Mark says, they do not sacrifice the quality of the product

to do so.

“We think that one of the ‘bottom lines’ for any organization ought to be to address the inequalities that exist,” Mark says. “We seek to run our business by consensus, where everyone has a voice and is given dignity and a safe place to use it.”

Green Man Twist is open 3-9 p.m.

Fridays-Sundays. 770 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills, greenmantwist.com.

Looking for more soft serve? These Cincinnati creamy whips are open and have COVID-19 plans in place to keep customers safe. (This is obviously not a list of all Cincinnati-area creamy whips; we know.)

Bold Face Dairy Bar — This whippydip-style walk-up window in East Price Hill aims to serve their community with both creative creamy whip flavors — like cardamom or bourbon barrel stout — and affordable options, like the $1.75 baby cone. Look for social distancing markers when ordering. 801 Mount Hope Ave., East Price Hill, boldfacedairybar.com.

Putz’s Creamy Whip — The familyowned creamy whip has been a summertime staple for over 80 years and serves up soft serve, shakes, sundaes, banana splits, cyclones and other frosty treats, as well as a wide variety of ballpark eats like cheese coneys, walking tacos and soft pretzels. For COVID, Putz’s asks that only one guest at a time stands at its pick-up and walk-up windows, which are sanitized between customers. 2673 Putz’s Place, Mt. Airy/ Northside, putzscreamywhip.com.

Gold Top Dairy Bar — Known for its famous blue raspberry ice cream, Gold Top has been a favorite of the White Oak area since it was built in 1968. The Dairy Bar has removed its outdoor seating and recommends customers send only one person per party to prevent crowding. 2810 Blue Rock Road, White Oak, goldtopdairybar.com.

Zip Dip — Zip Dip literally shines like a beacon of light through the dark — the iconic neon lightning bolt adorning the roof is unmistakable. It was added to the building in 1951 and has been guiding customers through summer heat waves to ice cream salvation ever since. This summer, there is now a designated order window and a designated pick-up window, and the waiting area has been extended and marked with arrows to both display the flow of traffic. 4050 Drew Ave., Bridgetown, zip-dip.com.

Mt. Healthy Dairy Bar — Mount Healthy Dairy Bar has been serving leaning towers of soft serve for more than 60 years. The picnic area is closed for now and social distancing markers have been added on the sidewalk to keep customers safe in line. 7840 Hamilton Ave., Mount Healthy, facebook. com/MHDB98.

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NOTICE OF SEIZURE AND INTENT TO FORFEIT Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of the Interior is hereby commencing a forfeiture proceeding against the following items of wildlife or wildlife products, which were seized in the Western District of Kentucky on the dates indicated because they were involved in one or more violations of any of the following laws: Endangered Species Act, Title 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1538; the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 11 U.S.C. Sec. 1371-1372; the Lacey Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 3372; Wild Bird Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 4901-4916; or the African Elephant Conservation Act, 16 U.S.C. Sec. 4221-4245. These items are subject to forfeiture to the United States under Title 16, U.S.C. Sec. 1540(e); 16 U.S.C. Sec. 1377; or 16 U.S.C. Sec. 3374, and Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 12.23. Any person with an ownership or financial interest in said items who desires to claim them must file a claim with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement, 1875 Century Blvd Ste 320, Atlanta, Georgia 30345; Telephone 404/679-7057. Such claim must be received by the above office by June 3, 2020. The claim will be transmitted to the U.S. Attorney for institution of a forfeiture action in U.S. District Court. If a proper claim is not received by the above office by such date, the items will be declared forfeited to the United States and disposed of according to law. Any person who has an interest in the items may also file with the above office a petition for remission of forfeiture in accordance with Title 50, Code of Federal Regulations, Section 12.24, which petition must be received in such office before disposition of the items.

Storage costs may also be assessed.

FILE NO. 2020400465

VALUE $10,141

SEIZURE DATE 1/28/2020

ITEMS One (1)

Ring-Tailed Lemur (Lemur catta) (Dead animal (whole animal)), Twelve (12) Ostriches (Struthionidae ) (Feathers)

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Loveland Canoe & Kayak | PHOTO: SAVANA WILLHOITE

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Norwood Delite Creamy Whip — Outdoor seating is available at this classic creamy whip, and it has been spaced to accommodate social distancing practices. Marks have been placed to remind guests to distance themselves.

4490 Forest Ave., Norwood, facebook. com/norwooddelitecreamywhip.

Five Canoe Liveries

BY WILLIAM MEYER

Local canoe and kayak liveries are geared up to put sun-thirsty folks on the river. Here are a few regional businesses’ plans for their coronavirusrelated regulations this season. Note: Most transport buses have reduced capacity and will require guests to wear masks onboard.

Green Acres Canoe — Green Acres is only renting out single-person, sit-ontop kayaks. Additionally, the minimum age to participate is 13, and dogs are currently not permitted. To ensure social distancing, only its 8-mile trip is available and you have to purchase tickets online. The food truck, food court and other “close gathering areas” are closed.

Everyone must sign a waiver before their trip. 10465 Suspension Bridge Road, Harrison, greenacrescanoe.com.

Loveland Canoe & Kayak — Loveland Canoe & Kayak is open for business and currently offers one trip: the “Castle Adventure Trip.” Check-in will be performed outside, as the building is closed to the public. Restrooms, however, remain open. Children must be 5 or older to participate. Both singleperson kayaks and tandem kayaks are available for rent. Equipment and vehicles will be sanitized between uses. Trips should be booked in advance online and you must sign a waiver. 174 Karl Brown Way, Loveland, lovelandcanoe.com.

Morgan’s Canoe and Outdoor Adventures — Morgan’s requests that all

transactions are made online to limit contact between patrons and staff, but walk-ins may be accommodated depending on capacity. Morgan’s has two locations: Fort Ancient and Brookville. Only its 8-mile trip is available in Brookville; the Fort Ancient location is starting off the season offering a 3-mile trip with a walk-back option up the Little Miami Bike Trail.

Canoes, kayaks and rafts can be rented, but rafts will only be rented to families that live together. Pets are allowed on the 3-mile trip. Only one representative per group of customers is allowed inside the check-in building. Both guests and staff are required to wash their hands after using the restroom (that should go without saying). 5701 OH-350, Oregonia; 7040 Whitewater River Lane, Brookville, Indiana, morganscanoe.com.

Scenic River Canoe Excursions — Only single-person kayaks will be available to rent, and its 8.5-mile “Remington’s Run” is the only available trail. Reservations can only be made online. Dogs are not permitted, and no minors (under 13) may participate. Customers are also not permitted to bring their own equipment until further notice. 4595 Round Bottom Road, Terrace Park, scenicrivercanoe.com.

Tippecanoe and Kayaks Too — According to an email from owner Kile Genslinger, the business has social distancing markers inside its check-in building, and its staff will wear masks where appropriate. Customers are limited to a maximum of four in the check-in building and are asked to wear masks inside, and the business asks that reservations and waivers are made and signed online. Dogs are not permitted. Its 7.5, 17 and 25-mile trips will be available, according to its Facebook page. To maintain social distancing, only single-person and tandem kayaks will be available for rent. 9630 Hamilton Cleves Pike Road, Harrison, tippecanoeandkayakstoo.com.

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