Nina Landers and Karli Farrell of Mason help pass out candy for Brandgarden during the annual Christmas in Mason celebration in 2011. The Enquirer/Rachel Richardson

The city of Mason will dress up its downtown business district and celebrate the holiday season during its annual Christmas in Mason event from 6-9 p.m. Friday.

Activities take place on Main Street and Reading Road between Mason-Montgomery Road and Second Avenue. This area will be closed to traffic from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m..

A parade featuring stiltwalkers, marching elves and jugglers will lead Santa Claus into the festivities at 6 p.m.  The parade kicks off at the corner of Main Street and Mason-Montgomery Road and proceeds down Main to the Plaza.

After the parade, a tree lighting ceremony takes place on the Plaza.  A full line-up of live entertainment is set to take place on the Main Stage throughout the evening.

Other activities include horse-drawn carriage rides, story times at the Mason Public Library, caricature and balloon artists, fire performers, strolling carrollers, a petting zoo and wood carvers.  “Stocking Stops” will be scattered throughout the downtown area.

For more information, go to www.festivalsofmason.org or call 513-229-8534.

no comments yet

Mason graduate Josh Kline at practice with the New England Patriots. Courtesy of the New England Patriots/David Silverman photo

ESPN posted an interview Saturday with Mason’s Josh Kline.

The New England Patriots signed the 6-foot-3-inch, 295 pound offensive lineman in May as a rookie free agent.  He was promoted from the practice squad to the 53-player roster in September.

Kline, ESPN blogger Mike Reiss writes, is “one injury away from being in the starting lineup.”

Reiss interviewed the 2008 Mason graduate about his start in football (third grad, Mason Pee Wee), his rookie season and signing as a free agent with the Patriots (“…if you want to be the best, you want to learn from the best…) and his football journey overall (“It was my dream to make it to the top tier in the NFL.”)

He also shared some memories from his playing days on Masons gridiron:

Top memories of football at Mason High School: “The camaraderie that you had with your buddies. You have the ‘Friday Night Lights’ going. You still miss it to this day. You have nothing like that, in college or even now. You’ll have camaraderie but it’s not with the people you grew up with for most of your life.”

One high school moment that stands out: “Maybe when we came back from Middletown my senior year. It was a shootout game and it was fourth-and-goal from either the 2 or the 1, and they ran it behind me and my buddy, Pete Noxsel, the left guard, and I just remember him growling that we got it in [the end zone].”

Check out the rest of the interview at espn.com

no comments yet

The Associated Press

Kings Island amusement park says the first night rides on its newest roller coaster will go to people who raise money for a designated children’s charity.

• Photos: Banshee construction

The park in Mason says the “Banshee” will be the world’s longest inverted roller coaster when it opens in April. The $24 million project will take riders through 4,124 feet of track and seven inversions at speeds of up to 68 miles per hour.

Kings Island says fans wanting to be among the first night riders can sign up on its website for the fundraiser and must collect at least $100 each for a nonprofit organization called A Kid Again. The group supports children with life-threatening illnesses.

Participating fundraisers get access to ride the Banshee for a two-hour window April 17.

no comments yet

Tony and Sommer Aponte, owners of Aponte’s Pizzeria in Mason. (Photo by Tony Tribble)

Aponte’s Pizzeria received national attention and a $10,000 celebrity makeover when the Food Network show “Restaurant: Impossible” came to town this summer.

Owners Tony and Sommer Aponte hoped the national exposure would give their pizzeria the boost it needed to overcome years of slumping sales.

Now, three months after their episode aired, the Apontes say it wasn’t enough for the struggling eatery.

“I’ve had to cut back, and I still have a situation with the IRS. I’ve just let two people go,” said Tony. “I will keep the doors open until my luck runs out.”

• Video: Celebrity chef Robert Irvine in Mason
• Photos: Aponte’s Pizzeria gets “Restaurant: Impossible” makeover

When that is, Tony can’t say. Business is at an all-time low with sales down 30 percent over last year, and he still owes the IRS back taxes of about $100,000, he said.

Robert Irvine and designer, Cheryl Torrenueva, speak to staff members before they empty out Aponte’s Pizzeria. The popular Food Network show spent two days taping at the Mason pizzeria in June. The episode aired Aug, 25, 2013. Photo courtesy of Food Network.

“The hype has died down and people have seen the inside and tried the new menu,” said Sommer. “Most of our business is on Friday and Saturday nights, but Friday and Saturday doesn’t pay the bills.”

Aponte’s decline began in 2011 when the restaurant moved into its new and larger location at 312 Reading Road. Sales plummeted as the restaurant struggled to keep up with higher overhead, said Tony.

The New Jersey native hoped to reverse the downward spiral with a high-profile renovation and menu from the cable TV show.

The show, now in its seventh season, features down-on-their-luck business owners. Celebrity chef Robert Irvine and his team of designers then have two days and a $10,000 budget to whip their restaurants into shape.

Sommer said she and an employee applied for the show because they thought sparks would fly between the fiery restaurateur and Irvine, a brash and brawny British chef known for smashing walls with a sledgehammer and dispensing tough love to business owners.

After a year with no response, the Apontes assumed they hadn’t made the cut. Then came a phone call in March.

Taping, which took place June 12-13, attracted hundreds of eager spectators, who crowded the restaurant on the night of the taped unveiling.

Under a contract signed by every featured restaurant, the Apontes agreed to give up full control of their restaurant and stick to any new changes for several months – not an easy task for a restaurateur Irvine called “one of the most stubborn owners” he’d ever met.

“The reality is, you’ve got no choice whether you like what Robert Irvine has to say or not. You’re locked in,” said Tony.

When Irvine visited Aponte’s, the restaurant was $250,000 in debt. The chef said the decor was dingy and dated and criticized the food as bland and uninspired.

Crowds flock to the new Aponte’s Pizzeria on June 13, 2013 after the Mason pizzeria underwent a $10,000 makeover from the Food Network show “Restaurant: Impossible.”  The Enquirer/Rachel Richardson

Tony, who says the couple met Irvine for the first time on camera, fired back the retort, “Maybe your taste buds are off,” and stormed out of the restaurant.

The heated exchange would later earn Aponte a spot as No.4 on the show’s top five most stubborn business owners.

“I never thought he’d nail me on my food as bad as he did,” said Tony.

After Irvine brought the Apontes to conduct a blind taste test at Mason Fire Station 51 in which the crowd preferred his recipes to Aponte’s by a 2-1 margin, Tony conceded defeat.

“It was hard to see Tony going through the beatdown Robert was giving him on things he thought he was doing right for years,” said Sommer. “I did a lot of crying, but you have to put your trust in these people who said it will all be worth it in the end.”

For restaurant owner Lisa Kendall, appearing on “Restaurant: Impossible” saved her business.

Her North Bend casual-fare eatery, Rohrer’s Tavern, was featured on the show last fall.

Business has remained steady since the episode aired in November 2012, and she’s slowly digging her way out of $120,000 in debt, she said.

“From my experience, it’s tough love and they are there to help you,” Kendall said.

For Tony, who says he continues to work 80-90 hours a week, that success remains elusive.

While the show gave the pizzeria an instant boost in sales – about 65 percent higher in the first two weeks after the episode aired Aug. 25 – business eventually slowed.

Aponte’s Pizzeria owner Tony Aponte spreads sauce over a Jersey-style pie. The Enquirer/Rachel Richardson

Then, with the 16-day federal government shutdown in October, sales came to an agonizing crawl.

The Apontes cite the restaurant’s location in the city’s historic downtown business district as the chief reason for their dwindling business.

Businesses in the area, which are predominantly small and independently owned, find it difficult to compete with nearby retail juggernauts Deerfield Towne Center and Voice of America Centre, he said.

“Everybody around me is feeling the same pinch,” said Tony.

“In the old part of Mason, you have a lot of dentists’ and doctors’ offices and a couple of little restaurants,” said Sommer. “In Deerfield, you can shop and eat. In old Mason, you can eat and go to the dentist. After a certain time of night, it’s like a ghost town.”

The Apontes say they have no regrets appearing on the show. His only regret, Tony said, is opening his business in Mason.

“People think that Mason is an up-and-coming area, but the more choices you give people you always have to give something away to get them in the door – and the more you give away, the harder business is,” he said.

 

My day in the limelight

When “Restaurant: Impossible” announced it needed volunteers to help with the renovation of Aponte’s Pizzeria, my sister Megan Blanton was quick to sign me and her up. We were among about 100 volunteers who turned out in the two days of filming to gut the eatery, paint walls and tables, assemble light fixtures, scrape up floor tile and polish the restaurant to gleaming perfection for its public debut.

After working the 8 p.m. to midnight shift the first day of filming, we were invited back the second day, where we got a firsthand look at much of the behind-the-scenes action. During the dinner service, a producer grabbed us and asked us to run food. If you watch carefully, you can catch the briefest glimpse of us in the kitchen during an interview with host Robert Irvine. As fans of the show, it was fun to be part of the action, but it felt even better to help a business in a city I’ve covered for the past three years and have grown to love.

Rachel Richardson

no comments yet

Server Caitlin Pikna ignites a serving of saganaki, a flaming cheese appetizer at Remezo Greek Cuisine in Deerfield Twp. Photo: David Sorcher

The Enquirer

Remezo Greek Cuisine opened last week in a completely re-done former Tumbleweed Steakhouse at 9956 Escort Drive in Deerfield Township.

The restaurant seats about 250 diners, plus 100 on a patio.

• Photos: Get a first look at Remezo Greek Cuisine

The menu is very large, said general manager Nicolaos Sarlis. He said the restaurant serves classic Greek cuisine, using authentic Greek ingredients, many of them directly imported by the restaurant. “Everything will be from scratch,” he said. “There will be lots of healthy choices. Greek cuisine is based on three things: pita bread, olive oil and wine.”

Moussaka, flaming saganaki, lamb shanks, grilled fish of the day, spanakopita, salmon souvlaki, and several kinds of kebabs are on the menu. Mezze, or appetizers, include skordalia and feta cheese with spices. There’s also a pizza bar with pizza from a wood-fired oven. Remezo is open for lunch and dinner daily.

Information: 9956 Escort Drive, Deerfield Township.  513-972-8045; remezo.webs.com

no comments yet

Alexander Coolidge reports:

Department stores and specialty retailers are expanding a smorgasbord of shopping options for families full from Thanksgiving Day dinners.

Desperate to maximize sales in a shortened holiday season, more retailers are opening their doors on Thanksgiving rather than waiting for the traditional “Black Friday” kickoff for year-end shopping. For the first time in its 155 years, Cincinnati-based Macy’s will open its stores on the holiday. Others have expanded their Thanksgiving Day hours as well.

• Gas prices up just in time for Thanksgiving

The expanded holiday hours are not without critics. Some are upset at the erosion of a family holiday and have threatened to boycott stores.

But retailers are running scared amid a fickle, fragile economic recovery in which consumer confidence is at a two-year low.

“The consumer is not back yet,” said Andy Stout, managing director of investments at the Financial Network Group in Symmes Township. “The economy is good for the haves, but not so good for the have-nots who are not seeing an improvement in their lives.”

Fall retail results, meanwhile, have been mixed as well.

While sales were stronger for higher-end retailers like Nordstrom, Dillard’s and Macy’s, others haven’t been so lucky.

Both Kohl’s and Wal-Mart missed sales forecasts.

Now, most of them are hoping a Thanksgiving opening will give sales a boost as the year ends.

Several local malls technically will be closed, but common areas will be open for shoppers to visit individual retailers doing business.

Here’s a sampling of who’s open and when:

• Macy’s: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and stays open all night, closing at 10 p.m. on Friday.

• Dillard’s: Closed on Thanksgiving Day. Opens at 8 a.m. on Friday and closes 9 p.m.

• J.C. Penney: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving and closes at 9 p.m. on Friday.

• Kohl’s: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday and closes at 12 a.m. Saturday.

• Nordstrom: Closed on Thanksgiving. Opens 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Friday.

• Kroger: Open until 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, and reopens at 7 a.m. Friday.

• Wal-Mart: Even non-24-hour stores will open for regular business on Wednesday morning and remain open 24 hours a day until 8 p.m. Christmas Eve.

• Sears: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and closes 10 p.m. on Friday.

• Kmart: Opens at 6 a.m. on Thursday and closes at 11 p.m. on Friday.

• Meijer: Open around the clock as usual. Meijer closes one day a year: on Christmas.

• Target: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and closes at 11 p.m. on Friday.

• H.H. Gregg: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday and closes at 10 p.m. on Friday.

• Best Buy: Opens at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day and closes at 10 p.m. on Friday.

• Dick’s Sporting Goods: Opens at 8 p.m. Thursday and closes at 10 p.m. on Friday.

• Toys R Us: Opens 5 p.m. on Thursday and closes at 10 p.m. on Friday.

• Build-A-Bear-Workshop: Opens at 8 p.m. on Thursday and closes at 10 p.m. on Friday.

For holiday revelers tired of eating, shopping and possibly of each other, the region’s four casinos – Horseshoe Casino Cincinnati, Hollywood Casino Lawrenceberg, Rising Star Casino Resort and Belterra Casino Resort & Spa – are all open 24 hours a day through the holiday.

 

Check out the ads in Thursday’s paper

Pick up a copy of The Enquirer this Thanksgiving to find Black Friday savings from our retail partners.
The biggest books this year: Macy’s, 106 pages; J.C. Penney, 72 pages; Sears, 64 pages; and Wal-Mart, 40 pages.
All inserts are included in home delivery and single-copy papers in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

no comments yet

The Enquirer

Greater Cincinnati entrepreneurs expect 2014 to be a good year for business and hiring, according to a survey by the Entrepreneurs’ Organization.

The survey found that 84 percent of local entrepreneurs believe they will see increased profits in the coming year, and 60 percent expect to hire more full-time employees.

“The results from the survey underscores that Cincinnati businesses are thriving despite the current economic climate,” said Joseph Stewart, president of Cincinnati’s charter of the Entrepreneurs’ Organization. “We expect our businesses to continue growing, and we expect the market to rebound in a positive way.”

The survey included 43 Cincinnati-area companies with at least $1 million in annual revenue and sizable impacts on the local economy.

no comments yet

Casey Oakes / Provided

The Enquirer

An undercover operation led to the seizure of approximately 750 pounds of marijuana and two arrests Monday, according to the Warren County Drug Task Force.

Bradley O’Neal, 26, and Casey Oakes, 27, have been arrested and additional indictments are expected to follow in the next few weeks, police said.

Both O’Neal and Oakes were involved in the undercover purchase of 100 pounds of marijuana for $180,000 in Warren County.

The buy resulted six search warrants in Montgomery and Darke counties.

Bradley O’Neal / Provided

Police say the seized marijuana has a street value of close to $5,000 per pound.

Local authorities said that the bulk of drugs appears to have come from marijuana dispensaries in Oregon, Colorado and California.

Police also seized hashish, THC laced drinks, brownies, candy and cash.

no comments yet

Bowdeya Tweh reports:

Home sales in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky remained strong in October with double-digit sales increases from a year ago.

Sales of existing homes around Cincinnati rose 14.3 percent in October to 1,895 compared to October 2012, the Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors said Wednesday. Home sales reflect completed transactions of single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops.

• Lottery possible for hot Mason homes

The median selling price in October was $125,000, up $1,000 from the same period a year earlier. October was the 28th consecutive month of increased sales year-over-year.

“While our prices (haven’t) increased as in some markets nationally, the positives we’re seeing is the inventory turning and when we’re seeing the sales levels with the lack of inventory we have,” said Cincinnati board president Kevin Kelly. “Everything that we’re seeing locally still points to a positive market.”

Local mortgage rates averaged 4.1 percent for a 30-year fixed-rate loan in October, up from 3.45 percent a year ago, according to the board.

The Florence-based Northern Kentucky Association of Realtors reported sales of existing homes in Northern Kentucky rose 17.1 percent last month to 494.

The median selling price in the region rose 4.3 percent in October from a year ago to $131,900.

The number of days a home is on the market in the region is also falling as well compared to a year ago. The average time a home spends on the market was 88 days in October, six fewer than in October 2012.

The Northern Kentucky Realtors Association predicts 2013 will have the highest number of home sales since 2007.

Regional figures are not seasonally adjusted.

At the national level, home sales declined for the second consecutive month in October. The National Association of Realtors reported a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.12 million units in October. That rate is still up 6 percent from a year ago.

“The erosion in buying power is dampening home sales,” said Lawrence Yun, chief economist of the National Realtors Association. “Moreover, low inventory is holding back sales while at the same time pushing up home prices in most of the country. More new home construction is needed to help relieve the inventory pressure and moderate price gains.”

The national median selling price for homes was $199,500 in October, up 12.8 percent from October 2012.

Foreclosures and short sales represented about 14 percent of all sales in October, down from about 25 percent a year earlier.

no comments yet

Mason’s Jack Clark, left, kicks the ball past Mentor’s Kurt Raney during the second half of the division I soccer state finals Saturday, Nov. 9, 2013, in Columbus, Ohio. Mason beat Mentor 1-0. (Jay LaPrete/For the Enquirer)

Mason’s Jack Clark is one of multiple area players have been selected for the Choice Hotels International High School All-American Soccer Game.

Clark, a UC commit, is one of three Ohio players on the boys’ roster.

The boys’ game is Dec. 14 at Immaculata University (2 p.m.) in Immaculata, Pa.

Earlier this month, Clark and his 23 teammates were crowned Ohio Division I boys state soccer champions.  The team, which went undefeated (22-0-1), clinched the victory with a 1-0 victory over Mentor that had come in undefeated as well (now 18-1-4).

Clark – who came into the championship game with 30 goals for the season (and 72 in his high school career) – made his 31st the game-winner.

St. Ursula defender Megan Niebuhr and St. Ursula midfielder Maddie Huster have been to West roster for the girls’ game.

The girls’ game is Dec. 7 at 2 p.m. at Cardinal Gibbons High School in Raleigh, N.C.

no comments yet

The Enquirer

An Ultimate Frisbee competition with national significance is scheduled to fly into Mason Memorial Day weekend.

The Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau will host the 2014 Division I Ultimate Frisbee College Championships May 23-26. USA Ultimate, the national governing body for Ultimate Frisbee, made the announcement Monday.

“Ohio, and especially Southwest Ohio, has vibrant and growing Ultimate communities,” Will Deaver, managing director of competition and athlete programs for USA Ultimate, said in a news release. “We have a lot of confidence the event will be an incredible experience for participants and a great showcase for the sport.”

After conclusion of the regular Ultimate season, more than 14,000 college athletes in more than 700 teams enter the USA Ultimate Championship Series, according to the release. A field of 20 mens and 20 womens teams compete to be crowned national champions on Memorial Day weekend.

The championships will be held at Heritage Oak Park at Mason High School in conjunction with the Cincinnati Ultimate Players Association, according to the release.

Ben Huffman, director of sports marketing for the Warren County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said that over the past six years, events held in collaboration with USA Ultimate and Cincinnati Ultimate Players Association has brought more than $1 million into the community.

Men and womens semifinal and final games will be broadcast live on ESPN3 with follow-up coverage on ESPNU.

no comments yet

Nathan Klages / Warren County Jail

A traveling musician arrested in Mason for relieving himself in public is finding relief in Cincinnati’s music community.

Nathan Klages, 27, will face charges of public indecency and obstruction of official business when he appears in Mason Municipal Court on Dec. 17.

That same night, MOTR Pub will hold a fundraiser to help the Michigan-based artist “offset his debts and make something good of the bad,” according to a press release issued by the Over-the-Rhine music bar.

The charges stem from an early morning incident on Nov. 14 at the Super 8 Motel on S.R. 741. Klages, a multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter, was set to perform at MOTR Pub later that night with the indie rock band Stepdad.

Two Mason police officers making a patrol in the area say they observed Klages urinating against a wall outside the motel and exposing himself to other motel patrons.

When the officers stopped to investigate, Klages allegedly ran away. The officers caught up to him and ordered him to stop and Klages again ran away, according to the police report.

Police soon apprehended Klages, who they say appeared to be intoxicated and told officers he ran because he was “just scared.”

Klages was taken to the Warren County Jail and held for about 14 hours before being released just hours before the scheduled concert at MOTR Pub.

MOTR Pub owner Dan McCabe said he invited Klages to perform while he’s in town facing the charges. A collection will be taken for him during his 9 p.m. performance.

“It’s an opportunity for us to raise a little cash money for him and his travel expenses to come down and appear in front of the judge,” he said.  “I understand giving the kid a citation for public urination, but I didn’t see the need to arrest him and haul him in restraints.  It seemed like a lot.”

Klages could face up to 120 days in jail and $900 in fines on the charges, said Mark Krumbein, a Cincinnati defense attorney.

While both charges are misdemeanors, jail time could be imposed if the alleged offense was “blatant and offensive enough,” he said.

“Mason is very proud of the civil environment of the city and laws are enforced and taken seriously there,” he said.  “Judge (Andrew) Batsche takes criminal offenses seriously.”

The charges could also have a lasting impact on a person’s future employment opportunities, added Krumbein.

“Those two — public indecency and obstruction of official business — probably have the biggest social stigma of any misdemeanor because they have an ominous sound to them,” he said. “You’re going to have a lot of explaining to do.”

Normal
0


false
false
false







MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.

/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:#0400; mso-fareast-language:#0400; mso-bidi-language:#0400;}

no comments yet

Jennifer Baker reports:

Gas prices are up just in time for Thanksgiving after nine weeks of falling prices.

The national average price has risen eight cents in the last week, but gas is still about 19 cents less than at this time last year, AAA reports.

The average cost of gas in Cincinnati is $3.25 per gallon, according to www.cincygasprices.com . Nationally, gas per gallon is listed at about $3.28, according to AAA.

About 43.4 million Americans are expected to travel 50 miles or more during the holiday weekend. To avoid gas-line freeze-ups in cold weather, motorists are advised to keep tanks half full.

The recent uptick in prices is mostly due to refinery issues in the Gulf Coast region, according to AAA.

The price increase is expected to be short-lived.

no comments yet

Children can have breakfast with Santa Claus Dec. 7 while benefiting the Kings baseball program.

The pancake breakfast and activities run from 8-11 a.m., at Kings High School. Breakfast includes pancakes, sausage, juice, milk and coffee.

Besides eating there will be crafts for children and music.

Cost is $7 per person or $25 for a family of four. For an extra $1 children can have their picture taken with Santa Claus.

Download a PDF of the registration forms here.

Completed forms and payment can be turned in to teachers in the Kings Schools through Tuesday, or mailed to Breakfast with Santa, 7888 Deerhurst Place, Maineville, OH 45039

Walk-ins are welcome that morning.

 

 

no comments yet

Jennifer Baker reports:

Up to a half inch of snow is expected to fall tonight and early Tuesday as bitterly cold weather keeps a firm grip over our region.

A large and powerful winter storm sweeping through the south that eventually will move toward the East Coast is expected to dump a bit of snow across Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky, according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

“We don’t think it’s going to be a heavy accumulation,” said meteorologist Andy Latto. “It will probably be more in the line of flurries.”

Snow could start flying anytime between 9 p.m. and midnight and continue until 8 a.m. Tuesday. Then, a wintry mix of snow and rain is possible between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m., Latto said.

We’ll be mostly cloudy and frigidly cold this morning. It’s 22 degrees at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport with a wind chill of just 12.

It will only climb to 32 degrees by noon and then just a few more degrees to a high of 36 at 5 p.m. Wind chills will be in the 20s.

The low temperature tonight will fall to 30 degrees with a wind chill of 27.

Tuesday’s high temperature will reach 35 before plummeting back into the 20s with wind chills in the low teens again overnight.

Normally at this time of year, our daytime highs usually make it up to 50 degrees with overnight lows of 33. But, a burst of arctic air over the weekend – followed by low pressure systems – are keeping temperatures well below average, Latto said.

The cold air will stick around through Thanksgiving before a slight warm-up finally arrives this weekend.

Daytime temperatures will hover in the low to mid-30s Wednesday and again on Thanksgiving Day. There’s a slight chance for snow flurries Wednesday night and early Thursday. The low will bottom out around 21 degrees.

There’s another chance for snow flurries before 11 a.m. Thanksgiving Day. Then, it will be mostly sunny.

Bundle up if you plan to head out for Black Friday specials at the stores Thursday night. The low will hit 23.

Warmer air will finally arrive this weekend. The mercury will climb to 39 Friday. Saturday and Sunday could bring high temperatures in the low to mid-40s.

Overnight lows will remain brisk and in the 20s.

no comments yet

Four members of the Mason Comet Skippers jump rope team will perform in the 2013 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. From left, Sean Newport, Kevin Morrissey, Singyi Yen, and Joci Hinners. Provided

Four members of the Mason Comet Skippers jump rope team will show off their rapid-fire moves in the 87th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Joining more than 200 jump ropers from across the country on Thursday will be local jumpers Joci Hinners, Kevin Morrissey, Sean Newport and Singyi Yen.

Organized by the Heartbeats Jump Rope team in Cleveland, the group will appear as J.U.M.P. (Jumpers United for Macy’s Parade) to showcase their talent before crowds of about 3 million spectators and 50 million television viewers.

This will be the second appearance of jumpers in the parade — 140 jumpers from teams across the country performed in the 2009 parade.

Jump-roping may bring back nostalgic memories of playground games for some, but there’s no child’s play about this sport: It’s a rapid-fire, tightly synchronized athletic feat that combines the speed and stamina of break dancing with the agility and grace of gymnastics.

Though only about 30 years old, jump rope, or skipping as it’s also known, has evolved into a fast-growing and highly competitive sport with active lobbying under way to make it an Olympic event.

Competitive jump rope is practiced in 48 countries, according to the International Rope Skipping Federation. In the U.S., several dozen high-level teams from across the nation showcase their skills every year at the U.S. National Jump Rope Championship televised on ESPN.

In its nine years, the Comet Skippers have emerged as a renowned powerhouse of skipping talent, setting several world records and holding a number of coveted regional, national and international titles.

The team has advanced contenders to the U.S. National Team to compete in the World Championships and saw members appear in an Xbox commercial and the Disney Channel film “Jump In.”

The Mason jumpers are expected to arrive in the Big Apple on Tuesday, where the larger group will practice together for the first time.

The group will perform their lightning-quick routines the entire two mile parade.  After arriving in Herald Square, 72 jumpers — including the four Comet Skippers — will be featured in a live one-minute segment choreographed routine broadcast on NBC (WLWT).

The Comet Skippers will be joined by the Lakota West Marching Firebirds, one of 11 high school groups and the only Ohio group invited to perform in the parade.

The band is the first high school band to perform and will appear on NBC stations precisely at 10:12 a.m. with a performance on Herald Square.

The performance – Copland Fantasy – includes Fanfare for a Common Man, written specifically by Aaron Copland for the Cincinnati Symphony and Appalachian spring, said Greg Snyder, band director.. As they exit Herald Square the Firebirds will launch into the school’s fight song.

The band will be perform holiday, patriotic and other songs throughout the rest of the parade route.

no comments yet

From left, Dan Tartabini, Laura Kornaker and Tom Prior with
M/I Homes. The company is building a 125-home development on the site of the former Western Row Golf Course in Mason. Interest from prospective homebuyers is so high the builder expects to hold a lottery on Dec. 7. The Enquirer/ Tony Jones

Demand among homebuyers is so high here that a builder may hold a lottery to decide who gets to purchase homes in a new residential community.

M/I Homes’ new Alverta development on the site of the former Western Row Golf Course in Mason is drawing more interest from homebuyers than there are available lots, company officials say.

• Photos: Alverta development

An artist’s rendering of the new Alverta community near the intersection of Western Row and Mason-Montgomery roads in Mason. Provided

Sales representatives have met with more than 550 prospective buyers since the company began marketing the 125-home development in May, said sales representative Laura Kornaker.

Money magazine ranked the community of about 33,000 residents the nation’s seventh best small town this year. The 52-acre site at the southeast corner of Mason-Montgomery and Western Row roads is one of the last opportunities for new homebuyers, Kornaker said.

“In this price range to build in Mason is impossible anymore,” she said. “If you’re going to build in Mason, you’re going to the outskirts where the location just isn’t as good anymore.”

Homes will start at $320,000 and range from 2,200 to 3,800 square feet. Construction is expected to begin next month with the first homes ready for occupancy by early summer, said Dan Tartabini, the company’s vice president of sales and marketing.

Alverta will feature a mix of two-story and ranch single-family homes as well as smaller “neo-traditional” houses, which feature garages at the rear of the lot accessed by an alleyway.

Development plans include 12 acres of green space, an eight-acre community park, walking trails, tree-lined streets, landscaping and two ponds.

While the homes’ modern open-concept floor plans appeal to buyers, it’s the community’s location in downtown Mason that’s driving interest, Tartabini said.

Within miles of the development are some of Warren County’s top employers – Procter & Gamble’s Mason Business Center, Cintas and Luxottica – as well as the Deerfield Towne Center shopping center and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center’s Mason campus.

Add to that a school district consistently rated among the top districts in the state, a top-of-the-line fitness center that rivals private, for-profit facilities, the city’s low crime rate and local attractions such as Kings Island and the Western and Southern Open.

“You always hear the adage in real estate that it’s location, location, location. In this case, that can’t be more true,” Tartabini said. “It doesn’t get much better than downtown Mason.”

Mason real estate agent Sandra Peters credits Mason’s housing market to her title as Ohio’s top-selling real estate agent from 2010 to 2012.

Between July 2012 and June 2013, the Comey & Shepherd agent sold 69 homes worth almost $32 million in Mason alone.

“The majority of my business is all Mason,” she said. “It tells you I’m in a good area.”

The market has encouraged builders to construct more new homes in Mason than in the recent past. As of Oct. 31, 73 new building permits had been issued in Mason, more than double the 36 permits issued in 2008, according to city of Mason.

In addition to Alverta, Ryan Homes this week received the green light from Mason city council to proceed with the second phase of development in its Meadows of Willow Brooke community.

Home prices in the 112-home subdivision off Mason-Morrow-Milgrove Road range between $380,000 to $420,000, according to documents filed with the city.

While average home prices in Mason dipped slightly from $318,000 in 2008 to $300,000 in 2013, the number of home sales this year already has outpaced 2008 sales by about 17 percent, according to data provided by MLS of Greater Cincinnati.

With inventory scarce and demand strong among buyers, some homes in Mason have been selling almost as soon as they hit the market. The average Mason home sold in 47 days in 2013, compared to 85 days in 2008.

“I listed a $325,000 house in Mason on a Friday, and we had 21 showings over the weekend,” Peters said. “When you have updated houses or move-in ready homes, they go into multiple offers very quickly.”

Newer homes built within the past 20 years prove most popular with buyers in Mason, she said.

The majority of her clients are young families, who’ve relocated to Mason for employment and don’t have the time or extra funds to renovate fixer-uppers after plunking down a 20 percent down payment.

Mason councilwoman Char Pelfrey has seen the city’s population nearly triple in size since moving to Mason 28 years ago. Despite its growth, Mason has held fast to its small town roots, she said.

“We have amenities other communities would love to have one to two of, and we have an abundance,” she said. “Who wouldn’t want to be a kid and grow up here?”

Tartabini said if interest in Alverta remains high, the company will hold a lottery for the development’s first 28 homes on Dec. 7.

To enter, prospective homebuyers must first qualify for loans, individually meet with the builder, have a home and lot selected and bring a deposit of $3,000.

“We’re not going to do an auction. We don’t want people to camp out in the cold,” he said. “We’re going to put everyone’s name in a big bin, give it a twirl and pull people’s names out. It’s the fairest, most non-partial way to do this.”

no comments yet

Mars Hill Academy third graders, from left, Curtis Rempe, of Cincinnati; Carter Woollard, of West Chester Township; Calvin Sitterlet, of Maineville; Oliver Zimmerman, of Mason; and Charlie Michener, of Waynesville; celebrated Prairie Day, inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book Little House on the Prairie. Provided photo

Third graders at Mars Hill Academy went back in time after reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie.

As part of their study, the students recently participated in a Prairie Day celebration. They dressed up in period costumes and visited a frontier cabin at West Chester Township’s Keehner Park.

Mars Hill Academy third grader Elise Lockett, of Mason, practices writing on a slate during the school’s Prairie Day, inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s book Little House on the Prairie. Provided photo

“Prairie Day is one of our students’ favorite days of the year,” said third grade teacher Traci DeBra. “We immerse them in the period and let their imaginations run with hands-on crafts, activities, music and authentic food.”

The students participated in bread and butter making, played 19th century games, did crafts, and saw a replica prairie school room.

Inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie, Mars Hill Academy third graders celebrate Prairie Day by dressing in period costumes and participating in activities reminiscent of the mid-west around the 1870’s. Provided photo

 

 

no comments yet

Eating at one of two Chick-fil-A restaurants today will benefit the City Gospel Mission through its Feed Cincy Now campaign.

From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., 15 percent of a diners purchase will be donated to City Gospel Mission when mentioning the mission when ordering. That’s when servers will press their Spirit Day Button.

The offer is good at the Deerfield Crossing location, 5150 Merten Drive and the West Chester Township Voice of America restaurant, 7733 VOA Centre Dr.

“We feel that true philanthropy will be returned to an individual or company many times over and that it is important to show our children and our society that people are more important than financial returns,’’ said Markus Schleidt, owner of the restaurants.

“That doesn’t mean that it isn’t important to make money, but a person or company…is not truly successful without generosity as one of the keystones of its operating principles.”

Diners are also asked to bring non-perishable food items and personal care products to either location for distribution to those served by the mission. Anyone who brings items will be entered in a contest to win a free Chick-fil-A meal every week for a year.

“Both efforts are part of our Feed Cincy Now campaign, our most ambitious effort yet to break the cycle of poverty and despair in Great Cincinnati by feeding bodies, minds and souls through food and shelter, jobs, recovery and youth development,’’ said Tim Curtis, communications director for City Gospel Mission.

 

 

 

no comments yet

The Associated Press

Ohio’s unemployment rate was higher the past two months.

The state’s Department of Job and Family Services reported Friday that the rate was 7.4 percent in September and inched up to 7.5 percent last month. October’s rate was the highest since March 2012.

That’s up from the 7.3-percent rate in August.

Ohio’s rate is now higher than the national rate. The U.S. unemployment rate increased in October to 7.3 percent from 7.2 percent in September.

Officials said furloughed federal employees were considered unemployed during the shutdown and thus contributed to the bump.

Ohio’s monthly labor report for September had been delayed because of the shutdown, so both sets of numbers were being released Friday.

no comments yet