Loveland Magazine

LOVELAND MAGAZINE

News and Events from the Loveland, Ohio Area

Without fear or favor

Since 2004

Tag: ohio

  • Council can’t agree on when public gets chance to weigh-in on replacing City Hall

    Council can’t agree on when public gets chance to weigh-in on replacing City Hall

    Loveland, Ohio – On May 9th Jay Stewart the President of the Community Improvement Corporation (CIC) presented the final recommendations to City Council with options on how to repurpose the City Building. Part of the recommendation was for Council to hold “public hearings” on the recommendations before proceeding with the project. Mayor Mark Fitzgerald asked for a motion to hold a hearing at the next meeting.

    Both Weisgerber and Phelps wanted more than a “public hearing” style of opportunity for the public to weigh-in on the proposal. They want a more give and take opportunity for the public, where there would be dialogue, instead of monologue; a more informal format. Weisgerber said he wanted, “General sessions, informational sessions, or charrettes with the public to get input.”

    Phelps said that this was the first-time the CIC has addressed City Council to discuss the repurposing of City Hall. He had the same questions as Weisgerber, and, “More.” He wanted to find out more about the process and how the CIC arrived at their recommendations, and why the three- story option was eliminated. Both Phelps and Weisgerber said that he would not be in favor of holding a public hearing at this point.

    Fitzgerald thought Council should follow the recommendation of the CIC.

    The motion by Vice-Mayor Angie Settell was voted down with a 3-3 tie vote. Fitzgerald, Settell, and Pam Gross voted, “Yes.” Ted Phelps, Rob Weisgerber, and Kathy Bailey voted, “No.” Stephen Zamagias was absent.

    Weisgerber then moved to have no less than three open sessions with the public in Council Chambers, during after-work hours that all of Council can attend, to talk about design options and receive public input. The motion was seconded by. Bailey. The motion received loud applause from the audience.

    Phelps said the meetings proposed by Weisgerber would allow, “Stakeholders, neighboring property owners, and downtown residents to weigh-in on the project.”

    Fitzgerald then said he did not understand why Weisgerber did not want to begin with the formal type of public hearing at the next council meeting that was the recommendation of the CIC. He then abruptly shut off debate on the motion and called for a vote.

    The motion also failed, with a 3-3 tie, reversing their votes on the earlier Settell motion.

    During the open forum part of the meeting, Diane Powers asked Council to have three or four, “across the table discussions” to build trust and dialogue with the residents and stakeholders. She urged Council to “take some time off” before they position themselves, and take a vote.

    Fitzgerald said he found it, odd that Powers would want to delay the recommendation of the CIC, because, “It would not preclude other meetings.”

    Steven Smith also took a turn at the podium urging more community input on the project and explained in a detailed handout, how it could be accomplished.

    These two LOVELAND MAGAZINE VIDEOs are of the Council votes.

    Now Enrolling at All About Kids at Wards Corner today!

     

  • [Video] Loveland’s 2017 Memorial Day Parade

    [Video] Loveland’s 2017 Memorial Day Parade

    Take Home Tano Consumer Meal Market

     
    Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family   Our goal is to meet the needs of busy families
  • VisionArts Summer Art Camps: 
Bring a friend receive a 15% discount

    VisionArts Summer Art Camps: 
Bring a friend receive a 15% discount

    For more information go to:

    www.visionartsstudio.com

    Call: Joan Ruschman @ 513-510-3911

    Email: visionarts@outlook.com

     

  • Loveland Over-Fifty “Ladies Self Defense Seminar” June 9th

    Loveland Over-Fifty “Ladies Self Defense Seminar” June 9th

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    On June 6th Loveland Police Officer Amy Campbell will talk about self defense techniques

    Hello Lovelanders,

    I’d like to introduce you to The Loveland Over-Fifty Group. The Loveland Over Fifty Group’s goal is to  enrich the lives of local residents over 50 by offering opportunities for fun social events, lifelong learning and interaction within the community. 

    The intent of this group is to form friendships and bond within the group. I would like to form a “tribe” within the community where we can all share common interests and goals that lead to friendships. 

    I would like to form a “tribe” within the community where we can all share common interests and goals that lead to friendships. Today’s 50 is not your Grandpa’s Fifty. Fifty is the time for creating new ideas, friendships, activities and volunteer opportunities. Do you want to travel? Let’s find some places to go! Do you want to find some new interests? Let’s find some new educational or others class opportunities!  Do you have extra time and would like to volunteer? There are plenty of volunteer opportunities available for you to lend you talent. Loveland and the surrounding area has a great historic downtown, great nature sites, a new bustling expansion of the local downtown, wonderful artisans, sporting opportunities, and a new place for the farmer’s market. Come explore with us and see what the city of Loveland and the surrounding area has to offer while making new friends!

    Free June Event

    Ladies Self Defense

    The Trails of East Loveland

    101 S. Third Street

    Community Room

    June 9th

    2 until 4 PM

    Officer Amy Campbell receiving award from Warren County Drug Task Force  Loveland Police Dept. Photo

    Loveland Police Officer Amy Campbell will talk about self defense techniques, safety awareness, and scams targeting our Over-Fifty population.

    Campbell said, “Wear your everyday clothing to my seminar, because crime doesn’t pick the day that you wear your super-ninja outfit!”

    This is an RSVP event – Please RSVP to lovelandoverfifty@yahoo.com.

    (Street Parking is available)

    To join Loveland Over-Fifty please send your name and email address to lovelandoverfifty@yahoo.com.

    kate-rupe-thumbnailSee ya around town,

    Kate

     

     

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  • Young Colton Lindsay leads the Pledge of Allegiance at Loveland’s Memorial Day Service

    Young Colton Lindsay leads the Pledge of Allegiance at Loveland’s Memorial Day Service

    Take Home Tano Consumer Meal Market

     
    Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family   Our goal is to meet the needs of busy families
     
  • Councilwoman Bailey rejoices at the news that the buildings can be saved

    Councilwoman Bailey rejoices at the news that the buildings can be saved

    So many people stopped by to see the damage, not to gawk, but to mourn

    This photo was taken Tuesday evening at the site of the fire that nearly destroyed two historic buildings in downtown Loveland. Scaffolding was being placed to protect the integrity of the brick facade in preparation for the possible restoration.

     

    Loveland Councilwoman, Kathy Bailey

    [dropcap]W[/dropcap]e all experienced a loss this past weekend with the fire in downtown Loveland. We all feel it personally, because this is the town we love with all our hearts.

    So many people stopped by to see the damage, not to gawk, but to mourn.

    We all rejoiced at the news that the buildings can be saved. This is Loveland. Everyone of us that calls Loveland and the surrounding area home knows exactly what that means. Like we always do, we will band together, wrap our arms around the building owners, the businesses and their employees, and the residents, and do all we can do to get them through this, and restore that block to all its glory.

    It warms my heart, and reminds me why I love this town, to see all the businesses in the Loveland area reaching out to help, and to hear residents ask what they can do and where they can donate. (See this website for information on how to help!).

    A shout-out, too, to Chief Huber and our amazing fire department and police department for all their hard work this past weekend.

    This is a hard time, but this is Loveland, and with all of us working together and doing all we can to help, we will come through this stronger than ever!

     

    Kathy Bailey is a member of the Loveland Council

     

    Take Home Tano Consumer Meal Market

     
    Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family   Our goal is to meet the needs of busy families
     
  • Free Ad Space for those helping Fire Victims

    Free Ad Space for those helping Fire Victims

     

    FIRE SALE on advertising

     

    Loveland Magazine’s stories about the fire in Historic Downtown Loveland have already reached more than 1/3 of a million people

    Loveland Magazine is having a Fire Sale on Ad Space

    It’s totally FREE!

    Take advantage of our offer to help you reach out to the community and beyond

    For individuals or groups raising money, planning fund-raisers, or otherwise helping the victims of the Downtown Loveland Fire…

    Contact: Publisher, David Miller at lovelandmagazine@cinci.rr.com
     

    Take Home Tano Consumer Meal Market

    Take Home Tano is about fresh, wholesome food for the frenzied family

    Our goal is to meet the needs of busy families

     

  • Up-date on major fire in Historic Downtown Loveland

    Up-date on major fire in Historic Downtown Loveland

    Loveland, Ohio – Loveland/Symmes Fire Chief Otto Huber told Loveland Magazine Sunday evening that the structural engineer the City brought in to inspect the buildings damaged by an overnight fire in Loveland’s Historic District said that after a preliminary look, the buildings could be restored. He also told Huber that he had seen building with more damage, brought back to life.

    Huber also said that they suspect the fire began because of an electrical problem, and there is one spot that will receive more attention in the coming days as they try to determine how the fire started.

    An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to three others. There were no injuries to residential occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.

    Residents of five apartments on the upper floors have lost everything, including damage to automobiles

    The building that housed Tano’s Bistro and the Bishop Building sustained substantial fire damage. Three businesses had extensive damage: Tano’s Bistro, Cincy Fashion Wheels, and Gina Dubell-Smith, a Comey & Shepherd Realtor.

    The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton’s Grill only suffered minor fire damage. The fire sprinklers in the building did not activate. Huber said the heat inside the building wasn’t great enough to activate the sprinklers, but the interior of the building has damage from the water used to keep the fire from spreading. Cleanup was already underway on what will be called, Bike Trail Junction. Co-owner, Kevin Egan said their opening was scheduled in the coming weeks, but the opening will have to be rescheduled. 

    Narrow Path Brewing Company on Karl Brown Way had roof damage that was being repaired Sunday evening. The business remained closed throughout the day. Another building, further north on Karl Brown Way had newly installed plastic siding, buckle from the heat.

    Huber also said that if possible, scaffolding will be erected on the west side of the Bishop Building on Monday. He said it will depend on whether they can get someone to do the work on the Memorial Day Holiday. The scaffolding will be erected to shore up the brick exterior, making it safe to be inside the building where crews could better assess the structural damage, and make it possible for rebuilding to begin.

    At 8:30 PM Sunday, a fire crew was still at the scene.

    In a press release issued this afternoon by Loveland City Manager, Dave Kennedy, he said, “It is the City’s desire to save these historic structures and will work with the building owners to make this happen. This is a tragic event but the City of Loveland is a very strong community and will work together to repair this part of our downtown. The City of Loveland is thankful that the fire caused no injuries or loss of life and salute the efforts of the City’s first responders.”

    Photos by David Miller/Loveland Magazine © 2017

    Click on a photo to enlarge and view as a slide show.

    Pizazz Studios and Gifts in Historic Downtown

     
    We promise the best customer service, and beyond a doubt, the best selection of merchandise in the area Pizazz Studio is a whimsical gift shop in downtown
     
  • Early morning fire destroys 2/3 block in Historic Downtown Loveland

    Early morning fire destroys 2/3 block in Historic Downtown Loveland

    Loveland, Ohio – An 11-alarm fire in Downtown Loveland early Sunday morning did extensive damage to two historic buildings, and minor damage to a third. There were no injuries to occupants, and only one firefighter suffered a minor injury. One firefighter was treated for exhaustion.

    West Loveland Avenue, Karl Brown Way, and Railroad Avenue remain closed to traffic. There are nearby businesses that remain closed until electrical service is restored.

    The former Julian’s Deli, now owned by Paxton Grill, which recently had sprinklers installed on both floors, has slight structural and water damage.

    The fire apparently started in the rear of Tanos Bistro at 1:20 AM. Four businesses lost almost everything. Firefighters remain on the scene, and inspectors are assessing damage and looking for cause.

    The buildings are close to the street so roadways may be closed for quite some time as inspectors evaluate possible danger to motorists traveling West Loveland Avenue and Karl Brown Way.

    EDITOR’S NOTE: A reader has brought to our attention that residents of five apartments lost “everything” in the fire, including damage to automobiles. There is a goFundme page already set up to help a photographer, Brad Uhrig and his son who lost their personal belongings, including Brad’s photo gear.

    Photos by David Miller/Loveland Magazine © 2017

    Click on a photo to enlarge and view as a slide show.

     

  • Who is Joe Wessels and what does he do at City Hall?

    Who is Joe Wessels and what does he do at City Hall?

    Residents deserve to know

    by Halie Rebeccaschild

    Dear Loveland Magazine Readers,

    Who is Joe Wessels? Does he have a contract with the city of Loveland? And how do we pay him? Residents deserve to know. The email you can read below, from Joe Braun, Loveland City Solicitor, was sent to me on 5/15/2017 in response to a Public Records Request request that I sent to Clerk of Court, Misty Cheshire, on 5/10/2017 in regards to the employment of Joe Wessels as PR consultant and independent contractor for the city of Loveland.

    On 5/11/2017, Wessels dedicated some time on the Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee (LCHPAC) Facebook page making public allegations that LCHPAC had been spreading false and misleading information to the public about the lack of engagement that Loveland City Council majority members have had with the residents of Loveland. At that time, Wessels stated that he is a new, part-time employee who represents the city, and he engaged with our stakeholders on our Facebook page from 7:45-11:50 AM, as well as a thread on another social media application used by Loveland residents, NextDoor. That thread may be seen in entirety here: https://www.facebook.com/LCHPAC/posts/451134371900703 .

    [pull_quote_left]Of course, the big question residents should want to know: How much does the city pay for a public relations consultant to spend hours on Facebook?[/pull_quote_left]It seems prudent that anyone claiming to speak for the city should provide evidence to residents supporting that claim. Residents also have the legal right to review employment contracts and verify the authority by which contractors are hired. Of course, the big question residents should want to know: How much does the city pay for a public relations consultant to spend hours on Facebook?

    [pull_quote_right]Is it possible that Joe Wessels is actually a campaign tool for the majority on council?[/pull_quote_right]This last question is especially important given his motivation to clean up the poor public relations problem of our city council, all of whom are elected by Loveland residents. Is it possible that Joe Wessels is actually a campaign tool for the majority on council, two of which are up for reelection on November 7th and one of which, Mark Fitzgerald, has petitions actively circulating to recall him to the 2017 ballot?

    Given that the positions Wessels chose to take on the Facebook thread serve the interest of the current development philosophy and the positions of the majority on council who drive that philosophy, it does indeed appear that Joe Wessels is election campaigning for the majority members up for reelection (or protecting the job of the city manager, Dave Kennedy). Why else would the city need a PR person to troll a Facebook page of a political action committee established with the singular intention of removing those members from city council this year and of questioning the development agenda of the city? 

    [pull_quote_left]It does indeed appear that Joe Wessels is election campaigning for the majority members up for reelection.[/pull_quote_left]In particular, Wessels claimed that a 6-resident session at the high school in February of 2016 somehow counted as sufficient engagement to endorse the current plan to demolish and rebuild city hall. I personally would like to call Wessels out on that information as patently false and unsupported by minority on council who attended, as neither was a 4-story, multi-use city hall project discussed at that meeting, nor has the city done any outreach to engage residents on this particular project (or any other development planning in the last eight years). Residents deserve to know we’ve been sidelined for nearly a decade, and we are clearly not going to get that information from Wessels or majority council. But let’s take a look at the money spent to cover up this unfortunate truth.

    [pull_quote_right]Why else would the city need a PR person to troll a Facebook page of a political action committee?[/pull_quote_right]Anyone who cares to stop abuse of tax payer funds and abuse of power should see the following employment documents for Joe Wessels (no contract exists, which means the authority to hire him is in question). Given the hourly rate of $125, Joe Wessels, an independent contractor who trolled the LCHPAC page from 7:45 AM until 11:50 AM on May 11th, will charge the city $500 to counter a single morning on the Loveland Community Heartbeat Facebook page. At 20 hours per week, Wessels will earn $2500/month, $30,000/ year to do the job that our majority on council should be doing to improve the poor relations between city council and Loveland residents. 

    I challenge Dave Kennedy, Loveland city manager, to produce authorization by ordinance or charter to pay for the ongoing public relations services of Joe Wessels. And I call to all Loveland residents to vote accordingly on November 7th, 2017.

    (Like and Follow Loveland Community Heartbeat on Facebook for daily updates on our efforts to hold majority council accountable on election day.)

    It’s time to Stand Up, Loveland!

     

    Halie Rebeccaschild is a Loveland resident and Secretary of Loveland Community Heartbeat Political Action Committee

     
    From: Braun, Joseph J.<jjbraun@strausstroy.com>

    Halie:

    You requested the following public documents from the City of Loveland:

    Any and all documents that detail Joe Wessels’ job description, salary, and any charter section or other materials governing his employment with the city and his salary amount.  Some of what you requested is information — not a public document.  Notwithstanding, in response to your public document request I am attaching any and all public documents in the possession of the City related to the work being performed by Joe Wessels. The City has no document that is a contract or job description responsive to your request.

    You should be advised that no documents are being withheld for any statutorily permitted reason or any privilege.  There are two redactions made to the documents related to his social security number and federal tax ID number.

    Thanks,
    Joe Braun

    Joseph J. Braun | Shareholder
    STRAUSS TROY CO., LPA

    Loveland Sweets – Fine Candies

     

    Loveland Sweets is a purveyor of hand-crafted chocolates, caramels, marshmallows, and ice creams. Our house-made candies are prepared in small batches