Loveland, Ohio – Last night by a unanimous “emergency” vote, City Council voted to allow City Manager Dave Kennedy to proceed with the purchase of the Mobil gas station at the corner of West Loveland and State Route 48 in Historic Downtown Loveland.
The ordinance authorizes the City Manager to execute a purchase agreement for the property located at 106 West Loveland Avenue for the construction of a turn lane and other traffic improvements.
You can read the background and details of the purchase here:
In this LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV segment, you can watch Kennedy explain why the Ordinance was declared an “emergency”, some of the financing of the project, how tax increment financing will be used, the turn lane, and a pocket park he intends to construct on the site.
Bob Rutter is a resident of Miami Township just on the outskirts of Loveland.
by Bob Rutter
Over 150 men, women and children rallied on Friday February 25 at Home of the Brave Park in Symmes Township in support of a free Ukraine to protest the on-going armed seizure of that democratic nation by Russia’s Vladimir Putin’s armed forces.
The majority were American citizens from Ukraine, Russia and surrounding Eastern European countries. They hoped to draw peaceful attention to the plight of a free people facing the horrors of modern warfare.
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s motives are attributed to varied goals ranging from a grab for control of petroleum pipelines transiting Ukraine, gaining Russian access to the Black Sea, preventing Ukraine’s entry into NATO and most importantly, stitching together part of the old USSR to create his new vision of Russia.
It was sad to hear reported in the news that we are helping foot the bill permitting Putin’s adventurism to the tune of around $10 Billion a year by buying Russian oil, since we are no longer energy independent.
When the United States is weak as a leader in the world, bad actors fill the void with the aspirations of world dominance. Watching eagerly is China’s Xi Jinping and his hunger for control of Taiwan, the Irian Mullahs’ quest for nuclear weapons and dominance in the Middle East and North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un’s continuing tyrannical dominance over his country’s enslaved population.
The Tri-State connection; when you kiss your kids goodnight and snuggle into bed, please pray for the free people in Ukraine who are men, women and children like you, except their hopes are only to live another day and experience the same freedoms you enjoy.
Loveland, Ohio – Are you currently in the market to buy or sell a home? Do you have real estate questions that you don’t know who to go to for the answers? Well look no further Besl, Baden, and Christy Jones have all the answers you are looking for in our new segment “Real Estate Update!”
Once a month the ladies of Besl, Baden, and Christy Jones will join us at Loveland Magazine to talk to you about a new real estate topic. The topics will range from local house listings to the current condition of the housing market to trending home decor to what tools you need to secure a new home loan; these 3 real estate gurus plan to talk about it all!
This month’s Real Estate Update is all about both the buyer’s and the seller’s housing market. Mary Clare Baden and Christy Jones talk about what to expect if you are a seller or a buyer and what condition the housing market is currently in. Fasten your seat belts and get out your notepad; this is your February Real Estate Update!
For more Real Estate Updates stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
Loveland, Ohio- Valentine’s Day 2022 couldn’t have been better in the Sweetheart of Ohio! Loveland hosted its first Hearts Afire Weekend February 11th-13th in the heart of the Downtown Historic District. People from all over the Cincinnati area grabbed their friends and family for the historical event so that they could get a first look at all the Valentine’s Day fun!
Loveland’s Hearts Afire Weekend included a plethora of Valentine-themed activities, treats, music, dancing, ice sculptures, and decorations that many members of the community and local businesses helped organize making the weekend that much more special.
I got the opportunity to be a part of the event committee for Hearts Afire Weekend and wow was it rewarding to see how many people came downtown to celebrate love! I of course wanted to take in as much Valentine fun as possible so I grabbed my boyfriend and my dogs and made it my mission to get as much footage as I could of all the things Hearts Afire Weekend offered.
I kicked off my Loveland Hearts Afire experience with a Tarot Card reading from Francine Haydon, a highly talented woman who does intuitive readings, energy work, and classes. I was astonished at how much information and advice Francine was able to give me based on what each card I pulled out showed! Each card represented a month of the year and would display several different images or objects that Francine would then explain. After the reading, I felt as though I was fully prepared for what 2022 had in store for me!
After my Tarot Card Reading, I ventured out to the Loveland Stage Company where there was a beautifully decorated Kitty Kissing Booth and several kittens that you could adopt on the spot. Needless to say, I wanted to take home all the kittens they had along with the 20-pound rabbit that they had sitting peacefully in a baby stroller. Next, I went to Eads Fencing and the Loveland Hardware store where I participated in an impromptu photoshoot in their Puppy Kissing Booth with my dogs Dean and Nala! I also got the pleasure of meeting volunteers from the Furgotten Dog Rescue organization along with some little buddies who were up for adoption. If I was able to facilitate a small zoo I would have taken all the puppies too!
I was sure to stop in Mile42 Coffee on my way out as they always decorate for holidays and events with such style. The coffee shop was decorated gorgeously displaying sparkling red and pink Valentine hearts, streamers, and balloons. Parked right near Mile42 Coffee was Dolph’s Dogs and of course, Dolph was serving up only the most quality hot dogs! Owners of Mile42 Katie and Tim Butler couldn’t resist grabbing one of Dolph’s Dogs, which I thought was just another beautiful example of Loveland’s local businesses supporting one another!
Next, I took a stroll down the Loveland Bike Trail where pristine ice sculptures were displayed everywhere! One of my favorite ice sculptures was Trailside Provision’s as it was a gourmet popcorn box with ice cubes acting as the popcorn kernels. Trailside Provisions is known for its delicious homemade popcorn and treats so after seeing the ice sculpture I had to check out their decked-out Valentine’s Day shop. Not only did the shop go all out with the Valentine’s Day decor, but they also intricately made each product in the shop to in some way represent Valentine’s Day. From the homemade Valentine’s cards made for the Loveland Healthcare residents to the sprinkle and chocolate-covered pretzels, marshmallows, and caramels to the Valentine gift boxes filled with goodies, Trailside Provisions truly embodied the meaning of Hearts Afire Weekend!
Shortly after getting my sweet tooth fix, I visited Alley Boutique which also had beautiful Valentine’s Day decorations throughout the store. Inside the shop were caramel chocolate samples, a heartfelt gift basket raffle, and an endless amount of perfect Valentine’s Day gifts. As I left Alley Boutique I began to see more ice sculptures on display in front of each local business which really made for some excellent photo opportunities!
After capturing each ice sculpture in a photo I took a tour of Eskimo Kisses Village which was located on the Fountain Greene. Wow was it incredible! The entire area was decorated with signs that lit up saying things such as “Marry Me,” “I Love You,” and “Love.” In addition to the love-themed signs, there was an LED Putt-Putt station with 9 holes, a game similar to whack a mole called “Penguin Escape,” corn hole, “ice” skee ball, and a ring toss completely made out of ice! There, of course, were more photo opportunities including a Loveland Hearts Afire ice sculpture in which you could insert your face into the carved-out head and take a photo keepsake. Once it became dark outside the entire Eskimo Kisses Village was decked out in LED’s creating quite the ambiance as The ShamRocker entertained the community with music. One of the best moments during my time in Eskimo Kisses Village was when Premier Dance and Tumbling began a Flash Mob in the middle of Downtown Loveland’s main road to L-O-V-E! It was the epitome of love seeing the community sing and dance with the talented group of ladies from Premier Dance.
After enjoying the Flash Mob, I stopped by Loveland Sweets. The window display was awesome as it displayed heart-shaped boxes filled with homemade truffles on one side and hot chocolate sitting on top of marshmallows on the other side! Loveland Sweets’ ice sculpture that sat right in front of the store really brought on the nostalgia as it was sculpted into candy hearts all saying “sweet nothings.” Everything inside the shop was prepped and ready for Valentine’s Day. Not only were there boxes filled with gourmet chocolates decorated with big bright red bows, but there were also decorated Oreos, chocolate bark, and Valentine’s themed candies such as “Gummy Hugs and Kisses,” “Cherry Sweethearts,” and “Valentine Gummy Bears.” One of the treats that caught my eye was the “Donut Pretzels,” which were chocolate-covered pretzel rings!
After visiting my second Valentine’s treat shop, I decided to wander around and take photos of Loveland’s local business’s decor. Along my journey, I of course saw more ice sculptures but I also was able to see what activity each business had planned for the weekend. Hometown Cafe put on a delicious Hot Cocoa Bar accompanied by Loaded Sweet Potato Chips, The Works Pizza decked out their historical train car for “Single in the City” Speed Dating, Cappy’s Wine and Spirits held a Valentine’s Day-themed Charity Date Auction, and Loveland City Hall opened up their building to feature the “Heartland Market,” which included several local vendors all offering homemade gifts to give to your Valentine! I must say the atmosphere in Heartland Market was one for the books as each vendor had their products festively displayed while purple and pink strobe lights covered the walls.
Hearts Afire Weekend also featured many other local businesses and food trucks throughout downtown that I stopped by just to see what they had in store for the big event. The Chili Hut food truck served up its homemade Cincinnati Style Chili for dinner while The Cheesecakery offered one-of-kind cheesecakes to those who wanted to skip dinner and go straight to dessert! Parked right in front of Alley Boutique was Old School Pix, a vintage truck perfect for any photoshoot. Old School Pix had a lovely Valentine’s Day set-up for those who wanted to hop in the truck’s bed and have their photo taken with their loved ones. I decided to take full advantage of the photoshoot opportunity with my boyfriend and my two furbabies and wow did the photo turn out great! It was a perfect keepsake to remember how fantastic Loveland’s first Hearts Afire Weekend was!
The Hearts Afire Saturday “night-time” activities featured a live ice sculpting demonstration, fire performers, vow renewals, and fireworks. What a way to end the night with a bang!
It’s safe to say that Loveland’s Hearts Afire Weekend was a success. Seeing the community celebrate Valentine’s Day the Loveland way with those they love the most is exactly why Loveland will forever be the Sweetheart of Ohio!
If you couldn’t make it to Loveland’s Hearts Afire Weekend or would like to simply reminisce on all the fun festivities, check out the Loveland Magazine TV “Hearts Afire All-Access Pass” below!
We hope you enjoyed your All-Access Pass to Loveland’s Hearts Afire Weekend! This event has definitely become a new Valentine’s Day tradition! To all those who attended, we hope you had an absolute blast, and for those that didn’t get to attend, we want to see you in your best Valentine’s attire next year!
Stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia for the latest local event updates!
Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Bike Trail over the past couple of years has welcomed many new local businesses, some offering quality beverages, some offering a unique dine-in experience, and some offering fresh homemade cuisine. One business in particular that sits right off the bike trail tucked right next to Narrow Path Brewing Company has managed to combine quality beverages, a unique dine-in experience, and fresh homemade food all under one roof. Introducing Hometown Cafe, a little slice of paradise in the heart of Historic Downtown Loveland!
Hometown Cafe made its debut into the Loveland community after Owner Jimmy Hooper bought the business, formerly known as “Fresh Press,” from his brother-in-law. Hooper already had an extensive culinary background as well as a catering business called “Loveland Catering” so he felt that having a brick and mortar would mesh well with his passion for creating aesthetically pleasing healthy food. Hooper, who grew up in Symmes Township, knew after having kids that he wanted to raise his family with his wife in the same city he fell in love with so he thought what better way to serve the community he loves than having fresh nutritious food readily available every day!
Hometown Cafe offers a simple yet delicious selection of food, beverages, and goods from local vendors across the city. From Deeper Roots coffee, lattes, and hot chocolate, to real fruit, and veggie smoothies, and fresh-pressed juice, to made-to-order breakfast sandwiches, homemade soups, salads, and wraps, Hometown Cafe has it all! Did I mention Hometown also has a bakery filled with muffins, croissants, bagels, and danishes, to name a few and a “local market” where small local businesses can sell their homemade delicacies such as honey, granola, jam, and energy bites?
I have been a part of the Loveland community and Loveland Magazine now for nearly 5 years so I have had the honor of seeing new businesses establish themselves, local events thrive, and the community coming together to give back. This is one of the biggest reasons, other than I LOVE food and food culture, as to why I wanted Hometown Cafe to be my next Cassie the Food Guru adventure! Hometown Cafe has not only impacted the community by providing quality nutritious food and beverages, but by also giving back time and time again. Whether they are getting involved in Loveland’s events or introducing local artists, vendors, and food trucks to the community, Hometown Cafe loves helping the community!
So without further ado, I bring to you, a Loveland Magazine TV interview production, Cassie the Food Guru Stops by Hometown Cafe!
Hometown Cafe Fun Facts:
Located at 111 Railroad Ave, Loveland, Ohio, 45140
Open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. every day
Breakfast is served from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. during the week and on the weekends breakfast is served until 3 p.m.
Lunch is always in the cooler. The cooler includes homemade soups, salads, wraps, and “kids boxes.”
Cold-Pressed Juice is made “in-house with a hydraulic press that exerts 10 tons of pressure on the fresh produce to extract the juice. Since the juice is exposed to minimal heat and air, it retains more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes from the whole fruit/vegetable than traditional centrifugal juicing methods.”
Local artists’ artwork is on display for sale inside the cafe.
You may book Hometown Cafe for your next event!
Friday, Saturday, or Sunday evenings is $250.
Monday through Thursday evenings is $200.
Rental is available from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Seats up to 25 on the 1st floor and 32 on the patio.
The upstairs meeting room is $25 per hour.
Available for rent 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily.
The rental fee is waived if you spend the same amount in the cafe during your event!
Catering is available through Jimmy’s “Loveland Catering.”
$500 on the weekends.
$400 on the weekdays.
If you spend twice the event rental fee in catering and the rental fee is waived!
You can rent Hometown Cafe’s kitchen for $35 per hour or if you take advantage of the kitchen membership it is $20 per hour.
Hometown Cafe offers merchandise through “My State Threads Apparel.”
If you would like to set a page up for your business Hometown will give you a unique URL and $10 from every piece of merchandise sold will go towards your business.
Items we recommend you try when you stop by Hometown Cafe:
The Cozy Bowl
The One With No Meat
The Toast
The B.E.A.S.T
Frogman Smoothie
Tropical Majik Smoothie
Kale Force Cold-Pressed Juice
Charcoal Lemonade Cold-Pressed Juice
The Ginger Shot
A specialty latte or hot chocolate
Sweet Potato Chips
Energy Bites
An Everything Bagel
Any of the local market items made by local small businesses!
Be sure to stay informed on all the fun and delicious things Hometown Cafe has going on by visiting their website, Facebook, or Instagram!
For more interviews and stories on local food culture, stay tuned to Cassie the Food Guru!
Loveland, Ohio – The community of Loveland has always been known for supporting one another’s businesses and at times teaming up together to serve the greater good! Mary Clare Baden, Sue Besl Price, and Christy Jones have done just that! Introducing Besl, Baden, & Christy Jones; an all-female real estate powerhouse!
We are pleased to present to you the official Loveland Magazine TV video announcing Mary, Sue, and Christy’s collaboration as a dynamic trio in their new real estate empire, Besl, Baden, & Christy Jones! In this special announcement, these ladies will talk to you all about their extensive real estate backgrounds, why Loveland is so special to them, what their mission is as a new real estate business, and how they plan on helping the Greater Loveland community find the best homes for their particular needs. Now is your chance to get to know these unbelievable community-oriented businesswomen! Click below to hear all about Besl, Baden, & Christy Jones!
Sue Besl Price, Mary Clare Baden, and Christy Jones
A Message From the Besl, Baden, & Christy Jones Team
“As the three principal REALTORS on the team, Mary Clare Baden, Sue Besl Price, and Christy Jones, we all bring with us integrity and unique talents in providing an exceptional holistic real estate experience to our friends, family, and clients.
As the driving force behind the team, Mary Clare’s finance knowledge, market statistical analysis and negotiation skills, and contract-to-close efficiencies are all specialties that elevate the team above any other. As an accounting major from the University of Cincinnati, she keeps the team and our clients abreast of the market conditions while working with our clients to negotiate the best terms and take them from contract to closing.
Sue brings to the team extensive expertise in marketing, design, and staging along with her considerable knowledge of Real Estate practices, laws, and contracts. Having served on both the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors and Ohio Realtors Board of Directors, and both Board’s Contracts and Forms, and Professional Standards committees. As a Principal Broker Sue keeps up-to-date on nationwide and statewide industry changes to best serve our clients.
With 22 years of experience, Christy is the “True Resource” and connector on the team. She has formed a network of professional contractors and vendors over the years and proudly connects all of our clients with these resources. She is a connector in the community as well working to help us give back to those in the areas in which we serve. Christy is our luxury connection in repeatedly serving those buyers and sellers in the high-end property market.
We are also pleased that Jo Helmink will continue to support the team.
We have been honored to have helped hundreds of clients find their dream homes throughout the years. Together we now combine our strengths and talents in looking forward to many more years of providing exceptional connections, integrity, and service for our future clients! We appreciate and are grateful for your continued support – Thank You!“
Click to check out their new website!
For the latest on new businesses opening in Loveland stay tuned to the Loveland Salad With ME, Cassie Mattia!
David Miller is the Publisher and Editor of Loveland Magazine
David Miller
Loveland, Ohio – The gym we were in Friday evening is named after one of the more beloved, former Loveland High School teachers, Charles (Chuck) R. Schmidt who was inducted into the Loveland High School Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2008. This Friday I went there to record the introduction of the two newest members. As they were introduced at halftime of the Varsity Men’s game vs. Turpin, the announcer, Stu Shestina, read an impressive list of the pair’s athletic accomplishments and told the fans where they are now in their life after their glory days as former Tigers.
The Loveland High School Hall of Fame inductees were Jeffrey Roades (1971) and Steve Walker (1989).
Loveland, Ohio – Are you a student that has a passion for the world of Journalism? Do you often ask yourself how will I get the experience I need to get into a great college Journalism program? Well, look no further! Loveland Magazine is looking for both motivated and creative students that have the work ethic it takes to thrive in Journalism!
It is tough as a student to get career-based experience before filling out college applications so here at Loveland Magazine, we want to give students the necessary tools to stand out to the colleges their applying for! In our internship program, students will be able to get hands-on experience in all things Journalism including editing, developing a story, videography, conducting on-camera interviews, photography, advertising/marketing, social media content, media law, and much much more. The intern will also get the opportunity to shadow special events, assignments, and on-camera interviews! We want the next generation to thrive and succeed in their career paths and we feel this is the best way for us to impact the future of Journalism!
We have reached out to many of the local high schools to spread the word about our internship program, but if you know of a student, an organization, or school that would benefit from this internship please feel free to reach out and we can supply you with our internship flyers!
Although we may not fill all of the intern positions we would of course like to gain at least 2 new interns for 2022! Here are the following internships available:
Social Media Specialist
Sports News Intern
School News Intern
Editorial Intern
If you’re a student, a parent of a student, or simply just know of someone who would be a great candidate for one of our internships, click here to email us! If you are an organization or a school that is interested in hanging up our internship flyers in your building click the email link above!
Get real Journalism experience taught by professionally trained Journalists through Loveland Magazine’s internship program today! Let’s help our youth thrive!
Loveland, Ohio – What do the holidays mean to you? Being from a very Italian family, during the holidays I’m always surrounded by family, friends, and a delicious yet large amount of homemade food! This is why I thought now would be the perfect time to go on my next Food Guru excursion, only this time I decided to hit up Dolph’s Dogs, a traditional yet elevated local Hot Dog Cart.
Dolph Himmelbauer moved to Downtown Loveland 5 years ago and has become a huge part of the community that he says, “Is the best, most welcoming place he’s ever lived in.” After being in the business world for several years, Himmelbauer made the decision after the Covid-19 pandemic hit to start his own business. Although he was a little unsure at first about what business he wanted to go into he knew he wanted to do something that Loveland had a need for.
At the beginning of 2021, Dolph’s Dogs came into conception! Himmelbauer came up with the idea after hanging out in Downtown Loveland late one night and realized that there weren’t any readily available food options. Himmelbauer already had a love for hot dogs so he thought why not start a hot dog business only let’s not serve them in a restaurant, but on a mobile cart! Flash forward a few months and Himmelbauer had secured a mobile cart, a few great serving spots in the Downtown Loveland area, and an absolutely delicious product.
Now, Himmelbauer is not only consistently serving his elevated hot dogs around town and selling out most weekend nights, but he is also being booked for parties and events, one of the events being Loveland’s first-ever Oktoberfest! According to Himmelbauer all the success with Dolph’s Dogs has been an absolute whirlwind and he couldn’t be more grateful for the support from his family, friends, and the community of Loveland!
Without further ado I Cassie the Food Guru brings to you an exclusive one-on-one Loveland Magazine TV interview with Dolph Himmelbauer, owner of Dolph’s Dogs! There’s no way you won’t want one of these delicious dogs after watching this!
For more stories and interviews on Loveland’s food culture stay tuned to Cassie the Food Guru!
Loveland, Ohio – Resident Tom Scovanner has an Army background teaching leadership skills at the United States General Command and Staff College. He went to the open forum podium at the Loveland Council meeting on Tuesday, October 23 to express his thoughts on leadership and the selection of a new mayor that will be made on December 6.
He described the job as teaching Majors and Lt. Colonels so they could lead complex organizations.
Scovanner said that Loveland should move into 2022 with a new Mayor and suggested it should be Tim Butler.
![[w/Loveland Rally Video] Guest Column by Bob Rutter: “Please pray for the free people in Ukraine.”](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/free-Ukraine.jpg)
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![[Video] Loveland High School Athletic Hall of Fame inductees](https://lovelandmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/2022-hall-of-fame.jpg)
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