Clermont County, Ohio – All local K-12 students are invited once again to participate in the annual Spring Litter Clean-Up (SLC) Logo Design Contest. The contest is sponsored locally by the Duke Energy Foundation, the Clermont County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau and the Southern Ohio Association of Realtors (SOAR) to promote the SLC event and encourage student civic engagement.
The student with the winning design will receive a $100 cash prize, with an additional $100 going to their school’s art department. There will also be 13 grade level awards given at $25 each. This year’s winning design will be printed on a stainless steel water bottle, a promotional gift each volunteer will receive for their participation. Any student attending a school located in Clermont County, or within the East Fork Little Miami River watershed, may register to compete. Students should register and review the rules on the event website: www.springlittercleanup.com. Designs must be submitted by Friday, March 6.
The Spring Litter Clean-Up will be held 9 a.m.-noon on Saturday, May 16, in various communities across the county and watershed. The SLC event is coordinated each year by the Clermont SWCD and Valley View Foundation.
Valley View Foundation is a non-profit organization that preserved a 190-acres that is a nature preserve and education center located near the confluence of the East Fork and Little Miami Rivers in Milford, Clermont County.
Clermont SWCD is a political subdivision of the State of Ohio charged with promoting the wise use of natural resources through service and education.
For more information about the Spring Litter Clean-Up or the design contest, please contact Becky McClatchey at the Clermont Soil & Water Conservation District at 513-732-7075.
This was only 1/2500 of a second in last Saturday’s Amazing Charity Race. Can you even imagine how many other moments just like this happened during the other 5 hours?
THE 2020 AMAZING CHARITY RACE REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
For all you racers who didn’t get a chance to do it this year, sign up today… this race will be THE BEST OF THE BEST!
All of your favorite challenges over the years…twisted into something new and even crazier than before!
REGISTER BETWEEN:
Sunday June 16th 2019- Sunday June 30th 2019 and get $15 off your registration fee.
On July 1st, 2019 the price will go up $15
On January 1st, 2020 the price will go up $25
Teams of 2 will run, walk and ride through 20 strange, fun, crazy challenges.
Kids 13-16 can team up with a parent. 16+ can team up with other 16+’s.
Register here to be in next year’s Amazing Charity Race
The next race will be on Saturday, June 20, 2020 in Loveland, Milford, and Miami Township.
About 50 local charities benifited from this year’s race and it has raised about $700,000 over the last 14 years.
Would your organization like to become a charity for the Amazing Charity Race? Charity groups will help run events or water stations and receive a donation from The Amazing Charity Race!
Loveland Magazine is a proud sponsor of The Amazing Charity Race.
The Amazing Charity Race started in 2005 as Loveland’s Amazing Race and has grown into one of the biggest races in the whole Cincinnati tri-state area! With a little bit of this and a little bit of that – we make you walk, run, ride, think and do – all for the fun of it!
All of your entry fees go straight to all of our charities after we pay off our expenses for the race.
WHAT IS IT??: It is a full day of good-natured competition, music, and food and laughs. The race committee is laughing itself silly coming up with fun challenges.
It is not a triathlon or a 5K race. It is not limited to runners or highly athletic individuals. It is a race in that it has a start and finish line but along the way, it challenges the contestants in many ways. It is a fun, quirky, adventure that challenges the contestant’s agility, balance, coordination, strength, intelligence, problem-solving skills, fine motor skills, and most importantly their sense of humor.
You are invited whether it is to compete or join our team of over 500 volunteers so come enjoy, have a great time for a good cause and as always expect the unexpected.
The Loveland High School Cheerleaders were dressed for Christmas at a recent basketball game
Cassie Mattia is a resident of Historic Downtown Loveland
by Cassie Mattia
Loveland, Ohio– Hundreds of parents and spectators will be cheering their way into a packed gym for the 2019 Eastern Cincinnati Conference Cheer and Dance Competition on February 2nd at Walnut Hills High school.
The ECC Cheer and Dance Competition will be held at the Walnut Hills High school gymnasium on February 2nd; where the dance competition will begin at 11 a.m. and the cheer competition will begin at 1 PM Admission will be 6 dollars for adults and 4 dollars for students and seniors. For more information visit the Eastern Cincinnati Conference website at www.eccsports.com.
Student athletes from Loveland, Milford and Kings, to name a few, will take part in one of the most important cheer and dance competitions of the season sponsored by the ECC beginning at 11 AM. Each school in the ECC will be represented in the competition that is said to be the highlight of the cheer and dance team’s year.
“It is the one time a year that these cheer and dance teams can come together as a league and compete in their sport. They do so much for the school throughout the year; it’s their chance to be highlighted,” Assistant District Director of Student Athletics at Loveland High school, Eric Fry explained.
Each cheer team can bring 30 cheerleaders and each dance team can bring 16 dancers. Fry says in the past this competition has been so well attended that there has been a line to get in the door.
“The past several years the gym has been packed! The crowd is cheering for the athletes and there is a great atmosphere all the way around,” Fry said, “Walnut’s gym has a great set up for this competition and has worked well the last couple of years.”
Loveland High School Cheer Team dressed for Christmas at a recent basketball game
Last year, Milford won the event in cheer, Loveland came in 4th in cheer and Kings won in dance. This year for the first time Loveland will be competing in the dance competition.
“I know that teams have been working hard for this competition. I know the Tigers will be there and represent well,” Fry said, “Kings has had a phenomenal dance program and Milford has been doing well in years past in cheer. This year is anybody’s championship to take!”
Loveland High School Cheer Team dressed for Christmas at a recent basketball game
Those who attend cheer and dance competitions as spectators are of course entertained by the athleticism and musicality of the student athletes, but many don’t truly understand how technical the competition itself actually is and how intensely the teams are scored. Tournament Manager, Heather Kaiser, says judges for the ECC Competition are selected based on experience and have to be licensed cheer and dance judges from the Universal Cheerleaders Association and Universal Dance Association organizations.
“This is a pretty competitive event so we use some of our very best judges. Judges are looking for an overall well executed performance routine,” Kaiser explained, “Difficulty comes into play as well. Cheer has to compete in two different categories, Game Day and Performance. Dance performs in two different categories as well, Pom, Jazz or Hip-Hop. For both the cheer and dance competitions two scores are then averaged to pick an overall winner,” Kaiser said.
Last year, Milford won the event in cheer. This photo is from January 4th during player introductions when the Loveland Men traveled to play Milford H.S.
Seems simple enough right? Wrong! On the ECC website I found score sheets for both the cheer and dance competitions and the judges really have to pay close attention to every single detail as the points given to the teams are broken down into subcategories. For example, on the Cheer overall score sheet judges are expected to score “Jumps” out of 15 points. They must look at proper technique, form, height, synchronization, type of jumps, connections, combos and variety. Judges also look deeper into
Loveland High School Cheer Team dressed for Christmas at a recent basketball game
“Dance,” which is out of 10 points. In this category judges look at technique, sharpness, placement, timing, spacing, use of levels, overall choreography and visual appeal. Lastly, on the overall score sheet for Cheer judges score the “Overall Impression,” which is 5 points. The judges base this score on routine creativity, flow, use of formations and transitions. This is just one of the score sheets involved in the Cheer competition! There is also a “Game Day and Crowd Leading” score sheet, which is 50 points, a “Game Day, Fight Song and Band Chant” score sheet, which is 50 points, and a
Loveland High School Cheer Team
“Tumbling” score sheet, which is 35 points. While the Dance competition is one individual score sheet the subcategories on the score sheet are just as intense! Judges look at “Execution” of movement, skills, synchronization, uniformity, spacing, communication and projection for a total of 50 possible points. The score sheet also includes “Choreography,” where judges look at creativity, musicality, routine staging, complexity of movement and difficulty of skills for a total of 40 possible points. Lastly, the judges will score the “Overall Effect,” which is based on the overall impression of the music, costume and choreography for a total of 10 possible points.
Loveland High School Cheer Team
“Teams can stand out if they really focus on the difficulty category,” Kaiser said, “For cheer; crowd leading routines are very appealing. Tumbling and dance also play a big part. For dance; choreography plays a huge part. If they include turns and lifts the judges find that really appealing as well,” Kaiser explained.
The Loveland High School Cheer Squad dressed in a Christmas theme at a December basketball game
As the competition draws nearer athletes are fine tuning their final routines and, according Kaiser, couldn’t be more excited to show their parents, friends, coaches and the judges the final product.
The athletes take extra pride in this event because it’s against the teams they see all year long.
“The athletes take extra pride in this event because it’s against the teams they see all year long. Conference Championship games are always a big deal in every sport plus they get so many fans to come to this particular event and the support is HUGE,” Kaiser said.
This will also be the first year the ECC will include cheer and dance to be counted towards the All Sports Trophy Title.
“The competition is fairly new, so the league wanted to get it right before it was included in the ECC All Sports standings,” Fry explained.
The ECC Cheer and Dance Competition will be held at the Walnut Hills High school gymnasium on February 2nd; where the dance competition will begin at 11 a.m. and the cheer competition will begin at 1 p.m. Admission will be 6 dollars for adults and 4 dollars for students and seniors. For more information visit the Eastern Cincinnati Conference website at www.eccsports.com.
The Loveland High School winning alliance at the December VEX Robotics Competition qualifying tournament.
Loveland, Ohio – Loveland Robotics hosted its very first VEX Robotics Competition qualifying tournament on December 22. Nineteen teams from the local area competed in the tournament, including teams from Milford, Indian Hill, Mariemont, and seven teams from Loveland. The winning alliance was two Loveland High School teams, which qualified the teams to state. A third Loveland High School team won the Sportsmanship Award at the competition.
With all of the recent robotics news and events, here is some background on the Loveland Robotics Program: It started as a single FIRSTLego League (FLL) team in 2005 and then added one FIRSTTech Challenge (FTC) team in 2011. In 2015, the program began to expand with the addition of several new teams. The Loveland Robotics Boosters was formed in 2017 to support the Robotics Teams of Loveland City Schools, and was officially recognized as a booster organization by the Loveland Board of Education in September 2018. Their mission is to foster growth of technology and innovation through funding, volunteerism, and educational outreach.
Loveland Robotics now supports over 100 Loveland students on 15 teams in five different programs.
Loveland Robotics now supports over 100 Loveland students on 15 teams in five different programs. These include three FIRSTLEGO League Jr (FLL Jr) teams, threeFIRSTLEGO League (FLL) teams, three middle school VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) teams, four high school VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) teams, and two FIRSTTech Challenge (FTC) teams.
To support these programs and help provide competition opportunities in the local area, Loveland Robotics hosted an FTC scrimmage in November and a VRC Qualifying Tournament in December. Loveland Robotics is also hosting the Cincinnati area FLL District Tournament in January, and Loveland High School will be the site of the Ohio FTC Championship in February.
The 2018-2019 competition season is off to a great start as FTC Team 5040, Nuts & Bolts, has qualified for both the Ohio FTC Championship and World Competition. FTC Team 10464, The Bionic Tigers, has qualified for the Pennsylvania FTC Championship. VEX Teams 10565B and 10565D have both qualified for the Ohio VRC High School State Championship. FLL Team 38182, Mercury’s Mechanics, has qualified for the District FLL tournament.
Applications for next year’s teams will be available in early April and links will be posted on the Loveland Robotics website (http://lovelandrobotics.weebly.com/). Students who would like to know more about the Loveland Robotics Program can emailstewaram@lovelandschools.org.
Loveland Magazine is a sponsor of Loveland Robotics.
Milford, Ohio – Clermont County Public Health has identified a case of hepatitis A in an employee at the IHOP restaurant at 5699 Romar Drive in Milford.
According to the Clermont County Board of Health the risk to patrons is extremely low. However, as a precaution they are asking anyone who has eaten at IHOP from December 25 – December 31 to monitor for symptoms of the virus for up to 50 days.
Symptoms of hepatitis A include:
Fatigue
Low appetite
Stomach pain
Nausea
Clay-colored stools
Jaundice (yellowish color to the skin and eyes)
The disease, which affects the liver, can be spread through eating or drinking contaminated food. Food can get contaminated if a person who has the virus does not wash their hands properly after using the bathroom and before preparing or touching food.
“The restaurant management has been very cooperative and we are working with them to review safe food handling techniques,” said Assistant Health Commissioner Tim Kelly.
A vaccine can protect you from getting sick if received within two weeks of contact with the virus. Patrons should contact their health care provider if they have questions or concerns.
“Though it is possible to spread hepatitis A through contaminated food, the risk is extremely low,” said Kelly. “The majority of cases we are seeing during this outbreak are from other risk factors.”
The Ohio Department of Health declared a statewide outbreak of hepatitis A in June. So far, there have been 1,370 cases statewide and 42 cases in Clermont County that are linked to this outbreak.
People at the highest risk of hepatitis A during this outbreak include:
People with direct contact with anyone who has the virus
People who use illegal drugs
People who are homeless
People who have traveled to other areas of the U.S. that are currently experiencing an outbreak
People who have been incarcerated
Men who have sex with men
In addition to getting a vaccine, the best way to protect yourself from hepatitis A is to wash your hands thoroughly after using the bathroom and before eating.
Illness from hepatitis A can range from a mild case that lasts a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months.
Milford resident Robyn Allen is 38 year old mother of two, working in dental insurance.
Dear Loveland Magazine Readers,
As a Milford resident and voter, I am casting my vote for Cory Combs for Clermont County Auditor.
I’ve watched him work tirelessly to get his campaign up and running.The commitment he’s shown leaves no doubt that he can devote time to the people of Clermont County.Cory has clear goals and plans on how he can improve the office of the Clermont County auditor.
As a single mom, I want to know that the money I’m paying in taxes is going to the correct places and being used in the best interest of the future generation. Conservative fiscal responsibly is what Cory Combs will bring to Clermont County, and I hope you will join me in voting for him this November sixth.
Sincerely,
Robyn Allen
Welcome to All About Kids We invite you to come visit one of our convenient locations, talk to our staff and teachers and learn why.
Magnified Giving, a local nonprofit whose mission is to educate, inspire and engage students in life-long philanthropy, announced the promotion of its Program Coordinator to Director of Programs. Alison Kaufman joined the organization July 15, 2017 to support Magnified Giving’s successful history of growth. She assumed the role of Director of Programs September 24th, 2018.
“The programs of Magnified Giving are the mission. That is where the work happens.” stated Roger Grein, Founder. “It has been a wonderful journey to watch it grow in community support and youth engagement.” Now, as we celebrate the end of our 10th year (2017-2018), it is exciting to elevate our Coordinator to the Director position.” The original Director role was held by Mr. Todd Forman for the first ten years. Forman helped create the process and program of youth philanthropy while also directing community service efforts and the Youth Philanthropy Council at Mount Notre Dame High School. Todd is currently the full time Community Service Director at MND and serving as a consultant to Magnified Giving for technology. “Alison has wonderful qualities that will strengthen our mission moving forward, as we expand the number of schools and students we empower and grow this important mission of youth philanthropy, she enjoys working with teachers and helping them empower their students” says founder Roger Grein.
Kaufman also assists the implementation the student philanthropy program in Milford High School where her triplets attend as freshman.
Kaufman’s nonprofit leadership skills were most recently applied in her role as Program Manager at InReturn, whose mission is to serve clients suffering from a traumatic brain injury. While being interviewed by Magnified Giving students for a grant, she began to appreciate the mission of empowering young people to learn about the needs of others and give of their time, talent and treasure. She so enjoyed her experience of winning the grant for the nonprofit from the school students through Magnified Giving, she joined the growing Magnified Giving team in July 2017. Kaufman also assists the implementation the student philanthropy program in Milford High School where her triplets attend as freshman. In her new expanded role as Director of Programs at Magnified Giving, Kaufman leads the organizations mission by supporting the schools superintendents, principals and teachers to empower, engage and inspire their participating students to be young and active philanthropists.
She will also manage the new summer camps of Camp Give and the new financial literacy curriculum of Earn, Save, Live, Give and produce 10 grant award ceremonies celebrating the students and winning charities in Spring 2019.
We inspire young people to understand how our community works, serve people in need and how to be their best while using their own gifts and talents.
Alison Kaufman, a native Cincinnatian, is excited to reengage with the local community by sharing Magnified Giving’s mission.“What inspires me is the opportunity to bring more students together with local charities that need the volunteerism, exposure and financial support. We inspire young people to understand how our community works, serve people in need and how to be their best while using their own gifts and talents. It is truly special work.” says Kaufman. Kaufman and her husband Mike live with their four children in Milford, Ohio.
The promotion of the role of Director of Programs comes at a time when Magnified Giving is expanding and adding school programs and expanding Camp Give summer camp offerings. Donors provide generous gifts to empower teens to award as grants to vetted charities in need of financial and volunteer support. This education challenges the participating teens to realize their full potential, to use their talents to make our community stronger, understand the needs and apply their knowledge and passion toward the goal of strengthening and serving others. There are many benefits to young students learning these skills while in school in a formal class or club.
The nonprofit organization has awarded nearly three quarters of a million dollars through student-awarded grants to local charities.
Originally based in Lockland since the beginning in 2008, the now Evendale-based nonprofit organization has awarded nearly three quarters of a million dollars through student-awarded grants to local charities; and has grown to include 95 schools with more than 4000 students involved in Greater Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, with several schools in Dayton, Indianapolis, Akron and Cleveland communities. In the past ten years, over 350 charities have experienced the Magnified Giving program and have realized additional success as a result of the partnership.
Founded by philanthropist Roger Grein, Magnified Giving educates, inspires and engages young students in philanthropy through their schools. The vision of Magnified Giving is for every high school student in America, beginning in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, to someday have an opportunity to learn firsthand how to be generous and wise philanthropists through hands-on experience. Participating school groups are challenged to determine how they want to invest more than $1,000 in a nonprofit.
Accounting Plus–Bingaman Accounting and Tax Service, LLC is a tax preparation, payroll and bookkeeping company locally based in Loveland, OH.
It is a full day of good natured competition, music and food and laughs. The race committee is laughing itself silly coming up with fun challenges. It is not a triathlon or a 5K race. It is not limited to runners or highly athletic individuals. It is a race in that it has a start and finish line but along the way it challenges the contestants in many ways. It is a fun, quirky, adventure that challenges the contestants agility, balance, coordination, strength, intelligence, problem solving skills, fine motor skills, and most important their sense of humor. You are invited whether it is to compete or join our team of over 500 volunteers.
The Amazing Charity Race started in 2005 as Loveland’s Amazing Race and has grown into one of the biggest races in the whole Cincinnati tristate area! With a a little bit of this and a little bit of that – we make you walk, run, ride, think and do – all for the fun of it!
On September 3rd, the Amazing Charity Race held their annual awards party when checks were distributed to select charities and all of the organizations who provided volunteers for the event. Dozens of small grants are made to local groups, schools, churches, and teams that help out at the race.
Loveland Magazine is the Media Sponsor of the AMAZING CHARITY RACE.
A total of $65,000 was awarded as a result of the 2018 Race.
2018 AMAZING CHARITY RACE VOLUNTEER GROUP AWARD RECIPIENTS
InReturn $8,000
Karen Carns Foundation $8,000
CancerFree Kids $5,000
Valley View Foundation $5,000
Dan Beard Council (Boy Scouts of America)
Ovarian Cancer Allicance (Cancer Support Community)
NEST Community Learning Center
Boy Scout VC 128 (Milford First UMC)
Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation
Boy Scout Troop 452 (St Thomas More Church)
Boy Scout Troop 617 (Lakeview United Church of Christ)
Boy Scout Troop 888 (Loveland Presbyterian Church)
Girl Scouts of Western OH – Cadette Tr 45868
LADD, Inc. (Living Arrangements for Developmentally Disabled)
Milford Aquatics (Milford Athletic Boosters)
Orienteering Cincinnati
Outdoor Adventure Club of Cincinnati
Transformations CDS (COS Community Development Corp)
Tukandu
Boy Scout Troop150 (St Paul United Church of Christ)
Boy Scout Troop 468 (Trinity UMC)
Boy Scout Troop 55 (St Columban Church)
Boy Scout Troop 635 (Epiphany UMC)
Boy Scout VC 150 (St Paul United Church of Christ)
Dan Beard Camp Staff Alumni Assoc (Boy Scouts of America)
Izaak Walton League
Knights of Columbus (St Columban Church)
Landmark Christian Soccer
Loveland City Church
Loveland HS Marching Band (Loveland Music Boosters)
Loveland Stage Co
Milford Girls Cross Country (Milford Athletic Boosters)
OH Daughter’s of American Revolution
Owensville Basketball (Clernont NE Athletic Boosters)
Milford, Ohio – On September 9, the Clermont County Port Authority approved issuing $30 million in lease revenue bonds to finance the cost of building a training facility and youth academy in Milford for the professional soccer team, FC Cincinnati.
Chris Hicks
Self-described “Taxpayer Watchdog” and candidate for Clermont County Auditor, Chris Hicks told Loveland Magazine, “This deal is pure crony capitalism. It raises taxes, the hotel tax, specifically to support one private, for-profit, company. It buys land using tax dollars for that company. It then has the government issue bonds to finance it all for the private company and then has the government own the land and buildings so the private, for-profit, company never pays property tax.” Hicks also says that the City of Milford gets no new infrastructure such as road or sidewalk improvements. and it actually makes the citizens of Milford liable for $43,000 to 47,000 per year for 20 years, to pay for the land.
Under the arrangement between Milford, Clermont County, and the Port Authority, construction materials will be also be exempted from paying Ohio sales tax, estimated to be $1 million.
A recent increase in the Clermont County lodging tax will also provide $223,000 a year to support the project.
Because the Port Authority is tax exempt, FC Cincinnati will not have to pay property taxes. It has negotiated annual payments with the Milford School District to help compensate for what they might otherwise lose, however, other public agencies whose funding derives from property taxes will not be made whole.
Under the agreement, the Port Authority will lease the 24 acres of land on U.S. 50 in the City of Milford near Interstate 275, and the facilities to be built, to FC Cincinnati for $1 a year. The bonds will be privately purchased by FC Cincinnati. The Port Authority will receive a one-time fee of $105,000 and an annual average fee of $9,000, most of which will go to support various county levies.
The vote was 4-1. Port Authority Vice Chairman Loretta Rokey the Administrator of Pierce Township; Fiscal Officer Sam DeBonis an Assistant Vice President of Park National Bank, and members Greg DeFisher the President & CEO, Freeman Schwabe Machinery, and Rex Parsons the Administrator of Batavia Township; voted in favor. Member Greg Simpson a Principal with Key Transportation Inc., voted against the resolution.
In a statement released by Clermont County after the vote, Andy Kuchta, Executive Director and Secretary of the Port Authority, offered the following statement:
The structure of the lease answers all of the questions related to what the economic impact will actually be and if it is worth the level of incentives being provided. The Port Authority will have the choice to not renew the lease every 360 days for any reason. This is not a 20-year deal but a 360-day deal, full stop.
Within the next 3-5 years there will be a comprehensive evaluation of the actual economic impacts and benefits once the facility has been constructed and operational for a period of time. If that evaluation determines the economic impacts have not materialized, the Port Authority will be able to substantially renegotiate the terms of these agreements or simply not renew them and return the property to a fully taxable status.
On Aug. 22, Clermont County Commissioners approved an increase in the lodging tax in the county, from 6% to 7%. The revenue generated by the increase in the tax, approximately $223,000 a year, will be used by Milford to pay for the land. Commissioner David Uible said that “As a businessman, I love this deal. Clermont County incentivizes the City of Milford to buy this property for FC with a 1% lodging tax. This will result in $7 million in additional spending each year. The clear winners are the City of Milford, the county as a whole, and all the citizens who call Clermont County home.”
Hicks says that the statement by Uible is misleading because the $7 million figure pertains to all soccer in the region, not from the Milford practice facility. Hicks says in a fact sheet he released on August 29 that even if credible, their own study lists the actual impact at only $1.6 million per year.
Hicks has previously said that the 1% tax increase was not enough to cover the cost of the land. “To fund $3.5 million for land, based on Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau estimates, the hotel tax needs to be at least 1.2%, leaving Milford taxpayers holding the bag for $43-47 thousand per year.”
In an analysis of the deals, Hicks says that County agencies that rely on property taxes like library, safety services, developmental disabilities, senior services, mental health, the Park District, Live Oaks, the City of Milford, and the County general fund will all lose the funds they receive now, $1,144,160, because when the FC Cincinnati site is developed there will be zero property taxes assessed. Hicks says that a $30 million development should pay $866,744 per year.
Commissioner David Painter, who voted against the tax increase, said at the time of the vote, “I didn’t think the return was high enough to fully represent the stakeholders of Clermont County, who are the citizens of Clermont County.”
According to the County, the 1% increase in the countywide lodging tax will “sunset” in 2038 or when the balance in the lodging tax account is sufficient to pay off the debt, whichever occurs first.
The $30 million soccer complex is expected to include a 30,000-square-foot training facility and a 6,500-square-foot youth academy. FC Cincinnati said they hope to complete the training facility by next summer.
The Port Authority decision represents the last step before the project can begin. FC Cincinnati also entered into agreements with the City of Milford and the Clermont County Convention & Visitors Bureau.
Also according to the press release issued by the County, a study by Sports Facilities Advisory, a sports management consulting group based in Clearwater, Fla., estimated that the FC complex would generate “almost 65,000 visitor days” by out-of-town visitors and result in almost $7 million in direct spending annually. Hicks said, “Go deeper and find an economic study that has been misrepresented. It actually says a paltry $1.6 million in annual benefit will come from this site.” Hicks also claims that the economic study does not mention that FC Cincinnati will be selling “high dollar academy memberships for millions” as opposed to letting locals come and go as they please. “These type of facilities are money makers selling the ‘academy dream’ of your kid on a pro-soccer team,” added Hicks.
You can look at Hick’s August 10 breakdown of the cost of building the Milford facility: Massive incentives.
FC Cincinnati, whose owners were recently granted expansion status by Major League Soccer, will also build an estimated $200 million stadium in the West End of Cincinnati, which is expected to be open for the 2021 season. The team currently plays at Nippert Stadium at the University of Cincinnati. The City of Cincinnati is contributing 35 million dollars of public money to the West End Stadium.
Premier art and fine crafts show features an outstanding array of art, music, food
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Milford, Ohio – The Greater Milford Area Historical Society (GMAHS), in association with Lykins Energy Solutions, will present the 13th Annual Art Affaire – Milford’s premier art and fine craft show – on Saturday, September 22, 2018, 11 am to 5 pm. This event is free and open to the public and will be held, rain or shine, on a closed three-block section of Main Street (U.S. Route 50) in historic Milford, Ohio 45150.
“Art Affaire is a primary fundraiser for GMAHS,” comments Donna Amann, administrator, GMAHS. “We are extremely pleased that the show continues to grow, our sponsors stay committed, and the community embraces this magnificent display of local and regional art. The Main Street venue in historic Milford is also very special, as it allows us to showcase artists as well as feature the quaint shops and cafes on the street.”
The 2018 Art Affaire call to artists generated a record-number of applications. “We received our largest-ever number of applications with nearly 40 percent of those from artists new to Art Affaire,” says Mary Ward, artist coordinator, Art Affaire. “We are definitely pleased with the quality and diversity of this year’s participating artists.”
The 13th Annual Art Affaire will feature:
A record-breaking 120 juried local and regional artists exhibiting and selling original works in clay, digital art, drawing, fiber art, glass, jewelry, leather, metalwork, mixed media, painting, paper and print making, photography, sculpture, wearable art and wood.
A number of demonstrating artists, including the Ohio Valley Woodturners Guild; Wade McCarren and O’Neal Johnston, wood carving; June Ludwick, pine needle baskets; John Middick, drawing; and more.
A variety of strolling musical entertainment including Civil War guitarist, Steve Ball; Bear Foot with Russ and Barb Childers featuring Appalachian music and storytelling; Kevin Moran, Americana music; Lars Noble, country music; Roaring 20’s Barbershop Quartet; and Wild Carrot with American roots music.
Food by 20 Brix, Harvest Market, Lehr’s Prime Market, Padrino Italian and Tickled Sweet; and wine and beer from Lehr’s Prime Market. The event will feature two hospitality tents where visitors can relax and enjoy refreshments.
A Community Cultural Tent featuring local and regional arts-related organizations including Artsy Fartsy, Cincinnati Art Museum, Clermont Chorale, Clermont County Public Library, Historic Milford Association (HMA), Milford History Library, Milford Theatre Guilde and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI)/UC Clermont.
“Art Affaire continues to enhance its growing reputation,” says 2017 Art Affaire Best of Show winners and jewelry artists, Aaron Rubinstein and Haguit Rubinstein-Towler. “The 2017 show was our first participation in Art Affaire, and we were extremely pleased with the overall quality of art and the excellent event organization. We are excited to participate again in this year’s Art Affaire and look forward to seeing return customers.”
Art Affaire is presented by the Greater Milford Area Historical Society in association with Lykins Energy Solutions. Key sponsorship is provided by the Historic Milford Association (HMA), Lovins Insurance, the City of Milford, PDQ Buildings and Proforma Albrecht & Company; with added support from a number of Milford and Miami Township businesses, organizations and individuals including Accounting Plus LLC, Angels House of Music, Earworm Records, Eric Campman, Mike Castrucci Auto Group, Clermont Equipment, Copper Blue/Grub Shack, DCA Certified Public Accountants, D.E.R. Development, Evans Funeral Home, Frisch’s, Little Miami Brewing Company, Miami Township, Mixit Entertainment, Park National Bank, People’s Bank, Row House Gallery, Doug Smithson Insurance, Sora’s Towing, Suite Paws Pet Resort & Spa, Ulmer’s Auto Care and Jeff Wyler Automotive Family.
Art Affaire is a juried, outdoorart and fine crafts show held on Main Street in historic Milford, Ohio and is a key annual fundraiser for the Greater Milford Area Historical Society (GMAHS). Initiated in 2005, Art Affaire has significantly grown each year and now features over 120 artists, live music and entertainment and food. Art Affaire, which is free and open to the public, is held annually the fourth Saturday in September. For more information, visit www.MilfordHistory.net or www.Facebook.com/artaffaire.
About Greater Milford Area Historical Society
The Greater Milford Area Historical Society, Inc. (a 501c3, non-profit) was founded in 1967 with the purpose of emphasizing the history of Milford. A small historic museum was started at 114 Main Street. In 1983, the Society relocated to its present location, Promont, located at 906 Main Street, Milford, Ohio. Promont was the home of John M. Pattison, 43rd Governor of Ohio and the only governor from Clermont County. In addition to improvements to the Museum, the Society has expanded its historical programs and collaborative initiatives in the community; and, also broadened its scope to include Miami Township. The GMAHS is especially proud of its Partners-in-Education programs in the Milford schools, an award winning effort of the Society’s volunteers; its local community programs and historical research; and, its annual Art Affaire, Milford’s premier art and fine craft show. For more information, visit www.milfordhistory.net.
shine, on a closed three-block section of Main Street (U.S. Route 50) in historic Milford, Ohio 45150.