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The Election Guide

Voters will decide on abortion rights, the legalization of recreational marijuana and more during the Nov. 7 election.

B Y M A D E L I N E F E N I N G & K AT H E R I N E B A R R I E R

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dd-numbered election years tend to be somewhat sleepy compared to higher-stakes even years, but 2023 is different. Voters in Ohio are being asked to decide on two long-standing moral issues: abortion and marijuana.

While the great weed debate has burned on in recent years, November’s abortion rights outcome will be of great consequence for the health and safety of millions of Ohioans. Issues 1 and 2, though contentious, have been somewhat eclipsed locally by the highly controversial Issue 22, the proposed sale of the Cincinnati Southern Railway. Continue reading for a breakdown of these and others issues in CityBeat’s 2023 election guide.

Ohio and nearby states could seek out safe and effective abortion care within a ISSUE 1 standard window of time, but opponents of the amendment say the change would limit “parental rights” and allow abortion “up until the time of birth.”

BY MADELINE FENING According to the Ohio Department of Health, more than half of all induced After Roe v. Wade was overturned in abortions in 2022 involved pregnanJune 2022, Ohio’s six-week abortion cies of less than nine weeks, or 66.5%. ban went into effect for about 11 weeks Approximately 22.5% of abortions in until a Hamilton County judge put a the state involved pregnancies of nine temporary restraining order on the bill. to 12 weeks. There were 235 abortions While the “heartbeat” bill has been held involving pregnancies of 19-20 weeks up in court, abortion has been legal in gestation, and 107 from 21 weeks on.

Ohio up until 22 weeks gestation. On As was the case before the Dobbs deciNov. 7, Ohioans will vote on Issue 1, sion, abortions would still be restricted which seeks to protect an individual’s after fetal viability if Issue 1 passes, which right to “make and carry out one’s own is about 24 weeks gestational age. reproductive decisions.” The language Speaking to the Ohio Capital Jourof the amendment would include abornal, Ohio House Rep. Anita Somani, a tion, contraception, fertility treatments practicing OB-GYN for 31 years, said and miscarriage care. Enough “Yes” the late-term abortion argument is votes for Issue 1 would mean patients in

The Constitutional Amendment to Protect Abortion Rights

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“simply lies.”

“The gestational ages they are referring to make up less than 1% of abortions and all of those are before 22 weeks, Somani said. “In fact, you won’t find data showing abortions after this age because those are deliveries and are recorded as such with birth or death certificates. If there is a birth defect that is incompatible with life or a maternal condition that is life threatening, labor is induced and the child is then given comfort care. If the child is viable (i.e., after 24 weeks) neonatal care is provided.”

Protect Women Ohio is heading the opposition against Issue 1. The group is a coalition of people and organizations, according to its website, though no names are identified. Ohio Right to Life, the state’s largest anti-abortion religious lobbying group, routinely focuses on “late-term” abortions in its campaign against Issue 1.

“Abortion would be legal through all 9 months of pregnancy. Physicians at an abortion clinic could use a woman’s age or emotional well-being as a reason to perform an abortion in the 3rd trimester,” the group writes.

If Ohio rejects Issue 1, it is likely that a six-week ban on abortion care could

be reinstated, which is before most people know they are pregnant.

Breaking Down the “Parental Rights” Argument Against Ohio’s Abortion Amendment “Are you a boy or a girl?”

Larkin Overton was climbing a tree at Hoffner Park in Northside as a young kid when he first heard this question.

He stared back at the curious peer, unsure of what the question even meant. He answered back with the only truth he knew at the time.

“I’m Larkin.”

Larkin, 17, and his parents have traveled a long, winding journey since the world first asked Larkin to define his gender. His dad, Andy Overton, told CityBeat he and his wife never really emphasized gender roles to their kids, but they respected their kid’s wishes to define gender for themselves.

“A kid’s a kid. If it makes them happier, if it makes their life somewhat easier, if it makes them feel better and makes them not want to kill themselves, why would you not do that?” Andy said.

Andy is referring to gender-affirming care, an umbrella of evidence-based mental health and medical services that helps a person transition from their

gender assigned at birth to the gender by which they want to be known.

For children and teens, genderaffirming care focuses on mental health therapy and sometimes hormone therapy. This can come in the form of puberty blockers, a medicine that delays the start of puberty, or hormones, which are used to change an individual’s body to be more consistent with their gender identity.

While the practice is generally considered safe and effective for youth, railing against gender-affirming care has become a major talking point for Republicans in Ohio who want to defeat a November ballot question that would amend the Ohio Constitution to protect reproductive rights in the state.

The proposed amendment was crafted to protect the right to abortion care, but opponents say the amendment’s language opens the door for minors to access gender-affirming care and abortions without parental consent.

In fact, Ohio Right to Life, the state’s biggest anti-abortion group, lists the threat of limiting “parental rights” first in their campaign materials railing against the amendment.

“The initiative’s language uses the legal term ‘individual,’ which does not differentiate between adults and minors. An ‘individual’ legally refers to citizens of all ages - nullifying parents’ rights to stop their children from making harmful decisions,” Ohio Right to Life writes.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, who holds a seat that is meant to be non-partisan, has been pushing the same view.

“The goal of the radical anti-parent abortion amendment (Issue 1) is to hand parental rights over to the state as it relates to our children’s life changing medical decisions,” LaRose said on X (formerly Twitter).

Even the Archbishop for Cincinnati’s Archdiocese, Rev. Dennis Schnurr, has promoted the repeatedly-debunked idea that parents will have limited rights to dictate their child’s healthcare if abortion rights are protected in the state.

“The vague language in the amendment opens the door to anyone under 18 having an abortion, or even beginning cross-sex hormone treatment, without parental consent or notification,” Schnurr said. “Some may insist that the Catholic Church should not be involved in politics. However, the defense of life and care for women compels our participation in this critical moral issue.”

Debunking the same claims over and over Children below the age of 18 already can’t access abortions without parental consent in the state of Ohio.

The only way for a minor to access

to begin self-administering in order to begin physically transitioning his gender.

“Patients, their families, and the treatment team all need to agree that this is the appropriate next step if the patient is under 18 years old,” Children’s writes on their website.

Multiple Cincinnati-area churches that will serve as polling locations for the November election still have prominent signs asking voters to vote “No” on Issue 1.

P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

without parental permission is to be granted a judicial bypass to waive the requirement.

Planned Parenthood of Greater Cincinnati told CityBeat in an emailed statement that Title X allows minors to access confidential reproductive and sexual health care, but abortion services still require parental permission.

Even still, Planned Parenthood does not provide any gender-affirming services to minors.

“For all gender-affirming hormone therapy services, however, we only provide care to adults,” the organization wrote.

The claims that children will be able to immediately begin to access genderaffirming care if the abortion amendment passes have been debunked repeatedly in dozens of media reports and Statehouse hearings.

Physicians have repeatedly asserted that minors don’t even have surgery as an option when discussing genderaffirming care, and that hormone therapy requires parental consent.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Tracy Thomas, a University of Akron law professor who directs the school’s Center for Constitutional Law, called the claim a “straw argument.”

“Children do have constitutional rights, but we have lots of examples in the law, both state and federal, where these children’s rights are limited,” Thomas told the AP. “Marriage is a good example.”

Ohio’s existing parental consent law states, according to the Ohio Bar Association, that “people under age 18 (minors) must have the consent of a parent or guardian before receiving medical care.” Exceptions are limited but include emancipated minors and minors who are in need of emergency treatment.

For these laws to be overturned, Ohio’s parental consent law would have to be challenged in court and struck down by the state’s conservative

majority Supreme Court.

Andy Overton told CityBeat the argument is rooted in transphobia, which is rooted in a misunderstanding of what the journey to gender-affirming care even looks like, especially for kids.

“I think these people all think your kid is just going to come to you and be like, ‘I’m transgender’ and then you throw them on the bus to the hospital and they go cutting you up,” Andy said.

“It’s not like that.”

Gender-affirming care in practice Larkin’s parents may be the gatekeepers to his gender-affirming care, but they’ve gladly walked hand-in-hand with him throughout his long transition journey.

“When we went in there, my wife and I were very much like, ‘Yeah, our kid’s great and this is his deal,’ and you kind of got the vibe that not every parent’s like that,” Andy said.

“There” for Larkin and his parents was the Transgender Health Clinic at the Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center. Children’s declined to comment on their clinic for this story, but Larkin’s experience paints a picture of the lengthy steps families must take to get to the point where their child is taking hormones.

“It wasn’t an overnight thing,” Andy said.

In order to get a consultation at Children’s Transgender Health Clinic, the child patient needs to have a referral from a therapist who has treated that patient for at least a year. In Larkin’s case, he had been in therapy for more than a year already, and he had begun the process of transitioning socially before that.

“This is not a flip of the switch thing.

[Larkin] came to us at 13, said he wanted to go by different pronouns, we said, ‘Great!’ Did that for literally four years before he even got in and started taking T,” Andy said.

“T” refers to testosterone, the hormone Larkin eventually was approved

A family of care That team-oriented approach to gender-affirming care for youth is intentional, and another layer of parental involvement in making the decision to allow their kid to begin physically transitioning. Larkin’s mom, Elizabeth Overton, said Children’s made it clear support from the family as a whole was needed in order for Larkin to move forward.

“A big part is familial support, so they look at your family as a whole,” Elizabeth said. “They’re wanting to make sure that everyone is taken care of, like do the parents need support in some way? Is there something they can demystify about whatever they’ve learned about transgender care? Things like that.”

Larkin has been on testosterone for about nine months now. He said the most noticeable differences have been a lower voice and more defined facial features.

“Even the fat in your body starts to rearrange differently,” he said.

Children’s website says the effects of these medications are only “partially reversible,” but that doesn’t scare Larkin.

“I’ve already gone through puberty, I’ve already done something irreversible,” he said. “There’s so much to lose if you don’t, and so much to gain if you do.”

Hamilton County Elections Officials: “CHOOSE LIFE” Signs Are Campaign Signs on Nov. 7 The white and black “CHOOSE LIFE” signs that have dotted countless Cincinnati yards, fences and windows for years will now be considered official campaign signage during the Nov. 7 election.

Alex Linser, deputy director of elections for the Hamilton County Board of Elections (BOE) told CityBeat that, like any campaign signage, “CHOOSE LIFE” signs will need to remain at least 100 feet from polling place entrances come Nov. 7, including the dozens of churches that double as polling locations.

“The rule is that a sign is a campaign sign or campaign paraphernalia when it is advocating for or against a candidate or issue that is currently on the ballot,” Linser told CityBeat. “With a constitutional amendment about abortion on the ballot, I have a hard time understanding how a ‘CHOOSE LIFE’ sign could be anything other than a political statement.”

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Why now?

Ohio voters will vote “Yes” or “No” on a constitutional amendment regarding reproductive health on Nov. 7. The amendment, titled “The Right to Reproductive Freedom With Protections for Health and Safety,” would protect a patient’s right to get an abortion before fetal viability, or when a fetus has a “significant likelihood of survival outside the uterus with reasonable measures.”

Post-viability abortions, which are already extremely rare, could still take place if the pregnant patient’s physician believes it’s necessary to protect the life of their patient. Abortion access has been in flux in Ohio and across the country since the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in June 2022.

Where do all the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs come from?

The “CHOOSE LIFE” signs may pop up in some neighborhoods more than others, but they’re ubiquitous in Cincinnati – displayed prominently on the fences of Elder and Seton High Schools, zip tied to light poles outside some gas stations, and a large version of the sign hangs on the side of Downtown’s Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains.

There’s little variation to the sign seen around town; that’s because they’re mostly coming from one place.

Cincinnati Right to Life, a former partner of the anti-abortion Ohio Right to Life organization, distributes the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs for free from their North College Hill office on Galbraith Road. Cincinnati Right to Life is a member organization of The Right to Life Action Coalition of Ohio, a political advocacy group that Cincinnati Right to Life formed in 2017 that promotes “prolife” political candidates and legislation.

Laura Strietmann, executive director of Cincinnati Right to Life, declined to tell CityBeat how many signs their office routinely passes out.

“I would never share how busy our office is peacefully and legally promoting the protection of pre-born people,” Strietmann told CityBeat.

She also said the organization doesn’t know exactly how or when the Cincinnati Right to Life’s “CHOOSE LIFE” sign campaign started in Cincinnati.

“No one can quite recall the exact origin of the movement of the signs and how and who began printing them or how many,” Strietmann said. “It is just part of the fabric of the pro-life movement and has been for many years.”

The Catholic component A longtime power figure in that local movement is the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, which is Cincinnati’s network of Catholic churches. Cincinnati’s Archbishop, Rev. Dennis Schnurr, has been actively campaigning against the

November abortion amendment.

“Ohio does not need a constitutional amendment that only perpetuates violence and a culture of death. I urge Catholics and all people of goodwill to pray earnestly for the defeat of this extreme amendment; to educate yourselves and your family and friends about the dangers of the proposed amendment; and to vote NO on November 7,” Schnurr wrote in an Aug. 12 press release.

The Archbishop goes on to echo the repeatedly debunked arguments of “Protect Women Ohio,” an anti-abortion organization campaigning for “No” votes this November, specifically about “parental rights.”

“The vague language in the amendment opens the door to anyone under 18 having an abortion, or even beginning cross-sex hormone treatment, without parental consent or notification,” Shnurr said. “Some may insist that the Catholic Church should not be involved in politics. However, the defense of life and care for women compels our participation in this critical moral issue.”

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati told CityBeat the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs aren’t campaign signs, and that Catholic churches and schools will continue to sport them on election day.

“There are no plans to remove the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs from polling locations on Nov. 7,” said Jennifer Schack, director of media relations for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. “The Catholic Church will always work to uphold the dignity of all human life, this includes supporting women and families in need of help and being the voice of the unborn child encouraging all to choose life.”

When asked if the BOE plans to tell polling locations they cannot place “CHOOSE LIFE” signs within 100 feet of polling location entrances on Nov.7, Linser said it’s in the works.

“Yes. We are working on that,” Linser told CityBeat. “We are working on a communication to our polling locations to just remind them of these rules as we anticipate a lot of questions about it this November.”

Once CityBeat relayed Linser’s statement on the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs to Schack, she said “leadership at the pastoral center is researching the requirements of state law to ensure adherence at all of our institutions that are polling locations.”

Hamilton County, 138 are churches or private religious schools, and 21 of those are listed online as Catholic.

Not all churches in Cincinnati have a “CHOOSE LIFE” sign on their property – several denominations of Christianity view abortion as a choice made by the pregnant person, and much of the Jewish faith believes life begins at first breath.

Linser said the reason so many polling locations are churches is because of the long list of requirements polling locations need to fulfill.

“We need a little over 300 polling locations in each county,” Lisner said.

“There are a series of requirements that we need to make sure those buildings have sufficient parking, that there is a big enough space to hold the voting equipment and for the voters to be able to get in and get out easily. And those buildings have to be compliant with the Americans for Disabilities Act. So finding a facility essentially in every neighborhood in Hamilton County that meets those requirements, means that a lot of times a church or religious building is going to be the only building in the area that hits those key requirements.”

Religious polling locations by the numbers

Campaigning around the 100 foot rule Just because the “CHOOSE LIFE” signs will be considered campaign signs on Nov. 7 doesn’t mean they can’t be on display at polling places; there are just limits as to where anti-abortion advocates can plant them in the ground.

“Ohio law prohibits political campaigning within 100 feet of the entrance of a polling location,” Linser told CityBeat. “The voters must be able to come and go without any campaigning or interference.”

The 100 foot rule applies to anything campaign related: signs, protesters, even a voter wearing a button in support of their issue or candidate will be asked to cover it up while voting. If a campaigner steps within 100 feet of the polling location entrance, or if a sign is left within that 100 feet, an elections official will ask them to move.

“When those buildings are serving as polling locations, they are serving a public function, and it’s really important that any citizen who wants to engage in political campaigning is able to exercise their free speech rights without harassment,” Linser said. “It is our responsibility as the Board of Elections to enforce that 100 foot rule. Our poll workers are the first line in enforcing that. So, if they see someone campaigning in the electioneering zone, they will ask them to move.”

When analyzing the BOE list of polling places, CityBeat found nearly half of all polling locations in Hamilton County are religiously-based.

Of the 296 polling locations in

Preparing for a big election With abortion and recreational marijuana on the Nov. 7 ballot, Linser said the BOE is preparing for a big turnout,

and potentially more campaigning than usual.

“We know that issues really motivate voters to turn out. And these are two highly controversial issues that a lot of voters have passionate opinions about,” Linser said. “We are planning for a very high turnout this November. Normally in odd numbered years when it’s municipal elections we don’t see a lot of voter participation, but we’re treating this like an even numbered year in terms of what we’re planning for.”

Linser said the Hamilton County BOE is in need of more poll workers in order to pull off a smooth and successful Nov. 7 election. Some of those poll workers are known as “troubleshooters” who are specially trained to de-escalate conflict at polling locations.

“It’s pretty common for us to receive a call on election day that there is a dispute over where campaigners can stand outside the polling location,” he said. “We’ll send a troubleshooter out there, they have a tape measure, they will measure 100 feet from the door, they will make a definitive ruling over where the campaigners can stand.

They’ll talk to all the parties there to make sure they all agree on what the rule requires. They’re trained on deescalating conflict.”

Just because there are rules about where people can campaign outside of polling locations doesn’t mean you can’t stump for your cause or candidate publicly, including at polling locations on private properties. Linser said it’s important to remember this ahead of an election with heightened emotions.

“I do expect it will be more controversial in November,” he said. “Campaigning is a part of the democratic process and we have always asked our polling locations, especially the ones that are on private property, on the days when they are serving as polling locations, they’re serving a public function to facilitate democracy. We ask them that they treat all campaigners the same. We cannot be in the business of deciding who gets to exercise their free speech rights and who does not.”

ISSUE 2:

Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in Ohio

BY MADELINE FENING The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol successfully brought Issue 2 to the November ballot thanks to a successful state-wide signature collection campaign. Ohioans will vote “Yes” or “No” to legalizing and regulating the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of marijuana to Ohioans 21 and older. The law would impose a 10% point of sale tax for each transaction and legalize home growing with a limit of six plants per person and 12 plants

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per residence.

The tax dollars from legalizing adultuse cannabis would be divided into four categories: • 3% towards general administrative costs • 25% towards substance abuse and addiction fund • 36% towards local community a fund to disperse the money to communities that have adult-use dispensaries • 36% towards a social equity and jobs program fund Issue 2 would establish the Division of Cannabis Control within the Department of Commerce which would “regulate, investigate, and penalize adult use cannabis operators, adult use testing laboratories and individuals required to be licensed.” Employers and landlords would still have the legal authority to drug test or prohibit use of cannabis in certain circumstances.

What to Expect When Getting Pulled Over in a Weed-Legal Ohio As Ohioans decide how they will vote on Issue 2 on Nov. 7, which could legalize recreational marijuana in the state, officers may need to prepare for an influx of impaired drivers who cannot be tested with a breathalyzer.

Opponents of Issue 2 claim that, in addition to reasons like risks to children and workplace safety, legalizing marijuana recreationally would lead to a spike in traffic-related crashes and fatalities. Among those opposed are the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio.

Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey is taking a neutral stance on the issue.

“If a majority of Ohio voters decide to change the law, I will enforce that law,” she told CityBeat. “This ballot issue will not change the law as it applies to anyone under the age of 21. It will not change the way my office enforces the law as to those under 21 in our communities. I respect the judgment of Ohio voters whether to give this additional individual right. I will abide by their judgment.”

Fraternal Order of Police of Ohio president Gary Wolske has echoed crash projections cited by the antiIssue 2 group Protect Ohio Workers & Families, saying risking lives for the sake of legal marijuana is “cruel and unthinkable.”

The 10-year data, which comes from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, says death rates increased 4.1% and injury rates by 5.8% in states where marijuana was legalized for adult use. Protect Ohio Workers & Families applied this rate to crash statistics from the Ohio Department of Public Safety, projecting that Ohio could see 48 more fatal car crashes and 2,298 more injury crashes annually should Issue 2 pass.

The Other Issues Cincinnati Voters Will Decide During the Nov. 7 Election

BY MADELINE FENING & LAUREN SERGE

I S S UE 1 9

Hamilton CountyProposed Tax Levy (Renewal) This proposed tax levy would renew the existing five-year levy for the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens that expires this year. The renewal would provide proceeds for operating expenses for zoological park services and facilities, collecting $7,542,000 annually but not exceeding 0.46 mills (one tenth of a cent) for every taxable dollar. This levy would be in place for an additional five years if renewed, beginning in 2024.

I S S UE 20

Hamilton CountyProposed Tax Levy (Renewal and Increase) The proposed tax levy would renew and increase the existing tax to provide funds for the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library expenses. The levy would increase the tax 0.5 mill for each taxable dollar, collecting an estimated $30,878,000 annually for 10 years, beginning in 2024.

I S S UE 23

City Of CincinnatiProposed Charter Amendment This amendment would require the Charter of the City of Cincinnati to clarify the process for citizens regarding charter amendments, ordinances and referenda by implementing a process timeline for citizens to collect required documentation and signatures. This amendment would require a copy of any citizen-led petition to be filed with the Clerk of Council prior to signature collection, implement a cure period for petitions and limit citizens to one proposal per ballot measure. Additionally, the amendment would clarify that council can vote electronically, the term lengths for council are two years and that the petition circulators must sign a statement for candidate petitions.

Cincinnati City Council

Ten candidates are running for nine Cincinnati City Council seats this Nov. 7. Only one newcomer will be challenging the current nine members on the ballot: Anna Albi is an endorsed Democrat and Madisonville resident.

She currently serves as the recording secretary for Madisonville Community Council and is a gun violence

prevention advocate.

Seth Walsh is running for his seat for the first time as the only non-elected incumbent on council.

The other eight council members who are running were all elected in 2021. Jan-Michele Kearney and Liz Keating were appointed in 2020 and elected the following year: Jeff Cramerding (D) Reggie Harris (D) Mark Jeffreys (D) Scotty Johnson (D) Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney (D) Liz Keating (R) Meeka Owens (D) Victoria Parks (D) Seth Walsh (D)

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge District 4 Curt Kissinger – Unaffiliated Kissinger currently serves as the Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge. He has upheld former roles as an adjunct instructor at the University of Cincinnati Blue Ash; a court administrator at Hamilton County Juvenile Court; a litigation attorney at Rendings, Fry, Kiely and Dennis, LLC; assistant prosecuting attorney at the Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office and a special prosecuting attorney at Ohio Organized Crime Commission.

Cincinnati Women’s Political Caucus, Cincinnati Federation of Teachers, AFSCME, AFL-CIO Bryan Cannon Education: Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from The University of Rhode Island; Master of Science In Educational Leadership/ Human Resources Development from Towson University; ABD in Urban Educational Leadership from Clark Atlanta University Experience: Cannon has worked 22 years as a school administrator and 11 years as a teacher.

Endorsements: None Benjamin Lindy Education: Bachelor of Arts from Yale College, Juris Doctor from Yale Law School Experience: Lindy has served on the Cincinnati Board of Education since 2020 and as board president since 2022. Lindy has worked as a public school teacher in North Carolina, a central office administrator for the DC Public Schools and as the executive director for Teach for America in Southwest Ohio.

Endorsements: Hamilton County Democratic Party

Cincinnati Board of Education

Kendra Mapp Education: Bachelor of Science Degree from University of Cincinnati, Master of Arts Degree from Xavier University Experience: Mapp is a licensed professional counselor, serving as a director of counseling services for school-based therapy. Mapp was an educator for 11 years and has experience as a socialemotional learning group facilitator, critical incident response provider and certified nonprofit and equity board leader.

Endorsements: Hamilton County Democratic Party, Run for Something, Vote Mama, CFT/CFOP, AFSCME, AFL-CIO, Matriots, Cincinnati Women’s Political Caucus

Eve Bolton Education: Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the College of Wooster; Ohio Teaching License in Secondary Education Experience: Bolton is a retired teacher.

Bolton’s experience includes working on the Cincinnati Board of Education, the Mt. Healthy City Council and as a Hamilton County Recorder.

Endorsements: Democratic Party,

Paul Schiele Education: Secondary education from the Marine Corps Institute and Chaminade University of Honolulu Experience: Schiele served as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Marine Corps and is currently the Managers of Distribution Operations for the U.S. Postal Service.

Endorsements: Moms for Liberty, Hamilton County and Ohio Value Voters

Samantha Silverstein – Democratic Party Silverstein currently serves as the director of the Law Office of the Hamilton County Public Defender and leads the training initiatives at the Public Defender’s Office. She has served as a clinical professor at the University of Cincinnati College of Law since 2017 and formerly worked at the Legal Aid Society of Southwest Ohio.

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Tom Haren, spokesperson for the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol, the group behind the push to pass Issue 2, said that drawing a direct line between cannabis legalization and crashes is misleading.

“We know that marijuana stays in your system for several days, if not weeks, so if somebody has a cannabis edible on Wednesday and they get into a fender bender on Saturday, no rational person will say, ‘You know what caused that traffic crash? It was the gummy that you had three and a half days ago,’” Haren said during an Oct. 4 Issue 2 forum.

Driving while high CityBeat sat down with members of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department to discuss how deputies determine a driver is under the influence of marijuana.

“The thing that we lose with the marijuana is the breathalyzer,” said Corporal Tim Maddy of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department.

Still, Sergeant Kevin Bley said there is broad overlap in the steps to identify a drunk versus stoned driver.

“It really is the same as if someone is driving under the influence of alcohol,” Bley said. “Marked lanes, if you get behind somebody we’re looking for the same cues. If they’re involved in an automobile crash, weaving, not maintaining their lane.”

Maddy said officers in the Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy go through training to conduct Operating a Vehicle while Impaired (OVI) traffic stops, but because marijuana is not broadly legalized in Ohio, the test subjects can only be drunk.

“They hold an actual course where they’ll bring people in, obviously we don’t do marijuana, but we’ll have some people that are under the influence of alcohol and some people that are not, and these guys go through a full field sobriety test to see if they would arrest them or not,” Maddy said.

Officers get their training on identifying drivers who are potentially on drugs through an additional course, known as Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE).

Bley and Maddy stress the importance of taking in as many factors as possible when determining if someone has committed an OVI violation, but they said the “lack of convergence” test taught in ARIDE can uniquely identify a driver who is stoned.

Lack of convergence basically tests the driver’s ability to cross their eyes when focusing on an object placed near the bridge of their nose.

“We’ll do a circle,” Maddy said while gesturing with his pen, then pushing the pen forward, “at that point, one eye will come in and the other eye does not

Ohioans will vote “Yes” or “No” to legalizing and regulating the cultivation, manufacturing, testing and sale of marijuana during the November election.

P H O T O : A D D W E E D, U N S P L A S H

have the strength to come in, it’ll usually fall out and point out somewhere else which shows us they are under the influence of marijuana.”

Once an officer has enough probable cause to make an OVI arrest, Maddy said they may ask the driver to perform a breathalyzer test or blood or urine test back at the department; Hamilton County deputies do not typically administer these tests roadside.

Blood and urine tests Blood and urine are the only ways police can scientifically prove there is marijuana in someone’s system. Corporal Kirk Caruso said state law does not require a warrant for a sample of either.

“When you go to get your driver’s license, you sign an implied consent form,” said Caruso. “If you refuse to give a breath test or a urine sample or something like that at the direction of an officer, that’s what you’re signing when you go to get your driver’s license.”

Maddy said, while the department is protected by Ohio law to force a sample, the Hamilton County department always gets a warrant first.

“We have never forced anyone,” Maddy said. “If it’s an exigent situation where they’ve caused serious injuries, yes, we could get a search warrant, but we have to have probable cause to write that search warrant and have a judge sign it to either draw the blood or get the blood from the hospital they were transported to.”

Because marijuana can stay in your system for days or weeks, depending on how often you consume, officers refer to a marijuana metabolite chart in the Ohio Revised Code.

“Our lab tests blood, and they can give you a per se level, and it’s testing for what’s most recent. They do have a way of knowing what was most recently ingested compared to what’s been just lingering.”

A lawyer objects Robert Healey, an attorney who specializes in OVI cases with the Minnillo Law Group in the greater Cincinnati area, told CityBeat he has a problem with the legislature’s threshold for marijuana metabolites.

“They have prohibitive limits for marijuana metabolites in your system, and if you smoke regularly you’re going to be over the limit,” he said. “You could smoke yesterday, you are not under the influence of marijuana, but those metabolites are in your system and the legislature says that’s operating a vehicle under the influence. I have a problem with that.”

While the majority of Healey’s OVI cases are in relation to alcohol, the metabolites test is why Healey said he would caution someone who is being asked to consent to a blood or urine test simply for suspicion of driving under the influence of marijuana.

“The landscape, even as it is right now on the subject, I think would encourage me to tell people to refuse,” he said.

But refusing a test comes with major risks. Healey said drivers often say yes to a test because they can get a lighter punishment for driving under the influence than not consenting to a test at all.

“They incentivize people to take the test by reading them a form when they’re first arrested saying that, on a first offense, if you refuse the test, it’s a one-year suspension administratively from the BMV. If you take the test and test under the legal limit, they don’t suspend you at all. If you take the test and test over the legal limit, it’s a 90-day suspension,” Healey said. “In the case of marijuana, if they think you’re under the influence, then they would ask for urine and you would either consent to that urine screen or refuse it, same thing applies.”

Healey said Ohio OVI law still hasn’t

caught up to the legalization of medical cannabis in the state. He offered an example of a case where a client was charged with an OVI for driving while over the legal limit of amphetamines in their system. Some of the charges could be resolved in court because the driver was taking the amphetamines as prescribed by their doctor. But with marijuana, Healy said the “water gets muddy,” even in a state that legalized it medically.

“It is not a prescription,” Healey said.

“Ohio’s recognized that it may have legitimate medical purposes, but they don’t prescribe it, they recommend it.

You don’t get it from a pharmacy, you get it from a dispensary. The law hasn’t caught up with how to deal with that quite yet. There’s not a lot of law surrounding marijuana being in people’s systems in Ohio.”

Even still, Healey said Ohio doesn’t deal with a lot of OVI cases related to marijuana. He doesn’t think that’s going to change much, even if Issue 2 passes in November.

“If they made it recreational where everybody could go get it and smoke it, I don’t think it would really change the landscape of what we’re dealing with.

People that wanted to smoke marijuana did, regardless of what the law was,” Healey said.

Who Will Get to Sell Recreational Marijuana if Issue 2 Passes?

The citizen-initiated ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana, known as Issue 2, would allow adults to buy and grow their own marijuana for personal use, with restrictions.

Growing at home could only be for personal use — there’s no legal option to sell any of the permitted six homegrown and cultivated plants. Those who want to legally sell in the state will need to get one of the limited number of licenses that will become available should Issue 2 pass, and many are already spoken for.

Medical dispensaries get first dibs According to the Issue 2 ballot text, existing medical cultivators and dispensaries will be the first to receive adult-use recreational licenses within nine months of the law being passed, assuming they fit all requirements. The law legalizing recreational marijuana in Ohio, should the ballot measure pass, will go into effect 30 days after the Nov. 7 election. Cultivators and dispensaries would also have the opportunity to expand their current operations, depending on their size.

Ohio currently has 104 active certificates of operation for medical dispensaries, according to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.

Additional licenses won’t be doled out by the state until two years after the

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law takes effect, according to the law’s text.

The owner of the Cincinnati-based hemp delivery service “It’s Not Weed” is one of those hopeful purveyors.

While the products It’s Not Weed sells are totally legal, its owner, we’ll call him John, requested anonymity for this story.

“We call ourselves a recreational dispensary but we most closely resemble the hemp shops you see around town,” John said. “We’ve been in business for just over a year, and the products we sell – most of which are intoxicating, some of which are not – are all federally and statewide considered hemp.”

Minor cannabinoids, major benefits It’s Not Weed offers CBD flower, Delta 8 flower and handfuls of other cannabinoids that, when tailored to the needs of the user, can be just as effective as marijuana.

“We sell edibles which are pretty much indistinguishable from what you’d drive across the border to Michigan to buy,” he said. “I’ve spoken to a handful of friends and customers who literally are looking for particular cannabinoids. I do have people who prefer these mixed-type flowers as well.”

The legal limitations of not being allowed to sell straight-up marijuana have allowed John to specialize in these minor cannabinoids, which he said have a valuable place behind a dispensary counter.

“Some are being studied for things like ADHD, there’s several others that help with other things too,” he said.

During a recent trip to Canada to visit friends, John said he visited a large dispensary out of professional curiosity.

“I was surprised to see that they don’t have anything that contains these more minor cannabinoids,” John said. “We actually offer a wider variety as a oneyear-old company with a limited budget.”

Marijuana users who are seeking specific therapeutic qualities, or even first-time users, may need more options, according to John. He said an in-depth consultation about what the user is looking for may also be lost in these big-box dispensaries.

“Some people, especially these bigger-tier businesses, want to run the best cash flow they can get and they want efficiency,” he said. “There’s a lot of things that will suffer under that from that perspective.”

The push to pivot While John’s encyclopedic knowledge of the hemp spectrum is beneficial to those who aren’t looking for marijuana, he said It’s Not Weed was started with the intent of being in place if and when recreational marijuana were to be legalized in Ohio.

“I would like to pivot towards the

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The Cincinnati Southern Railway is a single rail that starts in Cincinnati and ends in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

P H OTO : A I DA N M A H O N E Y

recreational legal market,” he said.

But John worries that smaller hemp businesses like his won’t be able to expand their operation to include marijuana when the fight for licenses begins.

“My fear is the private interests with lots of capital will take all the control,” he said. “It will be hard for someone like me, being in operations for a year with lots of experience in business and degrees to back it up, to enter that market and be able to survive in that market against these multi-state hundred million dollar companies like Verilife.”

IS S UE 22:

The Proposed Sale of The Cincinnati Southern Railway to Norfolk Southern

BY MADELINE FENING On Nov. 7, Cincinnati voters will decide whether or not to sell the Cincinnati Southern Railway (CSR) to the rail company Norfolk Southern in exchange for a $1.6 billion trust fund to shore up basic services for the city.

The CSR is a single rail line that starts in Cincinnati and ends in Chattanooga that the city leases to Norfolk Southern for $25 million a year. The 336-mile commercial freight railway is the only city-owned multi-state railway in the country. The first lease agreement with Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (CNO&TP) was signed in 1881 and has been renewed on a 25-year cycle ever since (CNO&TP is now a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern).

As the latest lease agreement turns 25, city leaders want Cincinnati voters to sell their railroad rather than renewing its lease.

The city estimates it would see an annual return on the investment ranging from $50 million to $70 million,

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almost three times what the city earns from leasing the railroad to Norfolk Southern now. A five-person CSR board of trustees, which is appointed by the sitting mayor and approved by council, began lease and sale negotiations with Norfolk Southern in 2020, according to the board. Legally, earnings from the sale could only be spent on maintaining existing city facilities like roads, rec centers and fire stations, which city leaders say is crucial given the city’s $300 million deficit.

If Cincinnati votes down the sale, Norfolk Southern will still be on the CSR tracks for at least another 25 years.

After that, Mayor Aftab Pureval said it won’t be up to the city or Norfolk Southern to decide how much the line is worth.

“It would be whatever the third party arbitrator decides,” Pureval told CityBeat in June. “It would be much less compared to a sale. There’s a certain amount of risk involved in letting it go to a third party arbitrator because we don’t know what they’re going to decide, but we know that it won’t be $50-70 million a year, which is conservatively what we would get with the sale of the railroad.”

Save Our Rail, an anti-Issue 22 political action committee, believes the railroad has been undervalued. Instead of a sale, organizers want to see a higher lease amount while borrowing against the CSR’s value to free up funds for the city’s immediate infrastructure needs.

“When we maintain ownership of the line it increases in value, and currently the industry is projected to gain 7.5%/yr. Why not renegotiate for better terms?” reads the organization’s website.

According to the board, the highest possible lease Norfolk Southern was willing to pay was $37.3 in April 2022; the city was asking for $65 million.

But finances are a secondary concern

to many voters who see retaining the railroad as critical to local safety.

The proposed sale comes at a time of heightened public awareness of the sins of its buyer, Norfolk Southern. A train belonging to the rail behemoth derailed in East Palestine, a small Eastern Ohio village near the Pennsylvania border, on Feb. 3. The crash ignited a chain of events that ended in a controlled burn of the train’s toxic load of chemicals, including butyl acrylate, vinyl chloride, ethylene glycol monobutyl ether and ethylhexyl acrylate. The colorless vinyl chloride has been associated with an increased risk of liver cancer and other cancers, according to the federal government’s National Cancer Institute. More than half of the small town is reportedly afraid to drink its own tap water to this day.

Voters have raised concerns about future safety if the city relinquishes ownership of its railway to the company that caused the fiery explosion in East Palestine. Organizers from Derail the Sale, a group stumping for “No” votes on Issue 22, told CityBeat they visited East Palestine after the Feb. 3 disaster.

“A group of us went and visited East Palestine in hopes to talk to neighbors there, see how we could be helpful, and we ended up joining a community meeting there where there was standing room only,” said Abby Friend of Derail the Sale. “It was just really eye opening and terrifying and shocking and heartbreaking to see the residents of East Palestine being impacted and not having answers.”

On Oct. 5, the Unity Council for the East Palestine Train Derailment, a council representing East Palestine residents, urged Cincinnati residents to vote “No” on Issue 22.

“Do not make the same mistakes our community did and ignore the dangers associated with railways,” the Council said in an open letter. “Open your eyes, look around you, research the facts.”

But in a June interview with CityBeat, Mayor Aftab Pureval said there’s nothing Cincinnati could do to make Norfolk Southern clean up its act by retaining ownership of the railroad.

“The federal government has exclusive control over managing and regulating the railroad. Even though we currently own the railroad, we have no power to regulate what goes on the rails. We have no power to require rail companies to give us a heads up when they’re transporting hazardous material,” Pureval said. “So, even if we don’t sell the railroad, we’d have no power to prevent something like East Palestine from happening in Cincinnati. Only the federal government has that power.”

East Palestine did push some in Washington into high gear, like Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH). Vance and Brown co-authored

the Railway Safety Act, which was designed to improve safety standards for rail giants like Norfolk Southern when carrying loads of hazardous chemicals. The Railway Safety Act is awaiting a vote on the Senate floor.

Because the funds from the sale are supposed to be appropriated for existing infrastructure needs – think potholes, aging fire stations, energy inefficient city buildings, etc. – CityBeat asked Pureval to paint a picture of what he thought Cincinnati would look like without the passage of Issue 22.

“Roads will no longer be able to be paved with regularity, potholes will continue to be a challenge,” Pureval said. “We wouldn’t be able to remove snow effectively and quickly. We’ll have to downsize the number of fire stations and police stations we have, which will have an impact on safety. We won’t be able to maintain the parks we have in our community.”

Derail the Sale said it’s willing to take that risk should Issue 22 fail, saying leaders need to figure out how to keep the CSR and maintain the city.

“They’re looking at our [railroad] as something we can just toss out the door instead of sitting down and finding creative solutions to some of our problems,” Friend said.

IS S UE 24:

Cincinnati’s Affordable Housing Tax Amendment B Y K AT H E R I N E B A R R I E R On Tuesday, Nov. 7, Ohio voters will get to decide the fate of several major issues in the state, ranging from protecting reproductive health care rights to legalizing recreational marijuana. In Cincinnati, amid an affordable housing shortage and sharp rent increases, a battle to fund affordable housing initiatives will play out with Issue 24.

A majority “Yes” vote for Issue 24 would mean changing the city’s charter to increase the city income and withholding tax from 1.8% to 2.1% — a 0.3% increase. Revenue gained from the increase would be placed in a special revenue fund used for affordable housing projects and assistance to those making a certain percentage of the area median income (AMI).

According to Issue 24 sponsor Cincinnati Action for Housing Now, the amendment would guarantee at least 65% of the fund would go toward creating or preserving housing units that are affordable to families making up to 30% of the AMI. That means households making around $30,000 a year or less would qualify for this assistance.

Cincinnati Action For Housing Now also says one in three renting households in the city falls in this range, and a two-bedroom apartment (plus utilities)

in this range would cost no more than $645 a month.

Another 30% of the fund could be used for several purposes: • Creating or preserving housing units for those making up to 50% of the AMI (around $50,000 a year) • Providing services to low-income households to help decrease the impact of losing housing or to help families stay in their homes • Providing homeownership opportunities, including down payment assistance, mortgages, loans, financial counseling and construction loans, to households making up to 80% of the AMI The final 5% would be used for the fund’s administrative costs, as well as the cost of administering the fund in consultation with a board of 11 city residents.

Cincinnati Action For Housing Now says Issue 24 would restore the city’s income tax to its pre-2020 level and generate revenue between $40 million and $50 million a year. The cost to most households, they say, would be less than $11 a month.

Opponents of Issue 24, however, such as the Realtor Alliance of Greater Cincinnati (RAGC), say the tax increase will place a heavier burden on Cincinnati homeowners and residents who have recently been assessed with a double-digit increase in property valuations and will see their property taxes increase. Further, they argue Issue 24 is a simplistic solution to a complex problem that doesn’t address the underlying barriers to affordable housing.

“We are dedicated to contributing to an inclusive conversation about affordable housing in Cincinnati,” Anne Uchtman, president of the RAGC Board of Directors, said in a press release. “Our opposition to this amendment comes from a place of deep understanding of the local housing market and a firm belief in policies that are equitable, thoughtful, and effective in addressing the needs of all residents.”

But Cincinnati Action For Housing Now argues the city needs affordable housing now, especially as Cincinnati leads the nation in rent increases, with Zillow saying rent rose 7.9% from May 2022 to May 2023, and one in three households paying more for rent than they can actually afford.

“Because of our affordable housing shortage, hardworking, everyday people like childcare workers, school bus drivers, home health aides, custodians, retail and food service workers, recreation center employees, and government retirees are struggling to keep their heads above water. It doesn’t have to be this way!” it shared on its website.

If Issue 24 passes, it will take effect Jan. 1, 2025.

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ARTS & CULTURE

David Kisor and Zina Camblin creating Fiona: The Musical.

P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY E N S E M B L E T H E AT R E C I N C I N N AT I

Hope & Hippos

Zina Camblin’s Fiona: The Musical brings the heartwarming story of Cincinnati’s Fiona the hippo to the stage.

BY K AT I E G R I F F IT H

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ext month, one of Cincinnati’s most well-known residents and her inspirational life story will be presented on the stage. She was born on Jan. 24, 2017, six weeks before she was due, with little hope for survival.

Cincinnati’s Fiona the hippopotamus is the smallest Nile hippo to ever survive, according to the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden’s website.

Thanks to her innate sense of perseverance and strength along with Cincinnati Zoo staff expertise and 24/7 care, she overcame her life-threatening circumstances.

Her survival story, which was shared in real time by the Cincinnati Zoo during the first two years of her life, became an international sensation.

It was shared on platforms from the New York Times to local media, and it trended on social media and has been turned into multiple children’s books.

On Nov. 29, Fiona: The Musical will make its world premiere at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, conveying Fiona’s captivating life story live on stage.

Fiona: The Musical was commissioned

by Ensemble Theatre and written by Zina Camblin with music and lyrics created by David Kisor.

“It’s just such an incredible story,” Camblin tells CityBeat. “This is something that really happened that is so wonderful and so magical, that my job as a writer is not really to write the story, but to honor the story. And to

turn the version of the story that is, into something theatrical.”

By the time Fiona debuts, Cincinnati-native Camblin will see her second world premiere of a play in just two months’ time. In October, Camblin’s Wrecking Ball premiered at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company. As an experienced TV writer, playwright and producer, Camblin says her love for musical theater was born during her time in Cincinnati at the School for Creative and Performing Arts. “[The musical] is a love letter to Cincinnati and it’s a love letter to the zoo,” Camblin says.

The show is full of Cincinnati references, she tells CityBeat. Camblin and Kisor collaborated closely to ensure Fiona, the zookeepers and other animals are depicted accurately with lively, individual personalities. Camblin wanted to bring life to animals from the zoo that typically don’t get a lot of attention. Then, she thought of human characteristics that mirror those animals to personify and animate those animals.

Audiences will meet the head zookeeper, a neonatal nurse, zoo staff, a giraffe, a pelican, an ostrich and, of course, Fiona, among others.

“The idea just struck me as really funny of matching these human personality traits with a particular animal,” Camblin says. “You know, like, in my imagination, what would a giraffe be like if it was human, what would that personality type be? Or what would a

pelican be like? I tried to choose animals that don’t usually get the spotlight.

So there’s no Bengal tiger. There’s no lion. There’s no traditional bear; there’s no elephant. Those are the animals that always get the love. And these are more animals that don’t always have the limelight.”

Fiona however, loves the limelight, as Camblin has gathered from visits to the Cincinnati Zoo. Fiona is always doing something funny and, seemingly, for attention. She has a loud, lovable personality that audience members of all ages will be able to relate to, especially the underdog (or “underhippo”) aspect.

Camblin says themes of friendship, triumph, beating the odds, determination and compassion are woven throughout the story.

“Fiona’s character is really relatable because it’s someone who the odds are against. And then in the end, she beats the odds,” Camblin tells CityBeat. “She’s a character that is fighting to survive and fighting to be a real hippo. It’s like, you have to go through that phase of believing in yourself and knowing you can do it and all of those things that every human being has had to face in one way or another. And maybe people don’t think you can do it, whether it’s your parents or friends or society that isn’t allowing you to accomplish those things. So how do you believe in yourself? And how do you come through that? It’s a miracle story. Fiona was not supposed to survive and she did.”

Fiona didn’t do it on her own, either.

Camblin says Fiona: The Musical reveals how support can positively impact someone’s life journey. She says the story shows how zoo staff and the community came together in support of Fiona, whether it was tangible or through love and attention; people came together in support of her survival and that, on top of Fiona’s strength, was a key factor in her triumph.

Viewers are in for a treat when it comes to the visuals. How does the creative team accomplish a zoo atmosphere? How does one depict a hippo on stage? The costumes, designed by Maria Fernanda Ortiz Lopez, are a feat of creativity and manage to be simple yet accurate and detailed, Camblin says. Don’t expect mascots on stage, or cumbersome costumes.

In fact, each actor – apart from Fiona and the head zookeeper – depicts two characters. Each actor depicting a human on stage has an animal counterpart that they transition back and forth from throughout the show. So, the 16 talented actors that complete the ensemble actually represent 20-plus characters in the story.

For now, the creative team and cast are working through a few more weeks of rehearsal to prepare for the world premiere of Fiona: The Musical.

Camblin says the partnership cultivated between her and Kisor writing and scoring the story was essential to its success and accomplishes a one-of-akind version of this Cincinnati story that has been shared and told so many times before, but never like this.

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Fiona: The Musical, presented by Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati, runs from Nov. 29-Dec. 29.

Info: ensemblecincinnati.org.

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R E V I E W BY R I C K P E N D E R

CRITIC’S PICK

ONSTAGE

No Matter How You Slice it, Clyde’s is a Tasty Treat at Cincinnati Playhouse

From L-R: Maiesha McQueen, Shannon Dorsey, Michael Cornelius Chenevert Jr., Austin Kirk & Juan Arturo in Clyde’s at Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park.

P H OTO : M I K K I S C H A F F N E R

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ynn Nottage is one prolific playwright. Cincinnati theatergoers have had the opportunity to see her work on multiple occasions, including Intimate Apparel at Ensemble Theatre Cincinnati (2005), successfully adapted into a 2022 opera (with a development stop locally in 2016 by Cincinnati Opera). Her Pulitzer Prizewinning Sweat was at ETC in 2022. We haven’t seen her 2009 script Ruined (2009), another Pulitzer winner, but she wrote the book for MJ the Musical, the national tour of which stopped at the Aronoff Center in September. She has an uncanny ability to dig into and portray meaningful and real characters, often people of color, while telling engaging stories.

That’s certainly the case with Clyde’s, currently onstage at the Cincinnati Playhouse. It’s about a set of previously incarcerated felons who have a second chance at life working at a truck stop sandwich shop in Reading, Pennsylvania. They’re all pursuing uphill battles to redemption, working for Clyde (Maiesha McQueen), the diner’s hard driving, demanding and thoroughly unsympathetic owner.

Their paths to better lives are

metaphorically paved with slices of bread as they strive for perfection with that “most democratic of all foods,” according to Montrellous (Michael Cornelius Chenevert Jr.), a master at inventing mouth-watering combinations of materials for diners. “Two pieces of bread, and between,” he tells his three colleagues, “you can put anything you want. It invites invention and collaboration.”

Under his philosophical guidance are frenetic Letitia (Shannon Dorsey) trying to raise a daughter with a disability while making ends meet, romantic Rafael (Juan Arturo) who has a crush on Letitia, and Jason (Austin Kirk), full of fury and covered with white supremacist facial tattoos. Letitia is Black; Rafael is Hispanic. Initial indications are that Jason, newly added to the team, will not mix well. But under the sway of Montrellous’s gentle tutelage at the altar of sandwich-making — a roll-around kitchen prep table — these three troubled characters find ways to become better people, despite Clyde’s steady barrage of foul-mouthed criticism and demands for rapid production rather than aesthetic perfection.

Nottage’s script, truly a successful

comedy, digs deep into some hardcore social issues. Everyone working in Clyde’s kitchen was incarcerated for some foolish, thoughtless action. Letitia broke into a pharmacy to steal medication her daughter needed. Rafael undertook a hapless, drug-laced bank robbery (with a BB gun) because he needed the funds to buy his girlfriend an expensive fancy dog. Jason lost his factory job and took out his anger with a baseball bat attack on a scab crossing a picket line. In prison, surrounded by gang members, he was marked with tattoos making him an object of shame and scorn in outside society. Montrellous’s story reveals a selfless act totally in keeping with his character.

Trying to make it after time in prison is a hard road but striving to be better — even if it’s via the medium of mouthwatering sandwiches — is what drives the action of this show. Nottage injects a lot of humor along the way, and each character has his or her moment in the spotlight as they become a more unified team and push back against Clyde’s mean-spirited oversight. She constantly snaps them back to earth when she sharply delivers an order and rings the service bell. In fact, this return to

reality is cleverly underscored by lighting designer Harold F. Burgess II: As Montrellous waxes poetic the ambient lighting becomes soft and warm. When Clyde slams another order and pounds the bell, the scene snaps back to harsh fluorescent illumination.

Director Timothy Douglas has carefully shaped this story by giving each actor enough room to establish his or her character and then molding them into a unified ensemble who make progress toward personal pride in their work. Montrellous’s poetic, guru-like monologues about ingredients, attitude and the power of sandwich-making are quite miraculous. The on-again, off-again romance between persistent Rafael and guarded Letitia could be predictable, but it becomes part of the larger whole. And Jason’s redemption, revealing his better nature, is driven home with a humorously satisfying garnish.

McQueen plays a fearsome taskmaster, revealing just enough about Clyde’s own demons and economic forces to make her behavior understandable if not entirely sympathetic. With each entrance in a different outfit and a new wig, she is a maelstrom of cutting barbs and put-downs. And yet, we see that she has her own set of challenges that keep her fury boiling.

This production of Clyde’s plays out on a marvelously detailed diner kitchen designed by Se Hyun Oh with three rollaround prep tables, sinks, refrigerator, a grill, lockers, shelves with supplies, and a service window that Clyde haunts with her angry insistence on quick delivery without the fussy designs sprouting among her staff. When she enters the kitchen to set them straight, her intimidation sucks all the air out of their workspace. Overhead the restaurant’s glowing red-lettered, weatherbeaten sign flickers and flares when the stage darkens for scene changes, often orchestrated with pulsating choreography by the actors, set to composer Matthew M. Nielson’s sound design.

Clyde’s is one of the most produced plays at America’s regional theaters this season, as it was a year ago. Cincinnati Playhouse is one of 14 to stage it during the 2023-2024 season. With veteran director Douglas helming the production, it’s surely one of the most satisfying.

Clyde’s, presented by the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park at the Rouse Theatre – Moe and Jack’s Place, continues through Nov. 5.

Info: cincyplay.com.

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CULTURE

Beardo’s Curiosities in Carthage Sells a Variety of Rare, ‘Dark Aesthetic’ Items

BY K AT I E G R I F F IT H

Brad “Beardo” Hester opened Beardo’s Curiosities out of a love of weird and horrifying objects.

P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY B R A D H E S T E R

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new oddity/horror shop in Cincinnati offers a variety of unique, rare, “dark aesthetic” items and would make for a great spooky outing.

Beardo’s Curiosities opened last month in Carthage, on the corner of Vine Street and Paddock Road. “Unique gifts for unusual souls,” is owner Brad “Beardo” Hester’s slogan. It’s a fairly spot-on call to those looking to browse or collect items like horror film memorabilia and merchandise, insect specimens, handmade jewelry, human or animal bones, taxidermy or a Freddy Krueger dildo.

“So pretty much it’s a shop about weird things that you can find in weird places,” Hester says. “Usually, we get a lot of antiques that are just kind of unusual or weird, a lot of taxidermy animals. We’ve got a bunch of human

[bones and bone fragments] and just a bunch of weird stuff. Also a lot of horror movie themed stuff. There are only really two stores around the area [that are similar] but they’re both pretty spread apart.

I kind of noticed that Cincinnati didn’t really have anything like it. So I wanted to bring that kind of culture here.”

Beardo’s Curiosities is the newest addition to Cincinnati’s accumulation of oddity stores like Hail Dark Aesthetic, a record and oddity shop in Covington and Memento Mori in Loveland.

Hester is a Cincinnati native and has been creating pinned insect artwork for years. He built upon the business of creating, selling and acquiring those kinds of items to launch Beardo’s Curiosities, which appropriately operates out of an old funeral home. Hester says he often rummages through the back room of the store, where he finds old items from the

funeral home to sell or display.

Among the oddest items in Beardo’s inventory are a wet specimen monkey, a taxidermy baboon, a human skull and skull fragments and a human fibula, Hester says. To acquire items of this nature, “you have to know the right people.” Hester spends a lot of time traveling to participate in oddity shows and events, where he makes such connections, he tells CityBeat.

But wait, you’re probably still thinking about that Freddy Krueger dildo, aren’t you?

One of Beardo’s Curiosities most interesting, creative and … useful items are his selection of character molded dildos. Made by Harry SFX, who creates “silicone stress relievers,” props and collectables, these pleasure molds appear in some of the spookiest shapes ever.

Like Freddy Krueger’s tongue called

“Fred Lick Kreuger” (genius), Ghostface of Scream called “Screamdo,” or “The Shape” that is Micheal Myers.

Whether it’s for the brilliant puns or the activities associated, the Harry SFX collection at Beardo’s seems to be worth a browse. Hester also carries handmade jewelry like alligator toe earrings by Gaylormoon.

These items just scratch the surface of what Beardo’s has to offer. During a visit you may run into Deacon the Sphynx shop cat or a tarot card reader. This weekend Beardo’s Curiosities is offering a Halloween special: buy $100 worth of merchandise and get a free gift.

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Beardo’s Curiosities is located at 7436 Vine St. in Carthage and operates from 12-6 p.m. on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

Info: beardoscuriosities.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

Edna Quiroga and Christian Gonzalez opened Coffia to celebrate Colombian coffee.

P H O T O : I N S TA G R A M . C O M / C O F F I A C O F F E E S H O P

Caffeinated Roots

A new coffee shop in Over-the-Rhine, Coffia, is serving up Colombian coffee and culture.

BY H AY L E Y GA R R

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ver-the-Rhine is a central attraction in Cincinnati known for its small businesses, bars, restaurants and more that the area has to offer. OTR continues to draw in crowds no matter the time of day, as businesses have something to offer whether you are looking for coffee in the morning, or a few classy cocktails during a night out on the town. On the edge of OTR, a new Colombianinspired coffee shop, Coffia, recently opened on 32 East 13th Street.

Coffia is owned by married couple Edna Quiroga and Christian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez originally owned a coffee shop in Colombia, but after meeting his wife in New York, decided to bring a Colombian coffee shop to Cincinnati.The couple moved to Cincinnati to still have the city atmosphere without the high costs of New York. Quiroga decided on the name Coffia based on the flower that coffee comes from, coffea.

Gonzalez typically does most of the in-shop work, such as helping out in the

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kitchen and with the barista work, while Quiroga deals with much of the out-ofshop work, such as communications and planning. Both, however, worked together to establish the business, menu and overall imagery.

“We wanted somewhere central, where people go to explore, and OTR is the place people go for the most part,” explains Quiroga. “It is also close to Kentucky, so you get different types of people. A lot of people come in from different parts of the country to get married, or go to a wedding, or all types of events that happen downtown. It’s a good place to mingle and meet other types of people who we can influence through the coffee and the coffee shop.”

At Coffia, everything is inspired by Colombian culture. With opening the coffee shop, the couple’s main goal was to share their culture with anybody the shop may reach. Aside from Colombian culture, the couple drew inspiration from places they have traveled to and places they want to go for Coffia’s menu and atmosphere.

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Coffia’s Nomad Wall showcases the work of artists from all over the world.

P H O T O : I N S TA G R A M . C O M / C O F F I A C O F F E E S H O P

“The idea of it mostly is bringing the Colombian coffee, the culture, the food, the feeling of the jungle, and where you pick the coffee beans from in Colombia, over to Cincinnati,” says Quiroga.

The quaint coffee shop is lined with basic brown tables and tall green plants. A pink neon sign that says “Coffia” catches the eye at the center of the shop. The menu is a trendy letter board that can be rearranged as items vary. The counter-service shop not only

offers a coffee menu, but an extensive breakfast, lunch and Colombian food menu that continues to expand.

The main food feature for Coffia is tapas. The tapas are Quiroga’s take on a Spanish dish, with a Colombian touch.

They come in about 10 different variations. Soon, Quiroga hopes to add more Colombian food to the menu, as she did not realize the wide Latinx community in Cincinnati prior to opening Coffia.

“We’re gonna add some very original

Coffia serves coffee on the fruitier side of the spectrum.

P H O T O : I N S TA G R A M . C O M / C O F F I A C O F F E E S H O P

Colombian food, because we didn’t realize that there were so many Colombian people here, and so many Latin people here, and they are kind of thirsty for their culture,” says Quiroga. “Then also, Americans are very thirsty to learn about a different culture and consume different types of food. It’s very interesting how people are interested in it.”

Coffee wise, Coffia uses coffee, sourced from Colombia, that has a bit of a purposeful fruity touch. “The coffee is very, very fruity. If you ever try our cold brew, you’ll taste the fruits in it, with chocolate sometimes, but you will still taste the different notes,” explains Quiroga. “It’s a medium to dark roast.

So we try to keep it as caffeinated as possible for people to get the jumpstart that they need in their mornings, or an afternoon pick-me-up.”

Currently, the most popular coffee on the menu is the “Cafe Bom Bom,” two espresso shots mixed with sweetened condensed milk, topped with frothed milk or skim milk. A popular noncoffee drink is the matcha lemonade.

The drink mixes sweet with matcha tea, while still being caffeinated. Coffia recently began serving alcoholic beverages as well.

A huge project that Coffia is currently working on is the Nomad wall located

just inside of the coffee shop’s building.

With the help of a curator and friend of the couple, Alejandro Munera, the owners feature international and national artist murals on the Nomad wall. The format is unique, as even the windows can be used for murals, so the space will be taken advantage of to feature various artists as soon as possible.

“Coffee is like sharing energy, sharing love, sharing roots, sharing plans, sharing fruit, sharing birds,” says Gonzalez, when explaining his motivation behind the business. “The base of coffee is around trees, around flowers, or birds, around communities. I think coffee is, or absorbs, the sands and the aromas of the flowers of that area, but it also absorbs spiritual energy. And I really think that people are drinking that energy. Those are positive things about coffee.”

Both Gonzalez and Quiroga are very excited to expand the shop. They recently began selling their coffee recipe in coffee bags in-store and soon online, and they will be expanding the menu next. Coffia is for anybody seeking something new or familiar in the heart of OTR. Coffia, 32 E. 13th St., Over-the-Rhine.

Info: instagram.com/coffiacoffeeshop.

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EATS

West Side Cincinnati Restaurants You Need to Try ASAP

BY C I T Y B E AT STA F F

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he West Side of Cincinnati has a reputation for being stodgy and old-school, but we think that really couldn’t be further from the truth, especially in terms of the food scene.

Sure, the West Side has its tried-andtrue favorites that have been around forever, but there’s also always something new to try here, whether you’re looking for kickass Indian cuisine, a dinner with a view or even just a really good, greasy breakfast that will keep you full for hours. Keep scrolling to see some of the best West Side restaurants, from the classic diners and chili parlors where your grandparents ate to the hidden gems and new favorites.

Cancun Mexican 6385 Glenway Ave., Green Township (Western Bowl); 5034 Glencrossing Way, Westwood (Glenway Crossing); 5686 Harrison Ave., Dent Cancun is one of the best large-menu, do-it-all Mexican joints in town.

Maybe it’s hard for a restaurant to go wrong with the rich, spicy and bold flavors paired with a tangy refreshing margarita, but Cancun is definitely doing it right. After all, they’ve been successful enough to open nine area locations over the years, including the one attached to Western Bowl. The margaritas hit hard, so keep that in mind if you’re planning on bowling a few rounds after dinner.

Trotta’s Pizza 3501 Werk Road, Westwood Frequently named one of the top 10 best pizza joints by CityBeat readers in the Best Of Cincinnati issue, Trotta’s Pizza & Drive-Thru is a pony keg that slings superior slices. Known for its unique toppings — ranging from chili and goetta to meatballs and hot wing sauce — Trotta’s offers several styles of crust: super thin, traditional, Sicilian (its specialty) and even cauliflower.

Nation Westwood 3435 Epworth Ave., Westwood Nation Kitchen & Bar takes its name from ax-wielding Temperance warrior Carrie Nation. The laid-back eatery and bar serves a variety of top-notch burgers and tots, and the Westwood location is located in an old firehouse with a pleasant patio for outdoor dining when the weather’s nice.

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Nation Westwood serves up a variety of top-notch burgers and tots.

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

Somm Wine Bar

Maury’s Tiny Cove

3105 Price Ave., East Price Hill Food and wine are perfectly paired at Somm, and the outdoor patio with its fountain, Edison-bulb string lights, fire table and meticulous landscaping is the perfect spot to enjoy them.

This Incline District wine bar and restaurant has over 80 kinds of wine to choose from and a menu ranging from charcuterie boards to the Somm burger to filet mignon.

3908 Harrison Ave., Cheviot Maury’s has been packed full of flavor and a West Side tradition since 1949.

The dimly lit supper-club vibe will have you feeling like a regular on your first visit. The extensive menu consists of all the popular steakhouse options: tender, juicy steaks; seafood; and chicken cooked just right, plus pasta, and a perfect martini. Ask for the Carol booth — the restaurant appears in the locally filmed, Oscar-nominated movie starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara — or take a photo with the Maury’s sign, featuring a kitschy cartoon steer holding a cocktail.

Incline Public House 2601 W. Eighth St., East Price Hill Named after the Cincinnati inclines that traveled to Price Hill, Incline Public House features a gorgeous view of the city and delicious American food for brunch, lunch and dinner.

While you enjoy the view of downtown Cincinnati on their all-season patio, try one of their popular pizzas, like the equal-parts sweet and salty Prosciutto Fig, featuring fig jam, Italian ham, goat cheese, caramelized onions and arugula on top. Or, build your own using the expansive list of sauces, cheeses and toppings. Pair it with one of their local craft brews on tap and their mouthwatering short rib poutine to split with the table to top off the experience.

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Ivory House 2998 Harrison Ave., Westwood Ivory House offers upscale dining in the heart of Westwood’s business district in a space that’s fresh and contemporary. Guests walk into the restaurant and are greeted by a classy white piano and tall bistro tables and an open, inviting dining room.

The dinner menu features steak and seafood favorites like the filet mignon, lobster tail and grilled scallops. Ivory House also offers brunch and a wine program, which allows you to explore and discover new wines, as well as get a subscription to one of their wine

lockers, which is perfect if you want to curate a personal collection.

Benin’s Bar-B-Q 3134 Harrison Ave., Westwood Benin’s is a hidden-gem barbecue joint on the West Side that offers one-, two- and three-meat combos. Choose between their ribs, rib tips, quarter chicken, pulled chicken, pulled pork and brisket, paired with two of their Southern-style sides and cornbread.

Their menu also features sandwiches and daily specials, including their barbecue burritos.

Price Hill Chili 4920 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill Generations of West Side patrons have grown up on this iconic, familyowned restaurant. Since opening in 1962, Price Hill Chili has expanded several times; there are now multiple dining areas and a full-service attached cocktail lounge called Golden Fleece. They’re set apart from other chili joints by their liquor license and full menu, which features an excellent Greek salad (with secretrecipe dressing), specialty sandwiches, steaks and all-day breakfast that includes a goetta and cheese omelet that’s unmatched.

Korean fried chicken sandwich to the Bistro Poutine to the chili – is packed with flavor. The restaurant also offers brunch on the weekends, with offerings like biscuits and gravy, the hearty W Brunch Platter (eggs, potatoes, toast and your choice of breakfast meat) and a selection of mimosas and Bloody Marys.

Plus, you can order ice cream from next door’s Aubrey + Zach’s for dessert without leaving your table.

Christine’s Casual Dining

Veracruz’s menu features Mexican and Guatemalan specialties.

Menu items from West Shine Family Restaurant have been handed down for generations.

P H O T O : P R O V I D E D BY V E R A C R U Z M E X I C A N G R I L L

P H O T O BY: FA C E B O O K . C O M / W E S T S H I N E R E S TAU R A N T

Sunnyside Grill 7995 Wesselman Road, Cleves Don’t expect a lot of frills at this classic greasy spoon, but do expect a lot of flavor. Sunnyside Grill is a popular weekend breakfast spot among West Side families, serving up favorites like omelets, waffles and egg, meat and toast combos alongside their own creations like The Smelvin, a skillet with a mix of breakfast meats on top of eggs, plus home fries and cheddar cheese. You can also try the Veggie Smelvin, which swaps out the meats for a mix of bell peppers, onions, tomato, mushrooms and potatoes. For lunch, Sunnyside offers Cincinnati-style chili on ways, coneys and as a sandwich, as well as a variety of salads, burgers, sandwiches and wraps.

Veracruz 3108 Price Ave., East Price Hill Located in the heart of Price Hill’s Incline District, Veracruz’s food is fresh, flavorful and served with housemade chips. The menu features Mexican and Guatemalan specialties crafted with house-made ingredients. To drink, an ice-cold cerveza could suit you just fine, but just as refreshing are their massive margaritas, poured in cute glasses dressed with salt rims, limes and paper umbrellas.

Primavista 810 Matson Place, East Price Hill Primavista offers its menu of high-end Italian meals along with a panoramic view of downtown Cincinnati. The menu specializes in veal and fresh fish, but they offer dishes from all regions of Italy and feature nightly specials. Have an antipasto of fried calamari or bruschetta before your plate of ravioli or veal

marsala and top it off with a glass of vino from their extensive wine list. Then, cap off your dinner with the Gelati Misti or tiramisu for dessert while you marvel at Cincinnati’s beauty.

Kumo Asian Fusion 4990 Delhi Pike, Delhi Kumo offers an extensive menu featuring dishes inspired from countries across Asia. While you’ll find a variety of hibachi dinners, Chinese-style entrees and appetizers and fried noodle and rice dishes, this Asian fusion restaurant on the West Side is best known for its sushi and sashimi. Try one of the classics like their California or Spicy Tuna roll, or take it up a notch with one of their specialty rolls. (The Sunday Morning and Fire rolls do not disappoint.)

Monk’s Kitchen 9956 Harrison Ave., Harrison Monk’s Kitchen in Harrison knows their way around a sandwich, all of which are made to order and come on freshbaked French or whole wheat bread.

They make all the faves, from clubs and BLTs to French dips and Italians, as well as some more unique creations, like the Ham Damnation (piled high with ham, hot capicola ham, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a sauce Monk’s calls “sinusclearing”) or the Salvation, which comes with a ton of cheeses, ham, salami and spiced lunch meat. They also have some veggie options, like the Cheese or Veggie Salvation and the Cucumber Sandwich, which comes with tzatziki sauce.

Asian Spice Bistro 3474 North Bend Road, White Oak

This Asian fusion bistro has a menu of both Chinese and Thai dishes, as well as a selection of sushi, sashimi and hibachi items. For an appetizer, try a little bit of everything with the Asian Bites platter, which comes with an eggroll, two crab rangoons and two potstickers. The sushi menu features traditional rolls, like the California Roll or Spicy Tuna, and a variety of special rolls, like Asian Spice’s Beauty & the Best Roll (half tuna and half eel with avocado, asparagus and eel sauce) or the Orange Dragon (shrimp tempura, crab sticks and cucumber topped with salmon and spicy mayo).

Kreimer’s Bier Haus 6052 OH-128, Cleves This Bavarian biergarten and restaurant on the Great Miami River has three decks, fire pits and a ton of Black Forestinspired wood features, from picnic seating to a whimsical cuckoo-clock-looking grill house, which serves snacks like sauerkraut balls, pretzel bread, bier cheese and plenty of juicy metts. The inside of the restaurant feels like a cozy cabin tucked away in the forest of a German fairytale and features a menu with a variety of American and German fare, ranging from BBQ Bourbon Chicken Tenders and New York Strip Steak to Schnitzel and metts served with sauerkraut.

W Bar + Bistro 3447 Epworth Ave., Westwood Quickly becoming a West Side favorite, W Bar + Bistro opened in the former Henke Winery space last year. Billing itself as a casual, all-day restaurant, W Bar + Bistro’s food excels beyond casual.

With a menu driven by Ivory House’s executive chef, everything – from the

3360 Westbourne Drive, Green Township Offering Filipino cuisine featuring casual dining seating and a bar, Christine’s is a place to enjoy casual family gatherings with tasty yet inexpensive dining. Established in 2015, Christine’s offers tried and true Filipino recipes passed down in owner Christine’s family from generation to generation. The large menu also features a variety of non-Filipino dishes, with everything from reubens and spaghetti and meatballs to tacos and fried seafood platters.

Stephen’s Old Village Restaurant 3323 Harrison Ave., Cheviot This tiny neighborhood diner has served quality fare on the West Side since the ‘70s. Featuring homemade food and great hospitality that never goes out of style, Stephen’s Old Village Restaurant is best known for its large-portion meals and even larger menu, with diner staples like burgers, clubs, gyros and double deckers, as well as comfort food like fried chicken, pork chops and roast beef. It also serves breakfast favorites all day long.

Maranata Store 1215 Rulison Ave., West Price Hill Price Hill’s burgeoning Guatemalan community offers a taste of Central America at this tienda, which stocks groceries and serves colorful cilantroinfused ceviche, pork pupusas, fried plantains and three-milk cake from its modest restaurant. The Guatemalanstyle tamales alone are worth the trip.

Sebastian’s 5209 Glenway Ave., West Price Hill Opened in 1976 by previous owner Alex Vassiliou, an immigrant from Greece, Sebastian’s is one of the original Mediterranean options in Cincinnati. The menu consists of authentic Greek salads

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Cancun Mexican and bowling — what more could you want?

Maury’s Tiny Cove is a West Side legend.

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

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

and gyros with ground gyro meat with a dash of tzatziki sauce on the side. Cash only.

Buddha Barn Thai 6625 Gracely Drive, Sayler Park Located in a cute hole-in-the-wall in the heart of Sayler Park and outfitted with a number of Buddha statues, Buddha Barn offers some of the freshest Thai food in the city. Using family recipes and those gained from experience in New York City Thai restaurants, owner Niruti Puakkawe crafts both traditional and modern Thai dishes — from Pad Thai and coconut curries to out-of-the-ordinary offerings like the GaGa Gangpa: your choice of beef or pork cooked in red curry (without coconut) with anchovies, squash, string beans, bell peppers, peppercorns, Thai ginger and basil and served with a side of white jasmine rice. Or, try one of their All-Time Fabulous dishes, like the Cashew Pineapple, made with your choice of protein and pineapple, cashew nuts, onions, red bell peppers, celery and roasted dried pepper in hot chili oil paste.

West Shine Family Restaurant 3245 Westbourne Drive, Green Township Family-owned West Shine serves up hot, fresh breakfast, brunch and lunch dishes. The menu features recipes handed down for generations, as well as some creations from the diner’s culinary team. For breakfast, try one of their omelets, which you create by selecting your veggies, cheese and meat.

These can also be served as a burrito.

They also have a selection of breakfast sandwiches, called Shinewiches, which includes their Breakfast Coney (sausage links, breakfast potatoes, homemade sausage gravy and shredded cheddar on a New England roll). And for lunch, you can pick from a variety of sandwiches or burgers, or try their Gripp’en Chicken as a sandwich, strips or in their homemade mac and cheese.

Serving locally sourced produce, meats and craft beer, Chandler’s Burger Bistro is a prime destination for casual family dining. The bistro is the reincarnation of the old Chandler’s Restaurant; owner Phil Marston and his friend Gary Brock reinvented the old place and doubled the size for more comfortable and roomy dining. Its sports bar is a perfect addition for watching the game or having a drink or meal with friends. The menu features a variety of local-themed burgers like the Joey B (bacon, pepper jack, lettuce, pickles and Cajun mayo) or the Westsider, topped with grilled pickles and onions, as well as American cheese, tartar sauce and lettuce.

Zorbas Greek Restaurant

Tavern on the Bend

BierMarkt

6520 Glenway Ave., Green Township At his restaurant, Zorbas, Kostas Vasiliou makes food just like his mother and grandmother made while he was growing up in a small village in northern Greece. Vasiliou brought that slice of home with him when he fulfilled his lifelong dream to open a restaurant, decorating the space to match the blue waters of Greece and crafting traditional recipes with spices used in his home country. On Zorbas’ menu, you’ll find a variety of Greek-style dishes, from the classic gyro with tzatziki sauce and pastichio (Greek lasagna) to stuffed grape leaves — served either with gyro meat or vegetarian-style. The menu also features traditional Greek and Mediterranean sides like spanakopita (handheld spinach and feta pies), olives and peppers, falafel, hummus and tiropita (stuffed feta pie).

5471 North Bend Road, Monfort Heights Craving craft beer, mac & cheese and a stacked burger? Tavern on the Bend is your spot. This pub may appear modest with its paper plates and plastic cutlery, but quality ingredients and a creative bar menu keep people coming back. Mac & cheese varieties include Philly steak mac and lobster mac, while burgers, veggie burgers, hot dogs and chicken sandwiches come topped with everything from jalapeño bacon to roasted Mexican street corn.

420 Three Rivers Parkway, North Bend BierMarkt specializes in craft, imported and specialty beers, as well as craft cocktails and wine. They also offer an eclectic menu – from authentic tacos and tortas to traditional bar fare like wings and nachos to the Cincinnati staple goetta.

Golden Dragon 5818 Cheviot Road, White Oak Family-owned Golden Dragon has been serving up its classic Chinese takeoutstyle menu from its strip mall spot since 1995. It has all the favorites — from Sweet & Sour Chicken to Pepper Steak and appetizers like egg rolls and wontons. Golden Dragon also has a selection of curries and Pad Thais, as well as sweet donuts and almond cookies for dessert.

Muse Café 3018 Harrison Ave., Westwood This Westwood coffee and wine bar offers up cafe items like frappes and smoothies, plus a sizable food menu that includes breakfast, lunch, tapas and cheese plates. Speaking of cheese, do not sleep on the paninis. Muse is more than a cafe with delicious meals and drinks, however; you also go for the experience: gathering with friends to catch up, unwinding after a long day with a glass of wine or taking in the live music performances or local art displays.

Wild Mike’s 5043 Delhi Pike, Delhi; 4498 Harrison Ave., Green Township; 7587 Bridgetown Road, Miami Heights This West Side chain’s three locations boast a full menu with lots of tasty dishes, but Mike’s raved-about signature wings are always a great option. The wing ordering process is threefold: choose boneless or traditional, flavor and temperature.

Can’t decide on one flavor? Try Mike’s Mix for a unique blend of them all.

Werkhaus Pizza 3637 Werk Road, Green Township This cozy mom-and-pop pizza joint has been serving West Side families since 1993. The old-school dining room is warm and welcoming with its checkered tablecloths, vinyl-seat booths and dim lighting. On the menu, you’ll find a variety of pizzas featuring Werkhaus’ original crust, as well as Chicago-style stuffed pizzas, coming in a thick bowl of crust and filled with toppings and a slightly sweet, little bit tangy red sauce. Not in the mood for pizza? Werkhaus’ menu also features hoagies, calzones, salads, pastas and even a low-carb section with offerings like meatballs, tuna salad and chicken cordon bleu.

Chandler’s Burger Bistro 6135 Cleves Warsaw Pike, Delhi; 10533 Harrison Ave., Harrison

Maya Indian Restaurant 4486 W. Eighth St., West Price Hill Located in an unassuming building with an even less fussy dining room in West Price Hill, Maya serves up traditional Indian cuisine from a menu as long as your arm. From samosas to naan to curries and masala or vindaloo, each item is full of flavor and entrees can be ordered on a heat scale to suit everyone’s spicy preferences. They also don’t skimp on portions; be prepared to have leftovers for at least a meal or two after.

Habesha Ethiopian Restaurant 5070 Crookshank Road, Westwood Habesha is a hidden gem that offers authentic Ethiopian dishes. The restaurant serves traditional meals like Kitfo, a dish that features spiced minced meat with butter and mitmita — a seasoning mix made with chili peppers, cardamom, cloves and salt — topped with seasoned cheese. For non-meat-eaters, there’s also Yesom Beyaynetu, a platter of several vegetarian-friendly dishes.

Giovanni’s Family Italian Restaurant 4050 North Bend Road, Green Township Giovanni’s quickly became a favorite among West Side diners with its flavorful Italian dishes featuring homemade pasta, as well as strombolis, calzones and brick-oven pizzas. Try a classic red-sauce dish like the lasagna, chicken parmesan or ravioli or one of their seafood specialties like the Shrimp Fra Diavlo, Clams Linguini or the Sea Combo (mussels, clams and shrimp tossed in marinara and topped with parmesan).

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MUSIC

Valerie June P H O T O : R E N ATA R A K S H A

A Prescription for Dreamers Valerie June visits Cincinnati’s Memorial Hall to celebrate her latest original release, Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers.

BY DAV E G I L D E RU B I O

A

s someone best known for an Americana-flavored sound steeped in blues, gospel, soul, country and Appalachian nuances, her latest album of original material, Moon and Stars: Prescriptions For Dreamers, presented quite a departure for singer/ songwriter Valerie June.

Whereas her 2013 critically acclaimed release Pushin’ Against a Stone was co-produced by Dan Auerbach of The Black Keys, June went further outside her comfort zone by working on Moon and Stars with producer Jack Splash, best-known for his work with Kendrick Lamar, Alicia Keys and John Legend.

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The result is a more ethereal sound that also plugged into a theme of wonder and possibility, a path the Tennessee native realized shortly after she wrapped up working with Splash.

“After these songs were recorded, which was March of 2020, looking at all of them I noticed there was a thread of positivity running through everything,” she explained in a phone interview.

“There was a story there that I could tell and there was a way that it could be a concept record. That was when I decided that I could use this record as a tool for positivity with people and hope and their dreams and aspirations

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and things like that. I felt like the songs have that ability, but also looking at the world and everything we went through since 2020, I knew we were going to need some hope.”

The dreamscape June and Splash construct throughout Moon and Stars, which was released in 2021, is utterly hypnotic. Highlights include “Stardust Scattering,” an atmospheric journey that finds couplets like “Merrily life is but a dream/Consciousness directs the stream/There’s a flow to everything/ Watch the stardust scattering” adorned with subtle brass charts and dollops of mellotron and the acoustic-soaked

rumination of loss and heartbreak that is “Fallin’.” Elsewhere, songs like the piano-kissed “Why the Bright Stars Glow” opens with the lines “When the race is run/And the goal is run/Look how far we’ve come/Dancing in the sun,” offering a straight shot of hope, while its sister track “Smile” proves to be a lighter, more pop-flavored companion piece.

One of the most compelling cuts features a cameo by storied Stax/Volt artist Carla Thomas, who starts out reciting the translucent 30-second “African Proverb” and its admonishment that “Only a fool tests the depth

of the water with both feet,” which gives way to “Call Me a Fool,” a classic slice of deep-fried Southern soul that finds June going from a croon to a growl while singing “Call me a fool/For your love baby/And I’ll be a fool any time/I’ll be a fool any time for loving you.” Aching with desire and passion, it’s made all the more potent with horn and string arrangements that make it sound like a lost ‘60s/’70s soul track. Having Thomas provide backing vocals doesn’t hurt either. It created a spiritual and musical connection June loves recounting in her soft, honey-tinged Southern accent.

“The whole Memphis/Tennessee side of the record was joined through Royal Studios in Memphis, which is [Lawrence] Boo Mitchell — he’s the son of Willie Mitchell, who worked with Al Green and everything,” she said with a laugh. “Going in there and asking Boo if he knew how to get in touch with Carla — he knew exactly how to do

that. He hooked us up with each other and we hit it off. We recorded in his studio and we had the best day together — just hanging out. The session only took about 45 minutes. The rest of the day, from 10 a.m. until midnight — we went to see shows in Memphis, we had a drink. We just had so much fun.

She was telling me stories about Rufus Thomas and Otis [Redding], her copartner on so many songs. It was just a dream come true in so many ways to work with her.”

Creative relationships are crucial to June, and in recent years, she’s expressed her gratitude for being able to work with a number of legendary artists, including Booker T. Jones and Mavis Staples. “I just feel so lucky that I get to work with these people who paved the way for me to be able to do what I’m doing,” she said. But it’s the recent Splash connection that continues to resonate with June, who praises him for the creative growth he helped her experience.

“Jack was like [a teacher] where he’d say that we were using this kind of microphone or this was what we were doing,” she said. “Or we were doing something a certain way and explaining everything. I was messing with beats and learning how to drop beats into my songs and make electronic music.

That is a whole other world, and I really enjoyed mixing those sounds with the sounds of the natural instruments like the natural wood of an acoustic guitar or a banjo with a beat. I was able to take those other forms of music that are more electronic and try to dabble with it a little bit. It was like a master class of sorts.”

That playful nature also extends to June’s latest release, the eight-song EP Under Covers, which she released in August 2022. It features her idiosyncratic and eclectic takes on songs by artists ranging from Bob Dylan (“Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You”), Nick Drake (“Pink Moon”) and Nick Cave (“Into My Arms”) to Gillian Welch (“Look at Miss Ohio”), Mazzy Star (“Fade Into You”) and Frank Ocean (“Godspeed”).

While June was disappointed to be unable to promote the Moon and Stars album upon its 2021 release, she’s been making up for that lost time since then. “[2021 was] kind of quiet for a record year because I wasn’t able to play very many shows,” she explained. “It was kind of a little sad because I’m used to traveling, seeing my fans, being on the road, kissing babies and hugging puppies.

But now I can do that and I’m glad that everything has been coming together and we’re able to play shows again.”

Valerie June plays Memorial Hall on Nov. 9 at 8 p.m.

Info: memorialhallotr.com.

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SOUND ADVICE JEFF TWEEDY BOOK EVENT (MODERATED

BY NATHAN SALSBURG) Nov. 9 • Walnut Hills High School Jeff Tweedy is a busy man. Not only has he been touring almost nonstop over the last two years behind a pair of stellar Wilco records (2022’s sprawling Cruel Country and the recently minted Cousin, which is more concise if no less effective), but the 56-year-old Chicagoan has also written three books in recent years, starting with his incisive and uncommonly candid 2018 memoir Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back), followed in 2020 by How to Write One Song, a songwriting manual of sorts that’s both practical and philosophical. Now comes World Within a Song: Music That Changed My Life and Life that Changed My Music.

As the subtitle suggests, the book delves into 50 songs that have influenced Tweedy largely from his childhood through his coming of age in the early 1980s — from Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five’s “The Message” to The Replacements’ “God Damn Job” and Bob Dylan’s “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.” In fact, Tweedy admits that Dylan is his biggest influence, writing, “I can’t think of any other artist I love more. And whether they admit it or not (or in some cases whether or not they’re even aware of it), I believe every songwriter wants some piece of what Dylan has. His poetic gifts, his prolificacy, his longevity, his mystique, his hair! He’s like the guy who invented walking upright. Even if you don’t know who he is, you should know you owe him a lot.”

Tweedy describes the impact each song has had on him through conversational prose that’s always personal, often unexpected and frequently humorous. And for a guy who has led one of the enduringly vital (critically and otherwise) bands of the last three decades, he’s not afraid to admit things others might deem embarrassing, especially when it comes to matters of taste.

Jeff Tweedy’s book event at Walnut Hills High School is on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. Info: josephbeth.com. (Jason Gargano)

FISHBONE WITH GZA Nov. 10 • Bogart’s Fishbone formed as teenagers back when Jimmy Carter still held the highest office in the land, which means the

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Fishbone P H O T O : PA B L O M AT H I A S O N

Los Angeles collective is now heading into their fifth decade. Yet it wouldn’t be a surprise if the uninitiated confused the band — which currently includes original members Christopher Dowd (keyboards/trombone), John Norwood Fisher (bass), Walter A. Kibby II (trumpet/vocals) and Angelo Moore (lead vocals, saxophone, theremin) — for loose-limbed youngsters based on the sextet’s recent self-titled EP, which dropped in May as a bookend to their 1985 debut of the same name. In fact, the cover art repurposes the original’s signature image of the band in full mayhem mode, a portrait of guys in thrall to equal parts Dizzy Gillespie and The Specials.

Fishbone has been an off-and-on entity over the last 20 years, largely held together by Moore’s unwavering love of the band’s frantic mix of ska, funk and punk. But things seemed to have coalesced again with the return of Dowd in 2018, leading to a series of live shows and the aforementioned five-song EP, which leans more heavily than ever on the band’s fizzy horns and interweaving vocals. And, of course, there remains the mix of humor and social commentary.

The buoyant “I Don’t Care” revels in Fishbone’s oddball tendencies, no matter what family members or doctors

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Jeff Tweedy P H O T O : S A M M Y T W E E DY

might say, and the zippy “Cubicle” laments those chained to convention.

The obvious centerpiece of the EP is a collaboration with NOFX, “Estranged Fruit,” a contemporary variation on Billie Holiday’s iconic “Strange Fruit.” The band can’t help but comment on how far America hasn’t come in the decades since Holiday’s haunting rendition: “We may not see as many bodies hanging

from trees/Because they’re busy lynching our ideals/Our pride and liberties.”

The fact that recent live sets have opened with “Estranged Fruit” and closed with the band’s 1985 anthem “Party at Ground Zero” is further proof of Fishbone’s versatility and verve.

Fishbone and GZA play Bogart’s on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Info: bogarts.com. (JG)

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO

The Ladybug Transistor P H O T O : L AU R E N T O R S E A U

Meshell Ndegeocello P H OTO : T H E K U R L A N D AG E N CY

THE LADYBUG TRANSISTOR

Nov. 10 • MOTR Pub The Ladybug Transistor founder and frontman Gary Olson has the type of modest voice that sneaks up on you.

Think a less melodramatic Morrissey, a baritone that becomes another instrument amid the band’s lush jangle pop.

Ladybug Transistor’s sonic influences

are clear to the ear (‘60s masters The Beach Boys, The Kinks and The Zombies are most obvious), as are the pastoral lyrics that often find Olson ruminating on nature (song titles include “Fjords of Winter,” “Fires on the Ocean,” “Splendor in the Grass,” “Like a Summer Rain” and “Rushes of Pure Spring”).

Olson formed The Ladybug Transistor in the mid-90s, with a revolving lineup

around him dropping seven full-length records through 2011’s Clutching Stems.

The collective has largely been quiet over the last decade-plus as Olson focused on production work at his home studio in Brooklyn, New York. But he caught the songwriting bug the deeper the hiatus went on, eventually putting out a solo effort in 2020 just as COVID shut everything down.

Three years on, Olson was eager to play live again, so why not gather various Ladybug alumni for a tour? From a July post on the band’s Facebook page: “We have a run of shows coming up this autumn!” Word is the live sets will focus on songs from the band’s middle-era albums: 1999’s The Albemarle Sound, 2001’s Argyle Heir and 2003’s self-titled effort, which turned 20 this year.

The existence of Ladybug Transistor nearly 30 years in is obviously heartening to Olson and his revolving band of musical compatriots. From a Magnet magazine interview in 2011, no doubt as true as the day he said it: “I’m certainly thankful for the modest success we’ve had. It’s pretty tiny but has led us to a lot of places in this world that I thought I’d never get to see and plenty of enduring friendships. We do other things and have other interests outside of the band and music. I think the balance has been key to our longevity.”

The Ladybug Transistor plays MOTR Pub on Nov. 10 at 8 p.m. Info: motrpub. com. (JG)

Nov. 17 • Ludlow Garage Meshell Ndegeocello’s latest album, The Omnichord Real Book, is a departure of sorts. It’s her 13th studio recording over the last 30 years, a feat of endurance that bundles up everything she’s experienced — from a musical journey that has investigated multifarious genres to the travails of her identity as a bisexual woman of color — into 18 songs, each a look into a fascinating life that keeps moving and changing.

The Omnichord Real Book is also Ndegeocello’s first for the iconic Blue Note record label. It should then come as no surprise that it delves deeper into jazz than anything she’s ever done, 72 minutes of music rich in rhythmic nuance and various voices.

“This album is about the way we see old things in new ways,” Ndegeocello said in the press notes that accompanied the release of The Omnichord Real Book in June. “Everything moved so quickly when my parents died.

Changed my view of everything and myself in the blink of an eye. As I sifted through the remains of their life together, I found my first Real Book, the one my father gave me. I took their records, the ones I grew up hearing, learning, remembering. My mother gifted me with her ache. I carry the melody that defined her experience and, in turn, my experience of this thing called life calls me to disappear into my imagination and to hear the music.”

Sure enough, the sounds therein represent an emotional ride that ranges from spare mood pieces to widescreen epics like “ASR,” which features ace guitarist Jeff Parker. The seven-minuteplus centerpiece deftly moves through different time signatures as a way of mimicking the inevitable ups and downs of one’s life, punctuated with the recurring refrain “healing my heart.”

“ASR” transports through its searching guitar lines, hypnotic rhythms, atmospheric keys and interweaving male/ female vocals.

It should be interesting to see how Ndegeocello presents the songs of The Omnichord Real Book in a live setting — not only because of their acutely personal nature but also because the music is as entrancing as anything you’re likely to witness in the year 2023.

Meshell Ndegeocello plays the Ludlow Garage on Nov. 17 at 8:30 p.m. Info: ludlowgaragecincinnati.com. (JG)

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THINE PRINT CROSSWORD

BY B R EN DA N E M M E T T Q U I G L E Y W W W. B R E N DA N E M M E T TQ U I G L E Y.C O M 23. Relating to money

59. Milk producer

Across

35. Flannel pattern

1. Talk a big game

36. Stage in bread making

5. Man of the house

37. Ignoramus

Down

10. Acronym in learning

38. Groups between kingdoms and classes

1. Crunchy sammy, initially

14. Operation that sucks, for short

24. Foist (upon)

6. Nose wrinklers

44. “La Danse” painter

20. Like some wired houses

47. Kitchen gadget

23. Some activity watches

32. In a sneaky way

7. Growing concern?

45. Light in a club

21. Go against

8. Pile of paper

35. Game played when trying to reach somebody

9. Various

36. Send another way

10. Drunken state

38. “No ___!” (“A snap!”)

11. Tossed out some singles bars pickups?

39. Family marker 42. Stock holder?

26. Piece of direction?

48. State that hosted the first professional football game

27. “Yoo-hoo!” (waves hand)

49. Contemplated ‘bout gold or lead?

28. One going through the motions?

54. Brain fog feeling

31. Some moles, perhaps

55. Big name in loungewear

12. Periods it takes for, I don’t know, let’s say, mammals to evolve

32. ___ throat

56. Mules carry it

13. Creative spark

33. King Charles’s throne

57. Blown away

18. Middle East dignitaries

34. Biz

58. At the tippity top

22. Character piece?

47. Bona fide

LAST PUZZLE’S ANSWERS:

51. Stubbed digit 53. Allow

50. Objectified woman?

52. Clarifying name letters

46. Sign of spring

+ $ , 5 6 % & & % * $ 0 ( ( $ 5 $ 5 * 2 1 $ 1 & + 2 $ 7 ( 5 2 2 0 6 6 7 ( $ / 3 2 2 & + 3 8 1 7 % 2 $ 6 2 + < ( 6 7 + , 6 2 1 / 2 $ 1 $ 0 2 8 1 7 : , / ' & $ 7 2 ) ) ( 1 6 ( + , 7 $ 6 7 ( 5 * 2 7 < ( 6 3 , 1 ( 7 6 6 $ 1 8 1 + 5 ( 7 5 2 - $ 0 6 1 < ( 6 ) / ( $ ) / , & . ( 5 8 % ( 5 ; / 6 2 1 2 ) $ = 2 ( 3 , * 6 . , 1 8 5 / 2 1 ( + $ 1 ' 1 2 0 , / / 6 ( ( $ / 6 2 ' 0 6 6 2 6

Bertha G. Helmick

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44. Latest fad 45. Kind of cracker or bread

41. Whooshed away

30. “Community” actress ___ Nicole Brown

5. He washed his hands free of guilt

43. Complete fraud

19. Decaf containers

29. Canvas holders

4. Makes a cartoon robot noise

42. Car once called a “tin Lizzie”

17. Reasonable day of laundry?

28. Ever

3. Keep America Beautiful Mo.

40. “All right team! It’s on!”

16. G

26. Concierge’s rooms

2. “Umbrella” singer, to fans

39. Believe it!

15. Heady stuff?

25. Money won for brewing the Best Quenching Beverage?

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