1 10 12 https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/87dbe37abddde66659961dcc25f51e2d.pdf fe5a2441d0a4187f4874fd8b7149d92f PDF Text Text Empty Shirte. LostUves" $·f THE TRI-STATE'S ALTERNATIVE N"EWS SOURCE r=tNSIDE :; THlS ISSUE ,Local News Ne\V'hotline number saves homeless families time when looking for shelter. - page4 Community News One more thing the poor can't afford is a visit to the courthouse, l...paoe 7 "' ' Columns A culture o~ poverty? CM ichael Henson discusses the controversial theory. ~page 10 l'{ational News Veterans of Iraq and Afglrnnistan hope to reprise Vietnam-era event. I - page 12 Students Help on CUE Volunteering could be the best spring break of all Bv A NDY F REEZE STAFF WRITER W hile many college studentsgo to die beach or go hom e for spring break. a small percentage volunteer their time on an al!emative spring break. Many collegesand univer­ sities around the country have· groups ofstudents who spend spring break giving back lo communitiesand learning about social issues. This is the first year the Greacc.rCincinnati Coalition for the Homeless has hosted stu­ dents from around the country to help them learn abou1 issues of homelessness and poverty. Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE) is a weekloug service­ learning program. Students spend their days work ing at agencies in Cincinnati, and in the evenings they leam from speak­ University ofPennsylvania swdenls vol11r11eer with Joseph House while 011 c1 service trip ro Cincinnali. residents while i:elaxing. Thegroup trom 1he Univer­ sity of Vermont helped at Over-the-Rhine Comm unity Housing, work ing to clean an apartment that someone had recently vacated. Afewstudents from Lehigh helped Over-the­ Rh ine Community Housing organize and clean its ware­ house to get ready for the 45 volunteers expected the follow­ ingmoming. "It wasjust little stuffto help the staff run ll1ings more effec­ tively,"s.1ys Mike Chu, a student at Lehigh University. Sec CUE page 6 New transitional hot1sing is step away from substance abtlSe Bv L vNNt:AUSMAN STAFF Wi\ ITllR ver-the-Rhine Commu Scott Goebel looks nity Housing (OTRCH) into a recent Enquirer unveiled new transitional hous­ a1ticle on the Drop ing 45 and 47 E. McM icken fnn Center. Si. on March 27. The agency collabornted with tht: Drop .--page 14 O Lies my governemnt told me. ~page 15 ersand activities about the di I~ ferent face-s ofhomeles.~ness. The Homeless Coalition hosted three grnups ofstudents from Lehigh University, 1he Uni­ versity ofPennsylvania and the University ofVermom.Thestu­ dents spen t the ir brea k volunteering at organizations such as the Drop Inn Cemer, Joseph House, Wa lnut 1-Jills Soup Kitchen and Over-the­ RhincConununiry Housing. At the Drop Inn Center.stu­ dents from the Univcrsi1y of Pennsylvan ia helped sort clothe.s in the storage room. While at the Walnut Hills Soup Kitchen, students prepared and served meals; after lunch, they helped by handing out bags of groceries to individuals and families in need. At the Joseph House, stu­ dents helped paint a fence as well as an inside wall but took time to interact with some ofthe A New Way to Live Guest Golun111 Opinion www.cincihomeless.org Inn Center, the Model Group and the City ofCinci1111ati on this pr~ject. Last yea r the Drop Inn Center negotiated with Ci n­ cinnati Public Schools and the city ofCincinnati, agreeing to sell transitional housing units on the corner ofEhn and 12'" streets, in order to accommo­ date the new School for the Creativeand PerfonningArts. In return for selling the transi­ tional housing, the Drop Inn Centeracquired an equal num­ ber of units on McMicken in a refurbished and upgraded " This is such a pivotal moment for the OTR community and shows what remark­ able goals can be accomplished when community leaders work in partnership," -Sarah Allen, project managerforOTRCH. building. The city helped to fa­ cilitate the agree ment by supplying funding for the re­ development and relocation of the housing units. "This is such a pivotal mo­ ment for the OTR community and shows what remarkable goals can be accomplished when community leaders work in partnership," says Sarah Allen, project manager for OTRCH. Transirional housing plays a hu ge role in end ing homelessness. The most re­ cent Housing and Urban Development progress report on Over-the-Rh ine·found that 90 percent ofpeople complet­ iag the program moved into permanent housing. Transi­ tional housing is often the first step to self-sustainabi lity for a fonnerly homeless individual; clients are still eligible for homeless assistance programs while they improve on the lrfe skills needed to manage per­ manent housing. The new units are conve­ niently located across the street from the former NuBlend Paint Building. The building houses the Drop lnn Cenler's Homeless Individu­ als Partnership Team - an intensive case-management See HOUSING 1>age 7 �Streetvibes 1l7 fa\s t 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 phone: (513) 421-7803x 12 fox: (513) 421-7813 streetvibes2@yahoo.com www.cincihomeless.org STREETVIBES About Us 2 STREETVIBES April 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes is a newspaper tha t provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty and other related social justice issues. It is published once a mo11th by the Creater Ci:nci11natiCoalition for the Homeless. The GreaterGncinnati CCJ'aliti0n for the homeless is a group of she! ters, agencies and inclividuals committedto ending homeless in Gncinnati through.coordinating services, educating the public, and grassroots organizing. Our Vendors Streetvibes Staff Editor Alfred Woolfolk Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Mark S hca1·s Grady Cook J ames Bybee Juli e Walker L.eonard Jackson Mark Campbell Raeshawn Gipson Riccardo Taylor Sam Jackson Ke011etb Stonil'sch Jotm Terrence Gaines Williams Ber ta David Lambert Cko ·wombk s Watkins Quinlion Williams Jon Darby J osephi ne Baskerville Nell \ Villiams Tonia Haley Silvia Collins Tony Dnimmond Raynard .Jones Charles Cole Milton Hawkins James DauyoII G REGORY FLANNERY Contributing Writers M1CHA~l H ENSON, S TEVE SUNDERLAND, ANDY F REEZE, CREC 0 LKHOVSKV, H OLLY PARKER, ALYSSA KONERM•\NN, Cl.ro WOMB~ES, Scon COF.BEl., CYDNEY GILLlS, NJ\NCY STONE, ADAMHYLA, L YNNBAUSMJ\N, ROilE~TTRAlll'MAN Photography A NDREW ANDER.<;();~ A NDY F'REEZE B ERTA LAMBERT L YNNEA USMAN l<AVO'A V INEJ<AR Artwork ANTONIO H ODGE i\NlllONY W ILL11\MS Advisory Committee fO E W ESELS STEVE N OVOTNI ANDY F REEZE G EORGINE GETTY MICHAEL H F.NSON 5 TEPHANTE DL"NLAP S TEVE GIBBS Cover S TUDENTS VOLUNTEER AT WALNUT H11.1sSouP K ITCHEN WHILE ON CUE. We are members of: 75 cents goes tlirectly to your vendor 25 cef/fs pays for pri11ti11g costs No rth America n St reel Newspaper Associal'ion JN SP ./ lnt'ernational Network of Street Papers Readers! Do you have a favorite Vendor you would like to non1inate for Vendor of the Month? Please send your nontinations to streetvibes2@yahoo.coni. or Streetvibes 117 E 12th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 513.421.7803 x 12. �STREETVIBES The Vibe April 2008 3 Shutter Speed By the Numbers - li.u lOO Ameticausare t10wbebind bars --1.6 million adUltsare JiO\V in prison with another 70-0,000 in local jails. ~TI1e imprisoned population has tripled in the"past 30 years. ....onein 15Afri<>an American males are behind bars ~The U.S. imprisons more p~ple than any 0the:r GQllntry in the world (both by Sisler Lynne Staken, Alison /vlerce1: and Sis1er Leslie parlicipale in Emply Shirts. Lost Lives in Clifton. Pbotograhp by Andrew Anderson. percentage and sheer o.un1ber). Mr. and Mrs. Homeless Downtowner i\'lr. Homeless Downtowner l\ilrs. Homeless Downtowner Name: Edward Johnson Hometown: Cincinnati, OH Neighborhood: Over-the-Rl1ine Favorite interest:: Helping people I can ' t stand ii when: I can' t.get any work lfl won the lottery I would: Donate to the church, help peopleou1, and then treat myself The one thing I would change aboutthe world would be: Nothing, it is perfect lfl could have done it all over again I wou ld have: Went back to school Lo"e to me is: Paul, Corinthians, and the Bible Name: Phyllis Hometown: Cincinnati,OH Neighborhood: Downtown Favorite in terest·: Readingand dancing I can't resist: Seeing a crowd and being nloved by it I can'tstand it when: People look down on the poor justbecause they don 't have money If I won t·he lottery I would: Invest in youth development programs such as education for the youth. The one thing I would change about the world would be: Misplaced values l ove to me is: Unconditional ,...The Unjted S~s imprisons more people thanebina (l.5 nrillion)~ a.inuch Lnore p9pulous (and autocratic) country. -States now spend $44 billion on correctipns (a 127 percentincrease since 1987). FromThe Pew O:ntei;;qn the Stiltes. (~----------------------------------------------------~ Donate to Streetvibes : You eaa clonate online 1 The more support we have from the con1munity, the f!:rrther our effors.reach. Our w0rl~ is possible only with the h.elp of generous indiv idual gifts. : Please consider making a:contribution toaay ! Enclosed is my ta,»-deductabfo contribution of: : WW\¥.cincihomel~s.org N ~me: I _____________~ $25 _ $50 _ $1QO _ $150 _ Otber $_ I I Onnake cheeks.payable LC:>' Streewibes 117 &\st 12th Street, Cineinnati, OK 45202 Address: -------------- City I State/ Zip: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ J Tllank you for dtjn1 ienevously! I I I I I ~-------------------------------------------------------~ �STREETVIBES Local News 4 April 2008 Shelter Just a Phone Call Away for Homeless Families BY GR£·C 0LK!IOVSKV STAFF Wrul'ER T t's now much easie~ f~r ho.meless J.fam1hes mGreaterCmcmnati tofuid shelter: Just call 381-SAFE (381-7233). The new Central Access Point (CAP) hotline will serve as a one-stop clearinghouse for informationonspace availabiljty at the area's five family shelters. CAPwent into operationMarch 17,launched by tl'le Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care for ihe Homeless Inc. in collaboration with the FamilyShellerParu'lership. The previous system required homeless families to c:ontact nearby family shelters to see ifthere was any available room. Jfthe shelter were full, families had to test their luck al'tl1e next shelter. This process often resulted in missed calls,gamesoftelephone tag wil11 theshelters and constantlytrying to find vacancies. CAP is a major improvement becauseofits convenience. Families can now call one numberand be connected 10 a homeless preventionspecialisl The specialist will place families into ashelter based on bed availabitiry, household structure and history with the family sheltersystem. Thinkofit as booking a flight: The specialist will search the database and assign a family 10 one of the five shelters. TheSalvationAnny hosted a Feb. 29 presentation on the oew CAP program. Speakers included Jacqueline Thomas. social services director for the SalvationAm1y; and JoAnn Mcintosh, theSalvation Arm's emergency shelter supervisor. ··we ate all extremelyexcited to be serving tile homeless inan innovali.veand effective fashion,'" says Sister Mary Stanton, ex>-ecutive directorofBethany House Services. "The CAP program underlines the outstandingcollaboration among social service agencies in our city." TheInterfaith Hospitality Network, SalvationArmy,Mercy FranciscMat St. John, YWCA and Bethany House, serving as the lead agency, are the participatingorganizations inCAP. Specialists will answer calls at381­ SAFEfrom I0 am. to 8 p.m. weekdays and f:rom I0 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. During offhours,caJl.e.rs can leave recorded messages. Surviving Is Not Enough Women Helping Women combines service and advocacy Bv ALYSSA KoNNERMAN STAFF WRITER Drwomen who find themselves tile victims ofsexual assault, domes­ ticviolence and stalking, it oftenseems t11ere is no place to turn orto escape. This sense ofhelplessness is exactly what Women Helping Women aims to change. The agency serves people in Southwestern Ohio, providing crisis intervention and support services for both direct and indirect victims of tl1ese crimes. In addi ti on, the c'enter takes a leading role in educating the comnnmity, promoting awareness and seeking to help prevent these types of abuse. r Until recently called the Rape Cri­ sis and Abuse Center, the agency has reverted to its original name, Women Helping Women. The agency provides a variety of services, allowing it to assist victims in diverse situations. First, the center operntes a 24-hourcrisis line, connect­ ing women witl1 specially trained staff and volunteers who perform crisis in­ tervention and make referrals to other community services. Women Helping Women offers hospital accompaniment in order to support rape victinls and operates sup­ port groups. The agency is active in victims' advoca<..-y in courtand with Jaw enforcement, accompanying victims to court. l.n its work with victimized women, Women Helping Women rec­ ognizes the absolute importance of privacy and takes special care in mat­ ters regardjng personal mformation. Women Helping Women also works to educate the community about sexual assault, domestic violence and stalking. Central to thls mission is the Date Rape and Dating Violence Pre­ vention Program, which the center offers in local junior and senior high schools. The program explains to stu­ dents the dynamics ofdate rape and dating violence, focusing on identify­ ing potentially dangeroussituations imd providing them with tools to protect themselves. The agency also offers training programs for tlmse who work directly witl1 victims ofsexual assault and do­ mestic violence. Women Helping Women began its work in I 973 and since that time has consistently provided assistance and advocacy for women victimized by these crimes. "Women Helping Women provides the Cincinnati region impressive ser­ vices and support to assist people in healing from intimate-partner v io­ lence," says Jennifer Wies, director of Xavier University Women's Center. Women Helping Women is at 215 E. Ninth St., downtown, and can be contacted al 513.977.5541 , or www.rapecrisisandabusecenter.org. The 24-hourcrisis hotline is 513-381­ 5610 or toll-free at 888-381-5610. ISSUES 2108 WHAT'S AT STAKE? JOIN US for DAYS OF DIALOGUE. What better time than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us all Education May 17 OUR PURPOSE is to create an environment where people with differing views can listen and be listened to, and civil discourse can occur. WHEN: Each dialogue will be held on Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon WHERE: First Unitarian Church (536 Linton St) at corner of Reading ~ Free & Open to the Public~ Reservations Requested. RSVP to 513-579-8547 www.ijpc-cincianati.org mm lg ration July 19 <> �STREETVIBES Local News April 2008 5 Peace Activists Turn Out in Force B Y GREGORY FLANNERY STAFF WRITER ive yea rs o·a , th e peace movemen t got a measure ofits support in Greater Cincinnati when activists planned to line Clifton Avenue with T-shirts representing American soldiers killed in lraq. lt could have proved embarrassing. The cold and rain seemed likely to limit turnout March 19, not to mention the kind ofdiscouragement that can set in after five years of struggle. But neither the weather nor moral fatigue were a match for the enthusiasm that greeted Empty Shirts , Lost Lives, a commemora ti on of the fifth annive rsary ofthe U.S. invasion of lraq. Organized by the lnte rcommu.aity Justice and Peace Center (JJPC) and MOVEon.org, the non-violent demonstration drew more than 700 participants, according to Kristen Barker, a staff member al JJPC. " I am fee ling so encouraged about the peace movement in Greater Cincinnati," she said in an e-mail after the event. "As we' ve said, wars don ' t end by themselves. Yesterday we saw the ty pe of commitment, the persistence and the visible. creative action that keeps the pressure on the politicians to do the right thing and end war." Empty Shirts. Lost Lives was part ofa nationwide series of anti­ war events March 1.9, including non­ violent civil disobedience in other parts ofthe country. Pe,ople stood along Cl ifton A'1en11e from McMillan Street to Ludlow Avenue, with a small break in the Burnet Woods section, holding T-shirts in the cold rain. Bui they weren' t the only people who helped, Barker s ays . Even passe rsb y showed their support. F 111e cold and nasty weather could 1101 keep Randy Bruins.from lining C(fiton Ave. in pro/est ofthe wt11: Photograph by Andrew Anderson. "Tlranks to those of you who honked," She wrote. "Thanks to those of you who attended the interfaith prayer service, to those of you who vigilled with MOVEon. Thanks t0 all who prayed or made phone calls to legislators. Thanks to 1hose who wrote letters to the editor. A sincere thanks for al I you do to end this war and bring more pea.cc. to our world." The peace activists' efforts prompted widespread news coverage, including a mention in The New York Times ·and stories in Cincinnati's dai ly newspaper and on three local TV stations. Within days of the anniversary, the United States announced the death t011 for its troops had Nached 4,000, with more than 29,000 so ldiers injured. The Pentagon claims nor to count the numbe.r of Iraqi civilians killed in the.war. Peace Village Joins San Francisco Peace Protests Bv STEVE SuNot.RLANJ> Coi<tr.R.IBUTING WRITER housands of' people met at 7:30 a.m. March 19 in a fog-swept inner city neighborhood to start a day ofprotesting the fifth year ofthe war in l raq. A very large crowd gathered with great costumes, musical instruments. and great spirit to walk in the rirs1 of many protests throughout the city. I joined an orientat ion and heard the important words ofthe organizers to ..Keep it Non-violent." In th e corner at Sansone and Market. three street actors dressed in masks of Bush, T Streetvibes Subscriptions Do you have trouble reading? Seeing people's faces? Doing everyday tasks? Are you interested in having Streetvibes delivered to your mailb()X every ffi()nth. Send a check for $25 with your name and address to: Streetvibes 117 E. 12th St. Cincinnati~ OR45102 Cheney and McCain danced to Hip Hop whi le a large and smiling aud ience converged. A be autiful gro up . Brass Liberation Organization (BLO) finished LUning up and led the march at 8:20 a.m. up and down the hills or San Francisco. We chanted. sang, and raised ou r vo.ices to the grey skies. Thousands or pol ice marked Lhe way and led the march and withom incident. The Peace Village was deeply moved to be a part orsuch a great day. Peace had taken over the city, 1he cable cars and 1he sidewalks. This was a day to remembe.r. There is hope. There is help. We can help you or someone you know who has: •No Vision • Loss of Some Vision • ~ Cincinnati Association for rhe , , ~ Blind & Visually Impaired ~ 2045 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202 A not-for-profit agency For information call 513-221-8558 and ask for Adrianne. �Community News 6 STREETVIBES April 2008 CUE from page 1 In the evenings, the kamingcontin­ ued as groups heard from a variety of speakers about the iss ues of homelessness and poverty. On the first night, each2roup heard from afonn.erly homeless individual from the"Voiceof the Homeless" speaker's bureau. One of the speakers was Mark Teegarden, a formerly homeless indi­ vidual who spent three years livingon the Ohio River bank. He talked about the dit'l:icultyofmaintaining work.so he and his friends could survive. He shared his story ofovercoming his bouts with substance abuse and fighting for the homeless in the city ofCovington. He challenged the students, saying, "Stand tq>, suit up and don'tshutup ifyou know Mike Chu and.fellow swdemsfrom Lehigh University prepare.food ar what you arc talking about'' Over-the-Rhine Soup Kitchen. The studem volunteers stayed in apartmentsowned how friendly their stayanywhere else.·· Elyse Gambardella, a Vermont stu­ by Over-the"I would like to make neighborswere. Rhine Community Jill Engels, a dent who helped plan the trip, says she senior at Lehigh, wassurprised how friendly and genuine Housing nc.ar people more aware and Washi ngton Park. encoura.ge them to says she enjoyed the people were. in Over-the-Rhine. Manysaid staying help out in our own "gelling to live in The last reflection thestudents took inOver-t11e-Rhioe communities." Ove r-the-Rhine part in was a discussion of ways they was one of their - Amanda Chary and really seeing could get involved in the light against favorite parts of and experience the homelessness and poverty in their own CincinnatiUrbM Experience because of community. I would nothave wan.led to communities. "We are excited to take action and create change in Burlington. Vermont," says Maggie Donin, a Vcm1ont student. ·'J would lil'c to make people more aware and encourage them to help out in ourowncommunities.'· says Amanda Chary. Mostofthe students enjoyedspend­ ing their spring break doingservice and learning. "It was the best way I could have decided to spend my spring break; · says lfe Oydele, a student at the University ofPennsylvania. Xavier University isoneofhundreds ofschools that send students to various parts of the. country and the world 10 learn about social issues and to volun­ teer their time. During this year's spring break, Xavier's Alternative Breaks club organized 22 different trips to all parts ofthe UnitedStatesand five international trips to Ukraine, El Salvador, Domini­ can Rcpubl ic, Jamaicaand Mcx.ico. For more infonnation on alternative breaks, cncck out the national organi­ at zation. Break Away. www.altemativebreaks.orgorcheckout the Cincinnati Urban Experie.nce at www.cincihomeless.org/contentfcue.hm1l. Standing Up to Assembly Line Justice One more thing the poor can't afford is a visit to the courthouse nvG RitGOR\' F t.ANNl ; RY STAFP W RITER awyers are un iquely situated to relieve the suffering of poor people, but1QO often they don't try hard enough. ll1at's the messag.e a grolip of law srudcnts heard March 25 at Northern Kentucky University's Chase School o:FLaw. Stephen .A. Bright, president ofthe Southern Center for Human Rights, reminded the audience ofafact too easily ignored. "The criminal courts deal almost exclusively with poor people ... Ifyou go to coun, nom1ally whal you're going to see is a procession ofpoor people," he said. Bright spoke about what it's like to be poor, in trouble with the law-and represented by a public defender. "Beinginjall is terrible,"hesaid."IL's dru1gerous. Peopleget raped injail. Tiiey get beat up injail. A few days in jall can niin your whole lifu." Then he gave an example: A man suffering from schizophrenia was arrested on a warrant for loitering. The warrant \Vas deficient-but he spent two weeks in jail before anybody checked. ·wlien tl1e man was released, he found his possessions th.rown on a curb, andlle'd lost his job. "Here.'s this guy living barelyon the edge," Brightsaid. "He's trying to make L it. He gets arrested, and now he 's from Ke.nton County, remarkable homeless and now he's living in the. because it featured a defense lawyer woods or on a park bench or in a who had 1ro law office. whose business cardboard box.He wasn't convicted of card listed the phone number for a bar anyth ing - but he sure was punished." near the courthouse and whose law 111e Southern license had been Center for Human " In this country today, it's suspendedseveral Rights, in Atlanta, times. When the better to be rich and challenges defendant asked guilty than to be poor unc.onstitutional the trial judge to and innocent and conditi·o ns and appoint a dffterent practices in that's not equal justice,'' lawyer, the motion - Stephen Bright, lawyer prisons ru1djails. It was denied. After his also works to improve legal representation ofindigem conviction, the man appealed on grow1ds clients. ofin.clfectivelegal representation. Buttlie Bright cited cases that, he said, U.S. Siklh Circuit Court of Appeals, suggest we should sandblast the words seated in Cincinnati, turned down the engraved on the U.S. Supreme Court appeal, concluding that.. because the man building: "Equal Justice Under tlie Law." had been " unc-0operative" with his "In this country today, it's beuer to lawyer, he had practically represented be rich and guilty than to be poor and himself:That me.ant he couldn't claim he innocem-and that's not equaljustice," had inetl'Cctivecounsel. he said. In another death-penalty case, an Bright decried the inadequate appeals court mled that having a pubIic t'unding for legal c.ounsel for poor defender sleep during part ofLhe trial people, invoking the phrase o'll.en used wasn ' t grounds for bvertuming the 10 describe the way some publ ic com~ction. defenders work: "lvleet 'em and plead ··1t's a disgrace to our profession, 'e111.n and there's caseattercaseatlercase like "Literally, J talk to public delenders that:· Bright said. "We' ve had people who don' t know their c'Jients' names," executed because the lawyers didn ' t he said. "Are we representing people, make the filing deadIine:· or are we processing them?" Racism also influences Lhe The law students heard a litany of administration ofjustice, according to horrorstorie.s, including a capital case Bright. ··we know beyond any question that a person of color in this society is more likely to bestopped by the police, more likely to be abused by police during that stop, more likely to be arrested and more likely to bedenic.il bail a few days later, more likely to be convicted and morelikely to begivenaseveresentence at the endofthe process," he said. Last 111ontl1 d1e U.S. SupremeCou1t overturned a death sentence in a Louisiana case argued by Bright. The court niledthara prosecutor in Je1forson Parish, La., had eliminated all black jurors because of Lheir race· ­ unconstitutionally prejudicing the ease against theAfrican-American defendant. Vlhile some call such rul ings ..technicalities." Bright t1rged the·Jaw students to remember what's really at stake. "I hope, atler you graduate from this lawschool, that you ·11 never let ru1yone tel lyou that the protections in theBill of Rights are acollectionoftechnicalities.,'' he said. Bright called for increased funding for legal representation for indigent clients. "\Ne' re talking about a country tl1at can afford to send a trillion dollars dropping bombs on Iraq," he said. ·'Surely we can afford a few million dollars to make sure everybody gets justice: · �STREETVIBES April 2008 Community News 7 Housing from page 1 program for chronically hom~less in­ for Over-the-Rhine Com­ div.i.duals - as well as McMicken munity Housing,thecityof Dental Clin ic and a FreeStore/ Cincinnati, the Model FoodBank program. The NuBleod Group and others who Building is also the proposed site ofa have co Ilaborlltively non-profit labor hall and new offices stepped up to the plate in for the Interfait h Workers Center. away thatbenefrts the resi­ The new transitional units on dents," says Pat Clifford. McMicken will house individuals who general coordinatorofthe have recentlygraduated from the Drop Drop 1nn Center. " ! am Inn Center's substance abuse pro­ very excited co see the new gram. 1l1e building boasts a spacious facility, and I koow the fu­ interi.or Iiving space, abundant green ture residents arc eager as space and highly qualifie.d ar0tmd-the­ well." clock support. Located at the comer Split between two buildings. all. of of 12th and Elm, the Drop the un its arc efficiency apartments InnCenter is in the middle ranging from 350 to 568 square feet of redevelopment orga­ each. With bamboo wood floors and nized by the Cincinnati tile i.n the kitchen and bathroom. these Center City Development w1its look more like luxury apartments Corp., better known as than trans itional housing. Each apart­ 3CDC. These new trans itional hous­ Above: Cu111rt1c101':f put the ji11/shi11g Wuc'h"° 011 a 11t1w apar1111e111.for the Drop !1m Cu11N!r~~ trau.\'itinnt.1{ /i\·ing. 8e/1nt "Fl1i! 1ra1u·ltin11al housi11g i.o:t located at ./5 and -17 E. ment has its own full bathroom and an ing un its are only the first steps in a Jv/c1Vlicke11 S1it!1H. Pho1ographs by Lynne Ausman. equipped kitchen with a stove. refrig­ long lineofimprovcments occurring at erator, and circulating hot water pump. the Drop Inn Center. Each unit also The center is has two closets "The Drop Inn Center is making a concerted and rcsident­ effort to be good grateful for Over-the.­ c on tr o 11c d neighbors as they Community Rhine heating and begin planning for Housing, the city of cooling. The ca1>ital improve­ Cincinnati, the Model ments with Miam i units arc wel­ coming, with University arch itec­ Group and others who many windows ture students. which have collaboratively thatbring in lots stepped up to the plate in would move the front door. create ofnatural light. a way that benefits the office spaqc in the In add ition residents." basement and con­ to these ameni­ ,,._ tie.s, the units - Pat Clifford, general coordinator strucr a courtyard of the Drop Inn Center for residents. The also have some impressive se­ Drop Inn Center is curity features. Strategically placed also expanding its services to iucl.ude I cameras wi.11monitor the entire prop­ on-site ease management for longer­ 7 erty. Each unit is also equipped with tenn residents. double-hung windows that open from Overall, it seems that moving the the top, allowing air to circulate but transitional housing units is a win-win preventing anyone from easily fall ing situation.The new school will be situ­ out - or climbing in. In addition, ated on the entire block from Race to ") ,., rather than a trad itional metal key, the Elm and Twelfth to Central Parkway, ·~ entire building is equipped with key and the new transitional housing is lo­ cards, such as those used in hotels. cated in an upgraded faci lity nearother On-site staff wi ll program key cards. services needed by the new residents. "The Drop Inn Center is grateful 1 : - I _j - ·I Place Your Ad Here! Come and have a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere at 1506 Elm St. Monday - Friday 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm Saturday 8:00 a m - 5:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm - 5:00pm Phone # (51 3) 381-3368 With sales ofStreetvibes continuaJJy on the rise, and circulation reaching 5,000 monthly in the Downtown and Clifton area, now is the time to advertise. Rates are as cheap as $50 for an advertisen1ent this size. Discotu1ts available for non profits and paying up front. Streetvibes is sold by vendors which n1eans that nearly every paper we print gets into the hands of readers Interested in advertising with Strectv ibes. contact 513.421.7803 x 12 or email Slfeetvlbes2@yahoo.com �8 STREETVIBES Vendor Artwork and Poetry April 2008 Where do I go? uv Hou,v P,rn1<1:11 promise afterpromise ihcar some did draw me near o1fi ran rightotl'rhctrain otl'thcbus into what i 1hought was a friend's heart my boys i brought with new hope knowing no matter whm we could cope justto get there whileeveryonedid stare to find outjoke for i1 was all broke you ciu,.tstay ra11gall 1hcway lo the homeless sheller for no1hing better now what where do i go. whm do i say. Cosmic Star BY ANTONlO H ODGE S TREETVJBES V ENDOR Cleo's Joke Corner There was a Christian lady, who quoted scriptures day and night One night athie:f came into rob her, and she said Acts 2:38 five times. So the thieffroze in his foot steps, a little while later a policeofficer showed up and asked thethief why he didn'lleave. The thiefsaid I thoughttheold lady said she had an ax and two 38's (guns). Cleo selling at 5th and Wa/11111 \Nhen I was six years old, I was in my mother's kitchen. I was staring at ajar of orangejuice on top ofthe table for 10 hours. My brother asked me what l was doing, Tsaid can't you see I am looking at the jaroforangej uice on lop of thetable. He said yeah, but why I0 hours. Tsaid can' l you re-ad the label on the jar says " I 00% <.'Oncentra1e., There was a Christian who went into tbeforest to shoot a bear. \~'hen he spotted a bear he sliot him th.rec times but it did not die. He took off running and the bear chased him. When he foll hesaid, ·'Oh God let t11is be aChristian bear." TI1ebear fell on his knees and said "Oh God tbank you for this food.,. There were 3 1omatos - mamma tomato, daddy lomalo, and teenage tomato. They were walk ing up ahill and teenage tomato always kept getting out ofline. Daddy 10111ato said ifyou keep doing that l an1 going to give you a whipping. He did it again. so daddy 10111ato look a stick and smashed him all over the place. Daddy to111a10 said now he will catch up. �STREETVIBES Vendor Artwork and Poetry April 2008 9 Abstract ball To Scott BY A NTRONY \V 1.LJJAMS Writers !~ submit your poetry to Streetvibes ­ email your writing to streetvibes2@yahoo.com r:a:JI The hunt is on .... UY llOLLY pAllKER 111c hunt is on.... roofi mustflnd tecls Like looking foragold mine no car can ' tgo too for two littlemen in I.ow which wav, do we "0 "' promise this promise that tl1ey say then it"sjustgo away so where do we stay in school theysay kids must be whalaboutme ifi don 'ttojail igo but address i must have paper this ru1d paper that to prove here i live somed1ing no one wants to give a Faith in God i must hav.: for no othercan deliver anew place new face just a part ofthe hwnan race promises were made be.fore we came now il's just a slmme for now homeless we are............ Berta's Art Corner "Ohio River Skyline" CtNClNNATl, 0 HJO �Columns 10 STREETVIBES April 2008 A Culture of Poverty? Controversial theory has some usefulness for addiction ack in the '60s, peopl e be_gan to kick around a concept known as the Michael culture of poverty. The notion was that Hen.son is the poor. because of the ir condition. live aufhor of a se_parate 111anner of existence fro111 the Ransack, A rest of society, that poverty creates i ts Small Room own culture and the dynamics of that cul­ with Trouble ture can be identified and measured and 011 My Mi11cl, that th is culture is identifiable across what Tlze Tao of we th ink of as cultures. Longing, and According to thi s notion, you might Crow Cal.I. look at New York City and Mexico City This colu.mn and see, in the ghetto and i n the barrio, is part of a the sa111e essential dynamic i n spite of di.f­ mo11thly fere-nces in the larger cu ltures. Poor series on co.m111unities, the theory said. arc poor in poverty and the same way; poor people-, th e theory addiction. said. are Iikcly to relate to each other and the wor ld in the sa me way, north and south. east and west, if they arc part of the cuIture of poverty. lt makes sense. i f you consider th e notion that rich pco1,1c, too , tend t o op­ erate in the same manner worldwide. that there cou ld be a l'arallel culture of wealth , which would help explain why people fro111 cultures as disparate as Texas and Saudi Arabia can get along so well. why George Bush and Prince Faud arc such great pals. The term was created by anthropolo­ gist Oscar Lewis. who studied poor comm unities i n New York, Mexico, Puorto Rico and "When you have that Cub\l. In spite of combination of addiction obvious differences in relig ion, social and poverty, it is almost structure. econom­ impossible not to feel ics and language, powerless, marginalized Lewis found that and helpless , because in there we re strong!y some measure, you are." similar patterns in each community as the poor struggled to survive. " The people in the culture of poverty;· he said. " have astrong feeling ofmargin­ al iry, of hel plessncss, of dependency, of not belonging. They are like aliens in the ir own country, convinced that the existi ng institutions do not serve their interests and needs. A long w i th lh is feeling ofpowcr­ 1essnes s is a widespread fee ling of inferiority, ofpersonal unworthiness. ·'This is true of the slum dwel lers of Mexico C ity, who do not cons titute a dis­ tinct ethnic or racial group and do not B Poverty and Addiction by Michael Henson suffer from racial discrimination. In the United States, Lhe culture of poverty of the N egroes has the additional disadvan­ tage of racial discrimination. People wiih a culn1re ofpoverty have very little sense of history. They are a marginal people who know only their own troubles, their own local condi tions, their own neighbor­ hood, t.hcirown way of life. Usually. they have neithe.r che knowledge, the vision nor the ideology to sec the simi larities be­ tween their problems and those of others like themselves elsewhere in the world. I n other words, th ey are not cl ass con­ scious. although they arc very sc,nsitive indeed to status distinctions. ·· v.·11en the poor become ·class con­ sci ous or members of trade union organizations, or when they adopt an in­ ternationalist outlook 011 the worl d they are. in my view, no longer part of the cu.1­ turc ofpoverty although lhcy may still be desperately poor." So111e of thi s might sound l ike gross stereoty ping, and Lewis and his culrnre of poverty thesis have taken a beating over the years from critics who consider hi m (and others who have taken up rhe notion) as blaming the poor for their pov­ erty. Lewi s, they said. focused on rhe tlaws ohhe poor rather tban on the struc­ nires of society that demand rhat so111e be made poor so that others be made rich. Lewis was a man of the l eft, though. and his sympathies were w i lh the poor. He is notable for the way he presented his research. More often than not, he gave us the stories of the families he studied in their own words. His wr i tings are more like novels than anthropological srudies. I recall , for example, the story of a young secretary in Mexico City and her beloved typewriter. Lewis comes offin these writ­ ings as compassionate and non-judgmental. People who might oth­ erwise bavc no voice tell their own stories Interested i11 helping with Streetvibes? Are you a writer, poet, attist, orphotographer'? Do you want to help Streetvibes? Call 513.421.7803 xJ 2 or e1naiJ streetvibes2@yahoo.com through his work. Lewis also sta ted clearly that not all who arc poor are in the cu lturc of poverty. The secretary with her typewriter. for ex­ ample, wou l d be among those who arc ..no longer part of the culture ofpov­ erty although they may still be desperately poor." He found that in Cuba people were desperately poor. blll they were cn.ergized ai1d empowered and not at all in the static, discmpowercd culture ofpoverty. So what can we make of all thi s? We have a cl ose student of po verty with a great empathy for the ir cond ition, yet many thinkers dispute his principle notion as t1awcd, stereotypical and judgmental. Herc·s where I go w ith it. I don ·1 bc­ 1ieve Lhat such a thing as the culture of poverty exists. .l bel ieve that what Lewis was looking at was the intersection of povert y and addiction . If you substi tute theterm " people in addiction" for " people in the culture of poverty." you don' t get a perfect match, but you get one close enough to get you think ing. The addict or alcoholic feels power­ less. unworthy, marginalized. though he or she might appear to be the most social of all humans. Add the obstacles of poverty into the mix. and it can seem that people are em­ bedded in their poverty. l n one of his essays, Lewis srrings a long list of char­ acteristics of those in the culture of poverty, and yoi1can sec an almost onc­ to-one match with fain ilics and individuals struggling with alcoholism and addiction l fthere is such a thing as poverty w ith dignity. it can only be when the fami ly in poverty is nol impacted by alcohol and drugs. w·hcn you have that combination of addiction and poverty, it is almost im­ po ssible not to feel powerless. margi nal iz.ed and. helpless, because i n some measure. you arc. Not totalIy - - no oneever is. But fro111 this point of view. there is no real culnire of poverty . There is on ly poverty im­ pacted by addiction. There need never be an y such thing as a seeming cu l ture of poverty if we as a society cou l d develop the capacity to address poverty and ad­ diction together. Please be sure to only purchase a Streetvibes from a vendor wearing a white or yellow badge. �STREETVIBES Columns April 2008 11 Plenty of Fear to Go Around rifice.d? T h e spread of fear through­ out the nation is c rodi ng Sunderland our l10pe for a predictable American fu­ narc. In every m:\jor city, average citizens, going to work, face outrageous fuel prices 'tor their cars on top of ridiculous heat­ ing fuel prices. · Anyone going to the grocery store knows that the cost of food has jumped to high levels. In every neighborhood, any citizen knows that people are just walkirrg away from their homes, unable to pay their mortgages and unable to bear the reality of dramatica ll y falling home prices. The newspapers and TV news say chat the worst is n'CH over. Banks, with or without federal help, might Peace Village by Steve T he. events of the past weeks, days and minutes are downright scary. Who is in charge of our economy when U1e banks fail? Who is in charge ofour universities wbea American students are blocked from getting financial aid? What accounts for the failure of the employment sector to generate jobs for average people? Can the c.an d id ates for president do anyU1ing exeept add to the fear that U1e world cannot be led by an American? On the fi~b anni­ versary of the wa r in Iraq, can anyone clearl y say why one more Iraqi or American life should be sac- not stem the slide toward confusion. The basic question comes back to this: Who will stand against fear? Now is the time for local leaders to come together and face the housing, heating, college cost, unemployment and leadership crisis affecting every community. The bottom has been falling out for some time. Middle-class people, 47 million, have been without health care for quite some time. TI1c mort­ gage crisis has been serious in our neighborhoods bu t who has taken it seriously? Poverty and hunger are up in our city, an d the FreeStore FoodBa.nk has been trying to meet the need with every creative ea m­ paign it could launch. But the lines are getting longer and the pcopl·e more frustra ted. College students are graduating with ·tens of thou­ sands of dollars of debt. Ne'ither national leaders nor local officials have attended Lo this de.pressing news. Our situation is dire: The middle and poor classes are now in the same boat, and it's leaking. Now is thctime to stop fear from spreadiog one more block. Instead, a new leadership coalition of business, col­ leges, banks, neighborhood groups and city leaders must come together to lead a way through the minefield ofdanger. ll1ere can be no peace in such a sin1ati on if it is unattended. Leaders, awake! Dr. Sunderland. fo rmerly Dean of the UC College of Community Services and a Professor of Social Workfor the past 21 years ~11 UC, is Director and Founder of The Peace Village. a Cincinnali based peace network fo unded after !he riots and expanded after 9111 to work on peace and hettling. For more information on !he Peace Village programs. please write: sundersc@emaiI.uc. ed11 Lack of Leadership Deep-Sixes City Sweeps Policy The city of Seattle's sweeps policies are 1noving toward finality. Now the state, not to be outdor1e, is getting into the act Bv AOAM H YLA SritEST News SERVICE It was a ma5ter case ofbad timing. Persistent questioning by Real Change revealed th is month that the state of Washington was working on guidelines to make sure the kind ofaccident that killed Tsaac Palmer June 2 didn't hap­ pen again.When they outlined what U1e.y were up to, people at the Washington State Department of Ttansportation (WSDOT) were upbeat Here was the agency on whose watch U1e rotary blades ofa brushcutter stnrck Palmerin tJ1e head. killing him in­ stanlly, as he lay out ofsight beneath 1-5 on Sat. June 2, 2007. Palmer's death by machine was a horrid instance ofwhat happens when aggressive policing pushes the poorest members ofourCQ111munity outofsight 111cscguidelines, released eight monlhs later, were supposed to be evidence or lessons leamed. On Feb. 14 WSDOT called to say the guidelines were ready. Then, that same momi11g, U1eycalled back. Another homeless man had been killedon thesite of a freeway project. Ralph Edward Vantine, 61 , of Snohomish, was crushed under a 60­ toot man Irft- dcad, said the Snohornish County Med ical Examiner, ofhead in­ juries. Another homeless man killed this yea r by WS DOT neg Iigence. Disturbing news. The guidelines, re­ leased a fuw days Imer. didn 't make me feel any better. r sbould have known trouble was coming when WSDOT described the city of Seattle's recently drafted en­ campment clearance protocol as its model. Mostly,the agency is telling contrac­ tors involved in construction work in areas where homeless people are known to camp to post signs 72 hours before work begins. Social-service workers need not show up; ihough the city and local shelters will be contacted. there 's IitUe reason foranyone Lo walk up to m1 underpass and get to know its inhabit­ ants. Where would they tell them to go? City officials and social-service work­ ersalike know-though the fom1erhas spent untold time denying this - t11a1 there ·s not enough s.helter. There is also the obligatory pickup-truck sized loophole. "Crewscheduling,emer­ gency repairs mid removal ofnuisances" will send advimce notice sailing out the window."'Sites where maintenanceoc­ curs on a frequent but rm1dom basis will be posted ·No Trespassing..,. Tnmslation: Never mind the Fourth Amendment protection against the sei­ zme ofyour things or the state law that provides for the storage and reposses­ sion ofproperty ·'abm1doned" in public spaces. We' II take your stuff when we foel we need 10 . ll1e NoTrespassingsign spray-painted to thisco11erete abutments is waming enough. Which th ey already do. Real Change staff witnessed one of those operations Feb. 12where1-5 cuts un­ der Pike and Pine s treets. as court-assigned community service workers took and loaded into unmarked trucks poor people's survival gear. Mat­ tresses, sleeping bags, pillows, clothing and otl1er personal effec-ts went into the tuunarked trucks. No signs ofany kind had been posted to warn people ofan upcomingsweep. Everything went to lh.c landtill. A little north ofthat spot, a "clean­ ing" crew had been d1rough twicea week earlier t<> oust a group of campers. Amon.g the bunch were t\•O Real Change vendors, both ofwhorn wound up hospitalized for health problems re­ lated to exposure. Department ofCorrections (DOC) personnel have expressed some moral ambivalenceabounhis work. Throwing away personal articles is ·'ki nd of a waste," one staffer told me last year. If itsticks in the DOC's craw, YOlJ know it's adirtybusiness - andone that, one can't help speculating, took smnc toll on city 1-1 uman Services Department head Patricia Mel nturff, who announced her reiirement Feb. 22. Mel nturffhas been the city's desig­ nated shit-taker on the beete.d-up sweeps protocol that's moving toward its final iteration. It was a ham-handed and sardonic move by Team Nickels to putihe kinder, genilcr vis.ageofthe city's social-service bureaucracy in nominal charge ofwhar"s basically an actoflaw enforccmcnL I suspect Mel nturff is try­ ing to exither 30-yearcareer with a whit ofintegrity and has omoaded the taskof issuing a new policy ofcriminalization to someone with less to lose. Mclnturtrs departure highlights the absence ofother publicly designated voices ofconscience.Absent prominent public criticism, tl1e cicy is being propped up as a standardbearer for a process that WSDOT wi ll soon enact across the state. The silence ofthe Committee to End Homc.le&~ness makes th is possible. That's a searing reminder that ending homelessness is a task for al Iofus. The message from city and state agen­ cies as prosaic as City Light and WSDOT, as they develop their '·proto­ cols" and their "guidelines," is that unshelt.cred homeless people are now on the map: Homelessness is not a break­ down of our commonwealth but an impediment' to be worked around, a (to use Team Nickels' preferred phrase) public health and public safety hazard. A thing not to be ended, but managed. Reprintedfrom Real Change Ii,) SlrrJet N!!ws Service: www.sireet-papers.org �12 In The News New Hampshire: National News STREETVIBES April 2008 "Winter Soldier" Converges on Washington Veterans of Iraq and Afghanjstan hope to reprise Vietnam-era event nv CvDNE\' G11.,1,1s Homeless Man.in·D umpstcr En·d sup in T.rash..Iruck sonalilies in our plaroon who were they were lnJpefu l," Manzel says. regu larly being brutal with regular ·'After months of no runn ing water, citizens,'" he says. Soldiers "were it became clear to them that (the in­ &hQmeless man whoi.1ad been uring March 13-16 2008 , beating up people on the street for vasion) was a sham, that we were s.leeping in a'C0ncord dumpster for Winter Soldier: Iraq and Af­ n·o reason." not going to rebui ld Iraq and had no lwo-,vee.ks>was.suddenlyawakehed ghanistan , a first-of- its-kind That's j ust the start of what intention ofdoing so. That's when as he was being tossed into a trash­ conference·oflraq Veterans Agains1 Manzel has to say about what's they turned aga inst us.,. compacting truck. P:oJjce s:ay 41­ lhe War (IVAW) took place near wrong with the U.S. occupation of One task that Manzel's unit was year-.old Guy Stevens had been Washing1on, D.C. Veterans gave Iraq. Manzel flew tcra college near assigned to didn ' t help. With gaso­ sleeping i11tbedowntown dumpstef lestimon ies on various panels, to be Washington, D.C., to give testimony line in shortsupply, many Iraqis wait for about two weeks, and he,had thus streamed Iive on th e Internet and at Winter Soldier: Iraq and Atghani­ in line and fill up c·onrainers to resell fii,r managed~o:getoot Qi:jfuretlieirnck reco rded for later presentation to stan, named after a historic I 97 I gas on the street, providing some arrived. This particular morning, members ofCongress. gathering of Vietnam veterans in cash in a nation running. at 70 per­ however, it arrived early. Stevens· The conference aimed to open Detroit. cent unemployment. But the suffered n:iinor Injuries and was American eyes to Plans called black-market sales weren' t legal, so spo~ed limping.d6wn thestreetafte't the regular and for 100 IVAW in Mosul, ·•rt was our job to make " After months of no jumping aut ofthe truck. (Concord systemic atrocities members to sure people didn ' tdo !hat,.. Manzel running water, it Aifonito.r. 31 L) lhat soldiers com­ speak, including says. " We would go andlell them to became clear to them Man ze l. An- stop scllin.gg·as·and put ho les in the mit in Iraq - acts lhat are commit- that (the invasion) was other l 50 gas can, but after a whi le people a sham, that we were California: 1ed by soldiers planned 10 at­ were doing this habitually and (some tend as soldiers) started getting brutal." Google to P.rovide Free Phone trying'to survive not going to rebuild an urban guerilla witnesses be­ In a couple ofsituations, he s·ays, Numbel"S and VoicemaiJ for Iraq and had no war that the fore var ious stray bullets tired by soldiers killed Romele$S intention of doing so. United States is panels. civilians. Another rime. "They took That's when they Like the a kid and poured gasoline on him Projeet CA RE, ereatedin 2006 . involved in only turned against us." for private profit Viecnam veter- and were threatening to set him on byGrandCentral COmmu1\icatioos­ ans before him, fire. sinee aequired t>y Google-works and needs to exit immediately for its own securi1 y Manz.el hopes his words he lp open ..Tc's not as though the people to provide·pe1111anent phone numbers Seth Manzel isn' t a bad man. He. American eyesto the atrocities that doing th is were bad people - they and voicemail services to the homeJess. Craig Walker, a· senior was just a soldier caught up in a bad so.ldiers commit in Iraq. Such inci­ were all good guys, they had fam i­ projecl manager .a.r doogle, war. That·s how the 28-year-old dents are notthe isolated work of lies - but they were being misused. recognizes this as "one way that former Army sergeant regards the " bad apples,,. he and others say, but When you· re having soldiers who've GramiCe ntral can help San violence he says someofhisfellow part and parcel ofsoldiers 1rying to been tra ined to fight a conventional enemy and you put lhem in basically Francisco'shemel'essstayconnected soldiers inflicted on civilians in Iraq, survive an urban guerilla war. "We make more terrorists every­ a law-enforccment·situation, this sort with family,:friends,,social workers, where he served from November health care providers and potential 2004 co Sep1ember 2005 with the day," says Manze l, a Tacoma ofthing happens." security guard who says he joined ''It's a narural consequence," he employers." Google !auncbed·a Web 25th lnfantry Division. After being sta1ioned in the city the Army because he was out of adds, of a war being fought not ro siteth(ough which homelessshelters and agencicsariross the citycsan create of Tali far - where he says lraqi work and had no way to support his rout Al Qaeda terrorists - who are few and far between in Iraq, Manzel new accounts an<! ultimately hopes"to rebels outnumbered U.S. troops 600 wife and child. Neither do most people today in says - but to enrich contractors provide the5e.invaluableservieest0 · to 200 - lhe men on his patrol c:ities1111<1 shelters·across theieountry." didn't have the luxury ofdistinguish­ Iraq, where he describes horrib.le such as KBR and Halliburton. ·'Even if yo u're for the war," he (Soott C301pooll, Chan11elWeb, 2f19) ing between friend or foe and had conditions: cities with I ittle eleetric­ curned brutal with every Iraqi they ity, hospitals with few doctors or says, ..there's probably more active encountered. supplies and people bathing and A I Qaeda in New York City than in It really showed up, Manzel washing dishes in what are essen­ Iraq:· New York: says, when he was transferred to the. tially open sewers running down Subway Ad Campaign SaysNo much calmer city ofMosul, where streets and ravines. Reprinted.from Real Change to Spare Change for Homeless he and others experienced a sudden "When we first got there, people \~) Stree t News Service: www.street-paper.1'.org A new ad campaign displayed in "reality check" that "there were per- were positive about us being there, tile eity's subways rells New Yorkers not fo giveaoy spare change to the SO I TOOi( (QMfl(JTER 1MADE $Z2 PER HOl,JR (I.ASSES ANO NOW I 110n1eless, butratherto call 31 I. Mayor IN THE STEEl Mill VNTlL EARN $7 PER HOU~. Bloombergsaid, "Ci ivingn1oney to a I WAS LAID~OFF. panhandlermay ~m compassionate, Learn but (is-) really not helping,that person long-term:· There ·has been a 12 about -percent decrease in the number of other street homeless people on the streets and subways, though many of'the new newspapers shelters,thataccoum for this decrease l''v'E A(J.llE'v'Et> SOON A MORE SOPHISTiCATEt> have been created in illegal at STATE-OF-THE-ART­ (QMfl(JTER Will 'boardinghouses. In reality, "the only UNEMPLOYMENT. ELIMINATI MY JO~. WWW. genuine soluli0n ... is the creati011 of additional -permanent supportive nasna housing for homeless New Yorkers." (K:l'isten'Danis, Daily News, 315) .org STRP.ET N EWS SP.RVICr: D �S TREETVIBES Apri l 2008 International News All In the Mind: Who Cares? ll\' NANC\' STONE STREITT N EWS SERVICE ancy Stone is exhausted and des perate. Why? Her husband bas bi­ polardisorder.She wants to dispel some myths about mental illocss. The word is ' carer'. Sounds kinda ... caring, doesn 't it? lt's a five-letter word thai describes someone wilh a nurn1riog soul, saint-like patie.nce and buckets ofpositivity. Well,"f'm sorry to breakthe myth but itjust ain' t likethat. As ·it isfor lhose under ourcare, we car­ ers fo1d ourselves thrown into a bowl, covered in shit to the pointofdrowning aod tben,justwheo we think we've risco to the surface to take some air, we are gobbled up bysome otherdrama We are nonnal peoplc.ll1eones you probably work next to, the ones you consider your friends, the people you ti.link you know. Not everycarer has his or her life on display and attends open supportgroups. ll1e.re are maoy"closet carers"just like me, and by die way r·m not elderly aod nor do Jstay at home all day ·'caring."(Why d~ everyone tl1ink ti.us?) My husband and l arc bod.1 in our late30s and we hold demandingjobs, but my husbaodsuftcrs from bipolardis­ order.1-lis condition swings up and down as we.search for the elusive mixofmedi­ cations that actuall y work for him, and tliere's tbestruggleofaccepting d1e fact that hccan' tselfmedicate as hes;,-es fit. Some carers. like me, are not an­ gels- far from it. As tbr patience, mine runs out frequently and is replaced with anger, tears and a head that spins faster tl.1ao Unda Blair's in The Exorcist. Oh, but 1'm notsupposed to admit that, am l? l' m supposed to be a cahnfog inilu­ ence with the poise of Florence Nigbtiogale as J care for my charge. I hate tO dispel lhe myth, bui caring for someone with a mental ii lness such as bipolar is a ~hecr fuck.ing nightmare at the best oftimes. Far from having the patience ofa saint, I have often contem­ plated tlic amountofspace in my freezer and the typeofmacbinery 1wouldneed to dismember my husband. Thjnk I' m joking? Toften wonder whether it's me or b.iJn wid1 the mental iUness. Because ofhi.s condition, my hus­ band swi.ngs from depression to a state of mania (a bipolar high). when he be­ lieves he is trulygifted aod will dinewid.1 pre.sidents. Many "bipolars" can feel ti.icy are Cltrist-like figures. But I can be the same. l honesti y believe l 'rn gi:lted evenjustto survive a day. After all, 1' m the one who keeps tl.1ings on track, who goes to work, gets him to work, keeps the day under con­ troland keeps tilings moving. Bipolars, when "cycling" through their moods, are often useless in daily life. Fortunately, my husband is able to work without anyone noticiogb.is con­ ditionor how it migh1 be impacting upon h.is work.. But for me, the care.r, there is the const11nt worry and the anal <mnver­ N sations that dissecteach day to ensure up. I"mexhausted and mentally fucked he is not threatenir~ his job. So much before I leave the front door. for·' Hi honey, how's your day?" Acarer It's a painstaking climbfrom "I just doesn 't even get that much. When my can't seethe point in living" to ''Yeah, husband is beading i.oto mania, be will today wasn'ttoo bad." AJJ in all we Iive a good I ife, good sleep less and manage to do ri­ holidays, agood mix " Some carers, like me, d i cu I o us Iy offriends, two great unproducti ve are not angels - far from petS that we.love,so stuff such as it. As for patience, mine there is so much for vacuuming the runs out frequently and my husband to Iive garage, but he for. is replaced with anger, can't be practi­ Therein Iies rny tears and a head that eaI enough to conundrum. I-las spins faster than Linda deal ing with his make the bed or Blair's in The Exorcist." mental illness made wash the dishes, letalone contrib­ me just as mental? ute to a'·' nom1al relationship." As a carer, 1often d1ink I've tipped over The sad tb.ing is that wbcn be is u1 a tbc edge. I have days wheo l can be state of mania, he is able to do things optimisticand think wewrn find die an­ oorrnally beyond his abiUty- liencc the. swers and my husband will 1.iveafulfilling attraction ofwanting to come offmedi­ life and that I will gel rewarded for my cation. He can read a menu and loyalty in sticking by h.im, watching bi rn remember everything we 've ordered, get better and stay better. ingredients included: he is able to hold Butthoseare tlie positivelycharged intelligent conversations with peop.le. days and they are interspersed widi die TI1.is, ofcourse. makes him foe! llke lie is negative, down-the-fuck.iJ1g-gurgler an interesting person and tliat peoplelike days. llie days that youjust don 'thave h.iot Tmet 11.im wbeo hewasslightly de­ tbe energy to fight anymore. The days pressed, butas he cycled iJ1to astate of when people unlmowinglysay,"Smile, mania I teU in love with hlm ancl although precious, tbe world won' t end today!" I knew about his illnes,s, I had no idea And you srnneextravagantlyto shutthem how much he was affected byselt:medi­ up when you actually want to traosplant eation. So, in reality, l maiTiedsomeone them instantly into your lifeto 1ive with a I dido't really know. It's ironic because. self-medicatingfruit loop and see how 1tumcd down several other.greatguys well they react because l thought he was ' tbc right one' So why do I stay? Well, after six years I' m having a hard time finding a ... Sowho's thc.fruitloop then? Patience d.irough h.is mania is as ex­ reason. Ts .it because J hate failurc.and hausting as it is heartbreaking. He will won' t give up, or am I just bloody stu­ ask me to "'hang lo diere with bim," tell­ pid? How dumb is it to stay with ing methrough the tears that"he knows someoneyouhave no controlover whil.e bestand th.is time will be different- be tbey arcshaping- and ruining- your has beaten tl1e illness." As the carer, J lira? know too well that, when th.ings turn People oJtcn say, "\\'here there 's again, I ' II be needing a secure patiem life, there's hope." Butwhat kind oflife room i.1.1 the ..closed ward." and there's arc they talking about? TIJ.is is not the the fact d1atthei:earcn'1enough beds at kind ofl ife I had pemicd for myself. A11 any given pointin time.And what about l know is that I feel raw paio aod guiJt the mortgage'! And what about keeping for having hated my husband lately­ hisjoh? Oh, the Jjes 1've told (ilus and really hated h.inl - for what be has put other nasty dilemmas), but not"sorry, 111Cand hisfamily through. Butdie heart­ my husband has a mental illness .. . 1'm breaking thing is be hates bimsclfmore ~urc you 'll understand" because,sadly, than any of us could. I know they won 't. Sadly, most of us Mental ilJJ1ess breaks more than don' t. minds; it breaks hearts and makes Fortuoatelyfor me, Ill.istune.arouod dreams disintegrate. It destroys hope (his cycles are appro-ximately every six and ruins fam.ilies. Iknow there arc very months - maniaand then depressioo few pt.'Ople who could give my husband andaroundagain likedie fucking mcrry­ the future we originally had in mind, and go-round from hell) l have the support eveu fewer with the stamina to keep of his family. We weren'i always onthe going. sao1e page, but now we are, d1ank God. [would .like to have ended on a Although my husband has only been positive note. Bunoday, Iike many days hospitalised tour times (twice sincervc as a carer, I just don 'tfoel positive. and been with him) the last time really took Tdon't care who knows it. its toll and 1· ve realised how exhausted and broken I am. * 'Nancy Stone' is a pseudonym; Atthe moment my husband isgoiog all else is rca.I. through depression, and it's debil itating for bothofus. He struggles to sec area­ Reprintedfrom The Btg son to get out of bed and I spend my Issue Australia time trying- gently at first, pleading, © Street News Service: crying and then screaming- to get him www.street-papers. org 13 In The New s - Cont Louisiana: "Homeless Czar" '.iburs New O cieans. Prom,ises No Funding For tbeJitsttime'since Hurrie:ruie Katrina, the Btt~h administration's '·HomelessCzar"- Philip Mangruio, executive director of the U.S.. Lnterage1icy Co·uncil 0 11 Homelessness - visited New Orleans. 1-Jetoµred astretclrofaventie· wbere roughly !Sb homeless 1mfo1iduals have beenlivingintents for several months. May(Jr RayNagin ru1dme!11bers ofcity council metwith Mangano to dis:Cuss their plan tobouse tliecolm)y in bar.rack-style living quarter:> that would provide beds, meals andcare as a step in (ecuperation from the devastation ofHmricane Katrina. Mayor Nagin advocates this plan_ beJievi11g_" the.s e are our mos t vulnerable-citizens. and they have to be1reatcd fairly,"espcciallydue:to tlie :fuctd1atthe city's homeless population dpubledas·aresult ofthe:burriCl!lle­ There are now an estimated 12,'000 individual$ experiencir,ig '10111e.lcss1X:SS in New Orleans. Despiteseeing the devastation and need for a5sistance firsthand_ however, Mangano promised no· immediate increase in federal funding_ bnt rather only 9omn1itfed to investigate.the use ofthe money that has been11.umelecLii;itqthe region.since· Katrina (John MorenoGonzales, AP, 3(4) Cl\lifornia: \Vere Targets or Criminal Activity Hornele~s Atkr afour-rnonth investigation into homel.ess camps, Fresno Police arrest ed 25 people who ware tarnet ing the homeless. The investigation begai1 in August \Vhen po.Iice noticed an increase in robberies aud aggravated assaults. Fotl rtcen of the 25 peeple ehar.ged were arre:sted on the suspicion of drug p0ssessioi1 and seJIing drugs. These non-homeless street people who were taking advantage of the homeIess were busted during an investigation on GaliforniaAvenue·and G Stre.et and Montereyand H Streelll. MayorAlanAutry fullysupported the investigation, \Vhich aimed to protect the homeless. Autry said, "Quite hon~tly, in thepolitieal world and everyday life. 11ieoften ig11orcand do not putemphasis onthe public safe.ty for the homeless ... We are here today to make a stateme11t~1at the cjty offrcsno believesevery one ofour ci.ti7.ens is preciou~, including our homeless, and are deserving of public safety." (Vanessa Colon, The Fresno Bee,3124) �Guest Column 14 STREETVIBES April 2008 Enquirer's Hit Job on Drop Inn Center nv SCOTT Go:E11E1. Scott Goebel lives i11 Campbell County, Kentu cky. He is a poet and CoNTR.IDUTlNG WRJTER s 1he Drop Inn Center A cclebra1cd its 30th anniversary a1 2lh and Elm streets, article, "Drop I Lhe In.fl Dropping Out?" by Jane Prendergast appeared in the.Jan. 12 landscaper. edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer. She asked readers to consider how the Drop I.on Center fits with the redevelopmentofOver-the-Rhine. The article assumes readers und e rstand tensions in the neighborhood and infers increased tensions once the new School for the Creative and Performing Arts opens and redevelopment proc<ieds in Over­ the-Rbinc. lt suggested the Drop Jn.n Center holds a primary responsibility to "manage its clie11ts." In suggesting the real issue was whether the Drop Ino Center should vacate Ovcr-the­ Rhine, Prendergast's article was a journalistic failure. An objective article would have presented a topic(redcvelopmcnt) and dis·cussed the issues - new jobs, housing, cultlua l tensions and gentrification ­ from both sides. "The use of language, The Enquire r selective sources and article was not purposeful omissions obj ective. Not show a remarkable bias only d id favoring redevelopment Prendergast forces at the expense of ignore the real the Drop Inn Center and ropic, she clearly came down on Over-the-Rhine the side of the residents." Cincinnati Center retired c t y Development Corp. (3CDC): The best way to el iminate problems in Over-the-Rhine is to "economical ly cle.anse'' the neighborhood (gentrify it), and moving the Drop lnn Center is a good start. The targetaudience for this article can be div ided into two sub-groups. The secondary audience is readers predisposed to sec redevi;lopment as a primary solution, and the primary audience is suburban readers who, though aware of con.tlict. lack a complete understanding ofits nature and depth. The secondary audience is keenly aware oft:he cultural tensions i.n Over­ the-Rh inc as well as a history of controversy surrounding the Drep Inn Center. Their prevailing view toward the Drop lnn Center is negative ­ seeing it as ·enabling homelessness, a.lcoho.lism and drug addiction. It is this audience to whom the article speaks directly - those who see no value in the Drop lnn Ce.nte.r's missinn. They identif)' with 3CDC, and the question ofwhether the Drop Inn Centershould move is a rhetorical one- itshoul-d. The primary audience has a casual understanding ofissues in Ovcr-the­ Rhinc an.d little understanding ofthe Drop Inn Center. The article appears to give insight by quoting voices from the center, Cincinnati City CounciI and 3CDC. While the article's secondary audience has an opinion and is unlikely to change its mind. this primary (and larger) au.dience is seeking infonnation to form an educated position. Jfthc secondary audience is the choir (who don't need to be preached to). then 1he primary aud ience is the congregation. particularly chose sitting some distance from the pulpit (the suburbs). Mo.re important is the audience that is ignored - the residents of Over-the-Rhine, the homeless and empathetic readers who support helping the homeless through the efforts of the Drop Inn Center and other social-service organizations. Understanding this. we begin to see the article has an agenda less to inform readers and more to swaythem to sec the question ofrelocating the Drop rn.n Center as legitimate. The use of language, selective sources and purposeful omissions show a rcniark'able bias favoring rcdevc lopment forces at the expense ofthe Drop Inn Center and Over-the­ Rhinc residents.The article is carefully crafted to be devoid of empath y, particularly toward the c.liems ofthe Drop Inn Center. rt uses much space quoting three redevelopment sources, the Ovcr-the~Rhine Foundation·s Mike Morgan. Councilman Chris Bortz and 3CDC President Steve Leeper, and gives only brief rebuttals from Drop Inn Center Director Pat Clifford. Nowncre are neighborhood concerns discussed. The article emphasizes the Drop Tnn Center's history of raising hackles at City Hall. and the text gets more colorful when describing ihe move lo its ctITTent location as being "'under the cover ofdarkness." While the Drop Tnn·s co-founder, buddy gray, has been dead for over I0 years, he's described in langt1age such as "'controversial," "protests," "allegationsthat he blocked redevelopment." The use of such language has negative connotations co a predominantly conservative reaclersh ip. As well, the text contains the words " development" and "redevelopment" six times- positive terms for her intended audicnce-s. As further proof that it is crafted to ignore readers inclined to defend the Drop Jnn Center and the social concerns of currentresidents. nowhere is the term "gentri:ficatipn" used. These choices serve to sway the primary audience to believe the sh~lter is either incapable or unwilling to make an effort to fit in with a redeveloped ne ighborhood. This leads the audience to conclude tl1e viability ofthe Drop Inn Center's current location should be "Clearly, the editors questioned. are looking for a The art icle knee-jerk response, also suggests the. not a carefully Drop I 1111 's role in considered one." ass istin g the downtrodden is less important than how it fits in with redevelopment efforts. Quoting the homeless Jacquie Eaton. the only homeless person in the arti~l e, would have been a prime. chance to show some empathy. Instead, she is quoted, "J hide in the alleys, anywhere to keep out of sigh1 so I don ' t go to jail." Eaton ·s own words are used to suggest that being homeless is itself a crime. Editorial actions indicate a pandering to the paper 's ta rget audience and an e.ditoriaJ slant agains1 the Drop Inn Center. The subtitle. "Some wonder if homeless shelter hurts Over-the-Rhine development'· invites readers to question the Drop Inn Ce111er's existence. Additionally. the paper 's Web s ite places a comment Iink righr atlcr tli.e text, asking reader ifthe Drop Inn should move. While this seems legitimate. che link appears before the ques tion is discussed. Clearly, the editors arc looking for a knee-jerk response, noc a carefully considered one. The article succeeds in prompting readers to a.grec that the Drop Inn s hould move by depending on testimon y from the force.s of redevelopment and by removing empathy from the discussion. It is effective in presenting 1he Drop Inn as a problematic institution that can only negativel y affect Over-the-Rhine's redevelopment. Its obvious lack of empathy prompted a number of in telligent responses, most notably Torn Dutton·s commentary (republished from the Cincinnati Beacon), which asked readers to consider empathy for the homeless as essential to understanding the complexities of the Drop lnn Center's role. r-------------------------------------------------------~ I I I I I Streetvibes ex ists as a foru1n for the express ion of the views and opi,nions of our readers and suppo11ers. The opin ions expressed here in are not necessarily those of the Streetvibes staff or the Greater C incinnati Coalition for the Hon1eless. I I I I I ~-------------------------------------------------------~ �STREETVIBES April 2008 Opinion 15 Lies My Government Told Me This war, as everyone now knows. was based on a series orlies: vo landmarks present themselve.s Traq possessed weapons ofmass de­ at the start or spring 2008: live struction and threatened world peace. years o.f war in Iraq and 4,000 dead Traq was in the process ofdeveloping American invaders. We find ourselves, nuclear weapons. Iraq had a hand in aner all this time and all thiskilling, with the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 , 200 I. nothing at all to show for it-and no Now. five years after we attacked apparent way out. this poor, deJenseless nation, other Iies George W. Btlsh's remarks on the are being exposed. These lies Involve deathofthe 4,000th American invader all the basic services we've been told were a lie plain and simple, framed in our country can't afford. the kind oJrhetoricaJgrandiosity that Reports on the cost of the inva­ serves as a faux truth for a nation long sion and occupation oflraq tend to comfortable with hearing lies r:rom its hover around$ I trillion. leader. Imagine lrsomeone hadproposed "One day, people will look back spending one-tenth ofthat amount­ at this moment in history and say, $100 billion to eliminate ' Thank God there were courageous homelessness in the United Stat.es. The people willing to serve, because they notion would be laughed off as reck­ laid the foundations for peace for gen­ less spending. erations to come,·" Bush said. Imagine irsomeone hadproposed Does anyone actually believe that? spending one-tenth ofthat amount­ Bv G 11EGORV F LANNERY T $I 00 billion - to provide free col­ lege education to those· who can·1 afford it. The idea would be cons id­ ered preposterous . Imagine ifsomeone had proposed spending one-tenth ofthat amount­ $ I 00 bill ion- to provide health in­ surance for all Americans. There's no way we could afford it, they 'd say. The great lie ofour time is that this richest, this most powerful ofnations cannot afford to house, educate and care tor all its people. What the war in Lraq shows us is that this nation can damn wel l afford what it sets its mind on. We can come up with$! tri ll ion for acruel and pointless war if' we want it badly enough-or get suckered into it. The National Priorities Project (NPP) tracks the cost of the war and puts hin numbers we can more readily digest. So, for example, taxpayers in Ohio's Isl Congressional District have paid $924 mill ion for the war so far. The same amount ofmoney, the NPP says, could have: · provided 327,623 people with health care or • built 84 new elementary schools or • constructed 8,62 1 affordable housing unilS. It's important to remember, espe­ cially now that the economy is about to take another downturn, that the government has I ied all these years when it said we.cannot afford food , housing. education and health care on equal tenus for all. The problem isn 'I having enough 111oney. TI1e problem is how it's spent. Meanwhile in Cincinnati it's a struggle to getcity government to com­ mit a mere 1.5 percent of its budget to human services. War is hell. Book Review: Modern Day Slavery By Rober tTr autman Street News Service i e mass taking of slaves ended wiih thebanningoftheAtlanlictrat: ficking in humans nearly 200 years ago and, in the United States, legal slave•)' was abolished some 50 years later. But just making something illegal ·doesn' t necessarilyend it. Veteran antislaver Kevin Bales writes that even today. children aresent away into bondage to work 1.6 hours a day so we can have beau tiful rugs in our homes, and women are sold or ren ted forsex. ln"EndingSlavery: How We Free Today's Slaves" (University ofCalifor­ nia Press, 2007) Bales says, " Behind closed doors,in remote places and right underour noses, the slavery ofsome 27 million has continued, making people rich, reeding our liJ:estyles, and buming upourlives.,. But with positive economic trends worldwide and the growingacceptance of human rights, ·'if there ever was a tipping point when slavery cou ld be brought to a IUll stop it is now," hesays. Bales knowsorwhat be speakS. He ispresident ofFree the Slaves, the U.S. sist.er organization ot'Britain's Anti-Sla­ very International and author of " DisposablePeople: New Slavery in the Global Economy." People. by far children and young women, Bales writes, become slaves for money, money to support them­ selves and their fami lies, but little or noneofthemoney they earn goes into their own pockets. lnst.ead. it lines the pocketsoftheir holders. The parents ofa poor filmier arc approached by afactory owner and told hc has ajob for one of the sons; the T child will be cared for and will be able to send money home for rood and medi­ cine. Or a young rural woman is told of awel l payingjob in Ll1e city. which tums out to be that ofa prostitute. They are ill treated and threatened with violence if they should try to run away. They be­ come today'sslaves. Balt:s writ~ that this is notjust hap­ peningin lheThird World. but in ihe First, as well. We have all heard ofthe young girls brought to Tokyo for its ·'eniertain­ ment" industry - read prostitution:or nationalsbrought to Washington to work in embassies but theo virtually locked and stripped oftheir passports: and of Cen tral A111e1icans isolated in the farm fields ofCalifomia and Florida. Bui it is far worse in the Third World. Bales says, "Almosteverywhere you I.incl slavery iJ1 the developing world youfind policeor govemmemoflicialson Uie take or tuming a blind eye." Slavery is being fought by his orga­ nizalion, but far more needs to be done to end this by promoting education, health ruid good govem1m:nt. These are long-term solutions, but fornow. Bales callsfor: • Publicizing U1e work ofanlislavel)' forces in the Third World, which are ot~ ten persecuted or murdered. · Giving the antislavery forces the tools they need. Send money to the lo­ cal antislavers to buy bicycles or Jeeps or cell phones so they can communicate and getaround as quickly us the slavers. Do1i'tgo there yourself or as a group. as you might to help the victims or Katri11a. You younself cim ' Lfight a cor­ rupt bure;iucracy in Africa or Asia. • Makingdeveloping nationsaware ol'lhe extent ofslavery in U1eir countries, and lielping them to write laws to fight it and the tools to prosecute it. When a local liberntor can tum 10 the police and in theUnited States, but it came about point to acl ear violation orantislavery less than a hundred years later. law and when police know exactly how Bales sees thc end ofslavery com­ to enforce that law. "the flow ofslaves ing and quotes Martin Luther King to freedom will dr.imatically increase." Jr.when h.: was asked when equality · Training police in the developed mightcome: countries to step upenforcementoftheir ·1·fow long? Not long, becm1se the own antislavery laws as they have arc of the moral universe is long but it stepped up the prosecution of'narcotic bends toward justice." and computer crime. An estimated .17,000 people are traflicked into sla­ Reprintedfrom Street Sense very in the United States every year. © Street News Ser11ice: www.street­ ·Finding how lit."t!dslaves have been papers.org affected by their captivity and U1en find­ ing ways to trea t them. There arc treatment cen­ ters for victims of torture, but none for freed slaves. Bales may be overly opti­ n1istic that his way 10 encl sla­ very wi ll succeed, but he comes to l(•.11l k~lfitl.1I·" ,,,.,i:i;t;al ollld ll~plt .Jq the cause with b111JI; ,U!il )Vil W1!1 wide experi­ f1f';t'l1\lf::• 1!00 (hll ence, and any i:..-.1'11 hn•:i1 tn IU 'U.t l) tlD HI IU solution 10 a seemingly in­ 1r act ab I e problem must begin w ith a dream. He writes that none of these tasks is beyo11d us and notes that in 1776 few people envi­ sioned the end of the slavery ,\\l(llJ � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource April 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Students Help on CUE A New Way to Live Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: The Vibe Pg 4: Shelter Just a Phone Call Away for Homeless Families Surviving Is Not Enough Pg 5: Peace Activists Turn Out in Force Pg 6: Cue Continued Standing Up to Assembly Line Justice Pg 7: Housing Continued Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: Poverty and Addiction Pg 11: The Peace Village Lack of Leadership Deep-Sixes City Sweeps Policy Pg 12: National News Pg 13: International News Pg 14: Enquirer’s Hit Job on Drop Inn Center Pg 15: Lies My Government Told Me Book Review: Modern Day Slavery Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource April 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Greg Olkhovsky Michael Henson Steve Sunderland Andy Freeze Holly Parker Alyssa Konermann Cleo Wombles Scott Goebel Cydney Gillis Nancy Stone Adam Hyla Lynne Ausman Robert Trautman Andrew Anderson Berta Lambert Kavita Vinekar Antonio Hodge Anthony Williams Joe Wesels Steve Novotni Georgine Getty Michael Henson Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Activists Adam Hyla addiction Alyssa Konermann Andrew Anderson Andy Freeze Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Book Review Cleo Wombles CUE Cydney Gillis Drop Inn Center Enquirer Georgine Getty Government Greg Olkhovsky Gregory Flannery Holly Parker housing Joe Wesels Kavita Vinekar Lynne Ausman Michael Henson Nancy Stone Peace Village Protests Robert Trautman San Francisco Scott Goebel Seattle Slavery Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland Students Washington https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/225e6b567f1b00e469582fea305188b5.pdf 91ad40b67b1ee50b0b562a380b5e8c7d PDF Text Text Carnival fun for all p.6 “Eight Minutes” p.3 STREETVIBES $1 A u g u s t 2 0 0 8 • I s s u e 1 4 5 • C i n c i n n a t i ’s A l t e r n a t i v e N e w s S o u r c e Can’t Afford to Get Sick Referendum would mandate paid sick leave By Gregory Flannery Editor and leaders, collected more than 275,000 signatures on petitions supporting the prooters in Ohio could posal last year. In Decemdecide Nov. 4 that ber 2007, Ohio Secretary of workers have a le- State Jennifer Brunner cergal right to paid sick days. tified the petitions as having Under current law, em“A number of ployers decide whether to pay workers when they independent are too ill to work. Aside studies have been from workers covered by a union contract, employees done that show this are subject to their bosses’ will save employers policies. money.” The proposed Ohio Healthy Families Act would require employers well over the 120,000 valid with 25 or more employees signatures required. to provide seven paid sick Under a provision in the days each year to employ- Ohio Constitution, howevees working 30 hours or er, the state legislature got more per week. Employees the first crack at the meaworking fewer hours would sure. have a pro-rated amount of “They then had four paid sick days. months to pass the bill or But putting the referen- pass something we found dum on the ballot hasn’t acceptable,” says Dale Butbeen easy. The Ohioans for land, spokesman for the Healthy Families Coalition, coalition. “They refused to a network of more than 190 even schedule a vote on the community organizations bill. They held a perfunc- V Council moves to limit human-services agencies ver-the-Rhine has too many people trying to help other people, according to a resolution passed last month by Cincinnati City Council. The resolution establishes a policy “that social-service agencies and programming shall not be concentrated in a single geographic area and shall not locate in an area that is deemed impacted.” The resolution doesn’t define “impacted,” an ambiguity that is one reason a O By Lynne Ausman Staff Writer he abuses associated with day labor are well known: Senseless fees. Long waits. Long rides. Moldy lunches. Buses that seems about to fall apart. Waiting in line at 4 a.m. Unsafe conditions. Hard work. Long hours. Dirty work. Inadequate or nonexistent restrooms. Small paychecks. Check-cashing fees. The DNR list – “Do not return.” One Cincinnati man and his co-workers had been packaging pizzas for For more 12 hours Luke, a volunteer, collects signatures for a ballot referendum information that would require employers to pay workers for sick days. straight – about Day Photo by Andrew Anderson. no break, Labor go to no lunch. tory hearing, on which we impossible. The bottom dlop.org As the got 24 hours’ notice. We rest of his wanted to bring in expert See SICK p.6 “line” started to leave, he witnesses, but that made it followed, ready to get on the van to go back to the labor hall, get paid and hopefully get some rest. But he was shocked when there was no van to pick him up, no phone call to the factory saying the van had “Some of the people who are trying been delayed – nothing, no to degrade us have never even consortium The reso- one; just the uncertainty of lution de- being left in the middle of of non-profvisited us. To make judgments scribes the nowhere, with no money, it groups is about us without even knowing number in no resources, not even a contemplatwhat we’re doing is pretty unfair.” terms that pay phone to use. ing a lawsuit challenging might be He and the rest of the line used to de- sat and waited – waited for the resolusenter. tion, according to Georgine Over-the-Rhine has too scribe drug abuse or infec- a ride, a phone call, the sight Getty, executive director of many charities, Bortz says. tious viruses. of another person. It was “The unchecked prolifer- freezing cold at 1 o’clock in the Greater Cincinnati Co“There are 120 socialalition for the Homeless. service agencies in Over- ation of these agencies has the morning. No one came The resolution, sponsored the-Rhine, more than one the potential to negatively until 6 a.m. by Councilman Christopher per block,” he says. “That impact the residential charThe van was dropping off Bortz, won approval in an doesn’t seem a very bal- acter and the neighborhood another group of day labor8-1 vote. Councilman Cecil anced way of approaching Thomas was the lone dis- it.” See SERVICES p.6 See LABOR p.12 An Excess of Good Deeds By Gregory Flannery Editor Nonprofit Day Labor Hall Coming to Cincinnati T �2 STREETVIBES August 2008 The Vibe Streetwise By Gregory Flannery I Am Not an Animal! Words matter. Otherwise sexist language, racial slurs and the linguistic trickery of right-wingers -- “family values,” “welfare reform” and “death tax” come to mind -- wouldn’t be worth getting upset about. A recent word fight among community activists in Cincinnati wasn’t so serious as any of that. In fact, it wasn’t a fight at all, but rather a spirited discussion among allies about terminology. The issue was how to help homeless people vote (see “Organizing the Homeless Bloc,” page 10.) If someone is going to educate potential voters, that person must first be educated about the procedures, no? That’s all Stacey Hall had in mind when she distributed an e-mail announcing a meeting. “The voices of the homeless and our collective service populations should be heard in the coming election,” she wrote. “The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is sponsoring a Train-the-Trainer session to give organizations the information and tools they need to do voter registration activities with their constituencies.” Josh Spring, a social worker at Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, supports the idea. But in a response to Hall’s e-mail, he objected to her choice of words. “I do believe that this title needs to be changed to something more humane,” Spring wrote. “Humans train animals, not other humans. It sounds demeaning to the people referred to in the flyer. It also puts certain people above others.” Hall, director of the YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter, was quick to say she’d meant no offense. But she didn’t hide her surprise – or cede the point. “Wow. Well, certainly not intended … It refers to training people to do voter registration, not be potty trained, obviously,” she wrote. Spring explained his motivation in another e-mail. “If I sounded angry at anyone in the last e-mail, I was not,” he wrote. “Language is just so important because without sometimes even consciously being done, language shapes the way people think and act toward other people.” Them’s Fightin’ Words Language is at the core of a fight between CityBeat and a group of 29 prominent people organized by Citizens for Community Values (CCV). Now the conflict has landed in federal court, with the alternative weekly newspaper suing the anti-gay, anti-porn lobby and its supporters. The defendants include Cincinnati Police Chief Thomas Streicher Jr., Hamilton County Sheriff Simon Leis Jr., prosecutors from Northern Kentucky and Southeastern Indiana, ministers and others. In June, CCV convened a press conference in Cincinnati City Hall, calling on CityBeat to drop the “adult” category in its classified ads, arguing the ads promote prostitution. CityBeat’s lawsuit, filed last month, says the CCV group violated the newspaper’s First Amendment rights and interfered with legitimate business activities. “As a direct result of the CCV coalition’s campaign, CityBeat’s advertising revenue, and in particular the revenues generated from adult-services classified advertisements, has been reduced by nearly 25 percent,” the lawsuit says. “In addition, CityBeat lost a longstanding advertiser – a family-owned restaurant – as a result of the CCV coalition’s campaign against the paper.” The lawsuit could raise interesting questions: Do people who dislike CityBeat have a constitutional right to criticize the paper? Does the use of City Hall and the involvement of Streicher, Leis and the prosecutors turn the coalition’s efforts into a government attack on the free press? The newspaper has a heavy hitter on its side – renowned First Amendment lawyer Louis Sirkin. Streetvibes is a newspaper that provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty, and other related social justice issues. It is published monthly by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513-421-7803 x 12 Fax: 513-421-7813 Email: streetvibes2@yahoo.com www.cincihomeless.org Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Contributing Writers Lynne Ausman, Margo Pierce, Larry Gross, Angela Pancella, Greg Olkhovsky, Michael Henson, Charles Cole, Mack Russell, Patricia Garry, Rachael Lawson, Tyrone Williams, Daniel Horner Photography/Artwork Andrew Anderson, Andrew Freeze, Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge, Berta Lambert, Bethany House Services, Angela Pancella Advisory Committee Joe Wessels, Steve Novotni, Andrew Freeze, Georgine Getty, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Steve Gibbs The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Programs include Streetvibes, “Voice of the Homeless” Speaker’s Bureau, Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE), Homeless Curriculum, and Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project. All donations support these programs and are taxdeductible to the full extent of the law. We are Members of: Go ahead: Do something You want to make a difference, right? If you’re not sure where to start, check out “JustNews,” a comprehensive online calendar for peace and justice issues compiled by the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center. The calendar lists nonpartisan events that are “in the spirit of justice – whether economic, social, civic, or environmental.” For information about activities and events that can use your help, visit cworkers.org/webcal. To publicize peace and justice events, write to calendar@cworkers.org. International Network of Street Papers �STREETVIBES August 2008 Local News 3 Eight Minutes with the Breakfast Brigade By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer Making sure day laborers have a meal he volunteers of the Breakfast Brigade face the harsh reality of day labor and try to address one aspect of that experience – hunger. The college students who make up the Breakfast Brigade set up shop in front of two day labor halls every Thursday morning. Tables loaded with fresh bread, hard boiled eggs, fresh coffee and oranges offer free meals to anyone who wants one. “It is about being in solidarity as best as they can with these folks,” says Michael Schreiner, campus minister at St. Monica/St. George Newman Center. “After understanding the difficulties of the men and women in day labor – how early they have to wake up to go to the labor hall and not necessarily get a job – and understanding a lot of them won’t be able to get a breakfast because it’s so early in the morning, (the students) wanted to be able to provide that.” Inspired by a spring break “mission trip” to the Catholic Worker in Gainesville, Fla., a group of Cincinnati students wanted to emulate the Breakfast Brigade they saw at work there. “They asked, ‘Are there day labor halls in Cincinnati? Is this something that we can do?’ ” Schreiner says. “It was really the students’ enthusiasm and the students’ desire to make this happen is how it got off the ground. “We’ve been doing this for about 15 months now, and when we first started (the workers) were wary. And we still get this from people who don’t know who we are; they ask us how much we’re charging. When we say, ‘Noth- T ing,’ they say, ‘Where are you from?’ We say, ‘From St. Monica/St. George and University of Cincinnati students.’ They’re really receptive.” The TLC and Minute Men day labor halls have neither welcomed nor discouraged the effort, which works well for the Brigade. “Our Catholic social teaching tells us that each person has dignity by the very fact that they’re created … so we do this out of a call of faith. There’s no question about that and we “It is about being in solidarity as best as they can with these folks.” are not ashamed of that,” Schreiner says. “But we’re not proselytizers or evangelizers. I could care less what their religious persuasion is. I want them to get a good meal in their belly and know that there are people out there that are concerned about their well being – as best as we can, walk with and walk for each other.” Preparations begin at 2:30 a.m. when volunteers meet at the kitchen of the Catholic Center. Every week – with the exception of a few weeks when students’ schedules made it impossible – eight loaves of bread are baked while the coffee brews and the eggs boil. Before loading up two cars, the group pauses. “We eat one loaf … our celebratory loaf, our way of sharing in the meal with them in solidarity as best as we can.” Schreiner says. “We put all the food together on table and we pray a prayer to St. Vincent DePaul, and then we head out. We’re there until 5 a.m. Sometimes we leave a little later, if there’s enough people and we have enough food. Sometimes, if it’s a busy day, it might be 10 till five and we’re out of food Students from St. Monica/St. George campus ministry bake fresh bread and cook hard boiled eggs to pass out to day laborers on Thursday mornings before most people are awake. Photo courtesy of Michael Schreiner. Students from the University of Cincinnati prepare breakfast for day labor workers. They meet at St. Monica/St. George at 2:30am to begin preparations of their freshly made food. Photo courtesy of Michael Schreiner. already. We’ll drive back and clean up and people go home and go to bed.” The number of volunteers can range from four to 12. Given the cost of resources and a fluctuating roster of volunteers, the group has to limit its efforts to the current locations. But that’s OK with Schreiner. “I don’t want to see it become formalized,” he says. “I’d rather see it stay grassroots. I don’t want to see it be a 501(c)(3) kind of thing. “If people are interested in coming by and seeing what we do and how we do it, they’re more than welcome to come. We would really love to have people feel energized about this and say, ‘We can do this, too,’ and maybe do some other labor hall or do the same labor halls on different days. We can only do two labor halls. When we were doing three, it was really tough because we’d have to have a least six people come every week, and costs were getting pretty big. We’re very fortunate in terms of purchasing our food because we’ve been given a lot of assistance.” Members of the Breakfast Brigade have talked to schoolchildren, churches and other groups looking for a service project. “What we feel we’re doing is we’re trying to encourage our students to go beyond their boundaries, their safety zones, to minister to folks that maybe they wouldn’t, but also, as poorly as we do it, to show the workers that we’re standing with them in solidarity and we support them and we back them,” Schreiner says. “With a lot of our students, they’re like, ‘A labor hall – what is that? I don’t understand what that is.’ If you didn’t know you, could drive by Minute Men or Quick Staff or any of them and you might not even blink. It’s just a business. It’s one of those things that a lot of people don’t know about; and if they did, I think it would just open some eyes.” While working to educate people about the reality of day labor, Schreiner says he has a message for the workers, too. “We understand and we honor the hard work that you do,” he says. “We just want to show you that we appreciate that.” To request a speaker, make a donation or volunteer to help the Breakfast Brigade, contact Michael Schreiner at 513-381-6400 or ucnewma@yahoo.com Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in Greater Cincinnati. “Eight Minutes” is an effort to learn who they are and what motivates them. �4 Community News STREETVIBES August 2008 Mercy in Over-the-Rhine For the mentally ill, a place to call home By Larry Gross Contributing Writer Protecting the neighborhood oslyn lives in one of the six Tender Mercies apartment buildings in Over-theRhine. A cheery person who likes to prepare meals in the cooking facility in the lobby of her building, her face lights up when asked what she enjoys fixing the most. “Pork chops,” she says. “Candied yams, turnip greens and collard greens. I’m a good cook.” She’s only responsible for preparing her own meals, but she cooks for others in her building, too. “I can’t stand to see somebody hungry,” Roslyn says, “so I share.” She’s lived at Tender Mercies since her arrival from Birmingham, Alabama, five years ago. “It takes the pressure off, knowing that you’re not homeless,” says Roslyn, 51. “It’s just a warm atmosphere. The staff here is superb.” Since 1985 Tender Mercies has provided housing for homeless people with chronic mental illness or emotional disabilities and also provides support to residents, allowing them to live independent lives. “This organization stays true to its mission,” says Russell Winters, chief operations officer of the agency. “It doesn’t try to stray away from doing what it does best.” Tender Mercies, a nonprofit organization funded by various social service agencies, was founded by three clergymen working among the homeless in Over-the-Rhine. The Rev. Chris Hall, its first director, was working with two women who had been released from a local psychiatric hospital. He found the women housing in an apartment building on Race Street. Within two months one of the women was raped in her own apartment. The other was murdered. Realizing people with mental problems needed to be protected, Hall and the two other clergymen, Randy La Fond and Edward Slater, met with the owner of the building. The owner allowed them to manage the building, which eventually became home for 12 previously homeless women with histories of chronic mental ill- R “We’re out on the sidewalk serving breakfast to anyone who wants it, and we’re letting the drug dealers know that they’re not welcome on 12th Street.” ness. Along with this came 24-hour staff protection. Now Tender Mercies provides permanent and transitional housing for 150 adults. Rent is on a sliding scale. “It’s based on a resident’s income,” Winters says. “Technically we charge 30 percent of their income. If their income is zero, they pay no rent and we work with them to help establish a source of income.” Residents are free to come and go as they please and can stay for as long as they like – providing they’re not violent, don’t sell or use illegal drugs on the premises and live by Tender Mercies’ community living guidelines. While Tender Mercies has a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, one thing they’re not relaxed about is illegal drug sales in the neighborhood. They stand up to the challenge. “Over-the-Rhine has definitely changed a lot in the past few years, and at Tender Mercies we see ourselves as being part of the solution here,” Winters says. “The corner of 12th Street and Republic used to be one of the busiest streets for the City of Cincinnati Police Department to patrol – lots of drug activity. Our staff put up a sign that said, ‘Do not sell or buy drugs here.’ ” This banner, put up in 2005, helped curtail a lot of the selling of illegal drugs in the area, according to Winters. Tender Mercies continues that fight. “We’re holding a community breakfast the first week “I don’t think a person really knows what community means until they come here and visit and get immersed in Tender Mercies.” of every month,” he says. “We’re out on the sidewalk serving breakfast to anyone who wants it, and we’re letting the drug dealers know that they’re not welcome on 12th Street and that we’re here and we’re watching.” Winters says Tender Mercies has a strong working relationship with the police department. “Recently on Baldwin Alley, right here next to our transitional housing building, there was lots of inappropriate activity behind a dumpster, and we worked with the Cincinnati Police,” he says. “They installed a camera, and it was motionsensored. It actually had a recording that would say ‘Stop, look up. Your photograph has just been taken by the Cincinnati Police Department.’ ” ‘What community means’ Tender Mercies has 45 employees. It’s often difficult to tell who are the residents and who are the employees, as the approach is one of friendship and togetherness. Rickia Cooper of Walnut Hills, a single mother of five young children, has worked in the facilities department at Tender Mercies for four years. “I’m a ‘people person,’ and this gives me the opportunity to interact with a certain group of people that some would stray away from,” Cooper says. “Some don’t understand this group of people. I just happen to be a person who does.” Derrick, 37, has lived at Tender Mercies for almost 10 years. “I became homeless, living on the streets, living under bridges, and then finally I went to the Drop-In Center,” he says. “I then went to the hospital, because I was hearing voices; and they diagnosed me with paranoid schizophrenia, and I ended up at Tender Mercies.” Now feeling better, Derrick was one of the first residents chosen to be on Tender Mercies’ board. “If residents had any problems, they would come to me,” he says. “Then I would take that problem to the other board members and help resolve it.” Derrick has been cutting hair since he was 12 years old, and that’s how he makes his living. Clients go to his room to get their hair cut. He has no plans to leave Tender Mercies. “I love it here,” he says. Tender Mercies doesn’t work out for everybody, Winters says. “Some people don’t do well in this environment,” he says, “and if it’s not a right fit, we’ll help them find more traditional housing in the community.” With 23 referrals from social service agencies in the past year, word-of-mouth about the agency is clearly positive. “I don’t think a person really knows what community means until they come here and visit and get immersed in Tender Mercies,” Winters says. Tender Mercies holds its summer festival from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Aug. 23. For more information, visit www.tendermerciesinc.org. Check out the new Streetvibes blog at streetvibes.wordpress. com �STREETVIBES August 2008 Community News 5 The Face of Hospitality Student photos highlight ministry’s guests By Angela Pancella Contributing Writer long one wall in Our Daily Bread’s dining area hang a series of photos of guests. They were taken by Norwood High School students who signed up for a photo workshop through the St. Elizabeth Arts Foundation. The students — Sara Daugherty, Amanda Glasgow, Tori Herre and Sylvia Hoyt — worked with lead artist Michael Wilson, a Norwood native who has done projects with Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris and the band Over the Rhine. He credits two members of the foundation for his involvement. “I got involved with this because Douglas (Horner) and Juli (Thompson) asked,” Wilson says. “I think Douglas just asked me, and I don’t remember us having long, drawn-out ramblings on how to make the workshop work. I remember him presenting this idea, and it sounded great.” The idea was to take students to Our Daily Bread to volunteer in the serving line one day, spend three days taking photographs and then hand out prints of the photos on the last day. They would also hang their best work for permanent display in the food and hospitality center. Throughout the week the students met in the afternoons in the Kids Café room at Our Daily Bread to learn photography techniques. On the last day of the workshop, June 27, Herre said she was surprised by the guests’ reaction to the students. “You expected people to not like you being here … but everyone was really nice,” she said. “They’re like, ‘Oh yeah, take my picture! Take my picture!’ It just made for a better experience, because if they didn’t really feel OK with your presence, it would have made it a lot harder. It made it nice to just be able to say, ‘Do whatever you want,’ and then we just caught some really amazing here every day. It just felt like we were intruding at first, but then they really accepted us and were like, ‘Yeah, we love taking pictures.’ It felt like, to me, they became models; they loved it. It just brought a lot of joy.” In the end, the students had about 400 prints to give to guests, and each student had five photos framed to hang on the wall. They plan to also exhibit their work in a gallery later in the year. A * Sara Daughtery, a Norwood High School student, participated in a photo workshop with the St. Elizabeth Arts Foundation. They teamed up with Our Daily Bread to learn photo techniques and to photograph people who eat at the soup kitchen. Photo courtesey of Angela Pancella. pictures from it.” Horner, who spent every day with the students along with intern Gene Edwards, says the sheer numbers of guests they met was overwhelming. “I would have assumed that there’s people everywhere, but there are people everywhere,” he says. Daugherty agrees. “It was an amazing experience,” she says. “Coming down here every day, you actually remember people and they remember you, which was really nice. You would expect people, like Tori said, not to accept you in this space where they’re * * * * * Our Daily Bread, 1730 Race St., is a food and hospitality ministry in Over-the-Rhine. The ministry provides a midday meal, serving more than 500 people each weekday. To volunteer or donate food, call Joan or Kathy at 513-621-6364. Everyone’s a Winner Carnival is annual Bethany House ‘friend raiser’ By Greg Olkhovsky Staff Writer B ethany House Services celebrated its 13th Annual Children’s Carnival on July 9 in Fairmount. Debbie McGarry, director of volunteers and special events, describes the event as a “friend raiser.” The Children’s Carnival brings together former and current Bethany House clients and their families to eat, socialize and engage in activities and games. The carnival also promotes awareness about the agency’s mission and values. “This event provides an excellent opportunity,” McGarry says. “It is something different. It is a fun summer activity for friends and family in the community to become a part of.” Bethany House Services is one of five non-profit family shelters in Cincinnati. Since 1984 it’s helped provide housing, education and other programs for homeless and disadvan- Friends spend a weekday evening at the Bethany House Children’s carnival. The Carnival is an opportunity for current and former Bethany House clients to mingle and enjoy food and fun. Photo courtesy of Bethany House Services. taged women and children through direct service and initiatives to effect systematic change. More than 150 volunteers helped set up the carnival, operated more than 30 game booths and cleaned up afterward. All of the prizes were donated, with support from more than 70 sponsors. Around $4,000 was invested in operating this year’s carnival event. “It is a great thing when all of the families can eat and do as much as they want,” McGarry says. “We’ve had kids grow up with the carnival for many years now, and they tell us that the Children’s Carnival is what they look forward to every year. Knowing that this event is genuinely loved by many people is an amazing feeling.” �Sick, continued p.1 line is the Republicans control both houses of the legislature. They made it very clear that they had no intention of moving this issue at all.” When the General Assembly let the proposal die, supporters of the measure got another opportunity – and faced a new set of 4 ballot, the coalition has to collect another 120,600 signatures from registered voters.But that’s not all. The state constitution requires the signatures on the new petition to be from voters who didn’t sign the first petition. “They have to be completely different people,” Butland says. “There also has to be a certain number in 44 of the 88 counties.” Even so, the coalition is confident it will succeed. “We’ve already got over 200,000 signatures in hand,” Butland says. Business groups lobbied state legislators, opposing the bill, and are organizing a campaign against the proposed referendum. Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits, based in Columbus, is among the business groups working to defeat the measure. “There’s overwhelming support of this among voters across party lines. The reason is pretty obvious: Everybody gets sick. That’s not a partisan issue.” If approved by voters, the proposal would make Ohio the first state to mandate paid sick leave, according to Ohioans to Protect Jobs and Fair Benefits. Several studies have shown that paid sick days actually improve productivity and save employers money, Butland says. Those studies were among the evidence that Ohioans for Healthy Families Coalition had hoped to give legislators, he says. “A number of independent studies have been done that show this will save employers money,” Butland says. “I know that sounds counter-intuitive; but when you factor in less lost proGeorgetta Rice, signs a ballot to require employers to pay ductivity, less spread of illworkers for sick days. Photo by Andrew Anderson. ness in the workplace, what A reporter’s calls to the nomic climate Ohio cur- these studies studies say is group were not returned, rently faces, an additional there is a net increase in but in statements on its mandate on employers productivity.” Web site, Ohioans to Pro- would slow Ohio’s recovUnder the current systect Jobs and Fair Benefits ery and discourage new tem, consumers often pay argues that mandatory paid companies from coming to the price for employers’ resick days would be a “job Ohio and existing compa- fusal to provide sick days, killer.” nies to expand,” the Web Butland says. “With the serious eco- site says. “There is a public-health Services, continued p.1 serving commercial uses of Over-the-Rhine,” the resolution says. Those aspersions aren’t accidental. Bortz says that what he calls the “hyperconcentration” of agencies trying to help people has the perverse effect of hurting the neighborhood. “The hyper-concentration attracts more than just the people who need services,” he says. “It attracts people who prey upon them.” Asked if he blames the human -services agencies for crime in Over-theRhine, Bortz explains what he sees as unintended consequences. ‘”Maybe I didn’t phrase that comment carefully,” he says. “Basically, you’ve got an at-risk population. They’ve lost a job, lost a home. Maybe they have an addiction issue. Usually it’s a combination of a lot of STREETVIBES August 2008 The Jump 6 things that get people to the point of desperation.” Where such people congregate, trouble follows, Bortz says. Drug dealers and others see the humanservices agencies’ clientele as a potential market, he says. “You’ve got other people who don’t want to help them,” Bortz says. “People end up gravitating to prostitution, for example, to feed an addiction.” Bortz’s resolution doesn’t accuse any particular agency of any particular wrongdoing, but Mary Magdalene House is presumably one of its targets. Since 1988 the agency has provided a basic service that often proves elusive for homeless people: a bathroom. The Rev. Giancarlo Bonutti, a Marianist brother, is director of Mary Magdalene House, which serves up to 1,600 people a year. “We provide 21,000 showers a year, besides people who come in just to use the toilet,” he says. “We have a very personal ministry here for the people we serve.” Bonutti says that, so far as he knows, Bortz has never visited Mary Magdalene House, located on Main Street. “Some of the people who are trying to degrade us have never even visited us,” Bonutti says. “To make judgments about us without even knowing what we’re doing is pretty unfair.” Like former Vice Mayor Jim Tarbell, Bortz says the number of human-services agencies in Over-the-Rhine stymies re-development. That argument ignores certain inconvenient facts. “In fact, we are one of the first groups to take an old dimension to this,” he says. “We have 300,000 food and restaurant workers in Ohio who have no paid sick days. The Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta says over half of the restaurant-borne illnesses in this country aren’t due to bad food but employee sickness.” A worker at a fast-food restaurant in Kent, Ohio, infected with a norovirus, recently caused hundreds of illnesses, Butland says. “He couldn’t afford to take off,” Butland says. “Four hundred and 50 people got sick as a result. This happens a lot.” A recent Quinnipiac University poll showed 71 percent of respondents support the Ohio Healthy Families Act. “There’s overwhelming support of this among voters across party lines,” Butland says. “The reason is pretty obvious: Everybody gets sick. That’s not a partisan issue.” “I wouldn’t want to go to every neighborhood and say, ‘You’re going to have to have more socialservice agencies’. People aren’t exactly pounding on the door asking for more.” building on Main Street and improve it while maintaining its historic character,” Bonutti says. But council’s resolution overlooks a larger point, he says. “It seems to me some of the social-service agencies that are helping out in the area are actually helping the city,” Bonutti says. “A lot of us provide services for free, not costing the city any money.” Bortz’s resolution is his second attempt this summer to restrict human-services agencies. His earlier attempt to insert restrictions in the city’s zoning code prompted an outcry from churches and other non-profit orga- nizations. Council sent the proposal to the Cincinnati Planning Commission for reconsideration. The resolution doesn’t specify how many humanservices agencies should be in Over-the-Rhine. Bortz paradoxically suggests that’s not the point. “I don’t know what the number is,” he says. “I don’t know that it’s necessarily about the numbers.” Instead, he introduces parity as a measure. “Look across the entire region, not just the city See SERVICES p.7 �STREETVIBES August 2008 Services Local News 7 of Cincinnati,” he says. “Look across the 12 counties. There is no neighborhood that even comes close to having the number of social-service agencies that Over-the-Rhine has.” But Bortz admits there aren’t any neighborhoods in -- or outside -- the city asking for agencies to locate there. “I wouldn’t want to go to every neighborhood and say, ‘You’re going to have to have more social-service agencies,’ ” he says. “People aren’t exactly pounding on the door asking for more.” Bortz bristles at the suggestion that he or the city have an animus against the poor in Over-the-Rhine and the agencies that serve them. “I’m not talking about forced relocation by any stretch of the imagination,” he says. “There’s a little bit of confusion, particularly among the advocacy groups saying, ‘Oh, you’re trying to close down agencies.’ Of course we don’t. We want to help them improve their efficiency.” The resolution directs city administrators to “carry out any actions necessary to adhere to such policy” – again, without specifying a course of action. Bortz characterizes the measure as a “starting point” for discussions on ways to better serve people who need social services. “I’m not sure there are any folks who understand what’s going on in the social-services community who think the status quo is fine,” he says. ‘There is room for improvement.” Check out the new Streetvibes blog for discussion of issues between editions. streetvibes. wordpress. com Streetvibes archives from January 2004 - July 2008 have been uploaded to the Greater Cincinnati Coalition’s website. To view them in pdf go to www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes �Poetry and Artwork 8 STREETVIBES August 2008 Thing I Carry By Charles Cole I carry my baby in my heart. I carry a vision of my baby’s face, in my heart and in my mind. I carry myself from here and there. I will carry you ‘cause sometimes I do. Sometimes I wonder who is going to carry me. God - that’s who’s going to carry me. Good things come to others that help one another carry each other, so carry me and I will you because carry each other is the right thing to dolike you carry me, me carry you. Let’s keep carrying on. I carry good feelings of Hope, love, and happiness. Food 4 Thought By Mack L. Russell Sr. I hear voices, but not in my head. I see dead people also, but only in caskets at the chapel. People talk about plenty but almost never say anything. I listen, but only hear what I want the message in this passage is only food 4 thought. Are you hungry for knowledge, food or just wanting to read? Do you feel with your hands that what you cannot see? This is just a simple passage that’ll probably never get read. Some parts are reality but to be deciphered in your head. Hear, see, feel, believe what you want but knowing the difference Is food 4 thought Life Changes By Mack L. Russell Sr. I’ve been through so many changes in my life. Some seem more severe than others. Not knowing from day to day the outcome. Somehow I mustered up enough energy to pull through. I’ve prayed timeless times over and over keeping the faith. In my mind I’ve wondered were my prayers useless but in my heart I knew everything would be all right. I’ve been through so many changes in my life some seemed more severe than others Not knowing from day to day the outcome Yet I still stand alive and well. Tomorrow is another day And I know not what obstacles I will face but my journey is to move on because chances will occur. Bearded Man Drawing by Antonio Hodge �STREETVIBES August 2008 Poetry and Artwork 9 “Gay Celebration” Northside Photo by Berta Lambert To Jim and Wife Happy Birthday Drawing by Anthony Williams Unexpected Reunion Cleo’s Joke Corner There was a criminal who stole a cement truck. The policeman caught up with him and dragged him through the computers. They found out that he was a hardened criminal. When the prosecutor took him before the judge, he told the judge that they had concrete evidence against him. There was a shipload of one-legged pirates who were singing, “Let’s go to the hop. Let’s go the hop. Let’s go to the hop.” The captain said that he was hungry and that he was going to a restaurant. His shipmates said, “Which one?” He said, “The IHOP.” Why did the skeleton go into the closet by himself? Well, he didn’t have any body. What do the letter A and a flower have in common? They both have a B (Bee) following after it. On May 1 I was downtown at Fifth and Walnut streets, my usual spot to influence people and make them laugh. Two years ago my daughter ran away. I hadn’t heard from her in those two years. I was very worried and concerned if she was all right or not. I prayed night and day that she was all right and that she would come back home. To my surprise, on May 1 I turned around -- and there came my daughter across the street from Fountain Square. I dropped everything I had. I ran to her, and she ran to me. We hugged each other and cried tears of joy. I will always be grateful to the Lord for bringing her back to me. I didn’t expect that by selling Streetvibes I would ever encounter my daughter. Some days this job seems very hard and strenuous; some days are easier than others. But the very fact that, after doing this for five years, I was able to see my daughter back in Cincinnati, shedding tears of joy -- I never knew what tears of joy were. But now I understand. I want to thank everybody who has ever bought Streetvibes from me and all the other vendors. All of you were also part of the answer to my prayers. May God bless each and every one of you. - Cleo Wombles �10 STREETVIBES August 2008 Column The Prostitute on State Street Sometimes painkillers create new pain I By Michael Henson Columnist stand at the corner of Gest and State in Lower Price Hill in the late afternoon and see a young woman stumble out of a car. The driver is Hispanic, probably from Chiapas or Guatemala; but it is no matter. If you watch long enough, you could see her stumble out of the car of a downtown businessman or a construction worker from Adams County. She stumbles, I say; and even as she rights herself, her body leans leftward like a bow, bent perhaps by the moons of heroin or the pressure of crack cocaine or by the distortions of her labor, serving men in the cramped front seats of cars, She is a small woman, not five feet tall, and very thin. She has a name tattooed at her neck like a shackle. Her teeth are gone clouded and gray, and there is something about her so twisted and damaged and childlike and holy (I do not use that word lightly) that I cannot understand how any man would want to have her. But the men do have her. Again and again, they come here because they know they will find her. ***** Lower Price Hill is a mostly white Appalachian neighborhood that is not a hill at all, but the place where the Mill Creek flows into the Ohio River and where in the late 19th century a number of industries and a collection of working-class housing came together. Somewhere in the 1950s the original German and Italian residents moved out, and the Appalachians moved in. There are now a growing number of Hispanic and African-American neighbors, but it is still a largely Appalachian neighborhood where young people speak a mix of downhome and hip hop and we still hold an annual festival of down-home music and culture. Lower Price Hill was never your quiet, tree-lined neighborhood. From the first, it was a hardworking, hard-drinking community, There is something about her so twisted and damaged and childlike and holy (I do not use that word lightly) that I cannot understand how any man would want to have her. impacted further by the effluents of the local factories and, since the ’6os, the Metropolitan Sewer Division’s Mill Creek plant, an 88-acre facility. Residents concerned over the effects of all these pollutants on themselves and their children put up a stiff fight, and things have gotten better in some ways. But other things have gotten worse. ***** In 1995 the Purdue Pharma pharmaceutical com- pany came out with a new drug it called Oxy-Contin. Used properly, Oxy-Contin is a very effective painkiller for cancer patients and people with chronic injuries. The particular feature of this opiate was that it was produced with a time-release mechanism to put just the right amount of opiate into a person’s system to keep the pain at bay without getting the person high or addicted. That was the theory, anyway. But people don’t always use a drug properly. People pretty quickly found out that, they could snort it or shoot it to get the whole dose at once. Demand for the drug -and addiction to it -- quickly took hold in Appalachian communities from Maine to Alabama and into the urban Appalachian centers such as Lower Price Hill. It didn’t help that Purdue Pharma took an aggressive sales strategy. In fact, they’ve been sued in several states for continuing their aggressive marketing even after, it has been said, they knew that addiction was spreading as a result. Oxy became known as “hillbilly heroin.” Communities were transformed as people became desperate for the drug. Burglaries, thefts, robberies increased. Treatment centers were overwhelmed. Prostitution became common in places that had never seen it. ***** Why did Oxy take hold so quickly in the Appalachian community? Three reasons: First, Pur- due Pharma had that aggressive marketing campaign that targeted the region. Second, high rates of cancer and chronic injury in Appalachian communities mean there is a lot of need for pain-killing. Third, sharing is a strong cultural tradition in the Appalachian community, including drugs. People in need and in “need” can usually find someone to share with them. So something like Oxy will quickly spread. If there is a fourth reason, it would be the perpetual economic and social crisis of Appalachian communities, where unemployment is high and chances are few. ***** So Oxy had fertile ground. Word got out about the disaster. There were articles in The New York Times and other media. Communities raised hell and supplies of Oxy-Contin grew short. Purdue Pharma, in a desperate attempt to clean up its image, started a drug-abuse prevention campaign. But the damage was done. Lives were upturned. Desperate addicts looked for alternatives, including Methadone. Methadone is another very effective drug when used properly and together with counseling. But addicts in Lower Price Hill and other communities figured out that at least one Methadone center was willing to let them forgo counseling and take more than what they needed to control the cravings. So they had a cheap, legal high; and the community faced still more Oxy became known as “hillbilly heroin.” Communities were transformed as people became desperate for the drug. Burglaries, thefts, robberies increased. troubles. The Oxy-Contin overdoses became Methadone overdoses. So we raised hell again, this time with the East Indiana Treatment Center, and Methadone got scarce. And the addicts shifted their tactics again -- this time to heroin. Now the Oxy-Contin overdoses turned Methadone overdoses have become heroin overdoses. There is a local group, the Coalition for a Drug-Free Lower Price Hill, fighting the good fight. The police do what they can. Families struggle with the problem one by one. A group of teens, angry because girls could not walk the street to school or work without being solicited, made a video talking about the problem. But the problem persists. It did not need to happen. The people who made it happen will face lawsuits, but they will not face jail time or the loss of a loved one. I doubt if any of them has a daughter or sister out on State Avenue, stumbling out of men’s cars and walking the street with a marked and bent body, holy and sad, a tattoo like a shackle at her neck. Organizing the Homeless Bloc By Gregory Flannery Editor I f all poor people voted, this country could be a lot different. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is coordinating a voterregistration drive, aiming to make it easier for clients of its member agencies to Agencies want to make it easier for clients to vote participate in the political process. “The point is to make sure that the voices of the people we serve collectively are heard,” says Stacey Hall, director of the YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter. For homeless people, voting is at best a kind of luxury, she says. “First of all, you’ve got a lot of things on your mind, such as where you’re going to lay your head and dayto-day survival,” she says. Some obstacles are subtler. “There’s the issue of how you’re treated when you go to register,” Hall says. “There’s the stigma of how you’re treated when you’re homeless.” Practical considerations can also discourage participation: How do you regis- ter to vote when you have no address? Ohio law now requires voters to present identification at the polls. What if you have none? “The mechanics of voting make it difficult for homeSee VOTING p.11 �STREETVIBES August 2008 11 The Curious Case of Tracy Johnson Local News A little story about how things work By Gregory Flannery Editor In the annals of injustice, Tracy Johnson’s ordeal the night of June 13 was comparatively inconsequential: He was cited for jaywalking at Race and Garfield streets, an offense he says he didn’t commit. With the help of a volunteer lawyer, Johnson beat the ticket. When the case went to trial July 10 in Hamilton County Municipal Court, prosecutors dropped the charge. The reason? The primary witness didn’t show up for court. That witness wasn’t a police officer, but rather the driver who allegedly struck Johnson with her car, then fled. Instead of citing the driver for leaving the scene of an accident, Cincinnati Police cited Johnson for a pedestrian violation. Johnson says a driver entered the intersection after the traffic light had turned red, then suddenly reversed, backing into the intersection and striking him with the rear of the car. Officers at the scene didn’t write an accident report, according to Fran Cihon, a public information officer for the Cincinnati Police Department. “They said it was not an accident, so there was no accident report generated,” Cihon says. “The officers who went to the scene told me he was not struck. He committed a pedestrian violation when he was in the roadway.” But dispatch records and recordings of 911 calls, released to Streetvibes by the police department, support Johnson’s account. Three passersby called emergency dispatchers after seeing Johnson hurt. One caller gave a description of the vehicle that struck Johnson and the direction in which the driver fled. “I want to report a hit-and-run,” the caller said. “There’s a dude laying in the street.” “Somebody just got hitand-ran – a black car,” said the caller. The dispatcher asked, “So it was hit-and-skip?” “Yep,” the caller said. “He’s lying down in the middle of the street. It was a black car. Somebody else got the number. … (The driver) went straight up Garfield towards City Hall.” Another caller gave the dispatcher the license number for the car that struck Johnson. “I want to report a hitand-run,” the caller said. “There’s a dude laying in the street. The lady’s license plate that did the hit and run is MZNIKKI. The dude is still laying in the middle of the street. … The last time I seen the car, it was going down Garfield.” Tracy Johnson shows his homeless ID. His ticket for jaywalking was later dropped when the witness failed to show. Photo by Andrew Anderson. An “incident recall” log provided by the police department reports a call at 10:09 p.m.: “H/S (hit-skip), striking vehicle was blk veh, victim is in street.” Johnson says that after police arrived, the car that had struck him returned to the scene. This, too, is verified by police records. The “incident recall” log says that at 10:15 p.m., “Striking veh returned to scene … black vehicle with OH MZNIKKI." But instead of arresting the driver who struck him, police cited Johnson for jaywalking. When he declined to sign the ticket, officers handcuffed him and drove him to the Hamilton County Justice Center, releasing him after he agreed to sign it. A reporter’s efforts to contact the alleged driver of the car were unsuccessful. Johnson says he believes police behaved as they did because he is homeless. His Voting, continued p.10 less folks to get to the ballot box,” Hall says. Misunderstanding also plays a role – for example, the belief that people with criminal records cannot vote. “There’s a lot of confusion about criminal records and voting,” Hall says. “There’s a misconception that, if you’ve had any con- tact with the criminal justice system, you can’t vote.” Persons serving prison sentences for felony convictions are not allowed to vote in Ohio. But former felony offenders can. So can people serving time for misdemeanor convictions and people on bail or locked up awaiting trial. Part of the voter-regis- tration campaign will involve helping homeless people obtain absentee ballots. As with other generalities, it’s inaccurate to assume that homeless people have poor voting records. “Women at our shelter are made homeless by domestic violence,” Hall says. “We serve people all across identification gives his address as the Drop Inn Center. He says he fought the citation as a matter of principle. “You can’t leave someone like a dog in the street and do this to them,” he says. “I want to make sure this don’t happen to anybody else.” Attorney Jim Tomaszewski volunteered to represent Johnson, even going to the Drop Inn Center on Independence Day, his day off work, to interview him. While commiserating with Johnson’s frustration, Tomaszewski says there is nothing more that can be done. “The police are not violating his rights if they don’t cite someone else,” he says. “He felt he was probably slighted when they found out he was homeless. Unfortunately, I’m sure that’s something he deals with all the time.” An associate with the law “The mechanics of voting make it difficult for homeless folks to get to the ballot box.” “You can’t leave someone like a dog in the street and do this to them,” he says. “I want to make sure this don’t happen to anybody else.” firm Lindhorst and Dridane, Tomaszewski has been an attorney for two years. He says he agreed to help Johnson after being asked by a staffer at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. “For me, it’s part of what it’s supposed to be about,” Tomaszewski says. “It’s the old ‘To whom much is given, much is expected.’ People call you and need a hand with something. It’s what you do.” tion drive is still underway. “We haven’t set a numerical goal, but we’re hoping to get member agencies excited about getting their clients to vote,” she says. the social and economic “We’re going to be workspectrum. There are people ing right up to the deadline. who have voted all their We’re going to give organilives and people who have zations all the information and the tools they need so never voted.” Planning for the registra- they can jump right in.” �Community News 12 STREETVIBES August 2008 Million Dollar Baby Major grant part of affordable housing “boom” By Patricia Garry Contributing Writer ver-the-Rhine Community Housing has “a lot of good things going on right now,” says Mary Burke, executive director. “It’s very exciting to have projects underway, and it’s especially exciting that we are providing the full range of housing types.” The agency has received a grant of $987,743 from the Federal Home Loan Bank, through Union Savings Bank, to transform five buildings on Odeon Street into housing for the chronically homeless. There will be a single point of entry for the 25 units, with 24-hour engagement staff. The Odeon Street Permanent Supporting Housing Project, the O first in this area, is based on a harm-reduction model successfully used elsewhere in the country. The concept is basically to house the homeless first, then work on sobriety and other issues. The buildings are being purchased from the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC), which assisted Over-the-Rhine Community Housing in getting the initial architectural drawings. Other partners are the Partnership Center Ltd, GlaserWorks, and the Corporation for Supportive Housing. There’s more good news. City Home at 1400 Pleasant St. will provide 23 units of homeownership in Overthe-Rhine. “Right now, it’s just a big hole,” Burke says. Thirteen townhouses will be created on the site, five Mary Burke, executive director of Over-the-Rhine Community Housing, stands in front of what will become the first permanent supportive housing project in the area. Permanent supportive housing provides individuals with housing and then works to address substance abuse or mental health issues. Photo by Andrew Anderson. in the 1500 block of Elm Street for affordable elderly housing. The proposal calls for 14 units, with new commercial space on the ground floor. Over-the-Rhine Community Housing hopes this building will be LEED-certified. LEED is an acronym for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design,” popularly referred to as “green construction” or “environmentally friendly.” Finally, El-Moe is hard at work in Over-the-Rhine. Elder and Moeller high schools are collaborating on rehabbing a vacant building into a home to be sold to a first-time affordable-home buyer. Most of the work is being done by the energetic volunteers, with some technical items, such as electricity, being subbed out. unfair standards and bad The new board includes pay is a non-profit day la- representatives of the three bor hall. sponsors of the non-profit The Cincinnati Interfaith labor hall: the Cincinnati ers and picking up the pre- college students who spent vious shift – the same shift their Saturdays preparing Workers Center and the Interfaith Workers’ Center, Greater Cincinnati Coali- the Archdiocese of Cincinthat had ended five hours them. earlier. By now this group Safety equipment for tion for the Homeless start- nati and the Episcopal Diohad been at the factory for working on the packaging ed the Day Labor Organiz- cese of Southern Ohio. The 16 hours. machine: $4, even though ing Project (DLOP) with rest of the board is comThey didn’t complain; the equipment was never the hope of organizing the prised of individuals with workers. The idea of a non- experience in staffing agenthey feared they’d lose provided. the little checks coming to Check Charge: $1. Yes, profit day labor hall is now cies, businesses and nonthem if they complained. they charge you for the Finally at 7 a.m. they ar- check your pay is printed “We’re not just trying to be nice rived back at the day labor on. to people. We’re looking to hall, exhausted, hungry, Net Earnings: $40 after make room for people in a global angry – and waited in line taxes. again, this time to get their The federal minimum economy and help them find an checks. wage is $6.55 per hour. upward path.” Thirty minutes later the The U.S. Department of line emerged from the la- Labor’s Wage and Hour Dibor hall, checks in hand. As vision says that wait time -- a realistic goal, with a new profit organizations. The non-profit day lathe workers examined their when workers are required board of directors assigned checks, they began to real- to be on-site as a condition to bring the plan to life as a bor hall will not charge for transportation, dispatch, ize the bitter bite that greed of employment -- is paid social enterprise. “The founders are op- check-cutting or safety takes out of their earnings: time. The day laborer in Gross Pay: $84, or $7 per this case should have been erating from a faith-based equipment. Workers will hour for 12 hours worked. paid for 17 hours of work. sense of social justice, and get larger paychecks beThe five hours waiting for But instead the net earnings they are looking beyond cause unjust fees won’t be the van: not paid. The hour of $40 for 17 hours come to simple charity,” says Mike deducted. The staff will Phillips, interim president also inspect workplaces it took to get to the job site: $3.50 per hour. not paid. The hour it took This is the day and the of the board. “We’re not and won’t send workers to to get back to the hall: not life of a day laborer. This is just trying to be nice to peo- places where conditions are paid. not a particularly grotesque ple. We’re looking to make poor or the management is Transportation: $7 to get depiction, but a typical day. room for people in a global unprofessional. In addition, the nonto the work site, plus $7 to We’ve heard worse, we’ve economy and help them get back. seen worse, we fear worse. find an upward path. That’s profit day labor hall hopes Lunch: $5, even though One solution to these ter- our strategy -- and for many to help workers move from the meals were donated by rible working conditions, of us, that’s our theology.” temporary employment to higher-paying, permanent positions. The hall also plans to provide a variety of training and referral opportunities to make workers more attractive and better qualified for higher-paying positions. This will be possible through partnerships with existing community services. The businesses that will hire workers from the non-profit hall will be encouraged to offer employment to workers who impress them. The non-profit day labor hall is considering possible locations, including the NuBlend Building, which houses a Freestore/Foodbank program, the Drop Inn Center’s HIP Team, McMicken Dental and the Cincinnati Interfaith Workers Center. The board is focused on finding grants to underwrite the expenses of the start-up period, establishing a nonprofit tax status and building relationships and partnerships with other non-profit groups. An opening date hasn’t been set, but organizers expect the hall to be self-sustaining within 12 to 18 months of opening. Labor, continued p.1 of which will be affordable for low and moderate income homeowners. Ten condos will be created through rehab in four buildings. The project will begin in the spring. For senior citizens, an application has been made to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 202 Program for funding to redo a building �STREETVIBES August 2008 News 13 African Women Take Charge Immigrants become entrepreneurs By Rachel Lawson Contributing Writer Sojourner Truth delivered a famous speech regarding the unnoticed plight of African-American women at a time when it was most needed. Her words hold true in regard to the struggles and the resilience of African women: “If the first woman God ever made was strong enough to turn the world upside down all alone, together women ought to be able to turn it right-side up again.” Africa’s most recent history has been overshadowed by the struggles for liberty. The 1960s have become synonymous with successful battles for freedom from European colonization. Along with freedom from the colonizers came bloodshed and struggles toward the restoration of each of the individual countries. Adapting to independence, negative stereotypical cultural perceptions were soon altered and recognized as false: The whole continent is not a jungle, there are not only lions and tigers, and Africa is home to extremely intelligent individuals. Ultimately, the oldest preserved skeletal remains of humans were discovered in Africa -- and were female. African women, regardless of their specific country of origin, have been able to turn the world upside-down in many ways. Recognizing the scope of their actions within the United States can heighten awareness of the intelligence and capabilities of women within the African culture. Data from the 2000 U.S. Census showed 56.5 percent of Africanborn females in the United States were employed, as were 66.2 percent of African-born males. This data pays tribute to the ability of both Africanborn men and women to successfully find work in a country with different values, habits and beliefs. Furthermore, although males have generally taken on positions at pre-existing jobs as teachers and scientists or in manufacturing, females have become innovative business owners. By using what might be considered common knowledge within their own countries of origin, they have started restaurants, become clothing designers and opened hair salons -- a much desired alternative that is welcomed and valued within the American culture. The fortitude of Africanborn females is most noticeable when recognizing the various obstacles that African immigrants face. For instance, although Africanborn immigrants have the highest level of education of all immigrants and often arrive with college degrees, their education is not always accredited within the United States. Some have had to start over, including taking temporary positions as factory and manufacturing workers. Imagine how American physicians would respond if told that all of their hard work doesn’t matter and they have to start all over by lifting and loading boxes. On the other hand, African women have taken to starting businesses that allow for both a connection to their culture and a steady paycheck. The ability to start and maintain a successful business relies on many qualities -- for example, persistence, communication skills and business sense. This pursuit also demonstrates to younger generations the importance of being independent and the capability of actually being your own boss. Female entrepreneurship is not an idea unique to the United States. Starting in the 1970s, females played a vital role in the stability of canoe fisheries in a variety of West African countries. They play dual roles as business financiers and mothers. Bringing a strong business initiative to the United States would be only natural. In a way, it’s not so surprising. After all, African women have put scientist on the tips of their toes, simply by successfully existing for more than 3 million years. Cincinnati is home to a diverse African community. For a volunteer position that offers the ability to work with a diverse population, call the International Center of Greater Cincinnati at 513-621-0284. Want more Streetvibes? Check out the new Streetvibes blog for discussion and coverage of other issues between editions. streetvibes.wordpress.com Streetvibes Subscriptions Are you intererested in having Streetvibes delivered to your mailbox every month? Send a check for $25 with your name and address to: Streetvibes 117 E.12th St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 PAID ADVERTISEMENT �STREETVIBES August 2008 Guest Column 14 Intelligence, Environment and ‘Value’ Time to rethink the goals and methods of public education By Tyrone Williams Guest Columnist Poverty is neither an excuse nor a justification for academic or professional failure, though it does have an impact on one’s future prospects. Because poverty in the United States isn’t likely to be eliminated in any foreseeable future, educators and policy makers interested in the development of young African-American pupils must focus their attention on the other factors that contribute to the disparity between the success rates of white children and the success rates of nonwhite children. However, one can focus on these other factors only after dispelling a number of distracting myths regarding economic status and intelligence. It’s obvious that children with access to computers and electronic accessories, up-to- date textbooks, ample school supplies and parents and guardians who value learning are more likely to succeed as professionals or academics than children deprived of any, most or all of these factors. Nonetheless, children can and do learn and succeed in the absence of all of these factors, thanks in no small part to dedicated educators. I say all this not to give comfort to state and federal legislators and policymakers slashing away at educational program budgets but to emphasize that intelligence, the ability to adapt to changing environments, is largely independent of social, political and economic factors. Does this mean then that parents, educators and administrators should cease pressing state and federal legislatures for budget increases? Absolutely not. While it’s true that some needed educational reforms aren’t related to economics per se (e.g., parents “modeling” the importance of reading and studying), it’s unconscionable to downplay the importance of relatively “safe,” up-to-date and stimulating learning environments. At the very least, the continued linkage between tax bases and school funding, a relic of the once credible idea of community “control” over school systems, needs to be broken once and for all. Until Americans understand that we are all responsible for the education of all primary and secondary students, the educational system will continue to function like global capitalism in general — the artificial creation of “boom” locales/”safe” school districts until they, like all the former boomtowns/”great” school districts, suffer the ignominy of a “benign neglect.” Nevertheless what we witness today, all across the country, in debilitated and renovated school buildings, in state-of-the-art and impoverished classrooms, is a general scorn for learning among students, teachers, administrators and the gen- It goes without saying that certain academic values will be in conflict with the values that students bring to the classroom. eral populace. The state of American education is not an index of our collective lack of intelligence but a willfully obstinate underdeveloped intelligence. In the current cultural climate of tabloid television news, talk radio muckraking, corrupt political processes and unethical business practices, it’s im- Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so contact Greg Flannery at 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com possible to assess anyone’s intelligence quotient, especially since that process itself is little more than the institutionalization of a glorified house of mirrors. Given all of this, it’s not surprising that even socalled educated people tend to confuse causes and effects, means and ends. For example, in certain states with fairly large Appalachian populations, white and black Appalachian students tend to under-perform in academic settings, especially in pre-college environments. Indeed, they tend to do worse than some black students living in impoverished, often crime-ridden, urban environments. These environments, one largely rural, one largely urban, contribute to, but do not cause, students to perform poorly. These environments “contribute” in different ways. For example, rural Appalachian students tend to come from strong, familycentered social traditions and environments. Thus family values tend to override academic values. If a family member is ill or needs assistance, responsibility for that family member might fall on another family member of student age. Appalachian students thus tend to miss an inordinate number of classes due to their commitment to family responsibilities. This is neither good nor bad in and of itself. It is merely a social fact. It acquires a negative stigma only in a culture that places a certain premium on academic or professional success. However, rather than seeing Appalachian students in the throes of competing value systems — one academic, one family-related — some leap to the erroneous conclusion that Appalachian students are simply intellectually deficient. Black students living in At the very least, the continued linkage between tax bases and school funding, a relic of the once credible idea of community “control” over school systems, needs to be broken once and for all. urban environments also tend to come from strong, family-centered social traditions and environments. Here, however, the family might not resemble the “standard” nuclear structure. Indeed, it might not include any “blood” relatives at all. The proliferation of gangs in urban environs is driven not only by economic and social factors but also by a desire to belong, a desire to be part of something larger than oneself, a “family” of one kind or another. Yet even when black students grow up in stable, nuclear family structures, they still tend to lag behind their white counterparts. One could read this as an index of substandard black intelligence. One could do so only if one ignored another competing “value” system: the tremendous ambivalence blacks across the economic spectrum have toward the educational institutions in this country. Across the economic and social spectrum, blacks tend to regard the desire for higher education as a desire to act or be “white.” That this suspicion can be found across the economic and social spectrum suggests that acting or “being white” is not specifically tied to economic mobility. It is also bound to the question of language, the lexicon one uses, how one speaks, how one sounds. It is bound to the question of political affiliation. Again, this social phenomenon is neither good nor bad, right or wrong, in and of itself. It is obviously not a question of intelligence. Just as academic or professional success takes a backseat to family values in many Appalachian families, so too academic or professional success must compete with other values black people might find just as, if not more, important. Consequently educators and policymakers must begin — or for those already doing so, continue — to rethink where they begin. They must abolish the assumption that the purpose of general public education is to merely inculcate certain values in students whose own “indigenous” values must be eradicated or, at the very least, suppressed. They forget that all people elevate or suppress certain values in certain contexts, that the issue is not a matter of good or bad, right or wrong, values but a matter of context, what values seem appropriate in certain situations. In short, they — and we — must emphasize that education is about adding on to the values students already have, that education is about giving students more values from which to choose and pick. It goes without saying that certain academic values will be in conflict with the values that students bring to the classroom. This resistance is not something to avoid or regret. Rather, that moment or site of conflict defines, for me, the very condition of the possibility of teaching. Guest Columnist Tyrone Williams is professor of English at Xavier and a poet whose latest work is On Spec. He is a long-time supporter of Over-the-Rhine and the currentpresident of the board of InkTank. Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper. �STREETVIBES August 2008 News 15 ‘Bum Bashing’ and Hate on the Rise Report shows shocking increase in attacks on homeless By Daniel Horner Street News Service Violent attacks against homeless people in the United States significantly increased in 2007, with the number of lethal attacks jumping by 40 percent from the previous year’s figure, according to a recent report by two groups that advocate for the homeless. Fatal attacks jumped from 20 in 2006 to 28 in 2007, while the total number increased from 142 to 160 – a rise of 13 percent – according to the study “Hate, Violence, and Death on Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2007.” Factors ranging from local laws that criminalize homelessness to a current fad for “bum-bashing” videos “send a message to society that homeless people are not human (and) do not deserve respect” says Tulin Ozdeger, the civil rights director for the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty. The law center prepared the report along with the National Coalition for the Homeless. Local laws that restrict public sleeping, sitting, storing property or asking for money create an “environment of hostility” against homeless people and send the message that “attacks against them will not be taken seriously,” she says. The two groups have not done a full “scientific analysis,” but Ozdeger sees a correlation between such laws and attacks. Florida, whose 31 violent anti-homeless incidents topped the 2007 list, has a number of localities that have passed anti-homeless measures. Another factor in the continued prevalence of violence against homeless people is “bum bashing” videos, according to the study. Over 6.8 million copies of such videos have been sold and teenagers have imitated the videos “by recording themselves beating up homeless individuals just for the fun of it,” the report says. Retail sales of the videos have slowed down, but that success has been offset by the rise of YouTube, where such videos are popular, Ozdeger says. After Florida, the states with the largest numbers of incidents were California (22), Nevada (14) and Ohio (13). But Nevada’s population of 2.5 million is far less than California’s 36.5 million, Florida’s 18 million and Ohio’s 11.5 million. But Ozdeger cautioned that the figures might well be low. The report draws its data primarily from media reports, because victims of the attacks often don’t report the attacks to law-enforcement authorities, she says. David Pirtle, who says he was the victim of several attacks when he was homeless, confirms that point. Pirtle says he didn’t report the attacks to the police. On the basis of his experiences and those of his homeless friends, the “best case scenario” is that “the police don’t do anything,” he says. When he was homeless, he lived in several sites across the country, he says. The worst attack was in New York City in 2004, he says. A “couple of guys” beat him with an aluminum bat or wide pipe, he says. He says he suffered a chipped tooth and probably cracked ribs. But rather than going to the police or seeking medical assistance, he “just found a spot to curl up for a few days to recuperate,” he says. His assailants didn’t appear to be homeless men or criminals, Pirtle says. They were “nicely dressed” and appeared to be college-age, he says. Of the people accused and convicted of violence against the homeless in 2007, 86 percent were 25 years and younger, with many saying they committed the crimes for the “thrill” or “fun” of it, the report says. Pirtle says he had “never been attacked by anyone other than young kids who are intoxicated and bored.” Some of the attacks seem to be motivated by “bias against the victims because they are homeless,” according to the report. For that reason, the study asserts that attacks against the homeless should be tallied as hate crimes. Brian Levin of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University-San Bernardino says that failing to count attacks against the homeless as hate crimes “denies the rightful communal condemnation of this prevalent, but often invisible form of violent prejudice.” There were 187 fatal attacks on homeless individuals from 1999 through 2006, according to the report. For that same period, FBI statistics show 85 homicides classified as hate crimes, the report says. The report includes examples of efforts to help raise public awareness about the causes of homelessness and the needs of homeless people. For example, Florida’s Miami-Dade County public school district’s curriculum for all grades includes lesson plans relating to homelessness. For pre-K and kindergarten, the goal is to “give children an understanding of the needs that we all have to be comfortable and comforted,” according to a section of the curriculum quoted in the report. There was also a Florida-wide public education project, initiated by the National Coalition for the Homeless in conjunction with AmeriCorps*VISTA volunteers, the report says. Reprinted from Street Sense © Street News Service: www.street-papers.org A Surprising Generosity One man’s wallet contains a special treasure By Gregory Flannery Editor Ronald English gives $20 a month to help a child he has never met and probably never will. This is exceptional in part because English used to be homeless, in part because he lives on the minimal monthly benefit paid by Supplemental Security Income and in part because of the health problems and tragedy that he has endured. Asked about his life, English recites an undifferentiated litany of pathos, horror and pride. “I go to church,” he says. “I am a mental patient. My mother got raped and murdered when she was 19. I have five brothers, six sis- ters and 36 nieces and nephews. I like everybody and I respect everybody. I think I’m a nice guy, friendly, honest.” English used to sell Streetvibes. Today he supplements his income by selling drawings, frequently surrealist images of a human face. More often he donates the drawings, several of which grace the offices of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, where he likes to visit. English has an apartment in Clifton. He likes to visit the Drop Inn Center. A social worker says he likes to socialize. In his wallet English keeps a photograph of a child he says he sponsors, donating $20 a month. He says her name is Lucy, and she lives in Africa. His wallet also holds a letter, folded down to the size of a square-inch lump, attesting to his generosity. The letter is signed by Larry Jones, president of Feed the Children, a nonprofit organization that arranges sponsorship of children in Third World countries by more affluent people. English is no one’s idea of an affluent person, yet he helps Lucy. “I donate $240 a year for medical, housing, clothing and food,” he says. Jones’ letter attests to English’s generosity. “Your gifts in the last 12 months have helped children like Lucy survive,” the letter says. “This is why I’m proud to present you with your certificate of ap- Ron English, an on-again-off again Streetvibes vendor, donates $20 a month to support a little girl in Africa. Photo by Andrew Freeze. preciation, honoring you for helping provide over 200 meals.” Drawings are not English’s only artwork. He delivers himself of a poem committed to memory: Where legends are made, Where dreams are born, Saying I am a man amongst men, Standing tall, Asking God for your mother’s salvation, father’s respect, sister’s love and brother’s freedom. Peace be with you. God bless America, and feed the children. That’s the kind of man Ronald English is. �16 Vendors Resource Guide STREETVIBES August 2008 Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 25 cents and sell the paper for $1, keeping the money they have earned. The vendors can be identified with a white badge and can be found selling the paper in Downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northern Kentucky and area churches. The money they earn helps them meet basic housing, food and health care needs. Not all vendors pictured. Josephine Baskerville Doris Binion James Bybee Mark Campbell Silvia Collins Grady Cook Orlando Craig James Davis Jon Darby Tony Drummond Michael Harris Kenneth Stonitsch Antonio Hodge Leonard Jackson Samuel Jackson James A. Jones Alfred Woolfolk Berta Lambert Mary Mueller Brandon Nelson Mark Shears Riccardo Taylor Julie Walker Anthony Williams Nell Williams Cleo Wombles Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point...381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel...768-6907 Bethany House...557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House...681-2365 Salvation Army...762-5660 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter...872-9259 Starting Over...961-2256 Treatment: Women First Step Home ...961-4663 Treatment: Both City Gospel Mission...241-5525 Justice Watch...241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Worker House...381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter...661-4620 AA Hotline...351-0422 CCAT ...381-6672 Joseph House ...241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board ...946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center ...281-7422 Sober Living ...681-0324 Talbert House...684-7956 Shelter: Both Advocacy Shelter: Men Anthony House (Youth)...961-4080 Caracole (HIV/AIDS)...761-1480 Drop Inn Center...721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network...471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center...221-3350 St. John’s Housing...651-6446 Housing: CMHA...721-4580 Excel Development...632-7149 OTR Community Housing...381-1171 Tender Mercies...721-8666 Tom Geiger House...961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services Inc. ...751-0643 Volunteers of America...381-1954 Food Lord’s Pantry...621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Soup Kitchen & Pantry..961-1983 Our Daily Bread...621-6364 St. Francis Soup Kitchen...535-2719 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House...784-1853 DIC Live In Program...721-0643 Prospect House...921-1613 Oral Health Council...621-0248 PATH Outreach...977-4489 Appalachian Identity Center ...621-5991 Catholic Social Action ...421-3131 Community Action Agency ...569-1840 Contact Center...381-4242 Franciscan JPIC ...721-4700 Greater Cinci Coalition for the Homeless..421-7803 Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center...5798547 Legal Aid Society ...241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center ...421-1108 Peaslee Neighborhood Center ...621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids ...363-3300 Stop AIDS...421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care ...621-1868 Cincinnati Health Network ...961-0600 Crossroad Health Center ...381-2247 Hamilton county Mental Health Board...946-8600 Hamilton County TB Control ...946-7628 Health Resource Center ...357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van...352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic...352-6363 Mental Health Access Point...558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John...981-5800 NAMI of Hamilton County..458-6670 Resources Catholic Social Services...241-7745 Center for Independent Living Options...241-2600 Churches Active in Northside...591-2246 Emmanuel Community Center...241-2563 FreeStore/FoodBank...241-1064 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart...381-0111 Goodwill industries...771-4800 Healing Connections...751-0600 Madisonville Education & Assistance Center...2715501 Mary Magdalen House...721-4811 People Working Cooperatively...351-7921 St. Vincent de Paul...562-8841 The Caring Place...631-1114 United Way...721-7900 Women Helping Women...977-5541 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center...859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House...859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission...859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth...859-581-1111 Mathews House...859-261-8009 NKY Homeless & Housing Coalition...859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen...859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic...859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc...859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY...859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center...859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary...859-559-5011 VA Homeless...859-572-6226 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels...863-3184 Salvation Army...863-1445 Serenity House Day Center...422-8555 Open Door Pantry...868-3276 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource August 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Can’t Afford to Get Sick An Excess of Good Deals Pg 2: The Vibe Pg 3: Eight Minutes Pg 4: Mercy in Over-the-Rhine Pg 5: The Face of Hospitality Pg 6: Sick Continued Services Continued Pg 7: Services Continued Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: The Prostitute on State Street Pg 11: The Curious Case of Tracy Johnson Pg 12: Million Dollar Baby Pg 13: African Women Take Charge Pg 14: Intelligence, Environment and ‘Value’ Pg 15: ‘Bum Bashing’ and Hate on the Rise A Surprising Generosity Pg 16: Resource Guide Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource August 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Larry Gross Angela Pancella Greg Olkhovsky Michael Henson Charles Cole Mack Russell Patricia Garry Rachel Lawson Tyrone Williams Daniel Horner Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Berta Lambert Bethany House Services Joe Wessels Steve Novotni Georgine Getty Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF affordable housing African Women Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Bethany House Services Charles Cole Daniel Horner Entrepreneurs Georgine Getty Grants Greg Olkhovsky Gregory Flannery Hate Crimes Immigrants Joe Wessels Larry Gross Lynne Ausman Mack Russell Margo Pierce mental illness Michael Henson Over-the-Rhine Patricia Garry Photography Prostitutes Public Education Rachel Lawson Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Student Tracy Johnson Tyrone Williams Voting https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/45ba055966155fc18500f24583842e0d.pdf 14f28488cc2466dec03e53b9afe002d6 PDF Text Text Cunningham Doctrine ~ page 10 A goal for the homeless ~ page 12 STREETVIBES $1 D e c e m b e r 2 0 0 8 • I s s u e 1 4 9 • C i n c i n n a t i ’s A l t e r n a t i v e N e w s S o u r c e Fighting the H8 Hundreds turn out to support samesex marriage By Alyssa Konermann Staff Writer The Drop Inn Center has been controversial since its founding in 1973 by Buddy Gray, the ardent – some would say strident – founder who was shot and killed there by a mentally ill man in 1996. Bortz continues the work of City Councilman Jim Tarbell, who frequently clashed with Gray over his work on behalf of homeless people in Overthe-Rhine. Clifford’s demeanor is less confrontational and more professional than Gray’s but that doesn’t mean the pressure on the Drop Inn Center is any less intense. Gentrification – the displacement of poor people to make room for the development of upscale condominiums, retail shops and Chants of “What do we want? Equality! When do we want it? Now!” echoed Nov. 15 on the steps of Cincinnati City Hall. More than 500 people — some have estimated the number at closer to 800 — gathered despite the 40-degree weather and relentless rain. The local protest against voters’ approval of Proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California, was held simultaneously in 300 cities across the country and at U.S. Embassies in 15 foreign countries. The movement, “Fight the H8,” was organized with the goal of creating a national movement against anti-gay legislation. Cameron Tolle, vice president of Alliance, Xavier University’s LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans-identified, queer/questioning) group, took the lead in organizing the protest in Cincinnati, which was brought together in under nine days with the help of others: Jill Benavides, Tina Black, Barry Floore, Chris Gilbert, Lia Hazel, Doug Meredith and Liz Villano. Addressing the rally, Tolle admitted that nine days earlier he was not particularly politically active. This changed, however, when he realized that the LGBTQ community could no longer afford to accept second-class citizenship, but instead needed to unite on a grassroots level and push for change. “For so long our community has not had a voice,” Tolle said. “We have been silent. We have expected that the national organizations and our politicians will protect our rights on a national and a state level. See DROP p.4 See H8 p.11 Mike Pekal (left) and Sam Mischenko (right), lend their voices to the call for equality during a rally at Cincinnati City Hall. Organizers responded to a ban on gay marriage in California. Photo by Andrew Anderson. This Place of Refuge The Drop Inn Center holds fast under growing assault from critics By Gregory Flannery Editor who criticized Bortz for insulting the shelter and the people who work to help homeless people. A mere four blocks from City Hall stands what might be the most unpopular address in Cincinnati – 217 W. 12th St. The building’s official name is the Drop Inn Center. In conversation, social workers often shorten the name to “The Drop.” To the hundreds of homeless people who rely on it for emergency shelter, the building is temporarily known as “home.” But to some, the center is at best an impediment to economic redevelopment of Over-the-Rhine and, at worst, a gathering place for addicts, sex offenders and petty criminals. The Drop Inn Center is a “shame,” according to City Councilman Christopher Bortz, who has spearheaded a legislative attack on the availability of social services in the neighborhood. In an appearance on Lincoln Ware Live on WBQC We shall not be moved Chandra Tully, who has stayed at the Drop Inn Center for a month, has found the Drop to be very helpful. Photo by Andrew Anderson. (Channel 38) in late September, Bortz virtually spat at the Drop Inn Center. “All of us – every single person in this city – should be ashamed of the state of our emergency shelters,” he said. Appearing with Bortz was Pat Clifford, executive director of the Drop Inn Center, �2 The Vibe News Briefs Flu Shots Here’s an easy way to make the season merry – for yourself, your loved ones and complete strangers: Get a flu shot. If you’re one of the millions who can’t afford health insurance, not to worry. The Cincinnati Health Department if offering free flu shots for Ohio residents age 3 and older. If you have Medicare Part B, take your card for billing purposes. Others will be asked to make a small donation. In an average year, influenza and pneumonia result in about 36,000 deaths nationwide. Cincinnati Health Commissioner Noble Maseru reported the first confirmed case of influenza in the city Nov. 12. Here is the schedule. No appointment is necessary. Flu shots are available from 9 a.m. - 4 pm. Monday – Friday Ambrose Clement Health Center 3101 Burnet Ave. 513-357-7300 Monday Braxton Cann Medical Center 5818 Madison Road 513-263-8750 Tuesday Millvale Health Center, 3301 Beekman Ave. 513-352-3192 Wednesday Northside Health Center 3917 Spring Grove Ave. 513-357-7600 Thursday Elm Street Health Center 1525 Elm St. 513-352-3092 Friday Price Hill Health Center 2136 West Eighth St. 513-357-2700 Flu viruses spread from person to person through coughing or sneezing. Sometimes people become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouths or noses. Most healthy adults might be able to infect others beginning one day before symptoms develop and up to five days after becoming sick. That means that you might be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick. Streetwise By Gregory Flannery An arresting response to the housing crisis People are losing their houses. Neighborhoods are blighted by vacant properties. So what does Cincinnati City Councilman John Cranley want to do? Build a new police station for District 3. Last week council’s Finance Committee considered an emergency ordinance authorizing the city manager to apply for $8.36 million from the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, a federal initiative for redevelopment of abandoned and foreclosed homes and residential properties. But Cranley wants to divert $1.5 million of those funds to build a new police station. So far the idea has gone nowhere. Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls moved to have the committee examine each section of the proposed $8.36 million grant item by item, and Cranley’s idea failed in a 4-4 tie. Joining him were council members Jeff Berding, Christopher Bortz and Leslie Ghiz. Cranley, nominally a Democrat, has consistently worked to limit low-income housing in the city, including a devastating “impaction” ordinance in 2000 that prohibits the development of new affordable housing. But this effort is so wide of the mark that, even if council later approves it, it’s unlikely to meet approval from federal officials. Death and stuff is important Great cities have great newspapers. Great newspapers are opinion makers, setting the tone for public dialogue about important issues. We, however, have The Cincinnati Enquirer, which recently weighed in on the subject of capital punishment. The editorial came during a week in which two men were strapped down and poisoned (the polite term is “lethal injection”) by government employees, with the full sanction of law, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky. “There are always vigils and demonstrations by those who oppose the death penalty,” the editorial said. “But what about the rest of us? None of us should allow such a significant application of public power go by without a thought.” Just so – and therein lies the duty of a newspaper. What is the thought that the editorial would have us hold? “Usually the first execution in an individual state draws plenty of local attention,” the editorial says. “After that the significance seems to wane. They become like space shuttle launches – complicated and important events, but of little interest to a general public that seems to find them routine. That should not be.” That’s it? That’s all the paper has to say? Afraid so. Comes the stirring conclusion: “This editorial is not an argument against the death penalty. It is an argument against indifference to a significant public action, for which we all share responsibility.” Let posterity note that The Cincinnati Enquirer opposes indifference, in matters of space travel and the ritualized killing of human beings alike. Media are what you make of them Not all opinions are created equal, of course. Some are just louder and more obnoxious than others. Last month Cincinnati earned mention by Media Matters for America for being home base for a leading hatemonger. Bill Cunningham, talk show host for WLW (700 AM), is well known in these parts as a horse’s ass. But now he’s attracted a national audience. “While Bill Cunningham might not have the notoriety of Sean Hannity, Michael Savage or Glenn Beck, his record of spewing hate and misinformation is just as steady and just as abhorrent,” says J. Jioni Palmer, spokesman for Media Matters for America. The group listed what it calls Cunningham’s “most notable comments,” including. “Obama wants to gas the Jews” and “People are poor in America ... because they lack values, morals and ethics.” (See “Hammered,” page 10.) Blogs are often the playthings of under-utilized gray matter but in this season progressive and conservative bloggers in Cincinnati are raising money to feed hungry people. The Cincinnati Beacon started the Battle of the Blogs, challenging other blogs to see who could raise the most money for the FreeStore FoodBank. The Cincinnati Blog, Hamilton County Commissioner David Pepper’s blog and County Republican Chair Alex Triantafilou’s blog have all joined in, trying to outdo one another in generosity. It’s just in time. The FreeStore has launched the “Hunger is Unacceptable” campaign, a fundraiser for the holiday season. Demand is way up, according to John Young, the agency’s president. In 2005 the FreeStore provided food to an average of 1,387 people per week. In 2007 the average had grown to 2,153 people per week – an increase of 55 percent in two years, Young says. The campaign’s goal is $1.5 million. The FreeStore is open for donations of cash, food or clothes from 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturdays. The address is 112 E. Liberty St. STREETVIBES December 2008 Streetvibes is a newspaper that provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty and other related social justice issues. It is published monthly by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Contributing Writers Margo Pierce, Angela Pancella, Michael Henson, Larry Gross, Alyssa Konermann, Lew Moores, Dede Stoops, Alan Attwood, Brittany Middlebrooks, Terrence Williams, Bill Joiner Photography/Artwork Andrew Anderson, Andrew Freeze, Angela Pancella, Richard Blumberg, DeJong family, Alan Attwood, Berta Lambert, Lynne Ausman, Laura Damasceno Advisory Committee Joe Wessels, Steve Novotni, Andrew Freeze, Georgine Getty, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Steve Gibbs The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Programs include Streetvibes, “Voice of the Homeless” Speaker’s Bureau, Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE), Homeless Curriculum, and Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project. All donations support these programs and are taxdeductible to the full extent of the law. We are members of: Urban, meaningful, alternative holiday The FreeStore helps people in Cincinnati. The Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center’s annual St. Nick Day Sale helps people in places with even greater poverty. The sale features Fair Trade arts and crafts from Third World countries and artwork by Death Row inmates, among a broad collection of socially conscious gifts. Homemade candles and ornaments created by Sr. Alice Gerdeman will be for sale. The sale is from 10 am - 2pm. Dec. 6 at Peaslee Neighborhood Center, 215 E. 14th Street. There’s one more thing you can do to make this season meaningful. At dusk, 5:30 p.m. Dec. 21, the first day of winter, the longest night of the year, go to Washington Park for Homeless Memorial Day. Remember the homeless people who have died in our city. The program is a candlelight vigil and the reading of the names of the deceased, a simple but civilized act. �STREETVIBES December 2008 Community News Eight Minutes 3 with an ‘Honorable’ Judge finds the system – and legal language – guilty By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer G etting a fair trial in Hamilton County can be difficult because of a lack of commitment by a whole host of people to make it a priority, according to 1st District Appeals Judge Mark P. Painter. A “scathing” review of the Hamilton County Public Defender’s Office by the National Legal Aid and Defender Association was “totally accurate,” he says. “The (system) we have here certainly needs to be scrapped, and somebody needs to come up with a better system,” Painter says. “What’s happening right now is not very good. Everybody would agree that the public defenders do not have adequate resources to do the job. I don’t think there’s any question about that. But also the organization and the structure and the way they do things needs to change. It’s mainly a question of money, but even if you have money, you still have to use it wisely and give direction to people as to how to do things.” But his criticism doesn’t stop there. He calls to task elected officials at the state level who have under-funded public defenders – the money is about to run out. After serving 13 years on Hamilton County Municipal Court and for the past 14 years on the court of appeals, Painter has a long-term view of the situation and says it’s not all bad. The system in place is better than it used to be, he says. “We talk about (how) the public defender for misdemeanor (cases) doesn’t have the staff or money to do a good job,” he says. “When I started practicing law, you weren’t entitled to a lawyer, which was, of course, wrong; and it was finally fixed but there wasn’t much any public defense at all.” Judges now are better than they were 30 years ago, Painter says. “It’s not everybody goes out “good old boy” network still exists and has sway in the county, Painter believes scrutiny is essential to bring about reforms. A class action lawsuit by attorney Robert Newman in 2003 charged that public defenders in Hamilton County neglected to ask clients if they could afford to pay fines. They also failed to request indigency hearings that would have made it possible for those without money to stay out of jail. “That was a systemic problem,” Painter says. “It just wasn’t the public defender’s office. There are responsibilities on the judges and prosecutors and on everyone else in the system that something like that doesn’t happen.” For his part, Painter is trying to do what he can to bring about change in the system “Our job is to make sure that we look closely at any case that comes before us to see if there’s any problem with it, if there’s anything where the prosecutor’s hidden the ball or bad evidence is introduced.” - Judge Mark Painter after work and has a beer and talks about the cases,” he says. “That doesn’t happen much any more. Is there some of it going on? I can’t say where it is, but I assume it is – but way less than it was. “We do have much better judges than we did 30 years ago. I think almost any lawyer that’s been around a long time will tell you that.” Acknowledging that the that he has control over. It begins with his courtroom and making sure everyone understands what’s happening – not just the lawyers. “The law is about people,” he says. “They should be able to understand what it is. They certainly should understand what’s happening to them. If there’s a court case and there’s a court decision, certainly they shouldn’t have Judge Mark Painter served 13 years on the Hamilton County Municipal Court and for the past 14 years on the court of appeals. Photos by Andrew Anderson. to get somebody else to read it: ‘I don’t know if I’ve won or lost.’ That’s awful. We try to write all of our opinions in plain language. A lot of the legal gobbledygook is unnecessary and comes from things like the Norman Conquest and things that don’t exist any more, but lawyers keep doing them.” The author of The Legal Writer: 30 Rules for the Art of Legal Writing, Painter makes his case in seminars all over the world, most recently in Kuala Lumpur. His views on breaking down some of the elitism surrounding the law don’t always sit well with his colleagues, but Painter is committed to what he believes is his role in the criminal justice system – making sure “justice” isn’t lost in the process. “As far as in the court of appeals, our job is to make sure that we look closely at any case that comes before us to see if there’s any problem with it, if there’s anything where the prosecutor’s hidden the ball or bad evidence is introduced,” he says. “I think we do a pretty good job of reversing cases when we find there’s something wrong with them. “We reversed one case back, oh, 10 years ago. We thought the defendant was railroaded. I don’t think there was any doubt of it. You don’t know if he was not guilty, but he certainly wasn’t given a fair trial. I met somebody many, many years later (who) knew the guy and knew he was not guilty. She was a nurse who went to law school because she wanted to help prevent these things from happening in the future. “Now we are finding DNA and finding people were convicted wrongly. Most people who are convicted are guilty, but certainly some aren’t. It’s very important to make sure innocent people aren’t convicted. That’s really a tragedy.” The title “honorable” is used in conjunction with the title “judge,” a tradition that seems as archaic as the language Painter is trying to eradicate from the law. Being elected seems to be more of a popularity contest than a test of the qualifications of a judge, so few people earn the title “honorable.” Painter, it seems, is one of the few. “It’s never going to be a perfect system,” he says. “You’re going to get it closer.” Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in Greater Cincinnati. “Eight Minutes” is an effort to learn who they are and what motivates them. �4 Community News STREETVIBES December 2008 Drop Inn Center (continued from page 1) nightclubs in Over-the-Rhine – is in full swing, with the Cincinnati Center City Development Corp. (3CDC) acquiring property that once served as low-income housing and championing the redesign of Washington Park, across the street from the homeless shelter. Popular wisdom holds that the city will force the Drop Inn Center to move. But Clifford says it’s not going anywhere. “A lot of people really wish we’d be somewhere else, but there is no other place right now, and there’s no pot of money,” he says. “The myth is we’ve been offered $10 million to move. Some people say, ‘We love the work you’re doing but we wish you’d do it someplace else.’ “Every city that I’ve been to has a downtown shelter. My thing is not how do we move but how do we work to be the best shelter we can be?” Clifford finds himself battling other myths, too – for example, the notion that residents of the Drop Inn Center are responsible for crime in Over-the-Rhine. “Another myth is that we’re responsible for the crime in Over-the-Rhine,” he says. “What we found is our population has gone up in the past two years, but crime has gone down 20 percent in Over-theRhine. We let our residents know that, if they continually “When you’re homeless, they help you to stay off the street. They also help you with drugs and alcohol and domestic violence, whatever problem you have. They have really helped me out.” -Chandra Tully not the place to spend the rest of your life. If you’ve been here three months, we really work with you to get something else.” ‘The ethical core’ The men’s dorm, as seen above, can sleep almost 200 individuals nightly. Photo by Andrew Anderson. get tickets, it’s going to be three strikes and you’re out. Every month the percentage of people who get ticketed, the number who are staying at the Drop Inn Center is 12 percent or 13 percent.” The “three strikes” rule, initiated last summer, was something of a concession to complaints about the behavior of homeless people gathering in Washington Park, which 3CDC and the city want to turn into a kind of promenade for Music Hall patrons and residents of the new upscale condos. “Only one person has tipped the three-strikes rule,” Clifford says. “We have a couple people with two strikes. None of them has been for violence. The vast majority are for open flask (of alcohol). It’s not trying to punish people. But it’s helpful to have the names of people who are interacting with the cops. It can be a counseling opportunity.” More than a flophouse The first goal of the Drop Inn Center is to get homeless people off park benches, out of riverside camps and away from makeshift “shelters” under highway overpasses. “When the Drop Inn Center was founded in the early ’70s, that was the core mission,” Clifford says. That commitment has helped distinguish Cincinnati in its response to homelessness. In many cities, 20 to 30 percent of homeless people live on the streets. But in Cincinnati, it’s 8 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. “Cincinnati is one of the best cities in terms of having people inside, instead of on the streets,” Clifford says. But that is only the start. “Our first priority is, ‘How can we get you inside?’ ” he says. “Then it’s, ‘How can we get you into transitional housing or supportive housing or recovery programs?’ ” Next myth: The Drop Inn Center is a dumping ground for people who have no place to go, offering nothing but a cot and meals. “When I give tours, people don’t realize all that we do,” Clifford says. “If you think we’re running a flophouse, no; there’s a whole system to it.” The Men’s Recovery Program is a certified six-month treatment program with individual and group counseling, education on chemical dependency, community service, job training and acquiring employment and obtaining housing. The Homeless Individuals Partnership Program provides intensive services designed to help chronically homeless people access support services for mental illness and substance abuse and helps them “Our first priority is, ‘How can we get you inside?’ Then it’s, ‘How can we get you into transitional housing or supportive housing or recovery programs?’ ” -Pat Clifford, executive director of the Drop Inn Center find housing and or government benefits to sustain themselves. In addition to the emergency shelter – which sometimes houses up to 285 people a night – the Drop Inn Center operates 24 units of transitional housing with on-site support services designed to help clients enhance their life skills and find permanent housing. The development of new programs doesn’t, however, diminish the agency’s commitment to Gray’s vision. “We have a counseling structure but we try to work with people where they’re at,” Clifford says. “Our priority is to have them inside. We’re the place you can always bounce back to. You can look at the Drop Inn Center as a dead end or as a place to get started.” Unlike some shelters in Cincinnati, the Drop Inn Center places no limit on how long a person can stay. But that’s not to say a client will be left to languish. “We’re the emergency place to go,” Clifford says. “We’re Clifford is well aware that some view the Drop Inn Center as the turd in the punch bowl, the obstacle to dreams of an Over-the-Rhine transformed into the neighborhood and playground of young professionals with upscale dreams of urban living. Some of the animosity is simply illogical. “It’s like having a hospital,” Clifford says. “Nobody likes to know there are sick people. But getting rid of the hospital won’t stop people from being sick. If there were no Drop Inn Center, do you think there won’t be any more homeless people? “Some of the negativity we get – they don’t like the symbol of the Drop Inn Center. You can’t take it personally. They’re against the (mistaken) idea that the homeless are criminals who need to be excluded from society, that the homeless are dangerous and that by helping them, you’re harboring them.” It’s also important to remember that the facility enjoys widespread support, Clifford says. “We’re not in this alone,” he says. “We have 500 volunteers a month. We have tours for groups of people. We have quite a few people who wish us well.” Some of the most vocal critics of the Drop Inn Center are the people who stay there – hardly a surprise. Who would enjoy staying in a homeless shelter? “We’re never going to not have complaints,” Clifford says. “The fact that we hear complaints is good. As long as we have a process to hear them and makes changes, it’s good. We look into each and every one. People feel comfortable coming up to me and letting go.” “One of the biggest complaints we get is the food – not that it isn’t nutritious or that there isn’t enough of it but that it’s too repetitious. Our food budget has been cut two years in a row. Residents ask, ‘What can we do?’ We tell them to reach out to restaurants and grocery stores.” The one luxury at the Drop Inn Center is a big-screen TV in the lobby. Jerry Springer donated it. Next to the TV is a sign list- See DROP p.5 �STREETVIBES December 2008 Community News 5 Drop Inn Center (continued from page 4) ing some of the rules: “Peaceful behavior is necessary. If you feel uptight, please see a staff worker. Respect and brotherly, sisterly cooperation with one another is absolutely needed.” Clifford has worked at The Drop Inn Center for 18 years, the past 11 as executive director. He is a Cleveland native who lives in Fairview Heights with his wife, Katy Heinz – an organizer with the Center for Community Change – and their 12-year-old son. “My first experience of working with the homeless was as a high-school volunteer,” Clifford says. “You couldn’t really look at the world the same way again.” Next month Clifford will visit India, where he plans to visit the center founded by the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Mother Theresa. He sees the Drop Inn Center’s work as a continuation of his Catholic upbringing. “We’re about what I feel is the essence of religion, reaching out to help someone when they need it the most,” Clifford says. “That cuts across all faiths and even humanist beliefs – help the homeless, feed the hungry. That’s the common ethical core. “You can’t put too fine a point on it but you know there has to be more than just our individual efforts. “Another spiritual dimen- sion to what we do is to break down barriers, eliminating the segregation and the fear, trying to challenge society on the barriers of class and race.” Chandra Tully, who has stayed at the shelter for a month, articulates the value of the Drop Inn Center in more personal perms. Recovering from a host of problems that forced her into homelessness, she says, “When you’re homeless, they help you to stay off the street. They also help you with drugs and alcohol and domestic violence, whatever problem you have. They have really helped me out.” Pat Clifford, executive director of the Drop Inn Center, says the agency continually works to move people into housing. Photo by Andrew Anderson. Voters Get Feisty in Year of Change A black president elected, Chabot dumped, greed restricted By Gregory Flannery Editor Maybe there’s something to that old canard about the eternal optimism of the American people. The Nov. 4 election of Sen. Barack Obama not only overcame a long history of American racism but also rendered moot other long established political conventions. He won in spite of a comparative lack of experience – a first-term senator running against a veteran senator long known on the national stage. Lacking a military record of any kind, Obama ran in wartime and beat a war hero. After two consecutive presidential elections racked by charges of vote rigging, he won in an indisputable landslide: 365 electoral votes for Obama, 173 for Sen. John McCain – a margin of better than 2-to1. Ohio, blamed for giving George W. Bush a second term in 2004, voted Democratic this year, and it wasn’t all that close. Obama received 2.78 million votes in Ohio, 51.1 percent of the total. McCain received 2.58 million votes, or 47.4 percent. The independent presidential candidate with the most votes in Ohio was Ralph Nader, who received 40,696 votes, or 0.75 percent. Obama even won Hamil- Ohio, blamed for giving George W. Bush a second term in 2004, voted Democratic this year, and it wasn’t all that close. ton County – and by a bigger margin than in the state as a whole, taking 52.1 percent to 50.8 percent for McCain. That wasn’t the only surprise Nov. 4. Voters in the 1st Congressional District also dumped U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot in favor of Steve Driehaus, a Democratic state legislator. Commercials for Driehaus’ campaign highlighted Chabot’s support of Bush, whose unpopularity largely kept him out of sight during the campaign. (Full disclosure: I am on probation for trespassing during a sit-in at Chabot’s office in 2006.) Chabot, who has served 14 years in the U.S. House, was one of a score of Republicans unseated Nov. 4. The next term of Congress will include 256 Democrats and 175 Republicans. Four seats remain undecided. The election means the next session of the Senate will be 58 Democrats, a gain of seven seats; and 40 Republicans, with two races, in Minnesota and Georgia, still undecided. Of 8.29 million registered voters in Ohio, 5.6 million votes actually cast ballots, a 67.5 percent turnout. In Hamilton County, 70.5 percent of registered voters participated. There were no surprises in the two races for county commissioner, with incumbent Todd Portune, a Democrat, easily winning re-election. Clerk of Courts Greg Hartman, a Republican, won an open seat on the county commission. Portune, once the darling of long-suffering Hamilton County Democrats, had alien- ated some of his progressive supporters by imposing a tax for a new jail last year, which was quickly repealed by voters. Then a controversial deal made by party leaders aimed to let him and Hartman run unopposed this year. that was just too sweet for easy digestion. Cincinnati voters opted for change – but not too much. The local chapter of the NAACP led a referendum to repeal a city ordinance setting up automated traffic- ing interest rates charged by payday lenders in Ohio won by a whopping margin of 63.6 percent to 36.4 percent. The Coalition on Housing and Homelessness in Ohio (COHHIO) led the campaign. The referendum restricts pay- Free at last: The grave of abolitionist Frederick Douglass is decorated with news of the election of the first African-American president. Photo by Richard Blumberg. But two upstarts challenged the deal. Chris Dole ran as an un-endorsed Democrat against Hartman, and Ed Rothenberg was the Republican in the race against Portune. They never had a chance, and finished with only about 35 percent of the votes in their respective races. But given the odds, that ain’t bad. Most of the 30,000 voters who backed Dole and Rothenberg likely hadn’t heard of either of them until the party bosses made a sweetheart deal signal enforcement, or “red light cameras.” One might expect voters to enthusiastically come out against traffic tickets made easy, but the outcome was relatively close, with 51.2 percent in favor of banning the cameras. A second NAACP initiative would have changed city council elections to proportional representation. The measure failed by more than 8,000 votes. Usury got its ass kicked Nov. 4. A referendum restrict- day loans to annual interest of 28 percent. The current legal rate is 390 percent. “In a stunning victory for Ohio consumers … voters renounced 13 years of unregulated corporate greed,” COHHIO said after the election. The statement referred to Issue 5. But it might say something about the general mood of the electorate across the country Nov. 4. One can hope. �6 Worse Than Nixon STREETVIBES December 2008 Movie Review W. has left the theater – and soon so will he By Lew Moores Contributing Writer It’s gone. As best I can tell, it’s disappeared from Cincinnati area movie screens. When I went to see the film W. at the Esquire in Clifton at 1:10 p.m. Nov. 19, I was the only one in the theater. By Nov. 19, a full two weeks after an historic presidential election, President Bush had become, at least symbolically, that irrelevant – I watched the film by myself on its next-tolast day of being shown here. It lasted in Cincinnati for a month, its final days at a single neighborhood theater. W. opened in mid-October to mostly mixed reviews across the country. Beyond its artistry, critics postulated that Bush-haters would be disappointed by the film and Bush loyalists slightly surprised it wasn’t a complete hack-job. Full disclosure: I was among those rooting for not so much hack job as caricature – sort of what you might see if you put a camera in the hands of a progressive editorial cartoonist. I didn’t want the provocative filmmaker Oliver Stone’s George W. Bush to be a more sympathetic creature than Stone’s Richard M. Nixon in Stone’s 1995 biopic, Nixon. But he is. George W. is headstrong, yet a ne’er-do-well who bounces from job to job, has a bunch of daddy issues on his journey to outdo George H.W. Bush in the legacy department, and is already long on the road to political infamy even before the start of his second term. His haplessness is kind of endearing, his goofi- W. the film, directed by Oliver Stone was in theaters around Cincinnati for a month, possible showing that President Bush had become, at least symbolically, that irrelevant. Photo courtesy of wthefilm.com. ness likeable. Josh Brolin’s George W. boozes with abandon – lots of Jack Daniels – before he is born-again; his father, the future president of the United States, asks him in 1971: “What are you cut out for, chasing tail?” If one thing becomes something of a running motif, it’s the number of scenes that show W. stuffing food into his mouth and talking at the same time. It’s not pretty. He can’t help himself. A sense of verbal and physical clumsiness comes naturally to him. He announces late in the film that he’s given up sweets, a sacrifice since the start of the war. He spits. He almost chokes on a pretzel. He gets lost temporarily on a road at his Crawford ranch. He is enamored of catch phrases like “axis of evil” and “shock and awe.” In Stone’s Nixon, Anthony Hopkins’s Nixon is culturally clumsy. A hooker (I think she’s a hooker, I’m not sure) tells him that she likes jazz. “Yeah, I like jazz -- Guy Lombardo,” Nixon says. More precisely, Stone’s Nixon is insecure, unloved, dark and, in the end, so very alone. He is a creature of his own insecurities, not so much headstrong as searching for the right combinations and never finding them. He tells his wife, Pat, “They’re out there figuring out how to tear me down. … This is about me, can’t you understand that, Pat?” He doesn’t find the right combinations mostly because of his – and finally his administration’s – siege mentality. It was that, and not so much his policies, that did him in. Remember: His environmental record was good, he effectively ended the Vietnam War and he eased Cold War tensions with both his opening a door to China and détente with the Soviet Union. “We didn’t have to take cheap shots, and we didn’t 1128 Walnut St Pizza by the Slice Tues and Thurs Buffet($7.00)-11AM-2PM Wed-Thur-Fri-Sat 9PM-3AM want to be malicious,” Stone told USA Today in September, before W. opened. “We’re very careful. We didn’t want to go over the line.” Both films are not chronological; they travel back and forth in time, Nixon as a child growing up with a father who talks of taking him to the woodshed, Bush spending his college days as a frat brat, coming home drunk one night and almost getting into a fistfight with “Poppy.” Bush runs unsuccessfully for Congress and vows never again to be out-Texaned and “outChristianed.” Nixon is more verbally crude. Talking about Daniel Ellsberg -- who leaked to the press the Pentagon papers, which chronicled U.S. involvement in Vietnam -- he complains of the “HarvardHebrew boys who leak.” And Bob Haldeman, his chief of staff, refers to New York City, as he apologizes to Henry Kissinger, as “Jew York City.” More to the point, Nixon complains about his failure to win the presidency in 1960 and ultimate failure following Watergate, attributing it to elitism and not going to the “right schools (Harvard).” Both films have their heroes, Colin Powell in W.; John Dean and, to a lesser extent, Henry Kissinger in Nixon. Both have much darker characters – certainly Bob Haldeman and John Ehrlichman in Nixon, Karl Rove and Dick Cheney in W. Poppy, of course, looms large. If anything, he’s a man of some principle. He doesn’t take out Hussein in 1991 because that wasn’t part of the United Nations resolution; he believed in a multi-lateralist approach. So George W. is going to finish the job, show Poppy how it’s done. When Condi Rice, who is nothing more than a sycophant in this film, asks George W. whether his father had ever offered advice on Iraq, he answers, “There’s a higher father I appeal to.” Ultimately, that’s scary. And it’s supposed to be. That’s why I hoped for more caricature in W. The New Yorker’s David Remnick, I believe, was the first media type to point out just before Bush’s re-election in 2004 that Bush is a worse president than Nixon, the most disgraced president ever. And Remnick did it before Katrina in 2005, before full disclosures about Gitmo, the Patriot Act, about torture, the assault on science, trying to scuttle the Bill of Rights, spying on American citizens, the U.S Department of Justice debacle, the environmental assaults, not to mention the latest list of casualties from Iraq. I must be leaving out something. W., the movie, is gone, I think, from area screens. And in another seven weeks so will he be. �STREETVIBES December 2008 Local News Our Radioactive Homeland 7 New book is a guide to the region’s toxic link to nuclear weapons By Gregory Flannery Editor The Ohio River Valley is a victim of nuclear war – and the aggressor is our own government. The area hasn’t suffered bomb blasts, but more than half a century of preparation for a nuclear attack on other countries has poisoned the soil, the water and the air in communities surrounding Greater Cincinnati. That’s the startling conclusion of One Hundred Miles From Home: Nuclear Contamination in the Communities of the Ohio River Valley, a comprehensive study of the region’s role in the development of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. Local author Carol Rainey has meticulously documented the reckless yet quite deliberate process by which the Tri-state has been ringed by the toxic and radioactive byproducts of the U.S. pursuit of global military superiority. One Hundred Miles From Home examines the history of six nuclear research, production and disposal facilities: the Mound Laboratory in Miamisburg, near Dayton, Ohio; the Paducah Gaseous Diffusion Plant, in Kentucky; the Feed Materials Production Center in Fernald Station, just north of Cincinnati; the Jefferson Proving Ground, in southeast Indiana; the Maxey Flats Low-Level Radiation Waste Disposal, in Kentucky; and The U.S. Department of Energy says, “The new wetlands (in Fernald) are similar to those that naturally occur in southwest Ohio.” It doesn’t point out that uranium won’t be completely removed from the aquifer until 2023. Photo courtesy of www.doe.gov. the Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Piketon, Ohio. As early as 1955 – before “For many years the Great Miami River served as a flushing agent for the radioactive and chemical contaminants at Mound.” the term “nuclear” had entered common parlance – a reporter for The New York Times referred to the region as “Atom Valley.” That moniker might once have implied a patriotic pride and trust in a promising new technology, but the legacy 50 years on is one of ecological devastation: * “Officials at Mound in the early years found the easiest way of disposing of liquid radioactive waste was draining it in the river,” Rainey writes. “For many years the Great Miami River served as a flushing agent for the radioactive and chemical contaminants at Mound. As much as 600,000 gallons of wastewater were released into the river every day.” * “In 1990 thorium was found in Silo 3 (at Fernald), leaking radon gas,” Rainey reports. “Radium was also found in Paddy’s Run, which ran through the plant and into the Great Miami River. Thorium has a half-life of 14 billion years.” * Left behind at the Jefferson Proving Ground are 77 tons of depleted uranium and 1.5 million rounds of unexploded ordnance, according to Rainey. “When the Indiana Department of Environmental Management did an analysis … of how much it would cost to clean up the proving ground (to the point where it could be used again), they discovered the environmental contamination was so extensive a complete cleanup was economically impossible,” she writes. The nuclear technology promoted as essential to national defense was developed not only in secrecy but with brute force, with farmers in Fernald and in Madison County, Indiana, given just 30 days to accept government compensation before being forced off their land. Nor did the promise of jobs come without a cost. Illness blossomed among workers subject to exposure to radioactive chemicals, only to be denied by federal agencies. In Paducah, a worker who applied for disability compensation found his claim aggressively fought by the U.S. Department of Energy. “They argued that his illnesses were due to smoking and ‘eating country ham,’ ” Rainey writes. “The court “After his death, his body was exhumed, and uranium was found in his bones 133 times normal levels.” dismissed his claims. He said at the end of his life, ‘It is absolutely futile, like fighting a tiger with a toothpick.’ He died of stomach cancer in 1980 at the age of 58. After his death, his body was exhumed, and uranium was found in his bones 133 times normal levels.” Indeed, the effort to document job-related injuries was sometimes rendered impossible by the very nature of the work. Radioactive contamination was so thoroughgoing that the documents themselves were too hot to handle, as at the Mound facility. “The workers struggling to receive compensation for their illnesses received startling information in 2007, when it was revealed that in 1993 Mound had sent 458 boxes of records to Los Alamos to be ‘de-contaminated,’ ” Rainey writes. Only 40 boxes of documents – less than 10 percent of the total --were eventually de-contaminated. The human cost is one measure of the toll imposed on Atom Valley. Consider, too, the raw fiscal expense. “In the late 1960s Mound officials discovered an extensive amount of plutonium concentration in the special metallurgical building. … To clean up and decontaminate this one building (built in five months for $1 million) eventually took more than $57 million and 29 years,” Rainey reports. The book is not without its flaws. A literature professor, Rainey’s – and her editor’s – inability to master the proper use of “which” versus “that,” a common flaw in freshman composition, is a frequent and annoying distraction: “She was concerned about all the apples which her family ate,” she writes. Then there is the matter of including the Paducah facility at all. The book is, after all, titled, One Hundred Miles From Home – home being Cincinnati. Paducah is, after all, 234 miles southwest of Cincinnati. But as a whole the book is an unsettling and necessary reminder of what we have done and, more important, what remains unfinished, as noted in the preface by Bluegrass poet and environmental advocate Wendell berry. “The history of nuclear technology is now more than half a century old,” he writes. “In condemning it, we are hardly rushing to judgment. Now surely we must ask the question that, on the evidence of this book and much other evidence, we cannot honestly avoid: When great, undisputable quantities of lethal waste are accumulated, at ecological and human and economic costs that are unimaginable, must we not account the whole enterprise a waste and a tragic mistake?” Read the Streetvibes blog for stories between issues at streetvibes.wordpress.com �8 Year in Review 2008 saw struggles new and ongoing. Anti-war protesters lined Clifton Avenue to call for a moratorium in the war on Iraq (top left). Large numbers of voters signed petitions for a referendum to require paid sick days in Ohio (right). Streetvibes vendors were so successful that the paper twice had to increase its monthly print run (top right). The state of Ohio sealed off underpasses to keep homeless people from camping there (center). Students at local high schools and colleges spent the night outside in the annual shantytown experience, experiencing something of homeless life (above). Meanwhile food banks found supplies dwindling as demand for food aid rose (right). STREETVIBES December 2008 �STREETVIBES December 2008 Year in Review 9 An investigation by the Southwest Ohio Workers’ Rights Board found exploitation of Latino workers (top left). A homeless man struck by a hit-andrun driver was charged with jaywalking (top right). A lone city councilman joined advocates for the poor in opposing a proposal to restrict social services (center). College students around the country came to participate in Cincinnati Urban Experience (left). High school students created vibrant murals for the Homeless Coalition (above). �10 STREETVIBES December 2008 Column The Bill Cunningham Doctrine Poor Attitudes Don’t Cause Poverty ill Cunningham of WLW (700 AM), a Great American, unlike you or me, says, “The reason people are poor in America is not because they lack money. It's because poor people in America lack values, character, and the ability to work hard." I don’t know how Cunningham does his research or where he gets his data, but what he says must be true, because Cunningham is a Great American and no Great American would ever say anything false, irresponsible or vicious on the radio for everyone to hear. And he’s not alone. There are lots of others -- Great Americans, I’m sure -- who say the same sort of thing. I don’t know how they do their research or where they get their data, but they speak with great authority; and no Great American would ever use his or her authority to say something false, irresponsible or cutting in the public media. You might not agree with them, but these are Great Americans. Unlike you and me. ***** Suppose what the Great Americans say is true. Suppose it’s all just a poverty of mind. Suppose it’s all just a matter of attitude. Suppose that the problem of poverty could be solved if only the poor could get their act together, get jobs, stay in their jobs, stop complaining the destructive and self-destructive behavior behind in the dust. What difference would it make? What if we declared war on poverty and the poor simply surrendered? We’ll quit our poorish ways, they’ll say. We’ll do everything we’re told. We’ll go to work, no matter what the wages or conditions. We’ll put money into an IRA, cut off our bootleg cable and never again play somebody’s birthday on the Lotto. We’ll eat whole grain organic food By Michael Henson and leave the Pop Tarts on the shelf. If we drink, we’ll about their jobs, stop getting drink pinot noir instead of injured on their jobs, stop fil- some cheap stuff from the ing grievances about injuries corner store, and we’ll never on the job. Suppose the poor let cocaine pass our nostrils or would decide to stop moving our lips. from place to place, move to Oh, and the rap music. a better place, move out of That’s gotta go. We’ll obey all this place. Suppose the poor the laws we can think of and were to get some school- follow all the rules, even the ing, get married, didn’t have ones we don’t know about. sex unless they were Would that solve the probmarried or maybe lem? It would certainly be difdidn’t have sex at all because there is that ferent. For one thing, it would inconvenient result mean mass layoffs of social of producing more -- workers, probation officers and more problematic and deputy sheriffs. (Oh, -- poor people. Sup- wait, that’s already happenpose they were to stop ing.) It would mean life would getting sick. Suppose be easier for supervisors at they were to stop us- Wal-Mart and McDonald’s. It ing alcohol and other would mean Bill Cunningham drugs. Stop gambling. would welcome them as Great Stop hanging out on Americans. But would it mean an end to corners. Stop smoking cigarettes, throw poverty? ***** away the blunts, drop Surely, if we could solve the pipe, the needle, certain behavioral problems, the bottle. Suppose the poor it would mean an end to some Bill Cunningham, radio host on 700 could just get their people’s poverty. The welder WLW is known for his line, “You are a various acts together. turned homeless heroin adGreat American.” Photo courtesy of 700wlw.com Suppose they left all dict, if he gets into treatment B ammered H Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. This column is part of a monthly series on poverty and addiction. and commits to recovery, can pretty well work his way back out of poverty and into the middle class. There are There are a lot of people among the working poor. They live by the Great American values Bill Cunningham says are important, but they just can’t get ahead. plenty of examples of people who got clean and sober, got an education and climbed up the rickety social ladder into something like middle-class life and prosperity. But is getting the poor to clean up their acts, learn middle class values and make a commitment to improve their position enough to end poverty? It might end poverty for certain individuals, but I don’t think it would end poverty itself. For one thing, not everybody who is poor is addicted, mentally ill or otherwise dysfunctional. There are a lot of people among the working poor. They live by the Great American values Bill Cunningham says are important, but they just can’t get ahead. For those who are alcoholic or addicted, just to get sober and get your life straight doesn’t mean you’re going to make it out of poverty. The Big Book’s promises tell us that fear of people and financial security will leave us. They don’t say financial insecurity will leave us. Not every recovering addict or alcoholic is healthy enough or lucky enough or whatever enough to get the kind of job my welder friend is likely to get. And even my welder friend probably won’t get the well-paying, union-scale job he lost at the auto plant that’s moved away. All those social workers, probation officers and deputy sheriffs just laid off by Hamilton County are not likely to find new jobs with the pay and benefits that the county provided. The numbers are against us. There are more of us than there are middle-class slots in society as it is now constructed. It’s been that way for a long time, and it’s not likely to change any time soon. It might even be getting worse. So when we’re asking people to change their poverty of mind, when we ask them to drop their thinking errors and adopt a pro-social lifestyle, let’s recognize that not everyone will get the same benefits from it. Our lives would be better, all of us, if everyone would adopt a life-affirming lifestyle. But that won’t end poverty. Because poverty is bigger than that. The only way to understand poverty is to look hard at the self-sabotaging patterns that the poor get into and which hold them back, but also to look hard at the social patterns that hold them back as well. The only way to understand poverty is to be hardheaded and compassionate at the same time. But I’m not sure that compassion is one of the values of a Great American. Berta’s Art Corner “Standing Tall, reminants of gentrification destroys children’s park” Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio �STREETVIBES December 2008 Local News Fighting the H8 (continued from page 1) Well, guess what? That’s not happening. It is time for us as individuals to realize that we can’t sit by being complacent.” Proposition 8 has an impact beyond California, according to Tolle. “It is something that directly impacts the LGBTQ community on every level, in every state,” he said. “In Ohio, we live in a state that has already declared inequality by banning same-sex marriage and failing to include crimes against LGBTQ individuals under state hate-crime laws. We cannot let this hatred under the law perpetuate any further.” Comedienne Margaret Cho and Dr. Victoria Wulsin, the unsuccessful Democratic candidate in Ohio’s 2nd Congressional District, joined the protest. Cho, performing at Taft Theater that evening, was alerted to the protest and immediately rearranged her schedule in order to attend. Both women expressed their commitment to the cause of fighting the inequality codified by Proposition 8. A few counter-protesters appeared at the event, including one individual —with a record of protesting outside Planned Parenthood clinics — who was found to possess a handgun. There weren’t any conflicts between the opposing sides, but because same-sex marriage is such a controversial issue for many, Cincinnati Police monitored the event on horseback to ensure everyone’s safety. Tolle rejected assertions that gay-rights activists want anything unusual. “Those in favor of Proposition 8 claim that extending equal marriage rights to gay and lesbian couples would be granting special rights that are contrary to the traditional familial structure, which is often rooted in Christian doctrine,” he said. “But (this) protest was not a request for special rights, but rather a demand for equality for all under the law.” As a result of the overwhelming support the organizers encountered in planning the protest, IMPACT Cincinnati, a group created in order to sustain the momentum of conversation and action that began with the Fight 11 the H8, has been formed. The group plans to work with other LGBTQ organization such as Equality Ohio and Human Rights Campaign. The organizers realize that the success of the protest cannot be seen as the end, but rather must be channeled into a greater movement. “This is where it starts,” Tolle said. “This is where we have a voice, and this is where we have power. This is where change starts, and this is where equality starts.” �STREETVIBES December 2008 Sports News 12 A Goal for the Homeless Homeless World Cup is more than a soccer game By Alan Attwood Street News Service Soccer has gone global. Now, at the grassroots level, it is changing lives. The proof will be proudly on show in December in Australia at a unique kind of World Cup. Let’s try a word-association game. Soccer. Names spring to mind at once. Big names: Beckham, Maradona, Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Rooney, Zidane. Most of them synonymous with exquisite skills, extraordinary salaries and, in Beck’s case, a recent bizarre stunt involving a double-decker bus in Beijing. The truth is, however, that soccer is bigger than the biggest names. Soccer – ‘football’ in most places outside Australia – really is the world game. It is played on all continents. One reason for this is the simplicity of soccer: all you need for a game, of sorts, is a ball. At a pinch, rolled-up socks or shirts or newspapers bound with twine will suffice. It is a universal language: Players who would otherwise have difficulty communicating can find common ground. And although soccer fans are noted all over the globe for their passion – one theory is that the spectators’ intensity is explained by the scarcity of goals – it is also a unifying force. Soccer brings people together. Not just at the quadrennial World Cup (next up is South Africa in 2010) but also somewhat at the other end of the sporting scale. Every day, every week, in every part of the world, people get together for a kick and a run-around. Perhaps only a couple of people, perhaps many more. The playing surfaces will range from grass to gravel, dirt to dust, mud to matting. Over the past halfdozen years the grassroots side of soccer has grown in size and also become more organized. In Australia, a street soccer program (an initiative of The Big Issue organization) began with a kick-around near a housing estate in inner-Melbourne late in 2004: now it has spread across seven Australian states or territories, with regular sessions held in regional as well as urban areas. Anyone interested is welcome, regardless of age, sex, religion, background or circumstances. In all sorts of ways, everyone has a level playing field – though, to be honest, some of the fields can be more wonky than Wembley. The sessions are social and sporting events, an opportunity for participants to connect with other people. Those who stick with it can aspire to something even bigger, something that will be showcased here in Australia in the first week of December, when the sixth Homeless World Cup is staged (and celebrated in Melbourne – including, for the first time, a women’s tournament. From little things, big things grow. Australian troubadour Paul Kelly was singing about Aboriginal land-rights in the song he wrote with Kev Car- Mid-week street soccer training in Melbourne, adjacent to a public housing estate. Photo by Alan Attwood. Street soccer training in Adelaide, South Australia - Daniel (left) and Matty (cap) compete for the ball. Photo by Alan Attwood. mody, but the words might equally apply to the Homeless World Cup, an event that gives disadvantaged people – individuals who’ve experienced homelessness, substance abuse, unemployment or simply hard times – a chance to be part of a team and to shine on the international sporting stage. Not only will the participants in Australia’s Homeless World Cup be representing their own countries, a great many will also be experiencing their first overseas trip. They will also be boosting the expansion of an event that started, like many a great idea before, with an idea conceived over a drink. The story goes like this. Late in 2001, two men got talking in Cape Town during a conference of the International Network of Street Papers. One was Mel Young, co-founder of The Big Issue in Scotland; the other was Harald Schmied, editor of the Austrian equivalent. Conferences were all very well, they mused, but where were the very people they were trying to help? Talk fests wouldn’t appeal, but what about sport? What about soccer? How about teams from their respective countries, Scotland and Austria, playing a game? A few beers later, the idea had got grander. Why not invite anyone who was interested? And the event could be called the Homeless World Cup. A half later the first one was held – in Schmied’s hometown of Graz, in Austria. Eighteen teams participated; there were around 20,000 spectators. The following year, in Sweden, 26 teams entertained 40,000 people. In 2005, when Australia was first represented, there were 32 teams and more than 50,000 spectators in Edinburgh, Scotland. The growth continued in Cape Town, 2006, and Copenhagen last year. In December, 56 countries will be represented and the spectators – well, pick a number. Melbourne doesn’t pride itself on being Australia’s sporting capital for nothing. Yet even those impressive player statistics don’t do justice to the number of people whose self-confidence has been boosted by street soccer programs here and overseas. Research has shown that, through regular involvement with soccer, participants are much more likely to reconnect with services, find employment, and address their housing or drug issues. The discipline and team-ethos instilled by soccer are positive factors for players beyond the pitches. They are qualities that can help people improve their lives, long after events such as the Homeless World Cup have come and gone. This is apparent in the responses by Australian representatives after the 2006 event in South Africa. They were asked about the impact of soccer on their lives. These are some of their answers: “Sport’s always going to be there for everyone. … When you’re homeless and society turns its back on you, sport’s the only thing that’s there to actually welcome you. “It’s not about being good, it’s not about being bad. Both young and old and those who are talented and those who are not come down and make a team.” “It gave me confidence to look at opportunities and realize I had something I could contribute. … Going to training and working with others gave me a reason to get on with things.” “You’re a family when you’re on the field. You’ve got to share the ball. … You score a goal, you succeed in life. You achieve something.” “I used to be a very outgoing person. As soon as I became homeless it was like I lost all that confidence. I got dragged into sport and all of a sudden my confidence came back because I felt like I was wanted again.” “I used to sit at home and smoke a lot and get wasted. It was getting me nowhere. Being involved with street soccer has given me a reason to get healthy and stay that way.” “I met Desmond Tutu. I played for Australia. I had a free trip to South Africa. Harry Kewell gave us a speech. We got a letter from John Howard that wasn’t a dole form. … Not bad!” Not bad at all. Not everyone, of course, gets to meet Desmond Tutu or represent their country. But – in Sydney or Shepparton, Adelaide or Alice Springs, Bendigo or Bunbury, Port Hedland or Port Augusta – street soccer offers participants goals in addition to those marked out by posts or plastic cones or even a couple of shirts laid down on dirt. No, they’re not big names. Not yet, anyway. But they’re kicking on. Alan Attwood/The Big Issue Australia© Street News Service: www.street-papers.org �STREETVIBES December 2008 Local News Stars in Over-the-Rhine 13 Volunteer leads guests to create holiday greetings By Angela Pancella Contributing Writer ur Daily Bread’s Christmas card this year features stars crafted by our guests using construction paper, markers, gift wrap, stickers and garland. Laura Damasceno volunteered to help our guests with their designs. “I got involved (with Our Daily Bread) through McCauley High School,” she says. “Originally it was for service work to graduate, and then I just kept coming back and bringing people with me. I like the atmosphere and the volunteers who come.” For the Christmas card project, she went into Our Daily Bread’s dining room and asked who would like to help. “First I found the people I was comfortable with, the people I say hello to,” Damasceno says. “And then a lot of people overheard and decided to come and volunteer, too.” She was impressed with the work her volunteers put into O their designs. “They had more artistic ability and creativity than I would have imagined,” Damasceno says. “A lot of them wanted to do more than one. They liked using different materials. They were looking to find markers, paper — they wanted to use it all. They even wanted glitter, but glitter would have been a mess to clean up. They used multiple layers; they ran all their ideas into one.” Damasceno provided guidance based on her own love of art. At one point she reminded everyone, “It doesn’t have to be perfect. That’s the beauty of art.” “On the first day a lot of people were just weren’t very confident in the shape of their star,” she says. “Someone had spoken about making a Star of David. I went on the Internet and … I figured out how to make a Star of David through an origami cutout.” The craft supplies that were available proved inspirational as well. “When we used crazy cutter stickers, the stars became Frances Traver holds up designs she created for Our Daily Bread’s Christmas card. Photo by Laura Damasceno. Our Daily Bread, a food and hospitality ministry at 1730 Race St., Over-theRhine, offers a mid-day meal, serving more than 500 every weekday. To volunteer or to donate food, call Joan or Kathy at 513-621-6364. unique to each person,” Damasceno says. “They got into it — using different sizes, different colored paper.” Te project brought out the best in everyone, according to Damasceno. “(The guests) were grateful to help volunteer to return the favor, to return the help,” she says. By spending time working on the project with a small group of people, Damasceno learned more about their lives. “Really, I got to know a lot of stories; they became an open book,” she says. “They are the ones who have a strong faith in God. They’re trying to find themselves. They were on their way to do other things to better themselves. Everyone was very willing to talk and to be open with me. It was a great experience.” Cigarettes for the Homeless On the streets some things are worse than smoking By Larry Gross Contributing Writer ne night last week I was waiting at a bus stop on Main Street, smoking a cigarette. A well dressed young man approached me. “You got an extra cigarette I could have?” he asked. “Sorry,” I replied, “I bummed this one.” This was, of course, a lie. I had just opened a fresh pack. The truth is I’m getting a bit tired of giving away cigarettes to people who appear to have plenty of money. If you’re employed, nicely dressed and appear to have a roof over your head but don’t want to pay for cigarettes because they’re too expensive, keep walking past me. If you O don’t, I might tell another lie and say I quit smoking – perhaps while blowing smoke in your face. But if you’re homelsss, that’s another story. If a person is down on her luck and needs a cigarette, she’ll usually get one from me. This has even been more the case lately as I’ve changed some of my personal smoking habits. I’m no longer smoking in my place of residence. My little studio apartment has become smoke-free. I’m reporting this now only because I wasn’t sure I could pull it off. For many years in my head, I thought writing and smoking went hand in hand. I couldn’t imagine trying to write anything without having a ciga- rette burning in the ashtray on my desk. For a while, it took longer to get my writing done without smoking. Now, some months later, I’ve found that I can do it – and there’s even a side benefit to this: I’m no longer having to clean off cigarette ashes that fall on or into my computer keyboard. I can’t imagine what it would be like living on the street, sleeping in a shelter or calling a park bench your home. When I want a cigarette these days, just like in office buildings downtown and everywhere else, I go outside If you like what you read, but don’t live in the Cincinnati area, you can subscribe to Streetvibes. Call us at 513-421-7803 x 12 to learn more about subscribing to Streetvibes. – sometimes with a favorite ashtray. I don’t do anything else but smoke. I savor the moment. With this new routine firmly in place, I find that I now smoke fewer cigarettes. I no longer find myself running out of them. I’m basically accumulating smokes – and this is good news for the homeless. I won’t be going around downtown handing cigarettes to homeless people who don’t smoke, but if a homeless smoker wants one from me, I’ll pass it over freely. I want to be of some help to them. I can hear some of you saying this is a ridiculous idea. How does giving a nasty cigarette away to a homeless person help him? I can’t think of anything more stressful than being in that kind of situation. I can’t imagine what it would be like living on the street, sleeping in a shelter or calling a park bench your home. It must be god-awful not knowing where your next meal is coming from. If a smoke helps him or her deal with this kind of stress, I’m going to try and make sure I have one on me when he or she needs one. Some things are worse than smoking. They won’t be getting a health lecture from me. They’ll be getting the cigarette. Are you interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a writer, poet, artist or photographer? If so, contact Greg Flannery at 513.421.7803 x 12 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �STREETVIBES December 2008 Guest Columns 14 The Elementz of Poverty Hip Hop youth center offers hope, a creative outlet and a way out By Brittany Middlebrooks Contributing Writer Within my community, there are black women who are single parents struggling to take care of their children because their children’s fathers aren’t around to help. There are young black men who choose to sell drugs to make some quick money so that they won’t struggle in the time being. Weed, heroin and crack cocaine are the elements constantly around my community. Young women, older women and women in between can be found selling their bodies for drugs in my community. These are the lifestyles and livelihoods that the children in my neighborhood have to mirror every day. The absence of positive role models and influences cause these children to repeat the same cycles. A lot of these women who sell their bodies for drugs also abandon their children. The abandonment causes their kids to only depend on themselves, which causes them to grow up faster than they are supposed to. It’s so easy for underage teenagers to have access to drugs and guns in my community. A lot of drugs being sold in my community are from underage teens. There is a lot of violence being caused by teens because of money. Everybody needs money, and the absence of money can lead people to do whatever they have to do to get it, whether it’s right or wrong. The majority of the people in my community choose the easy way to get money instead of going to find a job. Some of the people in my community can’t even get good jobs because of things they chose to do in their past which messed up their future because now they have felony records. It’s so sad to see someone who keeps trying fail. Eventually these people lose hope on trying to get a job. A lot of these peoples have mouths to feed so they have to find a way to make money. The need of money is what causes the majority of the crime that’s happening in my community. If there were anything I could do about poverty in my community, I would make sure that everyone has decentpaying jobs. I would also create more youth centers for the youth so that they would have something positive to do with themselves. I serve community service in a hip-hop youth center called Elementz. It’s a place for hip-hop and respect located at 1599 Central Parkway. Elementz is the best youth center that I’ve ever came across. Its mission is to inspire and engage inner-city youth through innovative hiphop arts programs, leadership development and community building from ages 14 to 24. This is the place to be if you love hip-hop. This youth center offers dance classes, dj classes, production classes, recording classes, video classes, graffiti classes and my own poetry class. The reason that the center is called Elementz is because it expresses all the elements of hip-hop. A lot of jobs that I’ve had in the past came from this youth center. The reason why I would open up more youth centers like this one is because of the opportunities I’ve received by going to this youth center. I’ve travelled out of town to conferences and met a lot of important people because of this youth center. The center blessed me with the opportunity to help make a documentary, Just Around the Corner, which was shown at the Freedom Center. If I never came to this hiphop center, I don’t know what I would be doing with my life. It’s a positive atmosphere for youth to be in. I feel very welcomed and appreciated when I’m at the center, and I try to give whatever I can to the center so that it can grow more. I never thought that I would Violence It’s my people doing all these dangerous killings and most black men make their living off of drug dealing and stealing. These are some of the reasons why I barely have any feelings. These things are noticeable but still no one tries to stop the violence I don’t always want to hear gunshots; sometimes I just want to hear silence. The police always get the wrong ones and beat them with their guns, so police brutality is not needed. I want the cops to help the innocent people instead of them being beaten and mistreated Some of these cops are more criminal than the criminals on the street. The ones that try to help it’s too late because us teens can’t even be reached. We used to look up to people who really tried to teach. We all looked up to Martin Luther King but it seems that he wasted his speech. Was it me? But we didn’t even listen. And all violence does is leads us black people to prison. actually teach a poetry class. Now I have that opportunity because of Elementz, and I know that plenty more opportunities will come. Elementz reaches out to the youth who don’t have anything good going on in their lives and tries to turn that around as much as possible. I’ve seen dope boys and gang bangers who came to the center and turned their lives around. The reason is people here believe that we can do whatever we want to do in our lives, because we are the future. I’ve also seen teens who constantly get locked up, and once they started going to Elementz, they stop getting arrested, because they stop being around a negative atmosphere. There are a lot of youth who deal with poverty who go to Elementz to get away from what they’re going through at home. I believe that the youth in my community need more youth centers like this one because it relates to the youth who are struggling. I love the fact that Elementz is a place for me to do everything I have a passion to do. I love music and expressing my talent, and this is the place for me to do those things. Every last Thursday of every month we get to showcase our talent. I would love to leave you all with a poem titled “violence.” Street Kids: The Truth from a Survivor Sometimes the streets are safer than home By Dede Stoops Streetvibes Vendor W hat is a street kid? Well this is a short writing or truth I have seen, as I was one. When you grow up and leave the streets, that part of life remains with you and changes you. This is not a life for anyone, especially for kids or teens. But the reality of them on the streets is all too true. Kids go to the streets to get control of their lives, and it is sometimes safer than where they live. How would you define what a street child is? One way the government defines them is “runaways” or “throw away” children. What are runaways? These are children who leave home without permission or, once gone, choose not to return. “Throw away” children are told to leave by a parent or guardian, and no other care is arranged for them. Many on the streets have been “burned by the system,” so they have little trust for people. They refuse to get help because they will be forced to return to their abusive homes. These kids are sometimes abused by more than one person, including people their parents might be dating. Most street kids are escaping from abusive, neglectful homes and family problems. Other things that bring kids to the street are economic and residential in- Due to their age, street kids often can’t get work so they steal to survive and commit other criminal acts. Been there, done that, too. stability. Street kids have little or no trust for people, especially those in authority. This is because of their abuse and the failure of the justice and social-services systems. Street life doesn’t help that. Gangs, pimps, prostitutes and cops beat and pick on the kids, so it pushes them further from society and wipes their trust levels further down from being able to trust anyone. The good thing about street life is the bond kids build with other street kids. It can be a lifelong bond, even though sometimes the lives are short. What makes a street kid’s life short? That life can lead a kid to drugs and alcohol. Another danger is street gangs attacking street kids. Some kids are killed by other homeless people, fighting for or being robbed of what little they have. Street kids also suffer from malnutrition, depression, AIDS and pimps attacking them if they will not work for them. But the hardest part is these kids sometimes can’t take Missed an Issue? Check out the Streetvibes archive at www.cincihomeless.org/content/streetvibes it and kill themselves. This breaks my heart, but I have been where they have and tried suicide myself. Something I learned, as do many other street kids, is no shelter accepts them without a parent. Due to their age, street kids often can’t get work so they steal to survive and commit other criminal acts. Been there, done that, too. Some kids beg to survive or do little chores to get the necessities of life. When these kids do those things, they have little or no self-esteem. When street kids grow up, they have little trust for people. Whenever you see a street kid, remember they don’t want your pity -- just your help and understanding. �STREETVIBES December 2008 Editorial 15 Sometimes the Library is No Place for Kids Who’s responsible for the children? By Terrence Williams Streetvibes Vendor I spend many days in the Cincinnati Public Library reading, relaxing and taking care of my business. While in the library, I’ve noticed that there are a large number of kids present during school hours. Many of them simply sit at the computers and play games all day long. What I can’t understand is why the library allows these kids to just hang out even though they know that they should be in school. I personally know how difficult it is to get an education because I dropped out of high school, but later got my G.E.D.; it was a hard struggle, but I’m glad I did it. Yet I am so disheartened when I see these kids hanging out in there, not getting a proper education. While I think the library should institute a stricter policy prohibiting kids in the library during school hours, that’s not enough. All of us are responsible for this as a community and need to work Terrence Williams, a Streetvibes vendor, is consistently in the top three for sales each month. Photo by Andrew Freeze. together as one to make sure kids get their education. The library is a big part of our community, and with that comes a certain responsibility. For one, the library is there for learning and studying and even entertainment purposes, but it shouldn’t be that for kids who are skipping school to hang out there. At one point I asked a librarian why these kids weren’t in school and she replied, “Some of them are home-schooled.” However, I have never seen any of their parents in there teaching them anything. To me, the library symbolizes education, but it seems it’s turned into a playground for kids who would rather cut school to play games. But as I said before, the library isn’t the only one responsible for this. When I was a kid, if we cut school, and a truant officer spotted us, he would chase us until we couldn’t run another step. Now Cincinnati Public Schools rely on an already busy Cincinnati Police Department to help deal with truancy, so it’s even more surprising to me when I see a police officer sitting at a desk right inside the library not doing anything about these kids hanging out during school hours. I have to wonder how much the schools even care about the high rates of absenteeism and dropout rates in our schools. Yet even if we had the cooperation of the library, schools and police department to get these kids back in the classroom, it’s not going to work until parents start taking more responsibility for their children’s whereabouts. There’s no question things have changed today -- parents working two full-time jobs while still struggling to keep food on the table, leaving little time to be able to give their children’s education the proper attention it needs. But no matter how hard it is, parents must still bear the brunt of raising their children properly. It’s a parent’s job to know where their kids are at all times. If they know that their son or daughter is cutting school to hang out in the library, they should be held accountable. The library is a place where parents and children should learn together, taking advantage of all the resources offered, but not as a babysitter for kids who refuse to go to school. A policy that allows kids to cut school and play games in the library has to change. However, the library can’t do it alone, they are just one part of the larger community that includes schools and parents. If we don’t start working together as a community by ignoring the fact that our kids aren’t in school getting the education they so desperately need, then we will continue down a destructive path of producing kids who lead lives of crime; and we’ll all pay for that in the end. Again, we must work together as a community. This means the librarian, the school attendance monitor, the teacher, the police officer, parents and regular people like me must share the responsibility to make sure kids get the education they deserve. Justice Worker and Friend of Peacemakers Activist Kees DeJong’s journey comes to a graceful end By Bill Joiner Contributing Writer When Kees DeJong died Nov. 6, humanity lost one of its finest and most engaging practitioners. Many readers of Streetvibes will remember Rev. Maurice McCrackin and his many quests for social justice. Some of them will remember DeJong as the person who, when McCrackin was confined to a wheelchair in his last years, wheeled him to many events in the West End and Over-theRhine. DeJong was a close friend of McCrackin’s. They shared common values and a common worldview, and they worked on many common endeavors. Unlike Mac, DeJong thought of himself as a follower, rather than a leader. But DeJong was not a typical follower. When he saw a need, he usually would, on his own initiative, simply step in and fill it. For example, one of McCrackin’s last great causes was the reform of the criminal-justice system and the needs of prisoners. McCrackin realized that men coming out of prison needed a place to live while they got their life straightened out, got a job and became able to live independently. Thus was born Justice Watch and the idea of a transition house. But no resources were available for the house. DeJong became aware of federal funding for a certain kind of academic project, wrote a grant and obtained funds to acquire and renovate a house on Garden Street, making possible the subsequent rehabilitation of hundreds of former prisoners. DeJong similarly filled needs as he saw them in many ways for many people. DeJong was Dutch. He earned a Ph.D. in geology and immigrated to the United States in 1970 to accept an assistant professorship in geology at the University of Cincinnati, where he remained a valued member of the department for 38 years. He was always available and helpful to students. It was perhaps the well known tolerance of the Dutch, or his extensive traveling with his wife Else, that made him a person who didn’t define people by their national boundaries or national origins. He saw all people as part of humanity and of equal worth. And he believed fervently in peace. He never obtained citizenship, but cared a great deal about the United States, and he suffered when its military excesses caused suffering in others. He especially worried about the direction the United States was taking in his last years and realized that our recent election was about the direction the world would take for the foreseeable future. On my last visit, five days before his death, as I left, he raised himself up from what was to be his deathbed, shook my hand and promised to live until Obama was elected. On Election Night he watched Obama’s acceptance speech and said simply, “Good speech.” The next day slipped into unconsciousness and died. DeJong traveled extensive- ly not only for education and pleasure, but professionally as well. He spent time studying geology and doing geological surveys in Europe, Mexico and especially in Pakistan. He was an avid photographer, and digital photography allowed him to take thousands of pictures, which he assiduously catalogued. On my last visit he showed me pictures he had taken at a geological conference in Czechoslovakia, during which the Russians had come in to put down the Czech uprising. DeJong was on the streets with the Czech protesters, and his pictures were of the destruction and devastation that existed. DeJong battled prostate cancer for well over 10 years, but his dealing with it was typical of his character. He gathered others with the disease at the university and in the community so that they could share experiences and concerns. He created Web sites where others could obtain information and where he maintained a diary of his own experiences so that Kees DeJong will be remembered for his quests for social justice. Photo courtesy of DeJong family. others might understand how another person was handling it and perhaps gain strength from how he dealt with it and was able to describe it. DeJong didn’t have the visibility of a McCrackin or a Buddy Gray. Nevertheless, he did much good’ and more important, he touched many lives, affected many attitudes, generated admiration and emulation and made people reexamine their values and priorities. He leaves behind his wife, four sons and several grandchildren, all of whom he loved deeply. He will be missed by them and the many who knew him. �16 Vendors Resource Guide STREETVIBES December 2008 Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 25 cents and sell the paper for $1, keeping the money they have earned. The vendors can be identified with a white badge and can be found selling the paper in downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northern Kentucky and area churches. The money they earn helps them meet basic housing, food and health care needs. Not all vendors pictured. Josephine Baskerville Doris Binion Terry Ranson Anthony Williams Nell Williams Grady Cook Cleo Wombles James Davis Jon Darby Dede Stoops Julie Walker Kenneth Stonitsch Antonio Hodge Leonard Jackson Samuel Jackson Riccardo Taylor Berta Lambert Mary Mueller Brandon Nelson Mark Shears Charles Cole Alfred Woolfolk Terrence Williams Raynard Jones Richard Tyree Michael Holley Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point...381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel...768-6907 Bethany House...557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House...681-2365 Salvation Army...762-5660 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter...872-9259 Talbert House...684-7965 PATH Outreach...977-4489 Treatment: Women Resources First Step Home ...961-4663 Treatment: Both City Gospel Mission...241-5525 Justice Watch...241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Worker House...381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter...661-4620 AA Hotline...351-0422 CCAT ...381-6672 Joseph House ...241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board ...946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center ...281-7422 Sober Living ...681-0324 Talbert House...641-4300 Shelter: Both Advocacy Shelter: Men Anthony House (Youth)...961-4080 Caracole (HIV/AIDS)...761-1480 Drop Inn Center...721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network...471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center...221-3350 St. John’s Housing...651-6446 Housing: CMHA...721-4580 Excel Development...632-7149 OTR Community Housing...381-1171 Tender Mercies...721-8666 Tom Geiger House...961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services Inc. ...751-0643 Volunteers of America...381-1954 Food Lord’s Pantry...621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Soup Kitchen & Pantry..961-1983 Our Daily Bread...621-6364 St. Francis Soup Kitchen...535-2719 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House...784-1853 DIC Live In Program...721-0643 Prospect House...921-1613 Starting Over...961-2256 Appalachian Identity Center ...621-5991 Catholic Social Action ...421-3131 Community Action Agency ...569-1840 Contact Center...381-4242 Franciscan JPIC ...721-4700 Greater Cinci Coalition for the Homeless..421-7803 Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center...5798547 Legal Aid Society ...241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center ...421-1108 Peaslee Neighborhood Center ...621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids ...363-3300 Stop AIDS...421-2437 Health Center for Respite Care ...621-1868 Cincinnati Health Network ...961-0600 Crossroad Health Center ...381-2247 Hamilton county Mental Health Board...946-8600 Hamilton County TB Control ...946-7628 Health Resource Center ...357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van...352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic...352-6363 Mental Health Access Point...558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John...981-5800 NAMI of Hamilton County..458-6670 Oral Health Council...621-0248 Catholic Social Services...241-7745 Center for Independent Living Options...241-2600 Churches Active in Northside...591-2246 Emmanuel Community Center...241-2563 FreeStore/FoodBank...241-1064 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart...381-0111 Goodwill industries...771-4800 Healing Connections...751-0600 Madisonville Education & Assistance Center...2715501 Mary Magdalen House...721-4811 People Working Cooperatively...351-7921 St. Vincent de Paul...562-8841 The Caring Place...631-1114 United Way...721-7900 Women Helping Women...977-5541 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center...859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House...859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission...859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth...859-581-1111 Mathews House...859-261-8009 NKY Homeless & Housing Coalition...859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen...859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic...859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc...859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY...859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center...859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary...859-559-5011 VA Homeless...859-572-6226 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels...863-3184 Salvation Army...863-1445 Serenity House Day Center...422-8555 Open Door Pantry...868-3276 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource December 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Fighting the H8 The Place of Refuge Pg 2: The Vibe Pg 3: Eight Minutes with an ‘Honorable’ Pg 4: Drop Inn Center Continued Pg 5: Drop Inn Center Continued Voters Get Feisty in Year of Change Pg 6: Worse Than Nixon Pg 7: Our Radioactive Homeland Pg 8: Year in Review Pg 9: Year in Review Pg 10: The Bill Cunningham Doctrine Pg 11: Fighting the H8 Pg 12: A Goal for the Homeless Pg 13: Stars in Over-the-Rhine Pg 14: The Elementz of Poverty Pg 15: Sometimes the Library is No Place for Kids Pg 16: Resource Guide Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource December 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Margo Pierce Angela Pancella Michael Henson Larry Gross Alyssa Konermann Lew Moores Dede Stoops Alan Attwood Brittany Middlebrooks Terrence Williams Bill Joiner Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Richard Blumberg DeJong Family Berta Lambert Laura Damasceno Georgine Getty Lynne Ausman Joe Wessels Steve Novotni Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alan Attwood Alyssa Konermann Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Berta Lambert Bill Cunningham Doctrine Bill Joiner Brittany Middlebrooks Bush Cigarettes City Hall Dede Stoops DeJong Family Drop Inn Center Georgine Getty Gregory Flannery Joe Wessels Justice Worker Larry Gross Laura Damasceno Lew Moores Library Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Memorial Day Michael Henson Nixon Nuclear Weapons Over-the-Rhine poverty Refuge Richard Blumberg Sex Marriage Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Street Kids Terrence Williams Voters https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/70f6b4ca206fee9045287c56dc267ee9.pdf 772073a45794abfd7a9287fd13994a89 PDF Text Text THE TRI-STATE'S A Ll'ERNATI VE NE\VS SOURCE '"''' ''.l'iutih o1:u cltS9.o rg Food Banks Forced to Ration and Turn Hungry Families Away Due to Supply Crisis With C1ncir\nldi area fuod ban ks facing severeshonages, U.S. s~.u a:tor Sherrod BfO\\tn (l:>-OHj announcedonJanmuy IS, 2008.~ a rene"•ed efi"o1110 mmdt ~\\1a are the \veaJ thiesl .. ·:u ' I L ~- natson in the \\Oriel but \\e cannot teed our ov.11people." said Bm\\!U, the first Seoiuor push legislation to increase from Ohio in 40 yc..ttr.s to so~·c federal suppon. on tl10 tlgricwrureand Nutritioo 1n Oe.centbcr, BtO\Vn Con1.mittea " Food banks u1 introduced legisl~ tion \vil1ch Cincumnti anducross Otno are "Food banks in Cinci1u1ati and across Ohio are ruru1i.ng out of food. Th.is is an emergel:IL')' a.nd an o utrage." - Senator Br.own V.'OuJdprovide $40 nliJlion in nmningoutoffood. Tl1is is ao The 6 n1el'g_ency f oo·d tlssist.ance Program (TEFAP) funding to address the curren1 food b:1nk c risis until a pem1anenl fixcan be pJSSed in the Frun1 Bill. At d1e FreeStote en'l¢'rS-eli'-)' und ru1-0u tftige." Food banks are.supported 1hro ugt1 1hree sources. c:orporatc food dooaUOns rroin \\'holesalers, producers. and grocery stores thn1 h:.1v" a PoodBan~-•.BroiA'll d1sc.ussed surpJus: personal donations ~1 e1'11bers fforo I.be comouu:ilty selecl_yrocerles l(om the Free$tote FoodBru1k Of'1 Libert)· Str'eet pl:u1s 10 push the en1ergency Familiesare allo\ved 20 lbs ofgroci'ries. J!h"''Qb)•f.-puN". ltt;r111fln Continued on J>aee S 1,'gjsl:llioo lhrm~ C(>l~'11!S> this Rothenberg Academy ni. Over the Rhine to be Renovated 1hree years. Ouring lhe san1e \line Stree1 School. CurrenliS' rinw CPS notilicd tb• OvcrdJo th~ Now V'i.nc S1rce1 Sl:lhOol 1\bout lh.ree. years ago, Rb1n1?- Conmtuni-ty 1bnt they (Ro1henberg Preparatory Ciocll'wati Publi~ Sdiools c:ll11e plt!l)ned Qnclosing Wash1n_g1QO Ac~demy) is. housing the 10 the Over the Rhine J'ark Elementai:y School and nei$hborhood nnd said that \\Ould rebuild Jtoo dle southend Rotbonborg needed renovncioos. TI1ey explained tha11.hey plltloed 10 tetl:')()ve die. studerns fron1the building and remporunl)•conlbine1.h oo1,.,;d, thi: Ne·\\' \ 'i.oe Sucet School CPSsrud th31 once Roth~1100rg \\11$ reoovated d)<.--y '"°uld then move thestudents back into d>a ne\vl.Yrenovated building. l11stead, 1hey rt-nam...~ Ne\\• VmeStroetSchool,RQdtenberg Prepara:rory 1\cad.emy aJ'1d lefi 1hc building Vl:\C;lnl !Or thcpasl 1'fle school then had to cut·a nuro.bcr oftcncbcf$ a:t the start of the year. No\Y, n1any $1odentt;:haverecumedMd lhey ofWminb100 Park, Cinoinn:iti C'enter Ci1y Developn1e111 Corpor~tlon (JCDC) got iovolved and decided 1h.at the ne\\' SChool for rhc Creative l.lod Pcrforru.ir1g Artsnev.•home\\'Ould beat the south oodorW;)shh)gtoo Pai·k. \\1ashington Park Schoolis no''' closed, tom do\vn, ·and cotLStruc.1ion has started on SCPA. Students from dte then Wn.5hu'l£:IOO Patk Scl1ool \Vefe c-0mbi11t.-d into 1hc fomiLT Nc\v "lt ~vould serve not on!y as a.n inspixation, but an opportunity for sodely to invest in the brightness of our future..." andconOict in thebuilding mtd theooildiogitseU1s<lc.1crion11Jng asassessme1ttsorii,;oally called for 11 10 be closed due 10 subsuwdard conditions. \\'ith all of. this in 1nind, CPS ll fe,v months ago began to speak of th ree diff~ren1 1de.as. One \Vas 10 teat oo,.. n dieoldRolheoberg b1nlding ond neverreopeninga facilily. 'l11e Timothy WilLiams, father of3 who a ttend Rotl1enberg S{..°OOOd was to to.' lf it dO\\'U ood con:ibinariooof die d1reeschools are up to·about 390 students. rebuilding d1ereorson1e\\11ere and Ove1'the Rhine is dO\\lfl to lliey do not have enoush aod Lht; lhird " 'as to J'ebulld jlb1ooe com111unil)• sthool in lhe teachers. desks, or books. son1e\\•here or doing nothing They do not have a library, an and leaving 11 vacilllL for :i neighborhood. Ro1hecnber£; ·rrepara~ofy classes 0 1· nlusic classes. The \\ilile, it ~1red tht!)• \.\etequ1tt!. Acade111y had roo·n1 for 450 combination ofall theschoots seton t~aring it do\\'11. srudt:ois. l·lo"-evef the school aod teachel's has c.aused a di~ 001 haw1ha1many enroll. significant amount oP discord Conrinutd on pa:e 7 INSIDE THIS ISSUE LoN1J Ne.,v~ C o1111nunit)•N~'S lnc1'ea:;es iJl bttS fare \'tlll hil\I~ an affecton low in,-0n1e individuals. Page-l The Dro11lnn Ct!ntct c:elebrilles 30years 3.1 Eln1 and 12th in OTR. Pa.i;t• 6 GuestC'ol:un1n Burb11ta Flick 1olk.i.; nhout her ex1>erience; ,.,.,-th Tender i\1enres. l"t1g1.•. JO National Ne\VS 111e Uni1 ~d Stues bl!gins to uses horses tosecura 1he border. Pa~v J1 lnremat:iona.J Ne\VS ~l odcm politu::s lei)ds 10 Violence in Ke0}'3 after r~en l eJecuous. Pa.t:t~ I J �STREETVIBES About Us 2 TREETVIBE Siree1vlbes ll 7 East 12thStreel Cincinnati, OH 45202 phone: (51.3) 42 1·7803x 12 February 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes ls• newsp.ip<ir that plOvides relevant disc1.1ssinnsofhomelessness, poverty and other related social justice is'Sl.1e-3. lt is publishedonce a mot\U1by the Greater CindnnaliCoalition fo r the Monieless. 'l'heC1'E'alcrOr1cinnJli Co.alifion iorthehonleless isa groupof sl1~lters.. agenciesand i11Li ivit:luals colllmitted toending homeless In Cincin,,ati through coordinatingS<>rvlces, ed<1cating the public, and grassrootsorganizing. r•x.:(513) 421-78 13 Our Vendors s1,..,.,tvibes2@yahoo.oom \VVil\V.cinciOOmeless.org GCCH Staff l'Xt:(Vl"IVEOIRECl'OR GeorginoC.e1ty - Alfred \Vool.folk A nlll0f1)' \Villlani.s Antonio llodg• 8e11n Oeo David lan1tic1·t \\10 1nbll'S \\'111.kiu..~ ADrvUNISlltATIVECOORDINATOR Sus J..11 $1nith £DU'C'A'flONCOOl~D·l~'fOR Andy Froeze k\1ERICORPS \llSJi\ Grady Jamt.s Lyi1ne',.\us:rnun ·cook Dnnyoll Jon D11rby u ·askcr-ville Josephine Ai\'ll:RICQRJ-'SVTSfA G reg Olkhovsky AJ\1"1Uf lCO:RPSVl$1'1\ 'J'lf(a11y l·lam1on AllAPROJECT~lk"'IAGER Julie \Vnllier Lt'oUi*l'd ~1a•·k Ma11· Nell ··1onia JacksCln C:impbdl ~.l uf.•lJc1· \Villinrus H nl<)' Rat~l !l\\1 11 RiCCil.rdO Ssu11 ·Sil"in Tony Rn~un1•d (;iJ>SOO T.iylor ,Jackson Collin$ 011JJTim(M'.1rl Jones Kenneth Chcriyol ........ RECF.l'OONISTS Melvin Willia1ns. Delln.\>\7oofer1s Streetvibes CU(<TRlBV11N¢WRffl!R$ Lyr1.ne 1\u..ttn1nn, Greg C>lkJ'lovsky, Mkh-Oet Menson, Sieve Sunderland, llarba ra V.lick,Andy Freeze, Alyssa Konermarin Pl~OTOCRAPHY/AR'l'\\'ORK Andy Freeze. ~ynne Ausma1\ Antonlo Hodge, Anthony Williams, Berta Lambert, Melodie Pickenst her. Jimmy Meath 75 t·e1tl,f g'1t!S tllr~ctly ' '' J'{/ttr ''e11rlor CO\'ER Memberes in the<.-ommunily pick ot1tgroceries at the Freestore Foodbank on Liberty Stl\.'Cl We are members of: Veitdt>r$ hllJI l/1t' Jft1perfur .t.'i t'Wb' t1•/1ic/1 pl•J"'·for 11rot/11<:tlo11. Cincnmati Holds Quarterly Street Count In f ac1, l \VO weeks ago i n ~·lad i son vi ll.e. a ho111clcss indiv1dut\l On T uesda)• Janunl)• 29 No11h Am('1i,:;1n St r1~1 Newspaper Assotiatioo IN SP ../ l'uttr11ati<111al Network of Strttl Papet'S In fact Stre-etvibes sales up O\'i:r 40~~ in the last 6 months O\•t r lhl!' over was 'Sleep1 ng 1n his car \\then d1e 1>rev1ous year. o ulreac.h \VOrk~ r s a nd SJ)lll'~ heater bl! .hud caught ljrc ru1tl vol un1eeres 111et at the Greater ultimately led to his denth C1nt:inna1l Coa li tlon for the TI'1ete is vety li1nited lf My spaco Homc l ~ss: nt -l ·am 10 coJl d u cl 3 loft in thesh:eltcrs and the cmcrtcncy s treet count cold shelter only opens, '"'hen d1e \Vhlle 1he nun1bers wlll not b~ ltntpdttllur~ ur \\'Utd chill rt!athes 0 l \Vl.'ri t y fi nalized until the middle o f d egre~s februru·y, the.total nurnbet is 1101 the Sales of Stteetvibes ri1•e up 0 \ 1tr point The poinl is lhat there a rc 20% from Jnnunf)' 2007 Thanks hundreds of1> _eople thar are,ste.eping_ for yo-ur continued support of dle :\$you ntlg.h tex1iett Strectvibt!S is in n lrans ilion period afler the passing ofour Edi16rJint1uy Flc-a:tlL \Ve hav6 begun the search for !'l ne'v e-01tor While \'le \Viii nev.er be 1Wle to r~lru:~ Jl011uy nud 1hc \VOtk he did1 we hope ,.,,jll be able 10 continue 10 be the voice in th~ c:ommun1ty that covers sto1ies th;lt rhe main s1rean1 111ed1a do.es· nor vendors aud the paper >A•hith Strives. tO\ll!r abandon buildings and in the ears. 10 bri·ng sto ri es rha1 tlre oft~n Nex1 n1on1h·s anicle deadlin.e Is Sleeping outside 111 the ele1neurs overlooked by th e 1uains ttenn·1 February I 5 Thanks for your prcseJ.its problems fo r indi,•iduaJs. media. s-upp<>n. Qut on 1hcst1ee1s, under brl d_ges, In �STREETVIBES The Vibe Febru a·ry 2008 3 Shutter Speed By the Numbers 58 °Ai crfpee11le believe· homelessness has incceascd inlhe l!!St I0 years. 7°/o of people believe it has decreased. 26°,1, say tba~dn1g"'lnd alcoliol al5usi: is lhe primary oal:ISe of homclessn.css 18°/o believe.thatjob Kelly Carr. fQm1~:r Am..:nCorps vtJlun1ecr \1-ith 1hcGrc.a.1cr('1ncin11ntl Coalition for 1hc Hmi:less., held a benefit al Rohs Stre~t Cafe 10 benefrt Streetvibes. The event raised O\ler SI00. P/tQtobJ .\f('/();.fi r /:icJ('11s<hcJ: lo$$()r unemploymel)Lis the-primary cause 44% ofJ.he pub I i~ $lUd 1he FederalGovemnienl should be most responsible inagdrcssing homelessness Mr. a11d Mrs. Homeless Downtowner Mr. Homeless Downtowner i\ls. Homeless Dowtowner Name: Edwnrd Ellery llon.1e10,n1: Cinci.ooari, Ohio Neig.bbo1i1ood: Ove[ 1.h e Rhine Fn~oal te iutc.1~1: -\\'a1cl11nispo11s, especially Nan1e: ··1 erri Reller Eloo.tetowo: U>uiS\1llc-. Kcu.tucky Nti~hbo11Jood: Oifton foo1ball 311d playing basketball I ran ·Lt'C.'Sist:1be \V3rmth of tl1esun I cnn' t r't'sist·: Sv.•eetTea I ran• tstan<I it " 'hen: Poople disrespect me If I ,,·(lr.i the loife.r)' I \\'OuJd: ,Help OUlirJ}' fui:nily 'l be one thin~ I' d cbanj!t ab!)or Oiew·o1'ld would be: Depressioo ru'ld po' 1e1ty [f I cou.1<1 have done it all o"·er a~ain I" 'ould have: Not 111n a\\'3Y fron1hol'ne l.-Ovc to 1.1.e is: A kids smile: I C'.:ln 't-stand it " ·heo: 'PeopJc irritstc m<: If I_Yi'OOlbt lotte1·y I \\'Otdd: Be one happy person T he on(I rh.ing. J1d cha.og1:~ abour tbt u·aJ'ld ,,,ouJd be: Tony and make eveiybody happy I( (could hll\'Cdoneitall O\'tr again I would h:~ve : Floishcd school 44°/o ofad'u.lts say that ats<>rretinie they have· 1Bken in aiTiena or relative who was facing 11omclessness hadtl'le)'. not providedshelter f a,•01i1e.i.t11tres1: ~ty gtnt1dChlldreo Love to u.lt" is: ~·1 eeu ng .a loveJy person 77°/o ofaClultspecceive honiele,<;S people as beln& ap lLI1-individu als ••All infumwion ~in frulnieMl!e. '"HomefessinAmerita; Americans Pcrcep6on, Altirudeia11d Koowle<lgo," November2007 ----------------------------------------------------· t>onate to Streetvibes J I T~e rnorl!'supwn we have from th,e com1nunity, the furtherouretfors reacl), Our work is possible only with tile he.Ip ofgenerous individual gifts. 'You c.nn don·ate.online www'.eh1ciliol\\Cless.org . ' Please consider making a comrThu.lion toosyl 1 : Enclose<! is my iax-deduclabl<!'co111nbutio11 of: l I Name: - - - - - - - - - - - - - $25 Or make cbooks payabl;i 10: Addnlss: - - - - - - - - - - - ­ S.treetvibcs 117East 12ll1St:reet, e'ity I ~tate/ 2!ip: - - - - - - - - E:'iocmnuti. OH ~5202 sso ,$ JOO S·150 Other s_ T hank you forgiving generously! I I I I I I I I . ________________ ______________ ______ _____________________ ____ .. . _. . _.. �STREETVIBES Local News 4 February 2008 Metro Raises Fares: City Council Approves In.crease h.J? I J·1111e ; lttj't1w11 ... opposed tho fare- increase because it providesno irnproventenrin On Janu::iry 15, 2008, 1he service, ~ult.~111 I.4 nl.iJlil)1t.fi!-\\el'l'1des, Southwest Ohio Regional Transit ;uKI 'viii impose additional blu:de:ns on Aulhority (SORT; \ )1..stiliedbefore ~le \\<Otklugpoopleduting tough llnruicutl City COtUlcil FirooccCon1rni1100., a.skins tirne.t;,.,S.1.yS Cran lt1)', M.etro sta.tes for their suppon ~----------~ 1 and OJ>Pt0\ 0.I 1n "I just th ink it's a bit tha1U1eforemcreose raising tliebus tare much. You can never is d.ue10 rising fuel by Jif\y COOL' lli< COS($, l~ck or ~ltllC break even! 111e funding, widoldbus Fin~ncc Conunirtee.aftera minimum '"age jus t replacement Mc.io pl'esentation an.d a slat~ U\!ll more 1.hru' \•VEmt u p and now the !'1% of their bus series of questions fare is going up. S<ive a Oect1sov~rclev~11 fro nt couuel l­ membL'I$. vot·c.d penny here and you lose y cn'rs .old •he to approve the 't therel" awrngehfeumefura l · buslS t\\'elveyears. increase John Cranley, chair of 10is is not a the. Fi nance -Della \\•ho riLi es the bus to rc.co 1nulenda1ion C'ornmlr1ee was arid l;J'OO\ \vork e\1eryda}'' tha1 \ V e mak~ the o·nty n1e1nber ~----------~lightly," said Setzer. presen11ovoh.! agains11.hef.'Ve 111crease. ···But 11 ·~ imperative tlrnt we 1ake l~rnnley qu~stioned f\.fetro CEO appropriateaction now to spare much ~liohnel Sei:zctaboul the fltt'e increase 1t>ughetdt..'Cis1nns in d\C ful'urc." and its impli<.-ations, CmnltJ)•madehliT\<fctro plans to purch1lSc the. n1orc opposition cl ear throughhis comments. fuel eftlcloot., bio-diesel bus'"hi<.il ' viii regardi.ng the lo.ss of ride.tSh1p due 10 n o 1ottl)' help keep fuel ~ts lo'ivbut 1L increasedfaresnndthelackofimproved 'viii also l?e· more pleasing to the services, CraJ1ley s0t1ctl th~t b~ 11ouJd sutt-oµnding co1nrnµ1U1y as !Jle bus is undcr.5tand and increase in fti rcs if the quieter "I 1nke the bus ii.\ '() or three ·available services \verealso incroosed days a \\leek to sa\.'eon fuel and to help rul approptrntean)()lmL do "1>' ptu110 save.theer\v1ronmenL, but Cmnle.>•concludedhisinterrogation I am just going to dri\re my car n1ore by rc.n1inding Setzer of his pro1nise. ofl.eii nO\V. Afifty c.eot irta ea.o;e is too m·adc Inst year, to earl)• 01.11 nine Cit)• muoh, cspcc i~l ly \11hcn 1hc h u~ is not Cotu1cll recon1nlendations. SORJA has. going to run n\'ore o ften~· 'says an not implemented. any of cl>e rt.lne the ~onal busnder. rooomrneodarions. TI1ecommw1.ityseems t<> agree \\ith 1\ ,&<enllemt:in boards the bus at C'.O\i'et'n1~1e111 Squllte. 1.te \viii soon have to p:ly $0.SO lllOru per o de, /lf1()IQ fly t~r11111,• , IJ1,fl/U~I CranlC)• In Over the Rhine.n.'$1d¢nlS 100$1. " JJUSl thnlk it"s a b111n1.1ch. You can ne,rer break even! The minintum v.-erenotsh}' about their disapp<oval tl1e fat~ iJlC:rbBSr!. ·1111}\ sue.ks! \Veou1 \\'agej us1\IA!llt up and no\.\1 dle fnreis bRrely scrape up the Sil'' says Nina. a gojng up, Savo a JH:nn~· hcrt! 11n<l you bus 1ider and residentQf01R ft isclear lose it thero1" says Della Be prepared, the UlCrease l$ tn •hat the.fare 1ncr~''~ Uhun those are struggling to ntake ends me.et the efleel asoffebrnaiy 3, 2008. or '''°° ISSUES 2 WHAT'S AT STAKE? J O IN lJS for DAYS O F DIALOGlJ.E. What better tin1e than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us all OU R P URPOSE is to create an environn1ent where people \vith differing vie"vs can listen and be listened to, and civil discourse can occur. 'i¥flEN: Each dialogue \Viii be he.Id on Saturdays fi·ou1 9an1 to 12 noon Wl:lERE: first Uni tarian Church (536 Linto11 St) al corner ofReading - Free & Open to the Public ­ Reservations Re.que$ted. RSVP l0 513-579-8547 wvvw.ijpc-cinc innati.org Ecenomic Develc>pment March 15 rare �STREETVIBES Local News Febru a·ry 2008 5 Food Banks Need Your Help C ontinued frc1n1 page I fron\ theco111111u11ity; nnd govemDJt!lll ~i$1ar1ce including tb.J1n co1n1nodilies andTEFAPfro the U.S.Departmentof Agric.ulture (USDA). Don3nans from aJI lhf\.'C SOUn:CS h~\'C· dimrnlshqd ror n1a11y food bru1ks. Gr~ater i11ven.to1y i:n1ciel1C)' has lt'!d tOlov.' er levefs or oorpOrntedonations.personaldonations 1ypicolly full after the holidays, and bii;h mar~ol prices havo resulted in fc,vcr purchases by USDA. 11ighetdernwldin tl1e fooe offo'i\er ··Supplies had led to.a crisis across lhe oounuy. 1:EF1\P fund1ng fbr Ohio has decreased 8 1 pcrcc111 since 2003 According co Second. 1:1.arvest fOOd bru1ks v.•ill rw1 out of reSt)utces b)' Februaiy. five months early. Brov.fl ~s legisJafion \\"Ouldpmvide S40 nullicx1 inertleJ£t'SlC)1TEF1\Pfi.nd11tg to address the current food bank crisis m1til a pw1m.nent Ii:-.: can be passed :.1S p~n of' the forn1 bill, The St.'noto increased TEFAP fron1S140 n1iJlion anrtuaJly IO $250 mi1li0t1in iL'ivi:l'Sio11of thefivm bill. The houseMd Semuohuve passed separate \•ers1011~ot"rhe Farnl Bill. ·\\<lore. and n1ore Ohioans need food assistttnce.but thete i..-; less and I~ food to go around. Standing in li11e at rood ban.ks. working ran1iJjes are tecWringon thcod&"C. Fnmilics arc filcing an inlp05Sible choice this winter- heat 0 1· eat \Vi1h fl\Ore peo~,le in need. the govemmentlll\IStcon..edlrough..,Bro''" said. What You Can Do to Help ContacLYour Senators and Repre-$entatives and ask them .Donate to food banks and pantries in your area. to vote for Senate Bil.I 2431 and House Bil l 4788. Ohio Ohio Senator George v·oinovicl1 Re1J. Steve Chal>ol (202) 225-2216 (202) 224-3353 Madisonville Education and Assista nce Center 4600 Erie Ave. F reestor e Foodba nk 1250 Tc.aaessee Ave Ci11cinna1i. OH 4S202 (s13) 24 1-1064 Cincinnat; . O H 45227 Senator She1Tod Brown (202) 224-23 IS Kentucky Senator JUn Bunaing (202)224-4343 Rep. Jean S.chmidt (202) 225-3164 Kentucky Rep. Geoff Davis (202) 2.25-3465 Senator Mitch McConnel I •• (513)271-5501 • • • • O ver the Rhine/\Valnut Hills Soup ·Kif'C hen Pant ry 2631 Gilben Ave Ci11c1.nnati, OH 45206 (513)% 1-1983 Soc.iety of St. Vincent DePaul 1125 Bm1k Streer Cincinnnti, OH 45214 (5 13)562-8841 (202) 224-254 1 Streetvibes Subscriptions .t\re you iotere&ted in having Slree'tllibes delivered to your mailbox every monlh. .. ' ... ~...:· . • •; • •:e, .....·~· ...."...... ' :.•••~.·;14- ~ ........ Send a check for $25 with your name and !!Qdress to: 1'S1re-e1vibes lJ7E.J2thSt Cincinnati. OH 45202 t'·~ · , ..-----..... I !(NOW... ISN'T IT WONOERFOL? i'VE ~EEN !>REAMING MOOT PAYING THOSE !(INDOF WAGES FOR YEARS! �6 Community News STREETVIBES February 2008 Drop Inn Center Celebrates 30 Years at Race and 12th ST. Thirty Years Ago by Michael Hcoson A ,vj ntcr storm movt.'S in and settJes oo the city stroets. 1110 froZ£ngargoylesofCiiy Hall leer from theirpornpcta Fl'OSl gnps thepari< benches ";th cold wh11e fins~ Snow dusls lhe eaves of1he1cncmcots a!M&RooeS!ree<. VmeSaoet, 14• ond the sad namele.-s alleys d!ai "'"offRep.t>loc. Snow caps the parking meters and blinds die "'indows oftho parked~ It isa deep, perfect, silcncingsno'v lluu muflles thesoundsofdle sireitS, die cars Of1 Central Paiicway, lhesnatches ofmusic 1ho11hump from thejukeboX<S ofMainStroot. end the softened danorofa11\lc:k bang loaded Into 1hesnowsreps a group ofragged shadows. 111reeor fo ur at first, then 1nore, then lens and twelves. 111ey shi""r• blink bock Ibo snow. pull lheirsiecond-hand coats tighte<, llld51188«,Slep. orshuflle as Ibey.,. able. southward clov.11 Main S1reet, Some ml k, somegJUmble. and SO Ille are silent as the snow, bu1 1hcy walk in something like order.something liken 1narch. 111C)• walk as if. at thoend of1hcir march. d1et0might be somedunglike l'<lpe. l'atlapslhey-aippledby ll<Clhol, for 1hey do 001 ~ it is theiob ofthe poor to diesilcn1 and in some other place. Do\.\11r-v1run, they srumblesouth to I?" Street Those at the head of the line slOp fora moment They puzzle. where are wesupposed to go? BUI 90111000e tdls them, solhey rum '"'"'-'coonnue thar nwdi. They do not seem ro unde"""1d iris d~ 111issionof the miss~•ded 10 lose thei11Selves quiedy, and in son1eotherplace. Do"" 12"' to Walnui. Ibey lt111>11ld shuffle in thoirbmteredmanner ond pw under the cold eye of Oennarua, th•• gte3t "erdigris goddess, perfect in limb and J>()61ltre. But 1hey il!flOre her; they do not look up. They do not seem to undorsttind i1is 1hejob ofthe broken to keep on breaking. quie~ and u1 some olher place. Past WolnuL lhey cross Jack>0n v.bere a prostitute eyes d!em. Shese.ms tosee herselfin them and she SI0"1)S ber foot for and rums IWll)'. The \loOnlen anX>Og the sMd:w.1 n1uttersonlelhing and the 111er1 look do"n and lhcy all keep marching. They do not seem to wlderstond it is the taslc ofthe S<Omed to bwy lheir poin clov.n die rood in some quiet, dis&lnt plll<C. The shodowscl'<l5S into the gJ3111 ofVme Srreet and lhel1ght is not kind for it glitters on thcirsno\vy mgs and liiJus lhe broken placesoo theircheeks andmarks die red nnis that circle mar eyes, But lhey nwch oo. They do not seem tooodersl:1nd i1 is die duty of lhe~ to hide lho r broken txxUcs S<elll., quiedy llld msomedism:n place They nwth lheirshi"ering nwd1 pos1 Gkissiog<r's and as they march, some gaze like lovers into the darkened \vindov.'S for they have already begun ro nchc Md shiver for the'"; ne ihas v.-ai ts there. 811 lhey mlf"Ch and lremble and Ibey do nol seem to undersllnd itislhe1-bili1yoflhefallcn to \\hisper theirsins to a cold, d:iy confessionaJ in somedistant plaoo. They maroh Jl<ISt Raoe Street and lheparl< ";lh ilSgteat black trees and some loolc sideloog IO w1uch O.C pall< fill up wilh snow They keq> on. ooe after anocher, for they do no1 seem to undefsland it is in the interestofall that die abandoned take thetr loss to a quiet c.'fllpty ticfd in romo distant pince. Dov.fl they nlard1to Elm v.hcre they glw,.,. ioward Ibo floodlights facingMosic Holl and Ibey do no1 to ooders!and rt is lheobhgabOn of die undenau!il>t IO spare the senses oflhe culrured and to die. Quiel In son1eotherplace. Not here. Birt therassod shadows march on, just a few nlOrostunlbling steps and through lhese doors agaill$l al1Ja,v, all rule.all duiy forlhepoor 1hat they mi&ht fllld w:umdi. and a liule food and achance at life. Through these doors, these Iawlcss doors. Right here, and no1 in somedlsmnt place. """°' Tbiny yemha"e )lOS.'ed. Icwmottell you ifdiese shodowslivedordurifully cliod. But I know Uiedogsish cold Slill folio"~•• tl,.hoelsoflhe poor The ha"tish ,.;.d Slill v.histlesdo>.<11 the alleys. The gargoytcsofC11y ball test theirv.inp wt wait their orders. But the arrogant poor still march, They walk theirragged, crooked mile igi1orancof la,vordury in search ofa liule warmth., a little food, a linle moreofli fe than others ''°"'d allow lhem. Weh3ve mardled through the$n0\•s Ind sunsofduf1Y yean. M111Yhove come end gone duough these doors. And we honor each of them. For hct'C\ in this pince, v.-e renounce 1he law thatsays lite poor 1nus• die for lhecomfon ofUte unoomfo""1Jle. We abrogote lhc rule that says a \\onw\ musi freeze for lhe wamnh of1he v.~U-hoosed or that achild n1 ust starve to feed thewell-fed. Here today, \VCdeclare, chereis oo lawbut the law of love. There is no rule but the ruleofj~nce. There is no duty but the d'")' ofhope­ Janu:uy 12. 2008 0 �STREETVIBES Community News February 2008 7 Athens County Holds ''Walk for the Homeless'' Fundraiser en~e. in the other tv.'O lengthy "<alks participatedin 1heMiniWalk. The 100 yard walk was followed by a video that generated a \\'Orth\\•hile and inforn1ative conversation about the plight of1hchomeless and thcsmigglcs ofthose in poverry. A n1oderator led the di scussion and educated participants about the realities ofthe poor in this region. UJ>On completion of the. e.vent. participants gathered in the First about rural homelessness '"bile also United f\.tethodist Church \~here a rice incorporating the teachings of Dr. and beans lunch "'as served.. The 6111 Martin Luther King Jr. annual \\'alk for the Hon1eless evenr Walkers \vho were unable to \va.5 truly an overall success. b,v (/reg Olk/1ov:•;ky commun i ty of hope to peop l e Walk introduced basic concepts and On Saturda)•, January 29•, arolmd 400 participated in a walk for the hon1eless in Athens, Ohio. The walk helped raise awareness and educate the public about rural homelessness in southeast Ohio. The event took place from 9:00 am. until 1:00 p.m. A ll of the money raised by individuals participating in the Walk wi II be used to assist the homeless through the Good Works Timothy House. where almost 75% of their funds come fro nt pri,•ate donations. Good \\'orks is a Christian based agency that strives to ere.ate a loving stmgglli:ig 'vith homelessness, poverty and recovery issues. They seek to acoon1plish dteir goal ofassisting dtose in need dtrough connecting clients \vith properpeople, programs and services. Good Works was founded in 1981. In 2001 , Good Works' 24 ho ur operating e1nergency s helter 'vas renan1ed the Tintothy House. The Timothy House serves homeless people fro nt nine southeast Ohio cow'lties. The400 plus participants had 1he option to partake in one of three educational "ialks. The 2.2 miJe.J<ids issues about ho1neless11ess to children and parents. Kids \Valk participants also learned about the teachings of Dr. Marrin Luther King Jr. and ho\V n1any of his beliefs have never been truer than they are today. The Myth Walk specifical ly focused on learning about the serio usness of Appalachian homelessness. This 3 mile walk challenged myths and s tereotypes Cincinnati Public School Board Decides to Renovate Rothenberg Continued fron1page1 CPS came to 1hencighborhood and saidthar the)• could nor renovatebecause it \VOuJd cost 100 much. They said it v.'Ould cost more to renovate it than to tear dov.11 andbuild nevv. Since then t\\'O groups have been V.'Orlc.ing to save the school. One group comes from theOTR Fow1dation. This is a group of business people, Their printary role has been ro \VOrk v.1th architects to calculate.\\lhat the actual costs v.<ould be to build new and to renovate. The othet group is OTREPS (OTR Education in Public Schools). lllis is con1bination effort ofparents, tesidents, Peaslee Neighborhood Center, Contact Center and OTR C.00101unity Housing. On November 1st the- Contact Center hosted a School Board Candidates fo rum at Peaslee Neighborhood Center in v.ittich the candidates \\iereasked ifd1ey supported and "'"uld tiglit !Or1hc renovationof1hc old Rothenberg school. They all said yes. On JanuaT)' I l 'h, the OTR Foundation group sent a letter to Rosa Blackwell 1hat summari:oxl 1heir findings, including d1eir beliefthat ir \\'Ottld cosr less 10 rehab Rothenberg and that this children and prut'flts ofOver-1hc-Rhinc to make an achievable and realistic change in ourcommuniry by tenO\'ating and reopening the.doors ofthe historic sireoftl1e old Rothenberg Elen1ental)• School." "Over-the-Rhine is built with terribly strong people who knovv right from vvrong." -Josh Spring, Residen t Services Coordinator, OTRCH s hould be done. On Janual)• 14•h OTREPS went to the school board meeting. Timothy \\'ii Iiams, afatherof three boys who attend Rothenberg spoke to the board and strongly told 1hom that Rothenberg mustbe rehabbed and reopened and that the con1n1w1ity andchildren ""'perately need this. He said, "'Ir \li'OUldserve notonly as an inspiration, but an opportunity for societ)• to invest in the.brightness of our furure and to offer a chance to tl1e Rosa then statc'<lthat it was the intent oftheAdi1tinistrarion ro recon1n1end to the board that the school be renovated. On January 2s•, OTREPS and the OTR Foundation \Vent to the board meeting . Four people fro m the foundation !lJO~ spoke. '[hey presented brieny the fact thatrehabbing is cheaper and n1ore sustainable. The>• also explained ho\v intportant ir is to the oommuni1y. Josh Spring, a resident services coordinator with OTR Community Housing has been 'vorking to keep the school in theneighbolilood. Hesiates, "Over-the-Rhine is built with terribly strong people \vho kno\V right front \Vl'Ong,. 'fhjs community $8\V that the track recordofCPS in Over-the-Rhine and the direction they "'ere plar1ning on going \vith Rothenberg and the­ con1n1unity v.•as wrong. So instead of being \valkL-don. Over-the-Rhine stood up, flexed its 1nuscle ofstrong people and fought back. Ovet-the-Rhine is \vinning.. Ovcc-the-Rhinedemands to havethe greatest say in dte rin1etableof therenovation, the physical s1andatdsof the renovation ood1hequality academics in the building. Over·the·Rhine \viii oontinueto"<in." 'f'he up hill battle continues as neighborhoodsroups fight to keep1heir only school arolDld and to impro're the education d1attl1eirchildren receive. Celebrate Fat Tuesday and Help a Good Cause Mardi Gras Fundraiser for Homeless Children Information: When: February 5, 2008 6:30 pm - IO:OOpm Where: Northern Kentucky Convention Center Cost: $50per person, Tables: $600-$700 Tickets: Call 859-291-6572 Proceeds benefit 4 Greater Cincinnati agencies Brighton Center's Home\vard Bound, Welcome House ofNorthern Kentucky, Bethany House Serv ices, and Mercy Franciscan al St. John. �Vendor Artwork 8 STREETVIBES February 2008 Abstract Ball by Antl1on y Willian1s Berta's Art Corner A Heart in a Rose ls a Valentine 1833 Vine St. Over the Rb ine �STREETVIB ES February 2008 Vendor Artwork 9 Black David Letterman by Antonio Hodge A Little li un1or Uy Cleo Wombles Thece\\'as.a pilot, priest. sn1a.nes1nlan. in 1he \\'Orld. a:ud a hipp1egaLheted l11at1:u1p.lane.. While.they were Ry.Ing. th~, \I/erehavfngengine probl~ntS. Thepilm said. '·\\t-e only have3 parachutes... ·n1e piloL1ook oneandj untpedouL 111e·s111a11esi rnao io the \VOrid said...They nr..'\.'d m.c.~· sohe look n parachute andjumped out. Thep.riest·said to the.hippie. ""l _guessonly ooeol"u.i:t is go1ng10 h\11!,..., l11e h1pv.lesaJd, ..No \'nlY 0Jtd--io, The-smartcsl 1n:ln in the \l.'Orldjumpcd ou1,.,.;th my sl"'!lmgbag." The Woman by Antonio Hodge L'ooki•lgU:I her as the with; her beauty is l'.'udionr3S tbcgiceno.ry ofthe eanh. lier vo1ce1s S\VOOl as die \\ttnd t.lllll blO\\S in d1esunui1t1.r 111gh1 rut. J.ler body •S·hke dteeatth, teady 10 receive the seed. ,vheJ'ea.4>. she can bloo111it ;u theeanh blooms 1rees. Jlo\\~rs. fnu1s. :lad \1!'ge1ables. Y<.'8. ycsl say. 1}lQ \\•oroJtn isa nost to I.be homeofma11 i1J nU her k1t0\\ ledge and understandjng. The\\'Olllan laysbxk tohear tl1ecall ofher l't \!ll\ md1e.\VJnd. \'lilt et . tife ru:id rur, hetearsray to Lhelnoer pea.ceofhearing theGod /vi.an 'Alice! 1 �10 Poverty and Addiction by Michael H enson Dt>nijiw. /)Q1r ~let tJ>~>'hodJ1fre1. Rejoice. These \\<ere the last v..o rdsJin1n1y l>leaLh srud 10 me. Not the vety last v.'Ords-hcsrill had somejoking to do and hesaid a prayer \\~th n1e. Sul they v.-ere the message he tell me with and I cherish the \.\'Ords. l'iis voice ..vas vety v..eak by then - his voice ,vasaJ.,"ayssoft. but by thl,.., it \Vas just a v.hisper- and his fiancC Brer1da had to translate for me. But he hadthe fa1110usJi.111niy Heath snUJe. For dloseofyou vAlo did oot know him. Jimmy Hc.-a.th -James Randall Heath-photographer. ait ist, educ.ator, JOun1alis1. activist- ..vas the editor of th.is newspaper. He died just before 0 1ristmac; la~t yearaftetalotlg. li.ngenng illness He \V<tS a national and inten1atiooal leader'u\honleles.s,ounlalismand, before his last illn ess took O\•er, 'vas ,rice­ presidetltof the Notlh Ametican Street Ne,\>1l)apc:cAssociation. hi thatrole. he traveled to Montteal and Argentina to represent Streer~·ihcs. vAlich. under his editorship, \VOil praise and recognition. (It also trused the hackles ofa certajn mayor.) Jin1n1y also traveled to Cuba, Nicaragua and El Salvadot and docun1ented those trips \.\iith his big. blac.k camera l>Je spent several months in St. Louis and \Vashinf,rton. O.C. on a fello" •ship co sn1dy \vays to e.n1po,ver tl1e horneless. But thegreatestjourney he took \v.tS froo1\\'ashington Parle to tlh! Drop lrlt'I Center. from addic.tion and hon1elessness co reoovery. /Joli lji'Ct. he said. Rejoice~ l·le ..va.o; t\vo days a'vay from that last journey v.hen helefl dlOSe instructions. l11ey are a g.rcatcon.solation to me and thc.-y arca gtear reminder, for l have so often been fretful - ..restless, irritable. and STREETVIBES Columns February 2008 The Beauty of Photography J\!fichael Henst>n is au1ht>1· ofRansack. .-1 S.,uall Roo111 " 'ith 7h>ublc 011 1\lfy J\!filui. 111e 1iio <if/.,()11gi11g_.a1KI C1v•v Call. 11us c,"f)/1u11n i$ Jl(Jn <ifa u1(1111hlJ' series (In JJO•~er1y ancl ac/(/i(:tion. disc:ontetited... in the 'vords ofa book someofus kno,vv.-elL 'There ren1ains a great deal to fret about in the wol'ld and a great deal of fretting goes on every day. Jinu1iy kne\\' a lot about the ftetfulnatureofthe v.otld. Hehad seen a lotofit and he had taken picturesofa lot of it. He had 'vrinen a lotabout it But he kne..v90rnethingabout j oy. enough to ren1ind us about it as his last v.'Ords to the 'vorld. 111ete is. in nc:arly evcl)•imaf,oehclt.-ft us.melc.'1Tl<.'l'lt ofjoy. I tecall Jinuny·s photo of a n1an ,vaJking do\.\'11Raoe Street. \\'e see hin1 froo1the teat, slightJy out ofcenter. It must have b<.'('1, 1 a ..,~nter day, for he \\fears a hooded, insulated coat \\'e see nothing about himexcept thru . an1idthe clunerof v.~n dows and signs to the left and tl1e sidewalk liner to the right. he stridt.'S tOrv.·ard. his arms rais<.-d as if he \vefeabout co cakeflight In 1>hotography,you find ,vf1ru you look for. Jinutl)' could have caught the o\iloat another OlOOle:t'lt, ata tinle - ..ve all ha,icthem- \vht.'11 hcv.'9S dov.11cast and oppressed. lnstead, he caughc the 01110 in a n1oment ofetrujor1,a nlOnlent ofapparentjoy. The i111age is startling, for in such a place.you do not expect to find anythingbut miscoy. When I"'Y !hat Jin1n1y caughl lhar nlan in a n1on1entof elatior1.1 n'teal1 lle ,vag lookingfor it. f<le kne\\•son1eho"' it \\<as there. Jimmy oflen spokeofpho1ograpl1y and hov.• the poor arc depicted in photography. 'Though he v.•anted to docun1ent the dan1age done by ho111elessness and poverty, he did not 'vant to build his career on someone elsc'sdt.-gradation, He \V3Sin the school of Dorothea Lange, Walker Evans, and Dot1s Ulln11111. f<le 'vas not at all in the school of son1e others \\<ho I V.'On' t name, because it is ..vhai tl1~· look for. to fi nd those moments \\ih<.'fl the poor seeo1freakish, odd, alien.Jin1nl)' Heath did 001 flinch fron1dq>ictingthe livesof damaged people - he fully embrac:OO backgrounds, also c.atefull)' shot. you the role of the documentary phot<>g1apher- bUI like Lange, Evans, 1111d Ullrn1111. he \\'llr\ted to respect their diri>iry alxw•all. ..BrokenCity'· '...as tf1e nantehe gave hisS<.-riesofpho10&""IJhsoflhohomcless, but the people you see are not broken and theitdignityshines dtrough. I think of his portraits of Helen Ed'vards and N1111nie l·linkston. l·lis might not knov.•thcpo..vcrofJimmy's vision.111is is beauryv.-ithoutsenrinle11t, beauty gro..vn up tl1e hatd 'vay, tl1e sort ofbeauty that thrustsup front the cracks in tl1e sidewalks and Bll'IOng the broken bricks ofa 'iac.ant lot. ·r11ebeautythatv.'aS Jin1n1y hinlSel.f came u1> the srune ..vay. l>Je n1ade no secret of his alcoholism. The long, Iin&-enng Illness tl1a1 tookh1n1 B\V'B)' may Jinu11y Heath's photographs \veteable to depict the digniry ofpeople. Ph<>tob.v .Ji111n1 ' //;:(lth. inU1ges ofthese 'vomen tel.I evel)1.hi.ng about the ha~d hves th~· have led. but light fallsoo lh<'fTl like a blessing. Th•')' resonate \vith hard-earned beaury. Beauty v.•as aJ,vays part ofJirnmy Heath•splan. andnevernt0reclearlythan 1n his series offlowerphotos - lovcly, v.-ell-crafted images ofgardc.'fl flo.,vcrs and ..,~ldfto ..vets in full blooni, each in sharp. close focus agair\St a backdrop of urban decay. For this series, he left behind dte ttadibonofblack-aod·v.h1te doc.umentaiy photography. These flo,versare in full, glo1iouscolorand. if you did not pay attention to the have been a latent product ofhis years ofdrinking. And it is a greatso1m,vtha1 some people \\<hO kne\vhim tov.-1U'd the end neverk11C\vthe fuJ I Jinu11y. His v.1t din1n1ed, his rl'l1nd slowed To..vard the end, he even quit taking pictures. Al times, it seemed, heJuSt \v.l.nted to give up. But attheend, itseen1ed he v.'aS che oldJi1n1ny l·leatl1 ag<un. more full ofhfe andv.1t than he had been in years. Dm1 t fi'Ct, he said. Do11 l /c1 an>·h0</>1fi'Ct. /?tjf)1Ce. Guest Column - Learning About Mental Illness by IJarlN1ro l1ick I still have a lotto learn... \ \1lle:t'I asked to subn'lita colu1nn this month forStreeti..Jbes, l v.•as asked not because l an1 an e.xpe11 in social v.'Ork or counseling or because I have ever myselftie.n homeless, butbecause lam a v.•titet. And as such. I took it as my duty to reflect and Sfl)({y several issues facing poverty to find out v.•hat l really had to say. It caole do"n to involved a lot more than just fucts andfagu.res. It is rnuch n10reco1nplicrued than tl1at l have observed this from simply v.•alking to v.'Ork evel)'day off'Cencral Pru·kwa)' andnoticing Olen and .., omen looking for loose change and a \varn1 povert)'. fl becon1es an issue ofaction. mc..-alandfromnotici.ngthclonglincscoch O ne of my most enric.hing, 1110rning entering into soup kitchens experiences in the pastse,reral months do..vn Eln1 Stteet. Poverty is n1ote than has been Ill)' exposure to tl1e local non­ j ust an issue for thenewspaper,an i~ue profit organ.iz.ation, Tender r\.1ercies., for political debate ~-----------~ located on W. 121h ot an issue to brush "P0\1erty is more than just Street in Ovet the This aside. It is an issue ru1 issue for the nevvspaper, Rhine. noooeisin\rnuneto a11 issue for politiec:1l debate o t g an i z a t i o n and i t has a or an issue to brush aside." pro,ideshot•ingand f o u n d a t i o n ' -- - - - - - - - - - --' related services to sptoutingftomall levelsofoursocie1y. homeless persons 'vith h1stot1es of No one "'ears a label or carries a enl0rion.11andformentalclisabilities. One genon1e for hornelessness. and n1any ofn1y co-v.'01'kets exposed rne to tl1is pcopleinthcGn:atc."Cincinnati area arc organiz.ation and offered me the si111ply one paycheck and one large opportunit)•co begin \l/Orkingon cheir OledjcaJ or unexpected e.xpense fton1 developntesncommittee. Duringrl'I)' first tourofa'render Mercies' building, I v.'3S shov.n first hand. ho\11 1nlM:h ev<.'f)'day 'vas being done for men and \.\'0111en in the urban Cincinnati con1n1uoity struggling 'vith ntental ii.In~. This was then10nle11t J realizedl still had so 111uch to lean1 about all the complexitjes in'i'Olved with poveJt)•. especially nmtal illness as 11 related to llOnlelessness. \Vhile \valking, through Tender Mercies, I \\laS su1prised to see ho..v 1naoy people \vet'e actually livi11g1n the facility. Currently. Tender ~lerci eshas the space to house 120 pern1anent residents ..,~ th access tOr transitional Continue<( on page I_I_ �STREETVIBES Febru ary 2008 Columns 11 The Poor Have a Top Place on the Peace Agenda \\lhru is oul'peace agenda fot those horrible. Cincinnati's20061>0ver1y tate in gn.-atcstneed in Cincinnati? The n.'Ccnt \VSS 27.8%. the third hig.hcst among events at City Hall relating co the 33% n1ajor cities according to the Anlerican increase in the bus fare ru1d tl1e threats Com.01unity Survey. to the Drop lnn Center's budget and The Drop Inn Center's problems future mise in1portru11 ques1jons about '"id1acceptanceb)' d1e co1nn1ll'Ut)' ii has the place in our city for those v.Tio arc li,•ed in for the past 30 years is en1blen1aric of the Cincinnati story. lo\v incon1e, hon1eless, and disabled. The story of Cincinnati cannot be Changing forces in Ovet the Rhine have fairly 'vrittoo v..ithout rec:x:>gnizing that the altered the pov.·er structure of the poo1', disabled and n1ino1'ities have had neighbothood. Sudderlly. the poor ate andarchavUiga inc.,,,..;,,gJydifficulttirre being driven out and condominiums survi...ing. Relocation ofthe r.xior, anacks se11ing in the hw1dredsof thousands of on the limitedhousing forthe hon1ele$. dollass are beingwelcomed. theevaporation ofjobs for lo\vincome Schools are closed, com.111unity people, and dle c:ontinuingdifficultiesof pools ate thteateoed, lo,v-incorne inner cit)•schools and C-Ornmlmities. all housing,dcstro)·cd. and the riseofa nc..'\\' add up to a serious Jo,vering of and innovative School forthe Creative ex1>ectations for faitness, compassion ..-1d PerfomungAl1S is imphwned into the and justice for those in greatestneed con1111mity. According 1oestin1ates released in \Vho ..viii f."'ICe the reality thatpove11y August 2007 by the US Ct."11SUS Bureau and basic survival is nov.•a grov.>ing Cincinnati ranks anX>ng the 10 poorest problen1forour region? cihesof2SO,OOO tes1den1S or mote.111e l11esuccessof the Oras>lnn Centet V.'Ork ofthe Drop 1Ju1Centerand other has gone unrecogi1ized b}• the ntajority ager1cies sup1>otting Lhis populati011is of thecity. TI1eirachieveoleot has been astoundingly good. Ho'V(.,"'-er, thcsoclal to promote personal and social peace and econon1ic context for those at the by helping deeply injured people find bottom o f 1he economic ladder is some modicum of ll'ust, Jove and coolJ)a~ion 1n tl1cirlives. Th®arethetOundations for moving, fron1..refugee" status tofull citizenship. Thanks 10 1he \VOl'k of the Dtop Inn Center, v.-e have role n1odels ofpeople v.110 have recovered aod retutne<l 10 lcadcrshjp pooitions inour cornmlmity. 111e peace\\'l>ikof, Gregf>3)1on,Donald Whitehead, and 1he late Jim.Ill)' l'ieath are but a fe\\•ofthosev.ho are ntaking a rnajot difference 1n restoting the shn.-ddt.-dfabric of hope in oorcity. In addition, there are deep tootsof coo11a$ion gro\"ing i.n highschoolsand colleges that send youth to provide v.>eeklyserv1C<.'S atavatie1yofagencies in Over the Rhine,Theac.1ion ofpeace is in fan1ilies that con1e to serve at the Drop In Center, \Vet:k after v.•eek Md generation after generation. Peace continues to flow io the \VOrk ofrna.ny churches. mo5'.1oes and ~)'ll l\f.'OS\I CS in the ciry, thatcontinue to fund the \\rock of reconsLruc.tion and seed hope for our v.holecity. Breakingd0\\111the fer1ces of fear yoothhav-e\'Oluntren.-d \vithagencies to oft"erfood, provide con1panionship, and 10 \V01'kon reconstrucuonofpeople and builcings. Change is oftc...'11 beneficial,giving ne\V perspectives, triggering ne..v energies, and opening doots that ate closed. Yet change at theneighborhood level ha.-; to take ioto account the pattt.'ITISoflifein thcoorruntnity.thesense of hon1e and con1fort that ate in existence, and the feeling that evety citizen is ,raJued, even the poorest The Drop Inn Centel' pteser1ts a cha nce to rebuil d fi,•es and neighborhoods, even a \vhole cit)•. Cteatinga peaceagaida forthis cit)' that includes thepoorv..uuld send a n1essage to 1he ..vorld 1ha1 C1oc inoa11 has recogni7,£<J the importance ofpeaoo in itsevet)•d3)•life. J'facing theneedsofthe people in gteatest tl'Oubleat the IOI>of a list of peace works also sends the lllessage that peaceis but anod1erv.'Otd for oompassion.justioe, and in~irati on. 'f11iscity, aspiring toa high standard of compassion, cru1 achieve Lhat level \vlten the handsofcon1passion reach out 10 those in greatest need. 0 1: ."ite~·e .,'\unt'fe rlandisa111vfess<)r a1 UC aJt<I is 1J1e Director of J>eace Jli/Jagc ~--"""'7-r.:!::-- I Still Have a lot to Learn Continued fro nt page 10 ,mo \vcre educ:ated. had a stab!e farni ly housingfor up to 16people. ln itssix buildings.Ter1der f\1lercies J)JOlllOles ll1e opportunity for homeless men and v.'Ontei1\vhosuffer fron1n1ental illness 1he OJ)J>Ortuoity to experience a pen1ment housingoption thatpro,1des security, dignity !lOdCOOlllll.l'Uty. TI1ese three \VOrds arc not no rma lly S}'nonyn1ous \Vith hon1elessness or povett)•. T11e men and v.onien I SD.\\'atTender ~lete.ies \vet'e enjoying a \veil-balanced lonch and v.-ere sittingat tables ta_lking, v.rith volunteers andother nten1bersof the Ter1detl\.1et'Cieshousingcomn1ll'lit)'. It was refreshing to see a sentblanceof eojoyolffn especially Jaugtnet fron1 \vho could be ho1neless 1nen and v.'Omcn. Quite often, thet)'Pic.al perception ofa hon1eless ntan and v"ol'nan from those far ren1oved front the situation is that of sadness and despait. M_cntal illnessand poverty arc daily struggles thal harn1the ph)•sical \I/ell• being and e!llOtional co11fider1ce of a person, but \vith assistance and care. rna.ny n1en and \\iQn1en ovetcon1e and tind \Yays to capture his or her spirit Mental illness is not son1ething ru1yooe cJ1ooses. 11is no1 a destin)' thai these n1en and \VOn1en seek. Front my expetiencesv.•ithTe11det f\1erCte.\ Ihave read mdh<.-ard live testimonies fn:)ln the n1en and \"1)111en they have helped ..vho can1e fron1 backgroll'uls similartom1ne, and had a decent pa)•ing job. Tender rvtetcies serves people in a \\itde taoge ofages front all different backgrolDlds in dteGre.aterCincinnari area Currently, Ten ~" f\.l<."Ccicsser.·csm<.'ll andv.'Qm<.'ll i.n age range front 18 to mid 70s. The occurrer1ceof n'telltal illness is n10re prevalent than n1ost Antericans n1ay think. According to a study conducted by the National Allianoo for Mental Illness in 2007, it is reported that about six perceo1 of the An1etic.an population. one out of 17Antericans, suffer front the ntost severe fom1s of rtll."lltal illnesses. blrt that as many as one in 6.,.eArneric.."'lllSsuffer from soniefon11 ofrneotaJ illness. t\ccording 10 these nun1bers. it is incredibly possible that eve«)' singleoneofus k00\\'5 at lea.stone p<.'fS()fl \vhOsuAi."JSfro1n a mental i llncss. Quiteoften, they n13}' not ei.<en beav.are of 11 thernselves and ll\a!'ly ofll1ese n1en oodv..nnlt'llmay exhibitnooutv.'Utdsigns ofnlental illness in theirdaily life. Throughou1 niy life, Ihave" '""""" lllefl and V.'OOlen in my O\\'fl interactions deal v.<ith olel'ltal illness. 11isa silent a-1d prc\<alent daily struggle forevt.'fl those \Vho are not hon1eless. 'rhe issue becoo1es n1oreooolJ)licated ..vhen men and \VOlllOO donothaveaccess to proper 01e<lic.al lteattnents. ca1·ing sup1>01't systems and the basic evciyda)• net.-ds forsurvival. 'lhis is \vhy·renderMercies provides ilS coo1munity of men and Residents fromTender riwtercies in Overthe Rhine. Pl'°'"frr;t11 \l'M>w, t•·nffl!rtt1i:'rcfr:.sinc. 07 v.'Omc."11 . \\>ith a suppartsystc1n granting access tolocalsocialsel'\iicesto provide COll'1seling. 1nedical sel'v1res.etc. The m<.'ll and \\{)loon \vhOrt.'Ccivt.-d these services have Slories ofsuccess andsuivival that make the volonteers at Tender!vlercies(X)Otinueto pro'ridadteir 1aJen1S and t1me. \Vhat1na)' drive these men and "'<11nen the most is the fc.-arof v.~1 at is occurring \vith those that are homeless \\lhO do not receive services oreven \VOrse, those that do not kno\V the,)•havea mernaJ illness. \\'ith pf'Ol>et medical treatment, an undia_gnosed n1ental illness c.an be devastating to a pt.TSOn.. hisorht.-rcart.'Cr,his orh<.or fa1nily and hisorherphysical health. The life ofa person ..viLh ar1 undiagnosedmental illnesscan be lonely and frightening. This type of(X)Ofusion andpain is \vltat drives many ofh o1nelcss mt.'fl and \1o'Q men to seekoutside. addictive substances. Ltke nt.any 1nen and \ lo"Onten in this Greater Cincinnati commonity.l have just scra tched the surface o f understanding the real issocs behind honlelessnessand poverty and ho\\•our socie1y can hope 10 move for..,1ard and help dte less forturt.ate. II is ve1y easy 10 li,•e each day awa_y front po,•ert)• and leave it as an issueof facls and figures fo rthct.•vt."lling, nc\VS, bot it isout there inourcities, in ourrural con1111unitiesand inpeople and places)'Ou nuy 11evei·have noticed Itinvolves issues that affectour sociel)•at all levels-addictions, n1ental iIln<..'SS, andt.'Conornic instabiIi ty. It is not foreign. It isrighthere. I Still have a lot to leart'l, ru1d I an1 glad Ido. Itiseasy to read a few articles and feel I knO\I/ enough about ho1nelessncss to k_nov.• its an issue of oonceo1forourcity,oureoononl)•,but it is the people \vllo l1vei1and Lhe people \Vho volunteer and \Vork fo r the honteless thatare the best testintOO)',the best text book on the subject and the best source to peel av.•ay the layers that have caused horne lessness for generations in ourcity. 8ar/J(Jro /':/it:k is afeela1rt:e urriter a11(/u orks as an ad1:er1isi11g accor1111 1 1u<1nagcr fo r <1 <..'01'1n1u11i<.:n1io11s ngenc)'. 11tarkc1iug �12 In The News A~n•: Flomeless {Vl,.~o CT\IClly Killed on etiristmus Pfioeni>t poli°"' fQund Aa,r~n Tay1or- hQmell:S$ l'pr ten y~,,,,,_ buiniilgfu ile3dl olllSideofo·Sabwny on 'Christmas morquig -Cho exact 'Ofl'C)lm>1WWOS'lf"~ol tC/:bc l'J"!JVorcd or ws;l? sed, thOugh hlsfamify h;is eomriunl'ica(Cd tliru ~1epc!)?"lnuOj's appeared to h~ve covered ljiJn Jn materilll, poured !l>Qlelh1nl!,over him. ond sO.t him <>n liro, T"oylor w~• ~oltllX theVi<tim in similorncts.of Cl'IJetty,AcCordlng IO lus filth&, Er;tnk. Taylor, lie once bM lli5ankle brokea and!'"' tieClapddiicuaped co a chair l"'d lcl\outsi.lom theoold. Cu!}:\'O!ty; Pl!lice will only consider it ac<leath .lnVi:S)J~ ind will.not co1~1on thltcous'i>. (KJ'AR Plroem:t, V/.J) Massacl>osetts: Number of EliiSton HomelessFamilies ·Rises Ii)( 17 P.ercent ne\Y. censuj;·shows-.JJia1 tl\e homeless ~pulotion qf 'B.oston· llOJltlnues ioiner,?a<o, ll;inieulllriy in the numOiirof flUTI1il~ e<poiloncing 1\ homelOSSMSSc DesPit~ the.numberof l\Qm;l•'li in.diyid""~dedlmng by nearly 5 R•caent since 2®'&. the ovenill homeless; p~i>'llli>tfon lia5 ·lru:~neoilY'\:porc~N~ lha$!1JllO ~""" STREETVIBES National News ' Jn the~fi.8een,years, thecitY,'s hoQlCLesspopµliilfon~ri••~><,_ 57 ~elt~ aiid\\jtllOOt ~tllid !JOin' iho go\ot'f11111Crlt, ,iliC)'•S8Y1 ilio hoiisi!l!I situation forlOW·inoome families. QOntinues to~ d~a1e,ltn lh~ic vio1~. fiQL1Singk'th• only,~hitipn I)>( hq,melessrlessf (Dih7~ Ab~/, 't'h< &i<Jin1 (llohc, !IS) Louisiana: T\vo RoQ1eless Die'OfHJ'.>potheonia1n New 0rleans On JanllllfY' 3, two, homeless 1~~·1duals.\Yt:n: fot111d ~in ~ow Oclean;;..J\womon bringi"[a blankat toljlrl~Collrns. whoJnv$lstisatQfS say b'3dbeen~ilg;11ierijghtunder a'66~e for1he preoloos 1wo wooks; 1ostc'ld found her dcod Later lhHt lnOmrn& MYCOilet Pliesa1vcki :\\133 ro.md deaa in tl;ewi•ns-lot or"'' n~311doned Slrlp JJJl1!l wliile ~..'baa bi.oen Living. Bod1 bod~ temperatures wen: IXKJsi$tcnt with!);<pothcrmi.., Hontelessness is l:Jecoming, 1ui JnCte.siDl);«111<ldlfi11.New~<:illl$aS the cify continues to cope with !he dew~10ung effect.s of Hurritonc Kutnno A& tbc 't\'lq lcr \\'®thc.r lntensffiesio f'}"\vor·l ~sand 3roood ~.~ nntl~n, "mlilly sliellprs ~rate VimmlJy Iii C!ll>oci)l;' OVOl}"Jii2)it" llfld must tum pjlaj>leaway, 1\i!iieh rorces them 19 OJ1di•o~ cold "lithout sQd1or orprotecri 0n, {/IP. 1r5j February 2008 U.S. Turns to Horses to Secure Borders /~)' 11111 (fu;i;11or Reu1ers AIU ZONA - U.S Border Patrol stt1rdyq111uicrhors:s-so ~died as they there that lhe horses'.stockn1anagen1en1 o.geiu Galen Fluffruao le41-us over the are the fa..tj:esa breed overaqururermile skllL-;ocu1ll! ioto lhcaro,..n, a,geoto; say 'Jllddle to look 1u fain1 tracks inn crude (400 rnetetS), ru1d arealso 1'000\vl\ed fol' "lt's,..h ;it ~ caJI co''' sense.. It's a herding insrin ~.. Schad1old Rel1rers..as n·ail leading up llon1 d>e ·Mexico'border. 1helrstrengih and stanrina. He rollO\\'$ d\~ tra.<:ks al R bnsk tr()I ~lostof 1hestock)•. n1uscularan1nltlls she triulcd a _g1ot1p of IS f\4c-x1can through thick brush. up ~d dov.11 into aro bo.ugh1 fron.1 horse dealers or al 111~granfs out of~1e desert on her-horse. l'oc-ky "vBShes~ then pDUSeS ns hi:,,horSC auctions, although a number aresejzOO Froddes. '11iey galherpeople up... and ifdiey t W1 tch ~ ir.t ears 11J1rl t11ms around i'ron\l\•le.xicnusmugglers cau£1ttriding. ner\'Ously. over 1heborder\\i th loads ofmarijuana run, they hav~ 1he abili£Y and desire-to cha.so them do" ·n." ·sho uddcd, "Ihavob:c:>dios." 11.., says. as the first c.mn1111ed into burl:i1>sn.cks. ofagrouporl Iillegal l1n1ulgttu1tS.v.111ppt.-d ~----------------------------~ in huts :md $Cl\rvcs against the chill morn,n,g ,:\1r, peel thems~ l ves up fro1n Lhe deserl no.o r $&.-'\ft'rii.1 mllcs rnim lhe nearest road Horses have been part of the Bol'd~r Patrol s1nee 1hc agen cy wus fow1ded to secure the Oni"-'<1S1;1tcsbonl<:rs ag3ins.t liquor sn1uggJers and unliw.fll) immignTIL') in the 1920s, and no"v U.S.. Borde:I' PMtol..ageotJun \\'eyga1td lea(is a group of ru'l'eSled Illegal 1rru1ugtat)tS LhJQugh lhe 1h oy a.re ml:lkJn,Y a Altar VaUey, Ari2X>na. 1-iorses-h:t\'e been pan of 1h~ Border Patrol since die 3btency was foWJded romeback. t·osect1rethe Uni100 Stnies bordersag.·11:rlS1 liquorsmugg,lersand unla,1oful in1m1grants i.n 1he 1920s, Ay<'!tlS dres.«'<lru 1V1d oo\v tJ1_cy aro m.ab:iog a coo:u:bsck. Pl«"""''(Ml r1'£RS.-.\'11JO'J'1i(J1QJ!.tTlf''"'''i leathe r chaps 11nd b1:oad·brin1n1ed ha1s a.r~ increasingly "Someoffl:tes1nuggfe.rshaveagood "GOOD PUTURW' being t1s·cd tO regain coJ11roJ over 1hc eye roro.horse," S-0J.1ad told t~eurers as 1nost rugged a:re.'\S of dle soutbv.-vst she rode out over a sandy c4tttle tra1l1n As the B<ord.,,. i>a1nil rediscoVC1s th< fl'onti~I' 1A ill1 rvtt::..:ico ru1d uov.•0 1tJ.hc th• Altar Valley south ofTucson nonhcm bol'dc.r "'~th Canada. '11tey rue 1-aised ltl the ll'lOUflcains nnd spet:ial abil ities lhat horses have. '"1\.1ostofthe a·af'fic is beingpusl,ed they are ~>ood ranch horses ... and !hoy 11)JuntedWlitsare S1ru1ing topl:l)' a \vider into 1ht..'Se 11l0untainul1S are.i s v.t11ch nn: n.re son1e of tJ1e best 1h;i1 \\fe have: · 1x1l~1n border pohaog, In d1e Tucson sector- v.tlich is the hJ.rder 10 \\'Ork. The}' arevery remote," sajd B obbi Schntl_. :1 hor~e p;urol COW SENSE bLL<iic.-t1ulo11i:; the 2.ooo-n1ile (S;2:00­ supervisor from Tucson. " \\fi 1h a horse Km)south"..i border- lhe potrol aow you can get up ut there." Lastyear, more 1h311 870.000 illesal has around 1;o horses-and 87 trrtJned ''ThO)' rc.alizcd ""c "'icre so mucb unn11grai1rs "-e-re an·es1edcrosslngovel' nd;.TS,, tUX>\lld IOur limes 1hcnu1nbcr that beiter at cootroUingoenai:nru-eas. so d1ey 1hc border from ~1.:~ico. rnorc th{ln a they had five~vearsago. i-IQJ'Se uni~ are nlso beirtg used in said "hey. lt:t's keep utihzlug ru1 old­ durdof!hemduo14lh tho " ildsof1\ riID11a school rool :ind go back 10 the ba.'tics.•·· lJ1~ddJ11on IC> tetting ng,eitts S\vifUy Te.xas and Califomis_- v.•here they -and stenlthiJy up into the 11Jgged,. pla} ed a key rolesavutghWSJ.ock fio111 n1ounrautous are.as through v. hjch thQmgn\.!:'."''1ldfin;::;ncarStut Diegolast STITRDY HORS£S migrants and sn1ugglors 1ncrc~iogly October - as v.•ell as in Spokane. "\Vhen Lhc Border Pi'.ltrol y,•ns cross. ;igenrs say their horses are also \\'ashlng1on, \\•hece lhe &rder P~trol fo unded in 192·1. tcc,n1 i t~ on the. n.c1ive partners in <letecting botde.1· receutJystarted using mUSlnllgS to secllle so ulh\v~st bor<lerhad to provide their c·rossers. asection oftbe Can!Kfian frontier. ~•rh et r s1gh1and bea[log 1s much \\'11ile a drift to\..-itrd hi-~'Ch in bortkr 0 1111 bo""'8, n>ckand &ws. •Ithough di<y policing gathers p;ic.e. \vith unmanned weregjvenbull<*-;,on1mal fe..'Ci and SZS sharper tbun ours When they sense someone... ) 'O U feel it,_and_youkno'.\•to spy planes, ground radarand an array il \\it:Ck ofelecrronicsensors. mounred agents Thoy \Wre·scntout oo thebacktrnils get ready," I r.urman said from c.~alifon1ia to south ·re.xas10 rackI~ } 1olllt00 unitsinthe bu~· sm\tgg)ing are.coofidenl their l10rses \viJIcontinue ''k•q uilcroS'""-smugglcrshaulingl»mls coi:ddor soulh or ·rucson f'requent1y IQpl\ly u lr:~1· rolo1ny oarsto come '"They are :sgood tool fotgoing out 8'1dgoal5kinsfilfod";d1liquornonh from arrest groups of I ~ or 20 illof:,>nl ~f e." i 110 on ho.r~ tnules l\Od burt0$ i ntmigcants. and son1effnJeS 1110re thnn and ·cu1tin.g fOtsign: 1n a1~.:;1hru thelu­ 100 :l u1ue. ;\gents Sa)' thcil' horses· 1cch $iuff \\'O(l ·1rcncb.·· 1;.iuffrru,111 St1id. during1hc l')Criod of Prohibition. ·f\itodern·day nlOwtred :lb-"elltssecure in1poslngsiugivesthema_good vie\v using a ll!"ml fOr trac,king. at d1e eod of mnny or th~ same OU1:-0f-1hc·\v.'IY 1nuJ!\ over the uneven terrain and helps theiu 1\\'() da;Y·~ 1n \vlucb ~e andhiscolle::ig.i.ies as !heir predecessoo. althoughnowlhey ~tablish control . stopped 29 tmdocu1nen1ed imn1i.grants Once the)! have :ipprehended :i Cl'OS::Srr1g fton1 M.~co, ·1 ney still havi.: 1rae:k groups ofdll!_f;!d i111mig,tMts and hardy dn1g trafficker$, ~me i1m1t.-d \\11h yroup, agents ot'tett hn,1e to le:ld ugood future." knaves. pis1olsand lSS3Ultrifles. detainees for a mile or more to reach Like thc.1r fo rcbems. pr<:scn1-<lay r.mch roads ,vfle.re tJ1eycan band tben1 ('(>11r1t!:.)· of FW111er,\' to) S/1vct 1\ tc111s & rder 1>atrol ag~n ts continue 1.0 use­ OV'1T lo colleagues \vi th a vehicle. It is ,\(tr\'it:e· 11·11·11·. st ll?.41~flCl/Jt'rs.Qf'6 1 1 1 �STR EETVIBE S International News Februa·ry 2008 Modem Politics and Tribal Violence 13 In The News - C0nt h,.i;Ju11k'S Mhuka s~ddCQed ::ind ,,111 nevar panu.:1pate in m1 el~cromt proc.ess." 1 The uwtst1ys hesold all his property IU:NYA • l or a <Jusii resident v.<0rking o.n ti tca fal'cn 111 Ketti:ho in Kisii before he moved 10 KJ1ale'. districL, flcc1f'Jg from Lhorec-enItol001ion­ btJ)'t11ya 1O.aae parcel ofland. ,..\ Jlt'IC)tlgh relaled violence \'<'OS an ...>scapefronl d1e. he v.'Ould Ukc1e>n.ium. hocxp~.fi:~1r for his life: "'We \Vere ''runed not to j3\\'$ ordeath "'l hid in a tea phmtation. but the l°dlJl'll•• Nancy \Vi:Urimu, \\ho v.·nsa busin~ n 11~1ck.crs .aushcd nl e()UL U$ing dogs.·· rc-t:lolll$dlc ~picker, "ht) isc:unpiti_gnt \VOnll1rl in Kfsu1nu~say~peopleevic100 theKisii .\og,lican Cllurch v.•lth other front other ~si oos ''h&v~ fo und a..sl\fc mternally displ1t<<<l fumillcs."The dogs haven inKisii tO\\n." She adds;··1had n bit mein1he handsandfmgers," headds. \iibl'tull bt,tSiness v,1hlcl1 v.•as.b rou~1L to Anod\t!t nltin, \l.bo is 00$0c.ruupiJlg its knees by looteis~ but thank God v.-e 'rhe ·uij?. Im1e Kenyn t'lt lhc church. S:t)'S his neighbors identified him to the au:ickers.. "I \\'3S in my bed \o,·hon I he~rd nty neighbor telI the youDtS tho( I was • K i.sii.,.'' h~says 'The,.· <ook 1.:v~thiJlg fron1 my house nnd told mi: to g<.l homu fornlk>gedly voting tbrPr<!Sidoot M"<ii." A \VOmnn a~ the c~mpsaysshc \\'(lS rnp~ by six nteo. "'n 16)• dragged me uuoa1eaplantati0«1 ru1dmped nl t!, l l 1e)' did 1lt)t u.w pr()tf.."CriQn and I'm v.'qme<l that I 111igh1 ha ve-conrr~1 cced diseases. bCC!'.IU$Q 1 \ ..Ult lO h<.lSpi1aJ l:tte... ... \Ve \~re being evicted because 1be.;,• cons1dcr~d u.s us -PNlJ S)'mpathizcfs. ttvl!n ifotht'J'S vot.cd for OO!vl," -sa)'.S Jared Kin1ori. \I/h o \l/3S. 1;.'ViclL-d from (Jasin Gi.shudi~1ni.1 ~al other displaced f.'1Jl1iliesaro cai11pirt" n1ru:k<!1lo No,.# •an1in1 .;. !lt . lknn'•t: 0 distnct. The VJc.:lr-geacrid of(huCnthoh1: dioceseof Kisi1. Joseph Obao:,·i~ has becJt shcltcciog lh<>us~tnds or displaced peoplesince lhe,iol"en~en 1plecl ·'rllis bay, ,.l\\vcndo. OliiO: ~tan spends"1lgh1 l~ongo~ Bureti. Kericho a.nd Kur'-'Soi llomeles-s'&s seiltenee Others hti\'c b«n ~prooted fron\ 1he1r hon1es in eJdoreiTo\\n Bun1l forest wid q. P; unesvt!lo iu~gc Qi\!~red Natok. Nath"" Smith, a) 8·)(••r-old b.ell BcfOro tlu~- v:ioic.nce crupn:d, many riii~>0t:fiil-Salvllbon.Ahny,.lo~ Kis1ls had bee.n \\'Orking at the. 1ea ajjjhtllOn\el~ossfotsrealing,o-hOli~ i:state$, eo11rc.ly dcpei1den1 C'Jtl lb!! lre«le~ning·ithoittS2~()-,moneY, meugre iocon1e they earned from 1heir ,m..,de~ to covor costs food; labour to eke.011r" Ii\1iny, and support <l\Jdllhg;indslt.elterforll\!>homel~"' 1he1r families. Th~)· arc no''' back .at Fi~ wi!h a5P$ <!.>VlceJottaclChls home, empty·hllllded. and residents fear llll!YeS.Smiih.SJll'lllfilsnii!;'lit.ducking 1heiJ u1ltes1 n111y 1rigye.t a rnsh or in·llfldout'OfJio""1lment buill!mJ?,"in robberies. S<>aroh or ·\~frmtll, ~llhough bo Nyrunbati Nyak\..'eig.et1a,_a ~1 den1 avoided a ~rillge p_opulatod the ofEt<tf,'O OiviSt<>n fn Kisij, s.1ys th.al most area's s leeping Jlomolcs~ peoplefl ushod outofthe reaest.ates had Commenting'?"'hisnigl)~·Srnilhlol~ ctthersold dlt!lt ru1c~trnl Jru1d or 1'Cl1t~. dte-ionamgjlldge,ult'sliardlO find it beforemoving on togreenerpaSl\1res. a spot to go th~t]s wornt, untoss llc.v.t"»1detsif1he1rd1Splaceme11tIslikely ,i:ou'reinsida" Snii\h, Whopl"'l<lod tQ C1'CSIC tonsion.s b.'lck a~ 1hcir hon;ies siilliY \0 '"'mlsdemcail(lr cllalil< 0 r ''Someorlhese brot11ecs sold dteir tlwll; mitsfod<lirionbl!y .st!rve1Hree lnud 1t11d\...t1en tltey ru-e c-01uing v.<i1h th!! days In jaiL d·o ·eight hours 6f n1enrafity 'hat they havelosteverything community '*""co, gel"JI gonerlll 10 1he \fiolt."flCQ, 1hey \VOuld v.·ant lhe. eqtiiyalency, diplom:tan,cliina ajob_ p<ir\:cls b~ck ," he S~)'S. ••rn1.ag1nc you (Al' l126J P.l!ide'-..y1hmgr' l(iinlc., ~t1gori , l~ Qm·a or lir hac: be<X)1ne a 1ransi1and tho:;e c.\'ieled fro·n1 ot.htlr t'lsces eomu tO shelter here before Diey are helped 10 rrrwcl 10 1heir respective l)Q11le.S.,.. ht: says The v.<eloomegiVen lothe e·v-ac:uees \V1ns ptnise from Ki s1l dis1tic1 Ol)n:i11 11s$IOO~ NjCln>Sc ~cbrongu. ..rm ove"'11elmed by the-suppon they have ofl"e:l'e d I() !Ju: v1c:-1.1n~$ of \'lOlence,·· he J\ CC()l'djn g 10 stutiSttCS. dlCl'e are st1)'S: •1:'hisis che hosplmJi~' 1h.11-..vev.'lU1t Mou~ 40,000 Kisii registered voters in nll Ke11ya11s1c>e111bmce.·· Saholt, K\VBnza ond Cherru'1gany In fOC\.'flt days, the number of i;on~11 tucnc1 e:s 111oir total poputci1100 displaced fairnlies camping rul~ooge has throughout tl1e threeareas is esd111acOO {letlmed. According to laCJtl vol u1 1h~CI' 01n101"e dlm1 150,000 and n1ost Jiavl! Jackline Mosinya,sonlehave been gi\leO bought lnnd and 5"1tled there. 1r:a.nspo1·101ion hac.k 10 11leil' ho1nes. 111K\\>'ru\ZA. lhevotlng p.!!ltemoftJie. i;ommt1nity beni;fi l\.'<lleacb:ssuch ~ the current f\.t~ Noah \\1e.kesa, v..blle those living in Nyobo1no, Nap:unbll 1tnd. Kibomit baclrod Soboti Ml' Eugene \\:ftn1nlv.•a. People "'ho torcJled h()t:rses 1n ihc Nonh Rift ;:iccused tlieK1s11 of suppon-jng (\.1r. Odinga. l\.'l eM\\flult;. th~e ,...i lOSt! houses Archbishop ~n1ondTun1 (R}_gc.·~-uires ns he mc-:t." Onmg-e l);i1nocrntic ~lo ven1enc (ODM) feader RailaOdinga in Nairobi. Kenyru1 legislatorsback1ng J>l't$1dei11 Mv...aj·Kibalu utged LheltuetnatiooaJ Ctlm1nal Court to bnng,ger1oc,1de char~ aguinst opposition leaders it blaines fbrpost-election ethnicslaughtet {'JiotiJ ~,.\, (.rrll."UY'liRs'Jf!Jt/ll(V ·'1•tJ(ll;NJ). v.•ere to rc;bed in cos1nopoli1an Chcmn~ \\~ accu;ednfsupponu1g lbcmcr 1~.culturc m1nistr:r KipnitoAr~ Kl-""'<l.-\\bo, in osad Irony. uftiJlt.'ttely losl the seat Son1e reports attribute ihe violence tlOl 10 110litics. hut t():tlons.->-iandlng.land diSputc.TiieJ<iSIJ co1lm1:unity<lominntC!:t Gose.1a, f\fyabonto, KeS9gori, Ch1sace and Ges111ate fann:; 1.n the largetTraus Nroi:l District They h.1ve.alsosenJed in . OfetlSSt!Ch QS "'f unyako KJ1$af:\ f\.fo1's 13ridgeaud f,.ndcb~ts. l'he residents of Kisii have ~ne roJ~nu1 plea to d1~ir leatkt'S: (()shdov.1' and dialogue 10 sol ve. 1h~ impasse, so 1ha1all Kertyani;- n-gard1e$5 of 1hetr langt•nso. 1ribe or reg.ion- can rctum io theirpre,1oos peaceful co-existence w1d a.'IJOY thi:arrt.gl-uJo Uw:1t,)'\\f1ereru1d. O\ltll pro.pert): in comfo-rt n,cy also urge the ,goven1men110 1oove. $\vaf\ly to B"SS-l!lc"1. ihcm wtth 1hc1r ba~1c· human needs. so the.y can get b-itck to f-So,ve\..-er. n10refumilies a·reexpoctOO to R.'iki!<I me why \\'C. uttuc.ked 001\1 pourin fmn~Butet ru\CI Keiichodi ~1ric~ l\.~rn;sgo«1 n>enlberVlilllru11l{uto i11soud1 as I.he 1ntcrtSG P<J:>"l·cli..'CbOL\ viofcnooover Mug irango before 1hey ordered mo 10 diedisputod presldenrialelection r,>suJls disappear," s..~·s Ken /\1at.va.oneof ~le oont111ui.:s io take its loll on lite COUOU)t TheKisii com1m1nity lut!riOOe«I been evacuees. Last y1::n1, 1n B 1neeting caught het\\lt'etl 9 l'OCkand a hard ploce attended IJY tOOn-ro.'ltlS mrntstcr Siml.X>n Nyachae. 'l{uto \\.'3'5 injured by youtl1.s mthe wrror11p0!itic.'ll cnsis lhuthas killed tb.oug.h1 to be memberso fCh~ out Io' "'-c:d nlOre than 600 people and internally di.!iiPlaced ru1ntJler 150~000. Whil1:: .tl1c hfca<: nomU!.l. cJUnkororo nlilinanlOO. " \Vhy should \\IC be: ~tltuekt:d J U51 ODM supporters accuse che -K1sii of t;>cetsusc t.,,'O men «re figh ting for the vodny i'Or Presldi:nt Kjb:aJ.'.1, 1hcir PNU presidency'?.. .says anoth~ r man, ,..110 oountorpartsblnroe th<:lm ofsuppomng llc11r111te;_i.fr()111 111c /Jig (:i:sue Kcn>'il "''3S~·oou~1tcd from his Kisli Nord1 f:t,11)'1 hisoppone11t, Mr. Odinga. ·rbousands c S'rrecr Jl<:.1,1s .Sc?.rrlce: 11'U'l 1'.Stll'6t • in Trans Nzoi3 djstrici..., am so of 1>00pl1: h.ave b!!en ej~cLed from JXl/X'fS_._(J~ "Whentbty cainc 10 nl )' hou...~ tl:tq• ll!OJ'iila: Teen {!Jeads lo FIQ'rioa hq111ele~-at1ack One offblirreemtgeiscliariledin th•beotil!s·'!!ld~b)g'!f~ )ll(Sl.in.Fon l,,Lderdale.Jil~guilty 10 fl!Mtcdsecoii~utd"" fo Q.006. Jtomel Jejln·LouiS, 17, helpii'd Beot and CUI~ ho(lleless miul w!lo was r~ill8 • b<lok on a p~ ~ch..~clThe:itt3c~·left Wllham Te.:j#S, 4;; bleodtl1l; in,d rui$ed. TV.'CfQther 1~n·ngo:rs.flave pleaded no ·contest lo atte1npeted nlur*t-. A·no1hct•i\~~ti:ncod in ·Oqobeno ~years in.prison, (AP lal) Polfee'!Say ~ liom'eles5"m'an attacked l\>ul.i1«Jllle w\Jh a:clialnsaw near Je.:ff'..erspn .City. M,atthe\y Watki~1$;,wi11' pan.ioip:11lng in an on-tb<>-~01n11n1jt&ll~antwhen he allegecll)"wenton Jheatnitk, "One <ifoii?~rlU(mem~·apparently llall • mental br®kdown -1 guess ¥OU (Xlttld s;iy ho.""°1tbtllliSrl~·et~ployee 'fom Bi1111ham 1dls tho l'ulton'Sun "fimhe·WaSruDniog aiotmd-polcii:ig PeQPte-J!e pot~ •guy in theiiecl< ')(!lh. l tltirlk, • i><n<il -thoo hcct11110 after eeople with.. a chal nsawl.. Watki.S w~s ev"'11Ulllly arrcsio:d at g101point outsi'dii the Mid-Am.iiica C11re<;eotetinl'{ow BIO!)mlield, Mo •n<I is bcms h<ld"!f SQ00,000 b\ll)<l 1r110AP ~1:t(q tllat twoof Ille four Vie»~~ni¥1.1n alti.cifptl\!ditiQll, (MilreCamoy, USATciruij>, J.121) �Poetry 14 STREETVIBES February 2008 Jimmy f!ealh O<tobcr 8. J954 - December 13. 2007 F11it:hJul friend Photogra11her extr.aordinairc Eyes wicb capaciiy fo r beau()• aod digoiiy Activi'\t educnt<,r through pe.r'Sooal story and vulnerabilil)• Compassionate Brother 10 many homeless 011 chc street A person of honor, crutb, •nd HUMOR DearJimmy, I missyou_n\y fneil<l V•leall nussyou. \Vhen Leonie hon1e.eaclJ n1glll l nussyQurcar be1ngparked-011 Jtep1.Lblic Sn·eet. Ieo1oyed.living ne,...1 door toyou. \.\'e S&l\Vt::.lch othercouuns; and !-!Oin£. frequ~uJy, TIM?se Jitdctegulur ch~tk-ins. about lh~ haf)l>tcl1ngs.ln our lives. and ln the \VOrld.and uu our little cotrietof _I4~' and l~epublic were prec.ious. Ourhugs \\<ere warm and-caring. The~ '''as aste3dy rhylhm lo our friendship and 1counti!d on that. Imiss our COO\oersatlonso\'e.r tneals together. We brokebread togetheroften. le '"assadand.ditl'icult lO see your liver disease _giving fits lOyour body. 1\\1011..t be able 10 see tl1e coloryellow v.ilhout 1hinking.of)'Oll can:ying iton yourskin, f respect«! yourchoi'ccs!uJdyour courngcns you livc..-d \vith your disease. Itri..:.-d to contemplate v.bal it ,,,.as Ii.kc for}10Ukno\\1ngyou hadonJy so long to live. I\\'3Jltedso n1uchforyou to fight tbr a nev.•live.r. Burthat \V:l$11'1inyourcards. lhe lasl re\VCOnversations v.-e had. you kept '.roicing "I had a gopd Lifeand I ha\1e a lot 10 begriueful for. .. lt"s \\'E \vl.M) have a lot 10 bi:._grateful for, Junnay ?vly lif~. our con1muni1y ·s hfe., Pe!k';let:'s lif~ and ypur friends' li\'eS, \\"ere tooohed by your pr~eOce, your art, your VlUn~rabil i [)I. ' 'our stocy of rooove()~ the tough pJ11S and thejoy, spreadaround U1Js city ralsi:ng a\vnreness v.ithso nlany pool)l e~ particularly the youth. YoupoSsessed a never WJ.\tering conunin11ent to }'OW-brothers andsisterson thestreet. You understood \'our hU1;1rt \vaS viSccral.ly in turn;t \ltith lhcirs. As ·e<litorof Strectvibe.5. you·hadyourpulsc on thCcri·sis sifuafi.onsofthe hornclcss. so·)·ourpcn could ponder tougllquesdons for thepublic to retlect Qtl. You n1ade us a.ti d1ink deeper and \\'tser abourwhat \V8S going on v.ith the forgotten n1en1bersof01.trhun1an f:blnly. Ji1nn1y,your·n1ind \V':lSal\\~ys spinning creative ways togive pwpose 10 yow·photography. Y-0ur life "'3S<:Ul too sbon toactualizealJyour drerut\S. (•ens:Jee is blc:;scd to have Cxpericnccd ~nieoftllcm. \\fc \\<Cloomc.'<Iyouto beco1nc a part-Ofchc Pcaslccf!lm'ily andbutlding.. Your\v--ork complemented andcnhw1ccd thc misSJon.oCPeaslee. Mru1y folks can\e 10 Peasle.eJUSl·to viev.·yourphotosraphs. It \V'3S a grand day on June J5th, 2001 ""hen \.\'e celebra·ted the.opetl1ng ofyour Cenl~r fot Co111n1un11y PhlJ(Qgraphy. 11 \V'tlSn ·r too long after the Ci11ci1ulatl Aprtl unrest You1photos:docurne:nt~d \1e1y vividly the ci\~l w11es.J 1hatoe<:.urred hi 1he afumnath ofthe unjust killingofa yol&11g black mnn.Tiinothy'TI101nas, b):• a \Vhiiepoflceofficer Your photos spci-ke lo"uder·1han \\'Ords. Y<)ur 1...item<..)'Through Photogrophy program v•l!S vcf)· popul{1r Secin..g-yOu sh:lreyo.ursk.ills with the chifdrcn·\'«1.$ ~"'\'l.'Ct The \.-hildtcn \1otreest(...-e1.ll(..-d loS.cc their photO--\\iords displayed 10 the<Bnse Al1 Gallel}' on rvlaJn Street I ren..en1be.r asking my brother Pl1Hto constructa s.nuxty display board 1n our h.all\\13}' for your first phc>I(> exhibit tll Pt!'-dSlt:e(~1.ay 19. 2000) soyou could saf'el)1 h.ar1gyOut(lltOl¢,grapl1$, Y<)urcxluh1t that night Wll$ rocuSclloc1 Ovi:r.the-.Rhlni;". You aske.d t\'tik~ l~enson and nl)'selfto intioduce)'OUMd your-..,iork. I felt privileged to be asked. [still can see tbechjldroo poinnng their fingers at your pictures They \\W~abJe to identify \Vi th dle peopleandplaces. \)ou gave them so1nething LO treasure. Th~· sawtheir neighborhood lhrough the e)resofsomeonewl10 could recognize dte beaut}· 1u1d digi:tity iohcrcnt here. Yourpho1ogmphy is·n. gjft. )'~ u \\'ere our \ V'Orfd travelt:s. As a 11hOtlJginphetyl)u tmvc-1 ~ 10 El Salvu<lor, Cubn. Cunatl:i, St Lotus w1d \\'·ash1ngto11, OC Bui you al\\'ll}'SCwn i: b.'l.l::k ho)~te t<J us, You a)\~'3)"5 told me 1ha1 Over-the-Rhinesustained )'Oll That here is \Vhere you got)•ourlife back. Andyou gave )'Our life back lO us, Jimn1y. rm so glad Drop ln11Centece.xi!.1-ed. 11wasour meetinggrow1d OurJh endship deepened \\~1eo \lfeJ0t1meyed through the.tragOOy of'buddy's death. J \V'On' t tOrge1 your kindnes.sand enlpathy. 1) 1e ra\vprun \\'e both \Vere tooling fi)rgeda bond. We rulkod a lot ubour life Md <lellth. And HOPE. l lo1-0Avyou :ue \\'Orried about Brenda Z. your .franc&. Jinut\)'. \\le \Viii continue co.iuppon and love Brenda, sbe~s a pan ofour Jleas:Jee fan1ilyj ust :isyou :u-e :md al\v:.iYS\\~II be~ You c:ln cOlmt o nthat. )'~u gnveso tnucb tQ our fritndshi1>tircll!. T'vegot 101.s of n1cnJOries 10 hold on 10 Youtuld nte onci:on top ofd•eC~11"e\VTO'A1er tlt:IJ the best light lQttlke p1etu~ v.•as ' "'hfle thesun \V:tS beginning-to.set. Your Jife no\vhas gone dO\\fl with llOflor like 1hasertingslD1. Youar~tJ1e"'bestligl1t ,. Jin1111y. Your eyes through the lms:of your can1era reflected lxtck so mucl1 light and be~ut)'. TI1an.k you. Ji1nn1y. Love aod Fnends1up, Boonie Bonnie,,Jimn1y, an<l.\11ichael �STREETVIBES Poetry February 2008 15 Remembering Jimmy Heath by Riccardo ·13)1lor Asoften as I V.'Ould cal.I hin1 my boss. he'd reply as often that he \v.tSll' t Ill)' boss. J~e·d renlind n1e tl'Ult Ihad the capacity to direct rny life, thus n1aking n1e the boss. Al,vaysa \I/Ord ofencouragement~ Jimrrl)' ,-..-ould lcavcmc\\<ith a sense ofconfidence in an)• venn1re Icouldconger for his opinion. His f.1ith in humaniiy is reflected in his V.'Ork. a nmn grounded in print iples. a cor1fidencebettayed by few, his love and r~>ect forh1s fellow-rna.1, as a prc9:.'11tation tOr his love ofothers is ''iithoutoqoal. For Ille he is s1jJl the l>OSs and \\i1ll be greatly 01issed. Homelessness byAbby Haglage As (leave n1y hon1eto go dO\lontov.11 my face is tired and in theshape ofafrQ\\<n I'n1 oging to see the Bengals play. but for some reason •'ll)' thoughts ate in the way, I an1not as e.xcited as others seent SnWIdlings in nty lifen1ake nle fed nlean, Untitled As v.-e park the car and begin to \valk. I complrun al>0ut Ol)' itchy socks, \Vhen looking in front ofn1e I see, An old nlan lookingdO\\'ll and depressed as can be. by Elaine Wlu1aker Hope, n1y friend, Is a fo ur letter \\Otd It keepsyou fl)•ing. 11·s the \~nsof a bitd. \Vith a can in his hand and a hat on his head. I knO\V compared to n1e, He has much 1110re to dread Hope is the grace That keeps 111e going 1•111 a bird i.n the sky l·lope kees>s n1esoating As J v.'Orry and co1nplain about ti_ny matters. I realized that this man's 1.ifeis in taners. fole is the0t1e that noods my ptayers, He is the one for v.tiom no ones cares, I gjvehin1asn1ileandhoped he lolO\V, Hope is my friends Hopeis my frundy, That seed in my heart, he has SO\\'ll , Hopeis ntylife Hope is life. Street Dog by Sarge LinU..'Cum I \va$ brought up 10 beju.~t abigpuppy, Then they trained n1e to be an attack dog. After nty career as an attack dog Thc..-y said J didn't tit back into the pack any more. And they v.•rutted to have n1e put to sleep. So I rrut a~vay rutd becao1e a sttay dog. Looking for a kind handout. but expecting a kick. I tried to get a job as a guard dog, But after a tCv1daysl \VOuldn' t even lctthcO\\<ner in. Beingastrny dog is no panic, But beiogold and a stmy is a bitter fate for any dog, Especially si.noe l'ntnot a dog at all; I'n1anJ\J11erican veteran. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource February 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Food Banks Forced to Ration and Turn Hungry Families Away Due to Supply Crisis Rothenberg Academy in Over-the-Rhine to be Renovated Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: The Vibe Pg 4: Metro Raises Fares: City Council Approves Increase Pg 5: Vendors Pg 6: Drop Inn Center Celebrates 30 Years at Race and 12th St. Pg 7: Athens County Holds “Walk for the Homeless” Fundraiser Cincinnati Police School Board Decides to Renovate Rothenberg Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: Poverty and Addiction Guest Columnist Pg 11: Peace Village Pg 12: U.S. Turns to Horses to Secure Borders Pg 13: Modern Politics and Tribal Violence Pg 14: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource February 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Susan Smith Andy Freeze Lynne Ausman Greg Olkhovsky Tiffany Harmon Kenneth Cheriyot Melvin Williams Della Woolens Steve Sunderland Barbara Flick Alyssa Konermann Berta Lambert Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Melodie Fickenscher Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alyssa Konermann Andy Freeze Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Athens Barbara Flick Berta Lambert Border Patrol Cincinnati Cincinnati Public School Board city council Della Woolens Drop Inn Center Food Bank Fundraiser Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Kenneth Cheriyot Lynne Ausman Melodie Fickenscher Melvin Williams mental illness Metro Fare Over-the-Rhine Peace Village Photography politics Rothenberg Steve Sunderland Street Count Susan Smith Tiffany Harmon https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/2315bec17bb72e8f6e4e0bb0a222d546.pdf 195e0870f5712bdb5b8d66aaf34730d5 PDF Text Text Need Help or Want to Help? Also Call 211 Shelter; Women and Children Treatment: Both Resources YWCABattered women's Shelter ... 672-9259 Be1h ony Hou••...557·2873 Grace Place-CalholicWol'kc.rHouse ..•661·2365 SaMtlonArmy...762·5660 AJcohotie~rAnooymous Hotiine ...351·04'22 C,C,A T....381 ~6672 C•ll>orie So<ial Se<Vices...24'1-7745 Cerner forlndepenclent Uvlng Oplions ••241·2600 Shetter; Meo Joseph Hoose (Ve1.,...;,i).,24 1·2965 Hotr0hon CountyAfJAS Boord .!146·•868 NarcoticsAnooymous Hopeflne..\820. 2947 Recovery Health A&cess Ceoter...281 •74·22· Tolbert Ho~e •..684-7~6 Clty Gospel Mission ,_241-5525 St. FrancislSi. Joseph Catholic Advocacy Worker House •••381--494·1 ~Jt. AAy Sttslter :661-4620 Appillaohlan ld~ntltyCentttr• .621· 599 I C0tholie Soclal Actlon .. 42:1...313-1 CommunityActionAgency.~S69 ~ 1840 Col'.\tactC-0n1et .•.3-81-4242 Shelter; Both Anthony HO<Jse(Y) •••961 ·408.0 C.ra<;ale (AIDS) ...761-1480 D\'op Inn C~nter .... 1..0643 Interfaith Hosf:Wtal!ty Net\Ycxk(F)...471-. 1100 Llgl\lh\l<l•• You1h C.nl.,M .•.221· 3350 Si. JOhn'~ Hou•lng ...651 ·6446 n Franciscan JPIC ..•721 4 700 GCCH .•.421·7603 lnloroornmunlty Justl~ & Peace Cente1 , _579~547 JO$tfOeWalch ...241..0490 Legal Aid Society ...241· 9400 OJPC ...421 -1108 Peaslee Nelfllb0<h00dCettte1... ' 6"21*5$14 Housing: ProjcotConneci HOl'OCICSS Kids •. CMHA... 721-4560 ExCel Oavetopr'ncot{k1H) .•.632-7149 STOPAIOS...4.21 -2437 Miami Purcha~ ...24 1-0504 OTR Communi'ly Housing ...381-117 1 Tendo1~l efcios(MH}....721-8666 loin GeigerHousC(WC} ._961-4555 Dana Transitional Bi'idgo Services, Inc. ...751-0'6 43 Volunteers olAmerica ...381-1954 Treatment: Women Flr•I Step Home •• 961-4663 Treatment: Men Chatlle'.& 314 HoutH;) ... 78~1853 OICUvo In Ptogram ...721·0643 Prospeol Houst1 •..9Z1 ~1 613 Siil111ng Over .•.961·2256 STREETVl8ES 111 i21ll St. Clnclnni:tti, OH 45202 e. 363-3300 Churches Activein Northslde.... 591·224-6 Cinoinoati Union Bethel...768·6922 EmanuelComm.;ini'ly Ceoter.. .241· 2563 Freestorelfoodban~ .. .241 ·1064 Franciscan Halrcuts from 1he Hearl •..65 t· $466 Goodwil1 lndus1Ties •..n 1-4800 Heliling Conneclions: ·- 751·0000 Ma<lsonvUle Education &Assistance Cenlef...271-550 1 M~ry Ma.gdalen House .•.nt-48t 1 PeopleW\lrl<ln9 Coopefadvely•••351 •7921 R'?eCrlsl$ and Abuse Ceot.er•..977-3541 St. Vincent OeP'8ut .,,562·&841 The Caring Place...63t· 11 14 UnitedWay, 721-7900 f9.!1.l! Lo1·d's Ponuy...621-5,300 OTR/Wolnul Hdls .Soup t<ltclic1' & Pan Uy - .961·1963 Our Dally Br.,.d ...621-<i364 SL Fran cl$ Soup. kitehen... 535·2119 Hgatth Centerior Respite Care ...621·t868 Cincinna.ti Health Net-.vork,...9~1 ~0600 Croasr~dHealth Center...38t ·2247 Harrilton County Mental H~lth Board •..94S.SGoO Hanlttvn County TB Control...94&-7628 Hearth Resource Center..•3!>7--4602. Homel ess MobilE- Heal:h Van ,_ 352~2902 Mcfvlioken Dental Clinio,.,352-8363 r.1ental Health Access Point.,.55Q.:.88$8 ~Aercy Franciscan al St. John ...981-5800 N.MH ofHamiltoo County..:458-6670 Oral Health Council •..621--024-8 P.A.T.H Outreach (MH)...Dn-'1469 ciorthom Kentucky Brighton Center .wS~Q.-49 1 -8303 Fairflaven ResGUe Mission(i\f}...859--491 4 1027 NKY Homeless and Housing Coalition _.859-727~6 . Homeward BoundYouai( 'r')...,859-581 1t11 4 Mathe•HB House _,859-261-8009 NKY Family·Heallti Center .•.859· 291·93.21 Parish Kitchen .,.859 58 1-7745 4 Welcome House(WC)...859-431-37 17 Women's Crisis Center...859~91-3~35 Transitions, Inc. ...859-491--44 35 VAOomkiilfary _.85Q..559·50t 1 v;c.:Hameles>S .. ,859-672 6226 4 "Nonprofit 010. US POSTAGE Pilid c111i::fnl\tll. OfllO P4lflTl.it No, l1l3 w 1'1H = t.1cntal tte:.alll\ Sctl•1i1UonA1tny_:&63t445 WC =Worncn andCf'llldrcn F = Fnn1Jlie$ Open OoorPuntry.-868-3276 Y-= Youth S •Single• Thank you for reading! HamlltonlM!ddletown a R•phoels...8633184 serenity HoosoDay Cooter...422-8$5$ N•w Life S.p~$1 Mlsslon...890.9800 Hop• Hou•c(S,f),An.4673 BOoker T. \i\rashlnglon Cornmurllty Cctil«.- 785·2451 Orga_nil'.a:tlol'ts"and subsctlbo,,_ • Pl~se~Cnd upd11ed 1nl'!1:0:15 treetvJbes,t@Yahoo,,com Jimmy Heath 1954 - 2007 - - ... - �Jimmy I-Ieath 1954 - 2007 T !ffi TRI-STATE'S ALTERNATIVE NEWS SOURCE Homeless Memorial Day Honors Homeless Individuals Who Passed Away in 2007 by Tiffany Harmon TheAtuwaLHomeles.• Memorial Dn.Y wa; he!~ onDecember20 atru)(ln in\l'asblnglon Pa1i<. Spon~orl~l 10<'.ally byiJieCrea1crCl11~innat1 Coall1ion l'or 1hc H0mcles.<. Homeless Me1no1iaJ Day ISaoatiotlcilda) of111ou1ning ror~te hornc.4ess rneri. v.'On1m and c:hiJdrenwlK>have passed away in 2007. 1radllionally heldondielonges1nlghrortlieye'df. Hoflleless Memotla!Day isachalice fQr frh;mls(Ind loved ones 10 gather1ornourn those, hodl kno'.vn nndunkno\vn, V\ ho are no longer \\lldl u.~. Hom(1lessJ\.tc.1n10rl;il Dny ls also ;i <.0J1ance to mou1TI th(' na1iru1(1J tragedy or horneleS:!t11ess atKIbring 3\\1t1renes~ to lhe sufferfngofl11e 1300 men. \Von~en and childrenv.·fM> expe:nC'JlCe homelessness eacl1nigl1tm Cinannati. 1lie event rea1ures amemorJalfire Hiabarrel. t11e i-e.dingornames and Jightlllgofcan1lles for diedeceased, singing. Md quiet reflectlon. 2007 wasan ox~pliQJially hardyear for peoplecxperlr.m;ing horti(•les.;nrsr.. 1\vo hornelesS-me'.n \Yere 111urcle-red. l\'-'O died frornexposure.onewas cocnpac:Led by a lr,iSh truck as he\VJSsleeputg lnadumpsi.er ruKI onedied fro1ninjuries he ~usrained \vork1ngrla}' labor. In 1j addition. 25homelesspeopledied100yo<u·1g trom tllll lllne.ssessu•iained rrom living tlie llrui;J1J1fo · af hnme~sness, a rncurdnumher In UieJtisloryaf trn~klng homeless deaUJS in Oncinn.111.The ~ >->homelesscommunliy also losuhiw:scivlceprovldl'<S.lncludlngJlmmyHe<11h. lhe formel'ly c horneless man \Yl10 se:1ved foroversix yearsa:> tlte edilorof 51.reettribesn~\\'Spape-r. : ·nus \\ras aJ1oa·ible,year rorus." st<tterl CeorgineCerty, executivedirectoroftlu:Crearer •• ~ Clnclcmau Coalition lortileJ-lomeles>. "Momeli;ss Memorial.Day gives usad iaiice wcome II fire burus as people pay lrlbute aud listell 10 SJorles~o:.if~ together as a r.omrnunilJ and rnaom 1hecontinuingtragedyof.homelessness.Nonneshauld havr rliosP. 1r1/io 1,.,,,6 ,11e,1• to die 1.r, lhese con<J11lons... · 1 1 City Ups Penalty for Targeting Homeless: "Little effect" forecast for anti-harassmentlaw lncreasetl l1omelessness within Seattle is leadmg lo Wldesp1·ead attacks from tliose lool\Jng 10 obtain a "ihrUJ" by pro.ylngnn1hedlsposed.Real Change reports on lhe effortl. to properly prosecute such felons aml 10 br111g~uadls on ihe homeless into <hecategory of HateCrlme. Seanle's homeless may ~1 be identitledil$a protec;te<I gl'oup wide.· lhe c1iy·s hate crlmefaw. l"'islwrek, 1heCity CounrJI public safely tomrnittee approved aproposal lhitwauld add homelessness 10 Its prote<:ted class~ under llie <JXi~ing Mallclr..isHarassmcnt onlinance. Theamendment will goforup for flml vote before the full council on Ooc. 10. lltis legiSl'1tio115 sup(Xlrt<d hy Mayor Creg Nickels nnd was developed by tl1eSea1de l~uman Rights Co1nmi.ssian. 11ilsgri1UJ1 aml Oihcr 0Jmmun11y Stakeholders Ciie ll\e rise of hrutaJattlcks on the ho1ne1e.ss In recemyears. i11tludb>gl'l!a.'lit st:allsl.lcs by the Nationol Coallllon for 1hr· Ho1nel~$ (NCH) which named Seattle 1he se1enlh-lll1lStcLmgerouscity for homelessJleoµle. ·111lsl111S beena long time ooml ng,- says I.co Rho1ks of SHARE. 011e or 'everal 10 provide personal testimonyof unpmvoked auacks. "11.ere.ill'ecowitlr_o;.s stades pc;oplc hav~ ·~ hC"rd. l~1twlw11 a h-0n1eless per.son s-peaks. no one li~r:ns." hesays. "Peoph• oul on 1hcstmctsrlgli1nowrton'1 feel like huma11 beiJlgs." "We need to llslcm ID lhe ~1orles or homeless people." "")~Julie Nelsonofthe Se.1N.lt• OfOreorcwn Riglus. ·\vhrn l tllillk abuul !he fa<l lhal tl1Js is 1olerc1te<j, ll"'s bonible, anything Ihave losay on clle 1113.tlet is secondaiy," she 5~)''" Scatoe·s malicious hardSSrr1enl la\Vexpandsol'I the st.1te law hy Adding gender idenmy.marllalsia1US.pouucal ideology. ~ge, and parental srotus to 11s prnmc1e<Iclasses, aJ'1d iS £neanl1oofferprolectioc1 from bodily lnjuiy. physu:al r.onllne111e01L propertydamage, and fearof l1i1m:L charge d.efendants \Vith an rni'idemeanor,'vllh annxinrum ad1illlonaktimeiflhc\i"1lm Is prlsoo s~ntence of01 ieyr.a1'." hP. homeless. ~a)'S ... A 1naUcjous J 1(Jrd~n>e1lt "lil'l.il:\\rjllhel1>makelhls ttuly Si~!f1cantis if.whl'l1o Jmes ;ireoomrnittecl. me city altorney uSt-~s lhe la\\' to hs (ull c-xtent... Said AIJso11 Eisinger or tlie SealtleKing C'.oonly Coalition on l·lon.Olesi>n~ . Bui according io City Artom¢y Thomas Carr, the ardlnaoce-diangewUIhi!Ve Utllc e-ffeclinoourt. Carr suJlpons tl1eproposal. "lrsagoocl di'1nge. hltighllghis things 1ha1 ~ happening lO homeless poople," hesays. Bui he is quick to JlQlnlool tl.,1lhe city ah1Jadytakes t11e law as fat as it <;an cr.anstltutianall}'~ An1en(ling 1he ordln(lncc "S(:iittlc's exlstlng would allow proseculors 10 hilf'dSSrnenL<."OnVK:tionis·a~ \.barge carries. 110 greater se-orence.• Funherntore. a:rnaJlcinus har;lSSl1icn1convictionrequln:s proor that the perpelrator targeterl tbe v1clin1bectJusc.•of' his "'her class. "Lt g~n""3.Uy \•,;on'1 be ciiarged hec;1use a lesser crime \Vlth the s~n1e ~itaire \Vlllbe easier toprove,"' Carr says. 111eclly chargedjust one person \VUJ1 n1allcious haf3SSn1entthls y~-<'r, \'lhC'I~as 451 o!'dinary harassment dwges were filed.acoom.lng to cuunrewrd. Butfmrn Lbe hurn.m rights Continued on 1>age JJ Inside This Issue JimmyHeath Re.1d peoplestributes 10 Ji111n1yHeaUlonpages 4 and 5 Horne.less i\fe111orial Day \Ile\\' pictures fron1the GCCII l!''ellt in Washingt<in park on pages 6 and 7 Guest Colwn~ \!je\\' amvork and an Ourguestcolwnnls1, Jnleivie<Y witl\SilviaCol.Wisoo James l'tlguediSCUSSel;life in pages 8 and 9 AtlruUll •ndCind1matl on page 12 Streelvibes V•ndors Ar111ual Dinner Catc11pictures fro1n Lhe CCCI IA1"1uaJ Dinner on December 13cm pages l 3 and 14 �STREETVIBES About Us January 2008 STREETVIBES Slllletvlbcs 11 7 Ease 12t11Su·ee1 Cincinnati. OH 45202 phone: (513) 42 1-7803x 12 fax: (513) 421-78 13 3 Our Mission Sb·eccvlbr.s Isa ncwspa(J<lr tliat providesrelevant discussionso fhomclc'SSness. povenyand other related socialjuSUce issues llis1>ublished oncea moml1 by Uie Greater Ciocinnrul Coalitionfor the 1-lomeless. The Greater Cincinnati CoaUtion for the homeless l' a groupofshelt.ers.agencit'Sand individuals committed to ending homeless In Ch\clnnatl through eoortllnaUng S<Jrvlces. educating the public, and grassrootsorganfzing. Our Vendors screecvtbes2@yal100.oon1 \iV\\'\\1.cfnrihome1<"..ss.org GCCH Staff EXECllflVElllRECTOll Georgine Getty ­ Alfn,'il \Voodfolk A11to1Uo Hodge Antl"'ny Willia1ns AIJ.\1Jl(JS11\A'l1V£COORDINAIDR Susan Snlith Andy Frt>ezc Lynne Ausman Cleo 1.amlxTI Wombles David 'A'atkim Joo Joseplth1e Dat1}1oll Darby Ba.<kerville Mruy Mueller Nell Tonia \\~lllams Haley Sih·ia Tony Collins OrlnnntruKI .:1 .. EllUCA:rtONCOORl)1",~l'OR AMERJCORPSVISll) Berta Eadeoe Moreland .' • James C1ady Cook - .. • AMEl!lCORPSl/lSTI\ Greg Olkhovsky AMP.lltCORPS\~S'tl\ Tiff.my Harmon AllAPROJECT~~\NACER L.onanl Mark Jackson Calllpbdl Raesba\vn • Riccardo G ijlSOll ·1a)1nr Sant Jackson Julie Walki:r KennethCheriyot tlECEl'nONISTS Melvin Will!ams, Della \Vooleos Streetvibes ·~ CON'l'RIBIJl'INCWRl'l'ERS Andy l'rce1.e. Lynne Ausman. Georgine Getty. tvUchael Henson. SteveSunderbnd. Greg Olkhovsky. Cleo Wo111bles. Todd Forman. Sonny Williams, Pat Clifford. Kad1ed11e Ryder, Angl~ Jones.JamesPogue.Tiffany 1-lannon PflO'fCJCRAPHY/AR'lWORK Jimmy Heath. Greg Olkhovsl1y. Andy Freeze, BenaLamberl Anthony Williams, Antonio Hodge COVF.R Jinu11y Heath is ren1en1bered ror llis work and l:tJS life asfriends and famlly pay tribute, Becoming a SIJccwlbes Vendor Is a great\\lay for homeless.alKI olhe.r loYi'· W e are proud members of: 75 r.e111.~ go£•S tlft'CCl.fJ' lo )'0111' i·121ii/Ot' Vet1</013· htt)' 1J1e {J..'f/ JCr fo1· 2.'i Gl!IJIS 1•·/1i1:/1 pays for produt·lio11. City Council Restores Human Service B11dget back to 0.06% by St,...t•ibcs Staff On December 19. 2007 Ciad nnati City Council voted to rcsrore human only council members Berdlng, Boru: and Ghiz voling agair<iULAlthough$2.3 ndllion i~ a f.1r CC)' fro1n lhe trartitionaJ amowu of 1.5% of die general fund (generally around S5·6 million) ~1at hu1nan se1vlces have tradltlonall}' rect!ived fro1n cl1e city. agencies\"'ere generally relieved dmt.lhe funding was resrored.Over ·10 agencies «>ceive !his furullitg and have a Vi1ide arra.y of 11rogiams and services 1hat address come peo11le 10 gt1·backon(or stay se.l \'ice funding to $2.3 mllllon. 1"be on) thelrleet. Sueetvl~ Vendors are humanseJ\'lce conununlt}r \Vas a.Litme<I givenan orientation anrl signa codr.of whenCity Manager Mllto.n Dahoney reco1n1uended a cut or $1 ruillion to conduct before b<:lng givena human service funding In rt>e 2008 StreelVib~ Vendar ~dge. \rendors. are privai. conlrJctor.i who DO NOT budg~1. Mayo1· Mallory then recommended that lhls amount he put workror. or rep1'<lSl'nttJ1eGreater CincinnaliCooilition forihe Homele.~s.. back to l!'s2007 levelof$2.3 mllllon. 1 All p.roflis go dlrC<'lly lo tlie vendor. Council n1erubers Cro\\1le)'. CranJey, honu~less ness . domestic \ jolence Pleasesee lheGCCHwebsite rorthe Thomas.Qualls,ColeandMoll7.el voted prevention,education and lu10Jin!!. HIV/ JA'itlt ~le 1na}'or·s1t"COOu11oodat1on, \\lld1 AJDS. litllfacy. hui>ger and dieelderly. Vendnr CodeofConducL - North American Strret Ne\vspaperAs."Joi:iation IN SP Tnll!l11lliional.Nc'lwockuf Street Papers �STREETVIBES The Vibe January 2008 4 Shutter Speed Homeless MemorialDay l'lill Hemor'* MichaeJAufrance DoliilldFrancis CJen V\lalsoi1 ScottJohnson John Earls Julie Martin Carlton Davis RalpJ1 Goodwin JucJson Ward Joiln Watkiils MichaelStarn per S~phtinSivernagel QuentinSchlater ·~teven Rice MIChll.el \"kiilg € rosby Knox John Elenne.tt Darreli Gray· "Michael Kelly Vvlhlier Gaffney DaneitaHall Maty J91lilson Mr. and Mrs. Homeless Downtowner Name:AJleJljohns-on HometO\•n: ClnciJlfl3~ Neighborhood: A\<ondale Occu1.:itimc C;UJientJy, Painting (can't teslst:Money I can' Istand: greed Person I admire most; Pastor al Westside Venue lxlcausc he gesluineJy \\'anls lO helP. lhecornmw:Lity What Uike 111~1 about Cincinnati:Thallhey help the homeless andfeed tl1em. There is alway~ a place to.ea!/ Place 1·d like to vl<il: Disney Land Ir I wonthe lotfery I \\<ould: Getmy ntcces ~nd nephe1>~ whalevertl1ey \'/'JJ1tfd andhetp my lamity. lwouldbuilda shelll!Tand gelthings righl Hap11h1~ \\'Ould be:aserenepeace •nd my 11epl1ew Life Phi!Osophy: Ife\·eiyone in the wortd were happy, ttie<ewould be nodepfllSslon Name: Cheiyl Ya1es Hometown:ClncJnnatl Neighhurilood: Over·lhe·l;l1ine Fa\'orite Interest: Alngtng. cL10ciitg. i:eading. w1itinij. sllOPfJing,·eating I can't reU.!it: Churd1 I can'tstand:vlolence Person I admire the-n1osl: M)•1nolher What Uike-most about Cincinnati: All of the different sites Place I'd like to vl'lit: California again 1f I wonthe lo1te1y 1.would: Buy a bu tiding for the hocne1.ess.andgive then1 tJ1eir o\vn clotJ1es. ~hoes, qir, food. airconaiuontng and all otherluxuctes llaripiness would be: Going to heaven DewlttB<ittle Earl Mann 'Iony BaqiweJJ ·Clrarlotte Moore Pauta:W<iil'e Magdalene Grasenrefd Pau!BtyanL Martin Stith RaJph Hill Antf\ony. Rodffgues Klinnell1 Stone Mary H!!&lle;i JoeDi~rslng Jimmy Heath life Phlla.ophy: Tojust be stable. -~h>i;inate ---------------------------------T------------------• to Stteewibes Srre'etv.ibes ls a 501(c)<i. nonproflr org;nmation, All denatlons 11re..greally apprecialed and may be ta~ deducitble. [would Uke to contribute: $10 $20 S50 $100 $:2PO $._ _ Send yol:lft heck>.ro: GCCH, 117 E. l2th St.. Cincinnati, OH. 45Z02 Interested rn having Streetvibes de.livere.ci to y0ur 111ailbox every month. lnC!ude a Che'Ck f0r $25 with yaur name and addr.ess. . _______________________________ __________ ... _____________________ .. _. �STREETVIBES January 2008 Local News 5 Tributes to Jimmy Heath \'Ve started selling Streetvibes shonJy alter the paper stan~:l. We have worked with Jimmy for almost 10 years and had tl1e opportunity 10 get 10 know him as we sold the paper. We will miss Jimmy for his willingness to listen to us, hi5 smile, and to share with us his experiences and wisdom. In response to tlie brokenmin-orsto1y by lateeditorJinuny Heath. 1experienced mostor whatJinnny did during my alcoholism and reooveiy from alooholismand druguse. 1sle1>t on mysiStm cooch in her liVing roomafterdtinkingheavily. 1 staned recovering fromalcoholis111in the late 1980s and ant sober today. Grady Cook and Earlene lv!oreland Insolidarity. SoonyWilUams Former Hon1eless Person Clifton Rememberingjimmy Heath by PatClifford lt was the spring of 1995. Iwasworking as AdmlnlstraliveCoordlnatorat die Drop Inn Center. In addition. Ihad recently been granted U1e position or voluntary "Director.. oftlie Greater ClnclnnaU Coalition for the Homeless. ' \bluniaiy· because tlieCoalition was ui tlie process of regroupingafter a change in staffand abitter loss ofthe 115-unit.Milner Hotel whidi housed M}' narne isKalt•erir•e R)ider. I i.·vas apartof tJ1eConnexionsgroup at many low-Income Indl\;duals downtown. Coupled thatwith the loss of Xavier University thatyou andJimmy spoke 10. 1received an email about sorne key granlS and \Ve had no fur1ds to pay an)1one. To top it off Jimmy"s passing. I wantyou to knowtliaUiJlimygreatly alfecte<I me. He my ";fe and rhadj ust found out we wereexpecting our flr.;t child affected my faithand my life in general. One thinghe said1>ill always stay la1erdia1year. Help was neede<ll with me. He said S()methlng to the effect of"God makes me huge. God 1talked to the staff of the Drop Inn Center's Recovery rnakesrny lire huge." I wish 1could havetold.lirruny how he trulyalfecled Prog1am. whichoonslsted of one person(fom Lee) at thatpoint. me. I wrote apaper for my theology class and wrote aboutJinimy. l wrole and asked hiJt1 to assign L\VO oftl1e ~Jive-ins" (as U1e)1're called) how he inspired me tosee God in eventlie hardest tiJnes. l have always todo theircommunityse1Vlce howswiththeHomeless Coalitlon. believed thatGod wooId carry us through hard times but.whenevera hard Botli agreed to work wididie Coalition. especially our lledgling Umecame 1would doubt God's presence.~l\lll,Jimmy helped me to reallze Street Newspaper Project which wasjust an idea at that point. die God really does give us die strengtli toget dnough diose hard limes arid Oneofthe live-Ins became our vendorooordlnatorand the other. to have faith. My faithj oomey is farfrom done. 1oontinue togrow in my apholographer. Thetr nameswere DonaldWhileheadandJinuny widerstanding ofGod buUuiunygave mesu~ngdi to koepgoing even when Heatli. ! think that I'll never get. there; that.I'll nevergetoff the · streets" of In lastmonui·s Stree!Vibes. Jimmy maner-of-facdy related 1gno1 ance to God;that1·Ii never fully knowGod.Jimmy gaveme tlie the depths towhich his addiction had taken him, literally living in a courage and die s1rengd110 keepgoing. basement like a cave. ~Vhen he came to the Drop Inn Center. \VOrtersdescribed hirn as looking likeGriUJ)'Adaitis. tl1e rnountain 1wish 1cooId have told hun tliat befo1~ he passed. Hewill forever be witli man ofthe 70s televisionseries. His familysaid thatbeforeentering the me. Drop InnCeiuerhe called tlie mall to tell tliem he was iJlunanentlygoing to Thankyou. die. That was hefore recovery. Now this self-descrihed ' basementtrolr had asecond life. Sincerely, Hespent tlie fu>t yearsor diis lifeslowly but intently re-acqutriJigdie tools dwll Katlierme Ryder wooId come to define him. Anew camera. Anew lens. He got ajob atKlnko·s In Western Hills. partially to be close to a place where he coold develop his negatives. It was dw·ing tliattime that thedreams of a Cincinnati streetnewspaperwere beginning 10 percolate. By the time tragedy AAJck In Novenlberof 1900 with thedeadi ofbuddygray. Jimmy was already considered pan of the famlly. He had quledy becomeOver-the­ Rh.ine'sofficial photograpl1er: never i.·vitlK>Uthis carnera. Hegrieved \ViU1us. Wt he also docurnented ourcornrnwlilygrief. l11eroost irnportantphot0Jinut1y evergave mewas a famlly poM!ltofmywife Katy. meandour I 1-montlioldson Mitchell at die second annualHomeless Coalition dlnner-onewoekaf\erbuddy"sdeatlL His photoo were hisgifts to us. both tlien and now. The firstlocally printed editionofStreetvihes cameout.in February of I 997. dedicated 10 the memoryofbuddygray. By thattime. wehad found agrant. loemploy Donald Whitehead 1>an-t1me to work with meat theHomeless Coalition. organl7.Jng vendorsand speaking to crowds around thecity about homelessness. Jimmy supplied all die photos. 11 was a low.1ech operation... none or us knew the procedures. software or hadany experience In editingat thatpolnL Jimmy. Donald and 1 anende<I die North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA) conference in SeaIlleinSeptemherofthatyear. We learned from die folks at Real Change Ne"s diere. ~Ve all visited Scattle·s homeless art studio. 1remember having Chinese food at Pike Place Market. Compared to other cities likeChicagoand Boston. wewere rookies. Coold we keep publishing montlilyl Struting witli 500 per montlt coold we everdream ofgrowing to 5.000 per month? It's HO\r\' over ten years later and Street\'ibes has never n1issed a month ofpublicatlon. ~Ve turn out 6.000 copies each mondi. The paper was named Paper oftlie Year al U1e NASNAconferenceof2003. And Uirough ilall there was the quietdetemilnaUonofJimmyHeatli. "Editor, Layout and Design·· for overtenyears. Ourworld is mademore humane through these fragile forums that help people reclaim Identity and express themselves through an and wrldng. And. thanks to ourdedicated vendors and readers- and patientand creative people likeJinnny. we all continue togrow. • Katy, Pat aIJd Mitchell at Ho111e.Jess Coali1io11 Di11_1)er, Noi1e111/N!r 1996 �STREETVIBES Local News January 2008 6 Jimmy Heath Too Cool for School by Geoq;uie Ge(f1 person, is tl1a1he would ha1e tl1e last paragraph that ljustwroie.Jlmmywas self-de1irecallng aud deeply funny. 'V\'henever san1eone \\'ou1d s1:arlgoing -011 311cl onabou1l1int, he\\rould ntake " j oke a11{1 challglllhesubject. lie knew thevaJueofthe\\1ork he produced. .his photographs. S~eetvibes. but Ile was •bleto laughabout diem In away U1at pul lt<>ll In 11crspoc11ve, aml brought everyone ro tlie colwessauon. There was-a balance in Jlmmy bet.weeJl great cynicism and grem co1npassion.. He al\\'ays knew \Vhen Llllsl niel)lmmy when ls1arted my jobauhe GrealerO ncinnati Coalition fonheHomeless in 2002. He took me l'o ta lourof Over die RJliJ>e.I'd liVed u1 Cincinnati fi>r a few years al.that point, but f' dnever reallybeen LOOTRbefore. Willi Jimmy, walking tluotighalleys. I saw ii for 1he Orsttlmc. Por mellwas likeseeing0'11{ tlirough fa11y1ale eyes - bulldlng5 that were Uie battleground' f'or ancient SU'Uggles be~veen gtungy while knigl11s and greasy developers, crumpled u1> originsofageoclC'l diatare sQnloone \V~s legJtilnate (Ind when now legpcies. We ended atU1e makeshift. son1eone \Vas feedhlg hbu a line - be memorial where Timothy1l1001asdied. they politlclaa or1>anhandler.And d1eo -·n1a1 was messed up." Jlnnll)'. ever U1e he'd go ahead and liSten oo everyone mi11inl3liS~ exµlained. T' d seen it on die any1vdy. f tl1ink ii came.from being an nt)l\~.Jlmmyw<lS tliei'e-dorlglng be<ln anlst; he saw 1he whole 1>erson and bags witl1hiS canierain tow. accepted U1e bad witl1 grace while Thatnight LwroteabouLJlmmy in searching out the good. He.had a way my diary.1l1eword ..c<X11" was used no <lfSJ>eaklngtlieuuU1 - bluntly. lluraJW<I}~ ending ln"1mm· or "brotl1er" tl1atmarle less dran 1.2 times. Piveyear.> lat£r, lhat'S,\tlli how I pro1ilo listen and no.1"1Jtcoffense.,!in1my de.scrlbdunrtiy. Hewas reallyoool.1'he setanunSJloken code fortl1e Homeless kind of cool you read abou~ die kind CoaJiUon. a bar that V\'e all strJve to d>al only anti-heroes c•o poll.oil'. ~l his •cl1Jeve. Take itse.i·1ously.1>u1not wo O\\IJl lifelirne~Jbnntjtbecame an icon. I seriously. Laugh ;:1 Jol, bul never at heard 1he note of awP. that err.pt tow son1CJ0no. Takethethm: to listen, r<vcn If peoples voicewhen tl1ey spoke orhim. you·,-e busy,even lftliey' re Lylng. Keep Ievenhad atouch oftliai.myself. listr.ning until they' redone teUJngyou But what made Jimmy • great whattl1ey need 1osay andyoun.ed to 1J1add1epleasure orknu\\'ing.arKI \'iUfking wlt11Jlmmy fo1·a number ofyears. In1st met himafll'fhehad recentlygraduated rrom tl>e trealmeotprogram at the DIC. You r.ould tell tluu hehad aspecial spad< and U1a1he was going to uotordy !>lUYive, burshine and tooth manylives by sharing his liteexpaler~. As a highschool 1ead 1erand cornmunity servicedirector. I l>a<Itlie 01>portunity lO \YOl'J\ \\ itl1J1bnOilquite a re\I/ projectsduriJ1g 1 ovrnhcycars. Hlswlllingness 1osharc his story and lO teach my s1uda11sabout homeles.sness, sadaljuslice, phologmphy andaboot lifearewha1Iremember best I am now ttllchlngatMI. Nolle Dame High Sdiool, and I am saddened tl><>Imycw·rent studrnts"''ill no·i get io meet and 10 knQ\V Jlnuny... l\iS llfehas touched mi1ie and made 111e a benerpersou. ~levriltal\vays lJe J'Clnei11bt•l?<I. Jimmy.youare loved andyoo are miSsed! Peacl.', Todd Fonn.in hear. Honor U1e past. bul ll\'e in tl1e pre.'iffii Ftnd.d1ebeautiful, because Lt's 1he1e il'you look for iL Jimmy lookme lo an art stK1w once for •he children lo his l.lr.c<acy tlwough Photography pro<>.,ram,TI>erewasone collage done by a small boy who lived 111 OTR. The phot~were of dupe IXl)'.S UlWhiJe l·Shlrui.pilbulls. poverty. Ilookedai ltwt1hhorror and said .• 1s U1ai a dope boy?" Jlmmy"1ldyes."A11dapltboll?" Jurunysia11edoodruekle. "Yes:· he.aid, "it's perfect ThisntUe boy Is 1><lrfec1: So I looked again. The dope boy was leaning ·agal1tst a kitchen COUl\leJ'smiling al theliule boy behind tlie camera. He \Vas 110 1 a scary crunu1al, hewas tlds linle boy'solderbrother. ltwas a plccute of sw11gtl1 and love•ml adoraUon for his blg b<oU1er.The pit bull\\~S ooladru1ger.Tlie p;aure was cut Imo the shape of a.llttle he-dl'L Mewas a pet. Tluit was the power of Jimmy. He'ooulrtgiveyou new eyes. He oould make you see sometl1ingyou'd seen a million times. bulstrlp.itoflls p1e1ense and Its media hype and your own p1~ooncepuons so Uiatall that "~s left was a little nugget of truth; complicated. wonderful, uuU1. I miSs youJin1my. Vie all do. T.he Homeless Coalllion feels a Unit emp&y anrl !his lossofyou wllls1 tng fora long lime. Bue So·eetvibes will surviVe One oll11e.dowruides of'~111g a11 avid uS<'I' of P/1otos/Jop, as Jilfl111)' II'~ Is 1ha1 ivlie11 youJe9JtJmmelyser a plch1re nfyourself ll'ilh " squh't!!I 011 your //~ad. eve1:yo11e ass1111ws fr~ a fake. I asswayou. ii is uol. 1found a l>7i!)' squirrel on n walk one day rnrou.qh Colle9e Hill. This pal11ei/c erea/tire lladjustopened his dJ~S. My hu.sbafl(fmid T nursed !rim b:ick ro /U>a/lh (111)' lwsbar1d.geW11g up for 1J1e 4:00:<.m. borllc feetllngs) ;wd nmned him.B.1ron von Chippy. Jimmy. alwnp an animal 10,.er. askedme ro brf/lg rhe &ton ill/a die CoaliliotJ one day. Jtnm~' '"'-'photogmphing /Jim leaping .1bo1J1 "!I' office when the Baron jumpedon Jimmy's headandposedthere. Jin1Jnygufe/Jy handed me />is C8/Jie1-a am/ I ""s able toget l11is shot. W/Je11 tile Bamngot" flfile older. hescampered off bpck !mo the wilds of College Ifill. �STREETVIBES January 2008 Community N ew s 7 Memorial for the Homeless Dead by Michael Henson Qecember 2007 Thewinter wind they call die Hawk rounds the comer of the s~ason and skitters the last leaves to the fencelines. 'Ne stand in a park with a paper In ou1· hands ancl down the paper rutL~ a Lisi of names None ofthe names will ariswer if we.call them but we mad them to remember tliat. tliey had names. these people of 1he unclerbriclge. the condominiums of the shelters. the apartments of park benches, the cardboard havens alid bedrooms of the poor. \\!hat can we know about tl1ese nan1cs but thaLtliey died - some in JJ1e usual way and some Inways it hurts to think on. They died of violence, accident. and neglect They died of' uncreated disease. of over-dos·e aud under-attention. They were cold. U1ey were hung1y. they were sick. and they died. And now they are notl1ing buc a list of names running off Into the wind. 't'he Hawk sweeps tl1e comer of U1e shivering season and the cold grass is stiff amund ourshoes. 'Ne stand 1n a park "~ch our pockets full of wi.nd ancl nolhing in l>ur hands bur these pages full of names So1UJ)' ~Yil/fa11is lig/1ts n rt"me111beraJ1ce ti11Jt/le. PtJ(J/Jfc gatl.1er torcn1e111ber Ji'ieI1ds. faI11ily. andloved011es 1v/10 l1n1·e passed auwy. and the names are fading from our sight. 111ey were cold. they were hungry. 1hey were sick. 111ey were over-dosed and under-funded. displaced fromthe neighborhood of the living and now Uieir names trickle into the cold. stiff grass. The Hawk tes!S Ule cutre11l5 of the turning season and strips the warmth from lhe downw""1 towers. ~Ve stand in a park with our hats full of dus1and we a·sk, wbo decided wbich. doors would open and who decided wbich doors would dose and who decided these names would be on Uie list that we read this day. 111eywere cold, they were tired. they were gentrifiedand they died and nowd1eir names fade into·thc light. The Hawk calls once in U1e sweep of Uie cllangtog seaso11 and wickers away the lastof the leaves. · ~Ve stand in a park withour hands full of light and in.the light a list.ofet.e1:nal names. 1neywere cold, theywere sick'. U1ey were hungiy. TI1ey .were over-dosed and under-guided and U1ey died. If we.call these names now and It seems U1ey do not answer, we can learn w lis1en In thegrass. In the wind. in 1J1eshower ofsunlight thal fulls around us. • \I.le can liswn in die cold ciy of the Hawk. ~ Listenclose: iJ: ~ They are a whisper now on the tongue of God. :1 ~Ve call their names to remember 1hey hall names. .6 .,, these people of the w1derhridge. J. the condominiums of tlie shelters. Lil<: apartll\ents of park bend1es. the cardboard havens and bedrooms of the poor. �STREE TVIBES January 2008 Community News 8 .4bo1-c: .41·ot11w 111an talces n 11HJ111ent to re fled 011 his c/eCt>.a.se</ /'r;;u111. Rig/11: F11t11er an1J tltu1ghter look al Ifie co111111P-1,10 1t1ti1'e mwJJh I/Jal clmmides hoJ1Jrlcss deaths siI1cc Z(}{)3. lie/ow: CfJ1WJ1unlty OJf._'JJJbMSgatlter to sl1are 111eJ110l'les o/' 1J1oso 1v/Jo l1«tVe JRl~·$·e(/ HH'8f. J'linlo!'i hy ,\ Jidy F'recin• \?" \ " J­ ...,#" • • ~ �STREETVIBES January 2008 Vendor Artwork 9 Bengals Abstract Ball by Anthony Williams Berta's Art Comer Franciscan I-Iaircuts from the Heart by Cleo Wombles The Downtovvn Streetvibes Clown Esquire Theatre Sr. BoMlcStelnJagcJs a nunwho volumeeishertlnte. love.and care. me by Ctco Wombles \i\fhen)roucome in the door, greet5 youwltl1a smile. She takes your name and putsil into d>e compuler. The price ofa haJrrut or Jn the mond1ofDOO'JOberwheo II nears Chrtscmas timeyoucaucome do1,\lnto\vnand see tl1eStreet\fibes clown. Hestands arFiflhand \"lalnut oospread a llllle che.r.All day lomg. you may see him dancing and .slnglng a song, to help brighcen upyoorday. When )'OU \\lalk b}'.;·ousee his rl'd noseand how It glows: tryou can take time oo soop by and see how It goes. he pu~on a good.sho\Y. Agalll. Iwould like to leaveyou witl1.-1 littlehumor. There is ajoke I know d1at goes like tlJls.There's a readerand a wrl1J11at tlte zoo. AUon comes by and eaiS only one oflhr.m. Canyou tell nie \\11ld1 one andwhy? Hedoosn·teat tl1e writer because ""llcr's·crrun.p and reader'sdlgesL Sl)'le tsonlylwodoJJars ora bag of cans.Ai; farme,:ihe al\vays s.t~1ves m_}' head and beard. She also washes my !lead witl1waterand shampo0. Atle1wards. she massages myscalp. I don't wam lier 10stopbecause ll l'eels so good. Sheuses a massa~e tCJOIon tl1e baek of my neck. U1e 1opof my llead. and Uie Sides. Sometin..s, Igo In wlU1a headaclie.Af\crshe Is done. tl1e headache Is gone arKI Ifeel so good. I feelas tltough her hamL<are used by God wld1a heaJittg toud1.TI1e musiC tllalsheplays is ve1y suod1ing. ll makes you feel relaxe(f and calm. Whatmo~can IsayaboutSr. flo1u11e and Franciscan H\ll1culS from the Heal't'I Pleases,1op by andsee, You c•n visit at 126 East 13'' Srreet. ur call 513-381-01ll �STREETVIBES January 2008 Vendor Artwork ~ ' I • I ·~ f ' {', . 10 ~~ - . . \ • ~ Artwork by Antonio Hodge \) Vendor Profile - Silvia Collins J11Je,:rie1v IJy .4.11dy f'ii!cze 'A'he1"tdldyougrow u1i? l gr~w up acommandS<'flleant major's daughter aild t11erefore l!Ved all over tlie plaa;. J married a major sergeant In tl1earmy. I!lave Uv« Iin your feet. \\~ ueed moce uansmonal housing for l"'Qple who ha'"'Joi» but are"·1mak.IJig .enough or arerfl able to saveeno.ugh for an apartment. lflhad 1111nsltlonal housingafter I gotkicked out of my aJlartn\eot I would 11ever been homeless.. When people lose jobs tl1ey have oo b1con1efor hous.lug. Grt'eee,Jran.Gemiany. FOrt_KrKJX. Spain, Judy anrt •II across the Unltt'I Wliat do you like l>e"<t ahout-sc:lllog Srates. G<lnnanywasmyfavorite ~·treetvibes? because it V\ras avery dean envtrorunem In the sos and 60s. h1 The peo1ite who l111eractwuh rne. It 1979 f moved LO Cincinnati.. n:rakes me a\vareof ri1)1surroundings and what lsgolngon In 1hecl(Y ! live. How<lidyou lcan1aboul Streetvibes? Where do you sell the J"per? Whenl llved in Over tlie Rhine in 2000. I lived next doono the Greater CincinoatiCoalition fortlie Homeless. Ms. Mruywas U1e receptlouist aod she ronvioced me 10 sell t11e paper. Ihaw beensellingSlreetvihes far7 Y"""' l scll1nl>!itly a1Eiodlay mad<et on Frtclay. Saturday. and Sunrlay. I also sell arowid the CVS 011 Walnutand 7" St. Whal arl! your hobbies? ~\V. Ho\v d1d y·ou beco1ue bo1uele.'iS? I liketoknit alghanswtuchare blanke1S and take 2 to 3 months to 1)take and sca1\1es. I \\ as living Jn a. ReSLUc·aparuneru 1 buli(llng on lllm Stn."'etand th<\)' had lo Wliat woulcl you Uke to say to you1· close t11e buildu>g. Iwas homeless for t.'US(Otllei'S'l !he follnwlng month \\~lie I tried to find anew aparUllE'Jll and get a job. Tlw11ksforyow·suppon. Sll~ia also works a temp seivir ejob ala 'A'hatwould you Ii kt. to tcll 11cople? W>rell()IJSe. lttakes about SJ ,000 to get back on Silvia Col/i11s sells ~et vibes at lt/1 and ~~~lnur. �STREETVIBES Columns January 2008 A Christmas Message Poverty and Addiction J.fichael Henson Is author ofRansack. J\ Small Room with Trouble 011 J.fy /.find, The Tao oflonging. and Crow Call. Tiiis col11m11 is pal! ofa momhfy se1·Jes 011 po1•erty a11d addiction. by Michael Henson By the timeyou read this.it may no longer be the Christmas season. But Christmas is what I'm U1inki11g about no\v.Thedecorations are up. the malls are packed.and Ute news tells us mata great vvinterstolTTI is headed in front the wesLThere Is plenty todo and plenty to distract me. but U1estoryofCluislrnas. the real story of i~ haunts me and Icannot leave it alone. This is the season \Ve celebrate poverty and bllth. Poverty and hope, If you wilJ. But ii is a hard·bought hope. \Ve think ofCJ1risunas as ahappy time ofyear. but to my mind. U1e Christrnas story is aterrible, sad s1oiy that involves exile.massacre. conflict. desperation. and Uie depredations ofU1e great upon the fol)JOttenonesof the world.\\\, will gad1erin churches (orarow1d ourTVs) to 1ell 1hestoryofachild born homeless, to parents displaced by t11ewhlm ofthe powetful.1l1en. inUiemidstofaslaughter ofotl1erne1•bomchildreo.the Child and d1ose parents will have 10 flee ford1eu· lives and sojourn foryears as refugees Inaforeignland.We' II stngJoy to t11e World and try to turn this story into a triumph.butit would helpiftl1esuffering ofdtiS fan1ilyoould lead tosomehappier ending. For the Child is fated to be betrayed and to die on a cross. Of course.tl1ere's a Resurrectionand tl1at death and resurrectionaresupposed to saveusall. Buistill.onceyoustlipaway tl1e seasonal feel-good advel'llstng and 11 decoration. thisstory is one ofthe most of lheir homesand forced to live intents painful u1all humandisoourse. alongthe river Inthemiddleofwinter. It • \Vas asour lin1e for tJ1ern. but l' n1sure We celebratepoverty in thisseason. themine O\r\'ners celebrated a S\Veet, We honor poverty and birth and die comfortable Christmas. safe in dieu· Child. We recognize tha1 pan of the warm.comfortable homes. 111eantngof1heblrthofthlsChlld IS that Tile nllne O\Yner·s Chtistnlas Is the He is born a1nong co1nn1on people. orie we like to diinkofas Uie traditional amongthe poor,orneiy peoplelikeyou Christmas:abig family meal. presents, and me. But somehow die nouon of wannd1. and light iJI die darkness ofd1e povertygets lost in all thehonoringand turning season. the celebratlon. I' n1 not sure\Yhat\VC Butthe Christmas ofthe mlners­ really celebrate.but weschedulefeasts U1a1 of people who are embauled. and partiesand presents all around and displaced, strugglingtosurvivein a world wesay it iS iJl celeb1~Uon ofuie birthof d1a1seems bentondestroying uiem­ this Child who saves us all from sinand thatseems to me the truerChristnlas. Theirworld Is theone theChild was death. And yet tl1e sins keep coming and born into. • the dealhs keep coming. Among the homeless indie citywhere I live.atleast Alld what are d1esins ofuie poor? twenty deaths this year, from oold, They Lie:1hey drink; theyusedrugs: hunger. untreated disease. accident. they havesex with p«1pletl1ey have no overdose.andunder-altenlion. TI1e,re busi11ess having sex \Vith: they are were probably morethan twenty; those arejust theones \\le k.110\\1 of. And the sins? Icannotgiveyou a countoftheslns. • Anold man once told me, · if only die rich man would giveup somediing forlhe poor, thatwould be sweet. That vvould be theche1T)'· But what \Ve had \·Vas Uteplwn.AndLliat's rnighl)' sour." He \Vas a black man \Yithan eerie resemblance 10 James Earl Jones. lie wa<talkingaboutstriking \~'est Virginia But.whatofthesins oflhe rich? 11iey Ile. t11ey drink. t11ey . . . . It's thesame list. \~'e can read all about Uiemin Uie Jl'lll"SOfPeople 1'lagazine. But tliese sins seem to affect only d1ose sinner.; and IJ1eircitcle and seem nierelypallietic and sad. To rny 1t1ind. U1eurunentioned sin. the greatestofthese unconquered sins is diat uie powerful still run die world according to their\vhinl.Thatsin, by which the powc1ful canset the JJQ\'~rless outof U1eirhornes oroffto war. has no conlmonnan1e and does notappearin diepages ofPeopleMagazine. Andso. we stillsend thepoor into exile. \Ve still witness the massacreoft11e Innocents. The holy families ofUie poorstillstalk theoold hills insearch ofa place to give bu1l110 u1eir hopes. • Joy to the ~l\:>rld? I have ahard time gelling tojoy when I U1iJ1kofUiestory behind the season.And hope?That's a tougJi one. too.11iere is noeasy paui to eitherone. ButIkno\Y that, if \Veopen ce11a111 doo1s.joy Improbablystumbles irrespon.<ible; they are violenLJust.ask any expert in any think-tankand d1ey will tell you. WhaleVersmallchancestl1e poorhave to nlakeltln thts\ovorld, the)' spoil by tl1eirsiJis: Uieycompound U1e.iJ in. arKJ lKlpe \\ralks \Vitltus \·Vt.en we \Valk poverty thattheydid notinvent. withsins in faith, even the grumbling faith I and failures ofd1eirown nlal<ing. SOilleli.Jlles 1/1.'alk. Thesesins and failures are the b<isis The Christmas lights are up: lhe ofanentire profession.anannyofsocial roads to the malls are bumper to \VOrkers . health care \·\'Orkers. burnper: tlM:'!re'sabigstonn corning. educators. andcounselors - lam a foot Iwishyoujoy ifyoucanget tojoy. solcller iJI U1ataonymyself- whosesole lfjoyeludesyou. I wiShyou hope. function is 10 help the poor remediate 1111nersIn the1920s \Vho vvereput out theseso-called sinsand failures. Our Daily Bread Mourns the Loss of Tony Barnwell by Angela Pancella Aswe go fro1none)reat' intodM:'!next \Ve ren1ember those vvho have gone before us. Here at Our Daily Bread. \Ve lost agood friend last Novenlber, Tony Bam,vell. Hecan1e Inevei)'dtl)' to \VOrkas aporter. greeting ourguests al the door. runningerrands, and being lielpful in manyways. "Peoplestill a<k. 'Where'sTony?'" ThmmyQulshpe, whoworksatour fn:mt desk.says. •1miss his ·hellos.' liewas agood guy: We had amenlOrtal forTunyhereat Our Daily Bread. FriendsofTony's from his church. theTri-County Vineyard. mernbersofhis family. and friends from the whole neighborhood ga1hered to sharestories. One mansang "Precious Lord. Take My Hand• in his honor: anothersununed u1>howweall fcit"llcn fun person to be around; everybodyliked pain the last six months of his life he him. Hewas agood person." oontlnued tooome Infatthfully. He"oll Joan Thornpson. Volunteer be truly missed: Coordinator. remenlbers: "He alvvays Cookie Vogelpohl, Our Daily met meoutside and asked if he could Bread's founder. says occasions like help nie carry lhings in. lalways loved Tony's memorial service put tl1emeaning his heart. !loved ltwhcn he pushed the of the place In perspective. "! always loon!" (TI1e loon in queslion was a thiJik tlial ifand when Igerto heaven !'d stuffed animal in the office thatgave a like to ask Cod why He wanted Our loon call if you pressed down on its Daily Bread 10 be here. lie nlightjust back. Every tin1eTonycame into the say. ·ForTony.' · officehe made theloongive offIts call. ouR OAILV BREllci Itwas agood ULing tohear if vve \VeJe e\1er in danger of taking ourselves too serioosly.) "Hewas agreatguy. I really nlisshint n "Tonywasoneofthose peoplethat didn't knowastranger." saysMaiy Bech Peters. Our Daily Bread's Executi\1e Director. 'lie wasvery open and honest about the life he led and the mistakes he made-In the hopes ofoonvlnclngothers he said. ~Orle oftl1e great pri\'ileges of not to go do,vn thesan1eroad. Tvvoor being in this world has been getting to know'fony.'· Sandy Matthe">. oneof his fellow porters.said this at the time: "Hewas a his goals were to live to fifty and not. to die from AIDS. which he contracted vvhen he \Yas t\venty five. He \Yas blessed with therealizationof bothof 4 tlM:'!Se \Visl1es. AJU1ough he\Vas in great ..,,,., .................­ Our Daily Bread isa food and hospitality rniJListry iJ1 Over·the-Rlline. Cincinnati. \~\,serve a mid-day meal, and we se"•e more than 500 meals eve1y day. Mondayd1tOugJ1Friday. \Ve providewann meals inacomforlable place for aJJ 'vho con1e. aplace wtlere all are irl\'iled to be apartofa oommunlty that ts cartng. suppoitlveand weloomlng. We arealways looking ror volunleei;, !or food or non perisliable collections- pleasegiveJoan or Kathy acall at621 -6364 to find outmore. Our Daily Bread is located at 1730 Race Screet. Cincinnau. OM.45202. �STREETVIBES January 2008 Columns 12 "I Never Died," Said he: Goodbye to Jimmy Heath Jimmy Heath, I am told, died this somehO\r\' SUl'\rivecl. weekatHospice. I was reminded ofdie The power of his gentleness was lyric from ·Joe Hill"dialgoes."'[ never personal as \Veil as social. 1 can died," said he...•·Jimmy Heathwill Live remember our Iunches withSte\'e Elliot on i11 the n1any n1en1ories of his atMyra's as we ploned to bring peace gentleness, a light thatshone from him into the schools under the cover of CVC1) 1 t1n1e IA'C met. photography. posters. and good story Gentleness isaqualityofU1eltighest telling. le\1el of peacen1aker. Jimn1y ne\1er Jimmy, al\vayscurious.\Vondered lectw'ed. 1le\'er instrucled 1A1il11 coercive just wherewe were finding tl1e energy \Vords or actions, and ne\ 1er held that to keep teacliingand learning inschools one way was die rtghtway.Jimmy was thatseem to dislikeyoudiand fostered alwa)" skillful at opening aspace ina niacltine likebehavior.JiJruny reminded cro\vded life 10 any who wanted to sit me that we had to take theother path, orSland.remindingdiem tliatdieirspace altlioughgently. almost inviSibly. lie \\rtiS alv.•aysthereb)•hint. He had sucha would say, "The kidsget it, if wesay it !>0''~1ful hold oo th!sgenueness!rothigh With honesty.'' schoolyouth and adulls \\IOU Idrealize What a po\·Verful re1tLinderof tJ1e that hev;as · reaching" humanness in a \Yay \Ye could gro\v peace in the \Var way tliat iS rarely seen. zones ofhighschools. anudge to drop Jin1my \Vas never far av\'ay front shartngsomepart ofhlsstoiy as a plant ir1 growtlt asalearrlef in lt.e processof decoding the realities he found himself in. as acitizenofdie world of peace and justice, !likingtime and wolds toremind usthat there \Vere too n1any hon1elcss on ourstreets. too rnany hungry. rnerLtall)' ill and so many peoplebeatendown by die culture of hatred that he had ruthlessness. Jimmy seemed to forcecompetitive e1t10Uons out of the roo1t1 when he talked.11iere is hisway, the gentle touch of a caring person. and diere are tlie other \Ya)'S. the top do\vn plans. directives. grades. and fears. Listening lo his SlOty. it \·Vaseasy to hear llO\v n1uch he loved being gentle and feeling gentleness on tlie partofotlie1s as tlie major way of teaching, learning and !Mrg. JiJrunywas also fierce ~out howdie homelesswerebeingmis-handled in tlie city. tlie nation and die world. His anicles. ne\vs su111n1aries. and pictures were direct and bold calls foracUon to prolectdie mostvuhierablepeople. men. \Vomen and children of thestreets and drop inshelters.Jin111ly never\Vrotea the rhetoric a level do\vn and gi\1e the shy word aboutjustice. youtli achance to find their "vlSlon"and Attimes. hisangerwould flashwhen "voices." sornetJLing or so1t1eone had burned a Jimmy had seenandhea!d too nllch self-rtgJneous talk and acuondiat led to anotherdoor-less room for teachersand students.Teaching tliroughstoiy and through photography sparked conversations in)'Outhand adultsabout liVing a life of integrity and witl1out person orkilled thespiritofa homeless person. Yet. his eyes would never harden and his \ 1oice ne\ 1er revealed bitterness. Likehis pictures. the anger ·see" intotJ1eviole1M:eand realize thatanother ''ictin1 \vas claimed by a brutal society. He seemed to be \Vas acall to saying, although1ne\'er heard him putit In words. · How could 1>eople, people wiU1 everything. treatpeople" ' d'so little \Yithso nluch hatred?" Juiunywouldhave reminded usdiat ourrears \Vere signs ofhealthy anger. signals thatjustice denied to youtli ls worthyofa loloflearsandactlons.He'd have told us astoryabout Buddy Cray, his mentor.who refused to giVe upon any homelessperson and ho\v he \Yas "saved" byBuddy.Somehow.Jimmy's words would have helped usgel up and get back inside. There is work to be done. I DREAMED I SAWJIMMY HEATH LAS!' NIGHT. AUVEASHECOULD BE. "BUT Jl/\·~\1Y." SAYS !. "YOU'RE3 DAYS DEAD.'' "I NEVER DIED:·SAID HE. "!NEVER DIED: SAID HE. ANDSTANDING THEREAS BIG ASLl.f'E AND SMILING WITH HIS EYES SAIDJIMMY: "THERE'S NOTIME TO MOURN. coourAND ORGANIZE: coourANO ORGANIZE: Seattle Ups the Penalty for Targeting the Homeless Contjnued fro111page1 perspective, the move to include homelessness meanseve1yth1ng. In astateitier1treleased foJJov\'ing01e hearing, City Council president Nick Licata stated. "'fhese changes \Viii tJlis kind ofbehavior." ser\1ice pro\1iders. and fort.heSeattle If the ordinance is passed. city Police DcpMment. Reprlmedfrom RealChange officials and local stakeholders in tl1e 11iey alsosharediei,'<laloflaundting hornelessadvocacyco1tununityplan lo acan1p.a1gn to Include homelessness CJ $(reef .News Se.1vlce: 11111111-:.simet­ couple It with aclt)'wlde educational under tlie state's hatecrime law.Atdie papers.otg e-a1npaign in schools (NCH statistics statelevel. n1aliciousharassn1en1 isa provide tough n1easures that sho\v rhat then1ajority of atlacks are felony and canbepunlShedvvtthn1ulUple denionst1atethat the Citywill nottolc•ate perpetrated by youtli ages 16·19). for year.; iJ1jail. sa)" Carr. Food Stamps 101 in Hamilton County by Greg Ol khovsky occur.;. They have anotherofficeat 237 a year. The average food stan1p prtmarilyembarrassmentabout.entering ~Vllliam H. Tafl due to the Central allotment Is $86 a monthor $t .032 a the· welfare ofnce,.. fearofgw1ng out personal inforrnation and Jack of Food starnps are an excellent Parkwa)' location being at 1t1axin1urn year. resource. The problem is that n1an)' capacity. There are roughly I 50 An additional 64, I 28 Hamilton education about the food stamp peoplewhoq.ialifyfor dlelll doOOI utilize EllgibilityTecl~liCians (foodstamp case dtis benefit to tlieir advantage inHaniilton worl<ers) who are employed inHaniilton County. Furthermore. It ap1>ears that County. Each Eligibility Technician rJ1ere is aconunon Jackof k.J10V\•ledge works with 500-600 cases. called aboutthe food stampprogram from both Assistant Croups.AnAssistant Croup recipients andnon~recipients. can include one person. or multiple To understand more about food peoplefrom the same ramily who are all SlampsI met\\4thJer1yO'Flynn.S<!ctlon entitled recipients of a food stamp Cltieffor HamiltonCounty Department account.Assislant Groups are accow~ed of Job and Family Services OFS) . for to helpJFS organizedata easier. O'Flynn has been employed with In Hamilton County. 89.7% of HamiltonCountyJFS fora remarkable eligibleresidents received foodstamps 27yea1s .Durtngthe lnteivlew. O'Flynn In October.This 1>ercencage equates to provided slatistics. ans\'\•ered co1nn1on rougMy8 I .370iJklividualrecipien!S and questions and explained what specific 36,275 Assistant Croups. Of these criteriaonemust meetto apply for food recipients in October 2007. 49.633 stamps. were femaleand 31,737 were male. In The main building for J FS In 2006. there were 77. I23 food stamp HamillonCow1ty is located at 222 Ea.st recipients in HaitLi.ltonCounty.sho\ving Central Parkway where most of the anincrease inuse.The minin1um food intake for tlie food stamp program stamp allounent iS $10 amontlior $120 County residents areeligible for food program.O'Flynnsuggests diatpeople stamps. butdo nor recei\1ethem.Asa \Yho are uncertain as to\Vhether ornot thcyquallfyshould."app~· and see what happens. it doesn't hurt 10 see if you qualify." One can begin the a.pplication process immediately by calling 946· tOOO by walking In die doors ofJFS a1kl speaking directly to anEligibility NuhitionSer\rice reports that for C\'eI)' Tedmician.Once an applicant.completes $5 iJl new foodstamp benefits.S9.20 ui and submits tl1e necessaiy paperwork. rotal con1111unityspendingisgenerated. anEligibilityTechnician looks tosee if This means thatIncreased food stamp the applicant qualifies foremergency pal1icipalioncould resuli in S14. I59.462 assistance.AI1 e1nergent)'situation is to $121,77 1,376.64 in additional detemiined by financialstatus and ifthe community spending which would applicant iS unemployed attlie time.If enormously boost the localeconomy. an applicant does not. qualify as an What prevents eligible Hamilton eniergencythentheEllglbllityTechnlclan Cow11y residentsfrom d ainling dieirfood willdetenniJie if tlieapplicant iseligible stampbenefits?0 'Flynnoffers anumber to receive food stamps within a 30-day ofreasons tl1atbeoefiis are notclaimed. COntlnued on page 12 result. Hamilton Cooney loses between $7.695.360 arid 566.180.096 in food stamp payments togroceiy stores and otliervendors tliataccept food stamps who are pre·paid for theirgoods. This money IS lost and IS ultlmatclyhurtingthe local economy. TI1e U.S. Food and �STREETVIB ES January 2008 Community News 13 Guest Columnist - Life in Atlanta vs. Cincinnati c:uest colurnn/SI James Pogue IS know for sure, but l would guess that butnwiy. farloo m•f&'. IOund ilicmseh'-.; a 2005graduare olC/llri< Montessori llunianseivicesaJ'e even wo~ lhan bl Hf&h School anda former student at Cincin.n(1ti. Drugsareevfl)'Whetc. Inlet (/w School for rha Creative a11d more blg·1lme drug dealers In my shon Perfotn1/ng Arts in a~·er~1J1e·RJ1/ne. 1Jn1e in A,llanta than I tlLink a \·\thi~. He has been sw dy/119 ar McGiii mlddlc clas.s. noo·...ilngyrungn1<1Jecould Unf\'e1~iry Iii 1'140fll.i'Ml. Quebec and ever >'easonably expe.c t to come tn is llQlf' flt'11'elit18 CJOSS"COIJJlffY JiytraiIJ con1act.'Aith anywhere else. I rode with and li>!lmb. a trucker out ofSou1hTexas who'S<ltd lhathe used 10 carry back fro mAtlanta I spentso01e t.lmelnA1lanlll 1~emly. bciwoon ih'Cand innmllllolldollatscvciy It was only about four days. bu1 I week lrl drug money. l11a1's just one travela!byfreight lr3in t111d livedou1Side. truck. \\iorkiag forone cartel Every so I learned a 101 abQut the wo•st the 'A1eck. Buiallof Jhls feels in;ufflclenl IDme. place had 10 offer. AUI <ansay Js tlia1. h;wlng g11Jwn up In Clnclnnall,andgone llvccyonc· l talked to on the steer.ts 10 school fr1 Over Ille Hlilne; l llloughtl echoed a different theme. about had seen h;1rro\ving, ston111ch-tumi11g son1ething<:ven n1ore basic than C\ren poveny.but Atlanta Js In a class of Its )'CaJS of 1~clsm and neglea.Alotofwhat O\\tn. H01nel0S.';iness anddrugs are afact 1hey >'3Jd wasfrankly h1cohera 1Lbul l' II of life Incvecy single part of thecity. 1ry to voice It as J\llthfufly as possible. wealthy suburbs like Jrunaii Park because 1dllJlk iraruculalllSsomeihlng includ.ed. profound aboutpoverty, homeles.sne.>. It 's strange. because by any and how we lookatourcl1les. reasonablen1easw·eAtJanca Ls a n1uch Atlanta is.a b9om IO\.vn Jn Ltte \Yay richer. more successful town 1ht1n Cincinnati city leaders only dl1lam of. Ch1chu>ati.'Oie populaUon andeccu10my CaJes aod ga11erles are replacir1g are booming. condos are popping up, \\Wehouses and .sh<tdj1 bars. TI1ere's and n11Jlllnatlonal corpo1<1Uons don't moneyio dirowa1ln1er and ln11a-uroan need ID be pold to Slay downlOwn. TI>e lightrail Thlenl IS being botl1 mtained by Id~ of Allanlll asanlntcmallonal cul11141I and altl~ctcd to lhe Inner city. h's lhe cen1e1·. particularly witlt regard to tlie khid of transronnauou about which blackdiaspora. is veiymuch• realily. business and city leaders have been h'sa cultufill•ntl economlcmagPel for having we1dreams ever since April t!Je young Md etluC"dted fron1across ~1e 2001. Soutlt. ll's also terrifying.TI1e poverty rate 111e11 why are tllei'estill ci'Owdsor may be <hopping. bul where poverty homeless people and proslitules in used 10 beson1elltinganeigbborhoOO. a ColonySqoa1~? I'mnotreallyequipped communlt;y. endured In concert.d>ose 1<J say.Obviously some of ii has 1<J do conununlties fmv~ beel1 sundered Son1e with.iru;citutlmL1llz!!(l racism. I don I penpiefound anlchein the ne\-\1 \Vave, in a brave new world Uley no Jongei· understood. T<Xiay. in Atlanta, enuy level, decent payingjobs are available in bulk ln lbe.innercity. but l11ey' re at mstaurants·and ba1s that don'I have 1he courage or U1edecei;cy 1<l hire.people who don' t look and talk like tho educated. upwardly mobile. young. transplant, ~t to whldi bod1 proprieloo and pallons belong. lndusuyJobs have Jong since been puslied outoowards Uie l-285 loop. leaving tl1e inner cily poor with 11-.ichQJcebetwc:cnjoblessncssand whatls essentially forced relOC'•Uon. Tiils ISInteresting. because rents.In comparison widiodiermiyor U.S.d Ut'S. have- ren1ained fuirlv slable. TI1e usual stoiyabout gentrtncailoo Is tha1 II pushes people out because tl1ey can' I a!Tord housing. TI1ar s probably true In many cases.burwhat J lieard over ru\d over In A1laniaw;1sn'1that peoplewere plices out of housing. but •h.ai there was a fu11dmnenLal cultural Sl1ifiin lnner·cil)' AlIan ta tl1a1 left 1hc hr.avlly·acccnt1~I. uneducated. ··old-school.'' our in llie cohl All 1hls lead 10 1he crushing. destructive poverty and vlolem·e Isaw. If II's a irulsmth<it hoticlessnoss !earls to dtugaddiction. buaglne!OOhopelessoess of a cily \vhere the ' 'Cl)' cultural ru1d economic \htcads havebeen rlppcdout. \Vhere ani\1isteshave n.?places tl.e soclaJ and economicneC\\'Oli>..'ihit.her1o used b)' poor nelghboJ'hoods to develop conununil)1arKI n1utualaid. Tiie rising tlde II fled a lot ofbQals. Tiiat's undenlable. But tlle ones tliat sank. sank hard. Thepovo.ny thalwa< Food Stamps Contlnuet.I f1'Q11t page 11 period.Once it is decided thatthey are eligible. Uie.applicantwm beasslgned atLappolnunentdare In whkh lheymuS1 return toJFS rocom11letcanlntmilew In person. DurJng the intervie\v in the finaJ stage Of tl>e application Jll'OCeSS. tlle Eligibility Technician looks at the c~ll(lldatc·~ nnancial r.liglbllllywhlch factors in theappHcant's iJ1corne and resources. The EligtbilllyTechnician tl>en looks attlie applle<u1t's identity cards {i.e. birth ceiuficates. social sccuricy card) 10 conflnn 1ha1 the inte-f\·l~·ee is the same person as the food SklJTI papplfcanL UpoocomplellngUieinteivie.v. d·1e Eligibility Technician assigns "" F.k-ctronlcBenefitTffill$fercald Qooks and acts like a deb ii card) to the riew food stamp canier.The card has the carrier's mune eugiaved on 11. fa•e1y timedie carrieruses tlm EBTcrud, 11te allocated food stamp money 15 autonmticallysubtraoled. Food stamp mooey i$ replenlshe.donoea.montlt and lefioverfonds f11J1t1 die Jlfel'ious mondi taD)•averonlO thenexlrnan~1. Wuslm1gto11 PiJrk !'how by Jimmy 1Jead1 once a managcablet'Ondlllon ofllfc Is 1101va profowld·alieiiaUon from Uienew lifeoflhecity. I woriy aboutCincinnati. I wony uboul Ne\\! Orleans. I \\lorry aboul Detroit. Cities a1e always rising and fafilig In America. and diesetownswill all Sf;e their rise in lime. Bul fr;Lnkl)r. ii' economicand cultural "revtvar brings loC'ulcinnaU\\'hat it \Vro~ghL inALlaiua. god forbid II ever com1<S.No te\•lval Is worlll dieaeation ofa permanenl sratic underclas.<. This Is all based on my own impressions. and convers.aUons 'A'i111 poorAdantans:a re1tv hornelcss rr1en. :t few prostitutes. and two drug dealers. 1 purposely dldn'J quote numbm. OCe\'ffi look any up,so tak~ lthowyouwill. My point lsn'uhlll all economicdeveloprnenl Is bad. 9r lhat hlpstc1~1 ar~ somehow more at faull lllM crack lords or Geoige Bush forpoverty and dislocation. Butif people think thata mixed-IncomeOver 01eRhine is goingLo be an imp1m·ernen1, they wo~ld do well to learn from the expetlences or tlie poor who have already sulferr.d through theexpelimem In other cities. Tht')' would do well to ask Wll)' ofall 01ewhlte. liberal·owned busIncsscs on M~ InStn?e« 1he only one diat e1·erhirerJ.aneighbofllOOd JlllY \vhile I \vas in school \Va.'i Shadeau Breads. Theywoulddowcllto ask 1ra nEwgallciy i.s really acultural de\•elopmenl,or i[ ii might be pavlng over an equally valid c'ultu1~ already in place. '11ley woulddo well to ask if Uiey.are racili1ati11g d>e <lirne dial Is forcedremov<1l,and dlsoonnectlon fiom the heart ofthe city. �STR EETVIBES Community News January 2006 14 GCCH Annual Dinner 2007 - A Big Success hy ly1111eA11sma11 On December 13. 2007. GCCH held our Annual Dinner and Siient Auctionat lhe Xavier UniVl!fSilyCilltas Center. 'fhe U1emowas "Word on the S1te-e1." to celeb1·a1e 10 years of ~<>treCtvibes. 1l1eeven'''1as sponsored Du~e ·Energy. by XavierUniverslt}'· PNC Bank. and disenfranchised Individuals In our communlty. whlle hlgilllghting Uie sucre.;."'5of2007. FollmNingGettywas our keynote address by Over-)he­ Rhine's Katl1yY. Wilson. authorof l!:!ur Negro Tour Gulde: 'Thirhs In Black a11d White. Wilson. herselfhomeless as a dtild. entertarned Ole cro\Yd \Vith her ooloiful and itiythmlc.poellyandwrlting In 2006. The Individual award was a·soup k~chen lnOverUieRJ~ne Ironed awayded to Connie Cole from on Race Sueet across rrom r.1ndlay Caracole. Inc. - an agency which Market provldeshous~1gsel\1ccs forlbooe1Mng WealsohonoredSamJacksonwldJ \\'ithHJV/AIDS.The agencyaward was the Slreell'ibes Vendor of the Ye;ir aw<11dedloProjec1Coonect-anagency Award. Jackson.avendorforabouta which ke·e ps homeless child.ren year. retentlyobtailled em1>loyment at conrlf).-1ed \ViUteducatton. 1,he Brazilian Bistro in dO\\'OfO\Vn Eobert McGonagle was awarded Clnc;ln1iatJ. \l>/hJlewlllng S!reervlb.>s whilespreading the \~i:d on tlie Streel lheJinw1y Ren~erA\v~rd -- an a\·\'ard do\\1nlo\\tn, Jackson de\reJope,d a Wl arc pltr.ised to announced•at not tobc 1hankful ford1e luxu1iesd1ooewld1 only 1vas 1he eventa·~al succesci. but homes take Col granted.sudtas warm it v. asalsoour l'argestever, with.more blankets. a.bed.and the ability crank up dian 400 lJ1 attt'fldanrel The evening was our heat Inthe mlddleofthe night FoUowillg w·Iison, we hor10red four ei!)oyed by all as we reflected on our Individuals and one agency with our hlstruy. the 1xistyear.arxl celebrated our deservillg,awan:Iwlllne1s. annual suvireand achievementawards. The evening began wilhdinnerand The first award was The Julie Martin the Stale of the Coalition Address by Service Pi'Ovlderofthe Year. so named Executive D'irecior Georgine Geuy. for tl1e late Case Management Gettyasserted thal.justas Inyears past. Coordinator a1 the VV.'CA Battered we wiU oontlnoe to fight.foe homelessand \I/omen'sShelterand im'atd recipient 1 which goes to a homeless or formerly homelessindlvidualwhohascommitted themselves to lhe alleviation of homelessness. McGonagle has seived U... hornelessronununily by volunlee!ing at McMlcken Dental. working wltl1 HealdicarefonheHomeless.andSEtVJng meals on the street with hi<churd1- The Chus,h of die Redeemer In Hyde Park. relattonshlp with the GeneralManager at tl1e Bistro who eveJllually offel'ed Jackson a dishwashlng job..lackson now has his own apartment and Is no loogersta}'lngondie strrets. The even1was agccatsuttess. bul mos1 Importantly agreatway io finish lhe year -"'!joying1llecompany ofour colleaguesand friends In die community. The buddygray LifetlmeAchieveme,n t honoring those who go above and Award was awarded 10 Cookie beyondd1ccall ofduiy.niflecllngonthe \{lg~Jpohl. Cow1derofOur Daily Bread. past and renewing oursmam ror 2008. •t sll111f sente1JCl!S 11.kc crack rocks/Ikoop vm:b.s sJttflCd 111 Ill}' socks/Igot si111ilt?s /1-1·0 for Jfre: •like'' w1d ....,, "rdgga/1 tall on my r.g1diJIS iUld pediJle my wares!1 anlke my iv•y tl1ro11gl1 A1.'1in Su·eet gale/rics 11'11/le _ 1ich wl1ife people siop to state/editors tluoiv tne ~'Ork like addicts /)anti over cn.11'tlp/ed s/1)1Jfe$/on 1/1e Jlsi I .~talk t/1~ 111alln>a1) li'01t1 tny kirclie1J wintfows/cbecki11g his h81td for mycheck. • · Kal/1y Y. Wilson .Dlri11e Prince Hakiym. opens the twening wft/1 a pot1111. Co1mie Cole. wl1mer ofthe Julie AfBrlen .)CJ-vice P1'0vider oftl1c Year a1J.'8.l'd 1vlt/1 Li11tla !J·e.1·1er, Din"Clor ofCarar:o/r, /11c:. For more pictures from tl1e Annual Dinner see page 14 Cookie L'ogelpo/1/ 1~·as a1C1arded die btiddy graj life tln1e ac/1ie11!n1ent ai'larrl. She (01111ded Ollr IJaj}y Broad. a so1Jp kilcba11 In 0"1'1' the Rh/11e. �STREETVIBES Janu13ry 2008 Poetry Bob A1cGonagle accepts 1/w Ji11u11)' Rem/or a1,ard nt 1l1e GCCJ-11l1111ual Di1111er. Oae check a\\1ay byJames Clliansini f\Viitklingstarscan1keep)iOu\\1ann whoo your lsccplng In dlG parktilldie break ofdawn ll•"~P•P~r pillow and• plas!ic wp watchbtg foril1e pl~t It.it comeoutafll!rdark lost yourjob gotjacked and robbed yourlandJ011l sakl UiatsJlOt myprob doctorbils kUI you cant afford UM! pulls now yourshakbigheart breakingdnnl;kas mucha<you spill \\'ailingo-n LI~. Ors.t to quend1your lhirst alleviate tehdoscomfortof'anasphalt eanh oying to find asheller to get somerest butnowhere seems safe\\idioutil knif• opraffvesl if}'Ou oculdjust get back to square one st.anto hl"<tl diedisease d1ats·gotoyou on d1c run IOOIJng b1v~ibl<O b'OillgblS3lle srowls an<l nightsficks fullllkeraln Sain Jackso11, j'irt'tft1-·i/Jes Ve111/or of1f1P Year, d;s,11sses 1101., 1/1,,• /J.'lpi!r has t'IJabJNI 11/11110 staynli••f!. Today by Ron O'Neal Tod;iy l can liane.<ilysay thai lmglad lo be alive. ll<itrece!tlly I've been thn:iugh hell. and 1ha15 noJiv~. Today I believe you onlyg~ outoflife wMtyou put tn10 ii. Re.1Uy Iii\•lsjust life. wehave no choice buI.to get down ID it Today Im feelinggoOIJ a bourn~elf, So nQ\V 1need10 learn ho\Vl O feel forsomec;1ne else. I know Its not going to be easy roS!ay In this frnmeof rnlnd. But Ido k110\\1 it getseasie-r\Vltl• lime. So \\•lll!n lhinb'5 aren'1f:,'Oingyour\vay. [suggest you hit your knees and pray. Today its l.iJue 1og.tve batl1what was ~u freelygiven 10 me. I can do t.lc1tby becornlngall f GUI be. Today I'm hccomlgn the man hecre<1ted me In BEi 15 �STREE TVIBES January 2008 Poetry 16 What: to Tell Yow·self byMichael Hen<;on Tell v0W1>elfwhatvou woul<l tell vcwself - Ifyouwere nolyourself. ­ -die poerPaule«a Hansel to tl1e·p1)(l[ Ridia1d Hague Beyoun;clt: IW<XJ!tl tell m~lf - If! \V..re oof myself. Strip down. IVl'Ould say. Be naked lo tl1e true. Be d,.cself \\itl1saod In his po<:k!'tS liH! one \vi Lh_01eoc.Jorofsmokeiii'llis hair the onev1ho forgets hLti drf".Mll in 1he morning die m1guided one who guides the unguided lheane in a house wllh bmken windn"s the one In thegrt1> ofall seven sins tileone \'JIK> fear.s. tJeath. You know youfS<'Jf lhat l• notselfenough, SO Strip dO\VJl. Be n~ed lo mercy. Bediatshrtvenlng. unsllrlvcnselr 1 \ \ hocJimbsa 1 nounlain\vid1his cl.ail}' s101le theone\\•hose desire is·nol to desire die one who is innocentofall crime lhe one whosl311ds with raised palms lo the cold rain die onr. whh abloody s1om1>fora tongue. Ifu1atself is notselfenough. stripdown. Be naked 1o the light Be ctiatunburd.enedselfwl\o starts aj oumeywicti anempty pack the-one \Vith il voiceof\Vheatandsteel die one who b1'Cll1hes under water tileone \Vhospeaks d1elanguageof tl1e nlole theone'\Vhndoes notullflr.rstandshame lhc·onewho knows dle namesof thedead the onev..1ho tas.tes theml"5ofsilence t.11c onr. \\rholea,res tJ1ente<lalsOi1 dlefloor tl.e one Vi1ho loses his argurnent \\>i0 1joy. Is Oiat self not selfenough? StripdO\VJ}. Be naked. There lsoo other self to know. J-lomeless by - 1iame1~· Who am I? yours1Stetorbro01er. yow· mod1er or f.alher,yourdaugbteroryourson. l wuho111e!es.s, B<tlck orwhlte. 11.'(I ol'brown, I walk the streets all 1lay lookingjust co make ii. Through tehday people look at me<md stllnd back tothetr friends and talk about me. about how l look<mdbow I s1uel1..11ever k110\\ting the real persondlat is iJiside or rue. As youwatchyourTV ar~l 11layyour tapes. I uy 1ostay warm on v~1y cold (lays. Whe11 you are \.\1ann inyourbltame, l an1 hon1eless. As Y°" sleep gt tllg)ll in yom·nice wa1m bed Iam trying to slee11 any\vl1e.re f c:an: roofLOflS and rloorways, park benches and so on � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource January 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Front Page Pg 2: Homeless Memorial Day Honors Homeless Individuals Who Passed Away in 2007 Pg 3: About Us Pg 4: The Vibes Pg 5: Tributes to Jimmy Heath Pg 6: Jimmy Heath- Too Cool for School Pg 7: Memorial for the Homeless Dead Pg 8: Community News Pg 9: Berta’s Art Corner Pg 10: Vendors Pg 11: A Christmas Message Our Daily Bread Mourns the Loss of Tony Barnwell Pg 12: Peace Village Pg 13: Guest Columnist Pg 14: GCCH Annual Dinner 2007- A Big Success Pg 15: Arts & Poetry Pg 16: Arts & Poetry Continued Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource January 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Susan Smith Andy Freeze Lynne Ausman Greg Olkhovsky Tiffany Harmon Kenneth Cheriyot Melvin Williams Della Woolens Michael Henson Steve Sunderland Cleo Wombles Todd Forman Sonny Williams Pat Clifford Katherine Ryder Angie Jones James Pogue Tiffany Harmon Berta Lambert Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Jimmy Heath Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Andy Freeze Angie Jones Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Art Arts & Poetry Atlanta Berta Lambert Christmas Cincinnati Cleo Wombles Community News Della Woolens food stamps GCCH GCCH Annual Dinner Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Hamilton County Homeless Memorial Day James Pogue Jimmy Heath Katherine Ryder Kenneth Cheriyot Lynne Ausman Melvin Williams Michael Henson Pat Clifford Peace Village Poverty and Addiction Remembering Jimmy Heath Seattle Sonny Williams Steve Sunderland Susan Smith Tiffany Harmon Todd Forman Tony Barnwell Vendor https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/872cfc6d0252cf101127784fbdbff9bf.pdf 8ed7c39b6e576ebf7c909d06fe5345a9 PDF Text Text Poem "' p age 8 TH E TR I-STAT E'S ALfERNATIVE NE\VS SOURCE W\rn'.cinc.i ho1ne'ess.0J"l: Charity Begins in the Park Some seefood distribution as nuisance Bv ~~01i£'"' FRU'.tt exclusive foct1s ofyourevent STAFF WIUWt Failute tocomply ..vi th this rule could auton1arically forfeit the event. Disrriburion offood and clothing shouldbecoordinatc.-d v.1th one ofthe local non-profit age-1cies." Y ou "'ould be hard pressed co find someonev.hodo(,'Sfl't want to end hunger and l Right wing crusade targets adult ads B r G IUIGOt( \' F1.,,~'Ntl(\' EDITOR A ho1nelessness io Cioc.iooati. Controversyarotu1d passing out food andd otho1gat11\ishingion ' Bless them with food ' Today this policy has Park has led some groups to circumvent regulations to do peopleon bolh S>desofdie issue still discussing thebest V.'3)' to tl1e1r patt to feed the hw1gry. T\.\•o years ago the end htutgerand honielessnessin Cincinnati l>atk Boardtook C\\'l> Cin<.-innati Julie Home, n1anager of steps to make Washinf,rton Pail: a n1ore v.-elcon1ing place for business setv1ces for 1he eve1yone. Theboatd added a Cincinnati Park Bo..vd. saysthe second-shiftattendant to keep board ··declinesto givegpecial· the parkclean, nlearlingthere is staff·at the parl: from 7 a.m. to 8p.nt TI1epatk boardalso added a newstipulation to the special pen11it process:"'l')e1111it holder agrees NOT to distribute FOOD or CLOTHING on Patk Board propetty as 1he 1968 The 40­ Year Journey To understand 2008, look to the tur111oil of 1968 BY LE,,. A1ooR•:s CONTR.IDVflNG W RJ'l'IZR. 2008 uscpc.'fl'Tlitto groups \\<ho \\'t\flt to use \Vashington Park as a staging atea 10 hru1d out food orclothing." She says die board changed the rules because"asignificant an1ount of garbage resulted Ste PARKS on pnge 5 1968 \\13.Sayearofconsid· emble irony, a yeat that began ";d1a P6)'chological blow to 1!ie Anterican \Vareffo11in \fiemant - theTet oft"cnsi,,c, \vi'l<.'11 the \fietcong laid siege (ntilitatily unsuccessful, 1t tumed out) to cities in South Vietnant- and a year that ended on a high note ofspacecxploration. h 'vasa yearv.tlen progres· sive politics v.•as in its ascen­ dancy - liberals Sen. Robert F. Ke.11nedy and Sen. Eugene McCarthy. both ofwhomop­ posed the Vieman1Wat, \vete challen.ginga sitti.ngpresident f0t dte Den10cratic nontination and inspiting n1uch e.,xcice.n1ent ­ and yet endc.-d in November v.-ith d1eetecrionofa son1e'"ha1 soporific, centrist and veiy 1>am­ noid man as president, Richard Nixon. lt \\l&S the year that Martin Luther King Jr. \Vas assassi· natecl in t\pril, unlea.<;hiog:a1or­ rent ofnational grief that also sparked urban riotsaround the Alternative Newspaper Under Fire I OlunreerJ /RHll I iJ1i")~1nf ( :-0,,1r11u1111y (:lff11'C/1 /Xll'fic1pme 111 the "(;()(Xf fiar11 R1111 'b.voffer111gfood <111<.f w1~Y!tsot101110 re.sk'k11ts ofO~Y!r-1lw­ R11iJw. Photo by .•ll1<fre\1' 1b1<fer:so11. counny. Yet it 'vas also a yeat, anod1et irony,v.11en black rruh­ tancy - even separntisnt - had grov.11and began.just barely, tot."\'(.'O marginali~ King·s phi­ losoph)•of civil disobedience ru1d non-violer1ce. f\·lore radi­ cal elen1ents, both black and v.~1i te, \vetegaining son1ecur rcncy,arguing Kjng's strategy v.•as too tepid. A ctuel locaJirony in that yearofironies was the death of Noel Wright,ooe of people v.ho \ \ t."re kjJlc.'d in Cincinnati i_n the aftem1a1hofKing's ~sa.ssi. naoon. All had been relati,..tyq1oet in Cincinnati forfour daysafter theApril 4assassination. Then. on Monday, April 8, that all changed. In 1\vondale, crov"ds collected, v.indov.'S i.n the busi­ ness district \vetebroken., fires v.·erc set, a curfe\\' \Vas im­ po<ed. Twenty people \\OOldbe treated at Genetal (nov.•U111ver­ sity) Hospital. and 175 would bearrested. 0 "'o R:>ge on the s treet tn1ed n1en gather in Ciry l"'\..J.lall to deno unce a ne\vspaper: This must be Cirx:innati. A coalition Ic.-d b)•the anti­ gay, anti0pon1lobby Cirizensf0< Community Values(CCV) held a press conference June 9 to denult\d Ci{}'Beat elurunatetl1e "adult services"catef,'Ory in its classified ads. Pronlinent an10ng the coali11on v.<ere C1ncinna1i PoliceChiefThonUIS Streicher Jr. and Hamilton County Sheriff Simooleis Jr. Son1e of the classified ads are thioJy vealedadvertisemenL') f0<prostin1tion,1!ierebymaking Cif>·He(ll con\plic11 io"huo1an tratlicking," according to the coalition. 111at leap oflogic ­ anal~0-0LLI) 10 sayingads for catS lead to dnink driving - failed to elicit the intended public outrage. in part because the coalition'ssrrategi,.•struck 013ny as arrogant andheavy-handed. Several Oirisrian n1inisteis, notably !he Rev. Chatlie \\linbum,a fonncr membc."C of Cincinnati City Cotutcil, are pan of1he coali1ion, but there 'vas nothing conciliatOJ)' in its approach.l11e coat11jor1 dtdn ' t c.ontac.t CifJ18en 1 to air its concerns before n1aking a pul>licattack; andit didn ·1 invite c ;,)18eal to the press confet'ence. That \Val)IOO n\uch for even the conservative Ci11ci111101i £11q11irer, v.'hose editorial chided theooal1tior1 f0t its inlJ)Olitic manners. Not didtl1e pa111c.ipa1100of the polic.e officia ls and ptosecutors - Can1pbell Couo(y Auoroey Justin Verst, KentonCountyAttorneyGarry Edn\ondsoo aod Dearborn Noel Wright v.<as 30 years old, a graduate s tudent in the Univ'<.-.sit)•ofCincinnati School of Oesig,~ An andAn:hitecrure. As repo1·ted by 77re Cinci111Kl1i Enquirer, Wrightandhis\vife, Lois, 27, also an an sn1dent, hadbeen marric.-dj ust months earlierin December 1967. "l11ey v.<ere dtiving: 10 their hoo1e in ~lolDlt Ad.111lsfron1 lheirsrudio inMountAubun1ontheeveni:ng ofApril 8 \lihcn their car \ \ '85 stopped on DorchestetAv12:31ue. Their 'vhite Ford station wagon \\"3500 Dorchesterv.ohen the)• fol.lld thenl:Selves blocked b)•a car in the street. lbey stopped, and a dozen blackyouths, male and female, began throv.iing rocks at their car. bteaking the 'vindO\\IS. Ooth Noeland Lois w•rcpulk-d fton1d1e car. The lateRoben Knii>schiId, CountyAttomC)•Aaron See 1968 o n page 4 SeeCITY REATon page t 2 �STREETVIBES About Us 2 STREETVIBES Streetvil;es r1 7East 121hStreet Cincinnati, Of-1.45202 phone: (513)42 1·7803 x 12 fax: (S 13)42 1-78 13 July 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes isa newsp.1per Ihat provides relevant cliscussionsol homelessness, pove1'ly andolherrelata:I social justireissues It is published onrea month by U>t'Greater Cincinnati Coalition fo r the ~Iomeless. 't'heGrea t e-r Cinci nr~.:it i Coalition (or Lhe Hon\Cless isa group ofshelters, agenciesand.indi.v iduals •'Ommilted toending homeless in Cincinn.atl through coordina~ng.'*rvices,educ'1ting thepubucand g rassrootsorganizing. Our Vendors streetv1bes2@}rah00.('0m \VV.'~v.cindhon)t'}es,.c;..org Streetvibes Staff AlfO\<I \\roolfolk An1hoc1y \ViJJian:t.11 Antonio lfudgr Bt>rta Cleo R;t~11anl L'U1.tbc.'J1 \Voulbld Joues Editor Contributing Writers GRl...; Oi..t..Hli'-15~\'' ~.fUL\ll I~ 1-.1\SUN, S'1T.vtr $G!I.'DlllC!.Af\'D, L \·N~lt A u:;MAN, Jon Joseph111e Dnrby Bas.kt_l'viUt. ~1u~ll~r '\\'illinn1s Davis Toos .B rantki11 .lat.f.ison SiJ,·ia COiiins 011nt1fll0f1d Nelson Doris Ch:u-tt.~ Bi:uiou Cole Ktlly Smith Jr. J ason Ha11'ison M:u·k G1mly Ja~s Quintioo Shc.::s1'S Cook Bybee 1 \\ Julit' Wnl""r Ltoniu'CI ~1a.rl< MIU)' .J=icks:on Citmpbcll l\('nneth Rlrcardo S1u11 Stonits<b T..'lylnr Tiffanie f\ilichae-1 11111·1-is. illian1s Ai"¥'.fl ,f\ l'ANCTll./\, L,A)IAYC I«~, r Ar1ur1A CAI{)(\'. Lr.•ni Moo1,t-s,. ANO~E.tV fXO:ll~ l}(>N~ll~ NBThlf:fl'Jl. RflOf:Rl M.\Nt&A, JQ!:li\. IL.\STI..i\<,-:5:, M.uu.l.\'N .... Sl::tll lt~U,J\, ~rlf\I C,\NM_IN1 Cf1~ HAlMA~~ A l'i$A KCY.111iRriiti\~'N Photography A \It •RI;\\' .-\~J~..K.'it~, B l!IQ')\ Li\.\llltRT, Artwork t\."-'ll)~ ~' l·IOl)(iL A mliCY,1,:''f \<V1t.1.L'"~ Advisory Committee j or \<\'tslil.S, S·n~•e NOVOrNI, l\Nl~Kl:\\1 FHEl!Zf, Gf.Dr\GINI~ G El.'1'\, .Mtt1L\l:.J.. I (£."ISl.l.\!, Su.11 IA:\:Ill Du.'lf1.,,1•, SnLvitG1oos· Cover Sth.alTcr C.<,lVtx PHC)l(> av "OM FE:AvE1­ 75 cents 25 cents goes directly to your vendor pays for • printing costs ( We are members of: .k-----------------, -------------------· Donate to Streetoibes --.. No11h Antrri<::ln St r\~1 Ne" spape1· ;\.sso.c.iation 1 The mofe.support wehave from the community, the runher oureffons reach; Ourwork is possible only with the help of gen-etous Irtdivldtlal gifts. Please cllnsider nuiklng a contribution today! ./ l11tert1alio.11al Ntl\vorkof Street PoP<r• J Enclosed is my •tax-.deduetibleoontriburlon of: $25 IN SP I I I S5lY_$100 $ 150 Others Or nuike ch"'lkspay;lb1e-ro: Vqucan doo!areonlino •W.W,~lii>UJCIC....orl.; ,City I S.tnle/ Zip: - - - - - - - - ­ 1 I , !Sttci.\IVi~;m 117 E°ilstlirl1s'~ Cinolnnon,c:>l145292 .. ________________ _________________________ _ I hsn kyou for givjng generously! .... �STREETVIBES The Vibe July 2008 3 In The News Streetvibes celebr:ates J uly as Strei!JVibes month By 6rogory Fla-.ery Portune Wants Probe of Exploitation "This is t~besi-f.Olinj: in.my life. e.;n, ,honest·with people and belni proud of wJ,·a u am s~lh•g is ibeh;est.fttliog. P~ple areso "ie~ t()­ ~· E\.·en dte-eops like me." ~Kmn~da Seonits ch, new St:rteMbes ''\\'eAreTheirSla\'CS,-•.•aninvesrigauverepon in theJlUle I edition of.'fueafllhf!J'. has pron1pted Han1ifton County C.on1n:Ussioner'[Odd Ponune to call for a probe b)' Jav.· (:ofurcemcnt, 11u! s1ory <Jn ~xptoitation ofLatino '''Orkcrs 111 suburban Cincinnati focused on workers ln1-ed here (1·01n J>oe1'to Jtico by a ten1poraty er111>IQYn\t:lu n~--enLy, ti ulou org;u1tzc!f'St11\d\\Otkcrs· righL~actiVISIS say dte \~rkt.'t'S are housed incrov.'<ledoonditioos, fcirced tool~" intrusiven1lesabou1lheirpersonal behavior.subjeccedto fines and od~r in\\"QIunru.iy poyr<>ll deductionsand ~n1e1inleS c;vjctcd \vithout ducproi;1,..~ 111a letter to the.Cincinn.ati Beaooo. a progre)sivepohtical blog, Ponune said he \vauts 1.healkgaLiQnSfully i11\1ei.'1Jg11ted. "J·read lhe article in the June200S .~irer1viht!:t about 1hepersonnel agency ·andother local con1pany d1arare forci ng inunigrants into s.la\'e..Jike \\'Orkingand hvios conditions,.'"' ·r ortunc \\'fot<.\ "I h}ndercd n formaJ rcquc.s t 10 ·01>en an 1nvesrigarion into the jssue ro U.S. Attorney for dleSoud1em DistrictofOhio Grl!'g L.ookh1t1dt, toOt1io 1\ 11on1eyC'.e11t.'t"cti N:incy R<;)'::;-crs. tolhuuhonCowu)' PrQsect1t0t JoeDe1ers and SheriffSimon Leis. The conditions'{lredeplorablennd. l suspect. illeg;il." vendor 9oyoirrememberJason? He,'s th..9.year-Oldhoi11cles5 pre-sch'oOlec;ou fl.>adabouhn .1Yivc11·Jb<s,)l:emember ishm~el Beah? Ele's.lheformerduld soldier.fromSien:a L.eonov.lio yiSjtodCii>cmrullLYou read abo~t him.fa S.'t ro.el1ibes:·roo. t~ ·the pas()~ear..~rceb'ibe.s hasosho..,11 readeffl·thefaoeofhOmelessneSs, r,,.fllrlng U1e·suu£Si"'I- and tl1•sucoesses- of dus,growingsegniem of0ur socieiy, \11e' ve.also givm,):'OUoon1preJimsj Ve covera&l.ofibeefforttosecure hiiman.,,.,rvfcesfuiuling};)im the ciiy.ofCinciiuioll, shlfrei!u1.<>f>Oetry and am"1ili offiln!i:i1il><s ,;,;,,dori and in-1i;atocfthoshooking0i<pl6itati()ii of l:.atino \VOtlCeiSinstlburba11:Cincinn'ati. Of <x>urse, JKqvidingcol)lpellingnews and f earu~storjes isjustJlru1 oftl1e ~~ of.i'm;ci11•ih<'s_T.he olherpart iS 001po\.,\;,;,,g1i0mf1ess'aitdf00nedy homt..f~-..\~111cn~d11Wn tiy·[rivii1g 1ij6mjobs :s:e1 Ii ng.~1i:.e1~·lhe$, $dline Strypibg.hfioi )·cpdors tea·rn rotreprepttarial skjlls and hcli>s·tb·cm 'U Q;l mQllC)l IQ&Cl offtl1C$lf'ttlS;J1nlso helps lllOl'e fo11wu1teclti~ 111ee1 Arresting the Victim l!'l!!re·s $0111etJ1iJIS, ~lse dim doe~1 ' t sull:ll right. TtacyK. J(llm~o sayshe \'13$ crossing RnceStreetatGarfield Par\.: ooenightlast n10nth \\Tien he'''asstn1ckby ·a car~ 11led.ri\'.er t1 eel. \\i'i tnesses called 91I. and police and pata.J11edics arrlved. Thnt's \\•h.cn things 111rnt<I s trange. Ac;cording U) JolulSQn. H_e SB)•s-1he.dnver v.110 suuck hin1 \vasa num. BU! about 15minutes Inter 1.hecarretun1ed, this tin1e. dciveu by a v.on1at,, \vith tJ1~ 11tru1 \\.f10 strµck Johnson siuing 1n tJ1c p~en gersidi:.. OfticerSspoke10 the couple.,bU1 didn't char-&re ei1herdrl\:er. lnstead 1hey asked for Johnson's idenrifiGi.tion. He gave ru1 fO cfudshov.iinghis·a:ddressasd1e Drop Inn Centi.'.!(. Ne'1 duns helme\\\ he found h1mself bandculfod andplaced ln theback.of• patrol C"df, ..\Vhe-n lhe}' seen Ill)' ID and,-sa''' that I \V3S homeless, I·\V'Ull from being lhe vicDn1 to1his," JohnsonSil)'S. OfficttrSc1n:d J<.)hnson for (I. crossv.-alk v1ohuion and, '"',,""'"heref-used to sign the cttation, took hin1 to the Hantilton County JusnceCenrer. Police.released ltin1 v.·heil heagl'ee<l 10s1gr, d1e ticket, Joh1t.i;onsays A requestforn copy oflhe :iccideo1 repon brought ·:.m unusual tesponse·ITom· CinciMati 'Police. 'f11ere isooaccidenrrepon.. according 10 Fran Cibon.npublic •nfo1mat1011.off1c:~ .., SJ>Qke-10 theoftic.ers \\1ho responded to the scene," shesays...111C)•said it was notM accidei1t,, so thc1c was.on ocCicten1 rep<ut gcot:tnled. Th~oAicers ,...~i.o v.oent to d1escene- 1old mehe '"itS notstwck. Flecommi1ted a pedestrian vior3tion v.11e.1 he \v3S in dle.road\\13}'." ul feel Ji.kc t•nt· bci11gdi$Ct'l{lllOUt<.'d agnntSt because f m homeless.·· Johnson says_ Si1t:(!tl~bc.,· i$ \vllitingon records.lfot11thepoliccruxt fil'edi!t~Unt:1lts., including 911 audio lilpes. \\tatch fur·afull report in ourAugust 1· edirio·n. Dumb Laws Don't Help Kids h~m~J'IS•Jl"OP.I• :mets~• !h• l\e behiild-lhe.st~esso casu3lly propa~Ocl lr.,rtl1e c0rporruemecfui. :\Vjtb j'ourbrlo nran re'u lt ogr goal ofint1tasipg 1tic·Crcq11enry o( publlgtitlp to C¥Cn"lhrtt l\'telq. pdgli11g 6 111ore is.sur.s pygry)'flG Wilh yourhelP.wecao.helP. to provide sales traiiiing·to the vendors·and to oxp;uidsal)>S i~to NonhenJ;.enruekyru1il,o1ber ¢incinruttis,u~uilk w.u:iw help us kctjl ~i<m;ng?'llic·nuniber:<lfli6"!"!ess(lun11i<1o;jo Greatur CincinnatiisOO tl'ie rise~ so we need to'ke\JI infomiih_g_w:sd advocilringon their behaJ(. .Please use theform on lhebortomofpg~ z ro,h~lp ~with whareveryou can aflbld You'll behelpi1ij;'Su·«c'11,/J,i>s re>eh 1T11)to readersand MlP.Jlli>re \'eOdoJS:: Siooon:ly Grei.w Elann~ !,'tteeflibcs: Bd1tor By the Numbers 65°1*-Tbe amou1,1t.Stree1Yi6es sail\.~ a~e up compared to the firsts months in 2007. 36-Average number ofStreetvibesvendors each month ~1outdsonle008 plensetell stare Je.gislru:orsd:w derncxUzin_g 9eXoffendersd:)esn' t help d\or \•1ctiJn.~7 \Vluu S1lll'led astul e~1-0ct t(I keep foriner oflendersa\v.ty ltou\ scllools is turning into a push tomake itimpoosible.forthen110 livean}""·here.at all, Con.sider the lntes1bri2,ht idea In Colu1nbus..House Birt 111, recendy passed b)• dlcOhio House ofRcpre.5Cntati "Yo'S..<:.ll.l):ln·ds tf1c de.tinirion ofn<:gl1."Ctcd t.hlld to include ac.hild\\ hose pareru a!IO\\'Sa convictedse.xoft'"ender to reside Jn tbesai11e. residi:uce lL<; 1.hecluld. Sau1u:ls 1'e!l.'9()c1nble at flt.-a glrutce, ri!#it' Here·s theprobleni: ~"1osi kids '"·ho arese.xuallyabused koo\vlhe1rabusers. h's true lhntsmheoffenders prey on srrnngers-, bul expens say 85 percen1 ofsexual abuse is oon1n1it1ed by people the children koov.'. 1l1atoftl.'ll meansfamiJy mi:mbc.'l'S, 1nt ll1diogpartntS and Siblings. ~'l akmg it a cdn1e co restore a fanul)' after approp1iate tre.atn\ent isn'tjusr CC>Wlh!t--pmduc::u''-:-, it·s nJso Uupracticl\L Lkt<j1oc oot, IOtn1cr ofl'erldet'$ hB\leU) live somev.'here. Legislators ShouJd quitgoing forsimplistic.soluljolis and ,,,.on.: v.1th e.xpens to find\!ffecrive policies. 1 $ 13 - The amount of money it fllkes to get a new vendor s.lftrted $40-~ to buy food for the.mo"nthl)' vendor meetin gs $70 - p,ostagc for monthly subscriptions $250 ~ to p·a y for a quarter of'a print run $500-to pay for hlllf of a print run �1968 STRE E TVIBES The Jump 4 J uly 2008 lO do. \\'e have no tirne to hair:.." Lois Wright would be 67 )'WSOld1oday.TI1e UCalurmii officehasno recordof\\if:iera, a UC professor1 told 1'he lf anyl'hete, sh• mi sJu be, &rquin'n•lnu 1\-ls. Wrij;ht hod told him. ' People are being "'Ill<)' pulled.N<)cl Mdl..()iS manipula ted ' from the car." he said."'There Ho1nelessness had not yet \'las no provocation~ no e.'X.. changes.Theyjust pulled !hem become a n"tio11al i.ssl>e in '68. from die car." By the rime i1 had, son1e four Thti Enqu1t't!I" report~d; )'ears later, Pfestdent Nixon "While ihe girls held Mrs. oould v.in re--electionTn aland­ Wrigh~ theboysslugg..'<l\l'ril;ht slide, a repudia1ion ·o f llhd thensmbbed him in the Ioft McGovern libernlism. chest. .. . Wright fell to the E'len as homelessne.s s ground, bleeding heavily. .,Jis \~rked Jts wuy ln10 tbe pro~ wifekneltbesidehimand rried .&ress.ive lexi.con. j t c·an1e at a to stop die bleeding." time\\iten t>fewDeal politics­ Noel Wri.ghl died one day cappcdolfinthoruid-'60s "ith laterarnearby Christ Hospital. landmark civilrig)nslegislation Mrs. Wright had been a - began to Wltavel. A Republi­ sociaJ \Vorker, had \•,.orked in can Southemstrategy wassup­ lhe past widt young Africa11· pianting it. co1ooolingSouibem American g.lrls in Sr. Louis. Th~y "What we're seeing here In hardly led shel­ the last year or two is that tered lives. Kuipscbild told· people who live in racially 11w Enq1tin:rthcy isolated suburban areas are \vere ..deeply in· becoming acutely aware teces1ed in th~ that education Isn't really pi ig ht of Ne ­ education if it's done in a groes... In fac t, racially isolated situation." - Jeff Brokamp Knipschild said. C.Ootinued rroru paee 1 ..Noel \\'right \Vtl.~ quie4 niodest, young man, Sensitive, yes, but firm. He could takecare of hjm·seJf. but verl>olly, He didn '1 believeinthe fos~ the knife, the gun. A slight man, thin-fuced, c11rly haic He \\-Ureif shon, shoner thal1 nline, He v.-as no Dobemiao. He djd nolcall artemioo tohimselfm 311)1 \l..uy." tt Democrats,feeling disoftected and~'lrayedbythecivil rights' gains, with ogro";ng backlash elsewhere in the count!)• to \Wi:u rnat1y OOclside<ed tJ1dex­ cesses ofthe Ne\v Left, black miUtnnts. threeyearsof urban riots and..spoilcd'' c<>llcg:estu­ dent;. Jules \Vitco,•er, a tornier IWr,-c· {$ f111i.t~11e e~'ltn 4Q} '(JllT:/ '!fh•r ,,,~ iJ...~~·fl.l!il11flt/(»I ()j :l fnrfi11 /.,Jttlw.r Kl11~ Jr. /'hrJlfJ'( (."01111t-,\V (Jj 'R<!r1il"l \"'•lt1,w1n /i1!<'1J rN11·l " '"'1l'. nJ1;ttlrd<1lfrt:t!ilmir.cui.1t. JOwnaltsm at An1ericsn Uni ver~ sity. v.rltc.over notes ho\Y un~ popularthe warandpresident "~l'.'e-then aod no\v. '"No'vthecowitty-is agai11st this \V'J.r in rtaq, ag.ainsl 1he president as well, l31gely be· cause hegotus into a v.•ard1at didn '1 need 16 be fought 3nd botched it,.. \\'itcover says " W11-ar·s re1narkable 10 rn¢ Is iha~ fur all !he qlJIXl6irion 10this warin Iraq, is it hasn' t spilled <>ut fnto th~ Sth..'il."IS like it did In 196$ " Tht: ptlniary reason is the lack of a milillll)' draft.Another is there is110 con1p31abJe cul ~ tural revolution lhat tCcds into 'the.backlaslL.lndeed, Witwver n1uch ~ i t \WIS an 311ri-turrooiJ voce." NathMiolJones,appointed to the federal .appellate coun here in CinciruUlti b)• President ('.urta- U1 1979 and serving unti I his retirenlenl in 2002, served on tho Kerner COtllll'liS ­ sJon 111 I 9 6 7 , \vhich i n­ that isjuc;1 irw:endini)•." ln additiOn «o innuendo obout Obama'sblackness, there m "hi;p"'1>obou1 his religios­ ity.There is the Rev,Jeremiah Wright. tha1 schc)QI in lodoue­ sia, even those terrible allusions " That's when the to the .RJ'K as­ emphasis on civil S$Sination, rights and soc ial 'Very action programs aware' began to encounter youth a great deal of resistance. What's J <. f f happening today is BrOkmnp seeS soniethiiig of a reminiscent of silver lining in 1968." - Judge Nalhaniel Jones both the ironies veStiga.ted die d\'il·dis­ IUJWn.<<S of die '60s and issued its.ta.. mousrepon of 196.8 that talked of rv.•o says. th<: co1m1oy ln 1968 ' 'Iv.is in wmtoil" And the.publicjust Ainetlca.s, gotsickofit Thus the ironyor· one ~tiite andoneblack. a Nix.onelection. Jooessees l968 asa trans:· '1~skindofromonrlc to say formative year.a yc-arthatsa''' tt1at all the pro1esis ~lgai ns1 Lhe oclash nnd the beginningof~>at backlash. "That•s \\<hen tlte en1pM­ S1so11 d\i l n~h~andsociat ac· don pro!,'nUTIS began lo.cnco~m­ ter a great deal ofresi,stanc-e,." he says. "Whal's happening10day is rnminiscent ofl 968." Civil rightscases and gov· cmment p<.llicies in J968. in­ volving eo1ployn1ent, becan1e "reversediscrimination" \\flOO.it in,•olved affirn1ati,•e action. School desegregation beca111e kno'4TI b)' lhc code \\'Ord of l.i l.c lii.Y 111-.:o·l..~1.'tl~.~or R 1cl.'(»'(I /\1l,\'f)t11 (it!f#!!~ II! JJ,,,)/1 i-J 11111111/KJ/Nilur P'"-·1/J,~111 11·11!1 '"' 11111 ")/ llll(Jr 11•u1: 1 / I H1tf)N t:/N11/t>/r~v tif 1.,11·w.1•f,\•ll lu;,> tk.t:t.ir11 ta1il ll'l11lr //1)11.1~ Jl'f tt>ltl. NoelWright had pl1110ed lo become a teac.her once he _g1'aduated. Fie hru:I anex¢llettL fururO, Kn!p.;dtildrecalled31 tho time. ..He minded his 0\1tli busi­ ness- or tried 10," Knipschild s.'lid. One day aAer her husband died, Lois Wright told The 61U(tlln=r•..,,,c~ve got 90 mucll .~1111 reporter and ·colunmist v.bo \\'35 on thefi:ont lit1es covering the '68 presidai. lial election and v.mte 11le Year the Dren111 /)icd: Revisi1i1tg /96l$l" A111eticu, pub.Iishod·i11 1997.says.'68 is ayearthotstill resonates f'our dfcades·la,t~r. •(Oh. noquestioo aboutit." hesays b1 phone from Wash· ington D.C•• wh~c he teacht.'S 8altl11tore \fj etnamWat n.itrted the.coun­ '1Y around." \Vitoover sa}'S. "It didn' t What it really did ""as that the «.-action to 1hatv..•asso negative ru1d \Ws played upon b)•Nixon aod hi,slawaild order can1paign. The di.sgustofn:iany VOfl:!fS and lh~ nppearnru:-e of. the protcstocs v.•crodistinctly ·offe:nslverosomany people.. .. lt \Vast1·1a pro-Nixon vore.-as j tl'il presented \'lithtenninology ~" "People didn' 1tnind bus­ ing fo·r anychjng else," Jones sa)1s."lt'sonly \...tle1rit's done for descgl'.'cgation th1.1t it be­ com·es busing cases:.1\nd no\\' \:vilh Obama and tl1e lemt$ bi't­ ter ondclingi~ 'gunsandfaith.' t1:s a n1ischaracterization. Peoplew:cboingmanip1dawdin 2608 by tliis24/7 news cyde in v-·hich snlpperS ar¢ placed. c011text is lost. historicaljustifi­ cation is ig11oredandpeopleare and parallels- a high school population for whom l 96S might be :mcicothlstory.but roe whom 2008 is energizing. An OWortw1it)•togel in\l()lvedin Q presidential can,Paign tl1a1 mm­ ters[0 d1enl for mefirst rimes in their Ji.,'\!S. They' i:e connecting.. Broka1np offersson-iesym· tne1ry here - his fa1her, Raymond.Brokmap, \\13~ prin· cipal ·o f Wal11u1 Hills High School In 1968. Jcff13rok•mp hasJustfinished his first year as prineip<tl at rhescbool 40y~ later.The schoolh""1't changed muchinthose 40years, be says )lien: are still thobij;h aca<bnic stand;ards. as \\<ell as th.edi,~er­ ~ity. both ethnic ftnd religious. While sludems paid SQJlt• ruren­ rion in '68. che:,.• pay n1ore ar ~ terltiO)t today- mosdy because I8-)'ea1-olds can no~· vote Bcokttnip v1si1ed different classroomsthis poS1 iid>ooly"'~ and a<lked students ifdiey were registered lO vote. "The}' \vere aln.~y regjs­ t~red and ready to vole,-- he says They \\'crO very ptoud. r �STREETVIBES Local News July2008 Parks Continued rrnm p11ge I rooo frQtn and clotl1ing btittg passed o.ul. and 1he park was not designed to be- a social ScrviccugcnC)'···· f\.t-any gro ups such as \ .'lr.eyrutl Coc1unun.i1y Olu1x:h111 Springdale hm•e been going to \\'3sh ingto11 l'ark e''ef)' Sarurd:t)' fo r Seven years lo hand out food a nd forn1 relati011$lups \vith 1>«>plt Jfc>10 Over-tbe-Rhjne. ··we don"t \V:tnt to just prca:th \vh at to do, so \\' C decidedto do sonielhtQ!I." suys Star' rvhtl'ule:I tvlutflhy, direct9r ofevangelism ai dieVine)•ard 11w.t led to die fom1:11ion of lt gmup that co•nes 00"'"' eve'}' Saturday no,v. Son1ed mes ht l\.\tet!n 30 ond . 40 people fron1the churcli help out - rrpeopleare hw1giy, we can bless th'cm '\h•ith food," Murphy says Ahhough lhogtouptl1oug1>1 they \\'ere doing e\'erything properly- until d1ey "\lreasked 5 Thu cJiurchgrO\IPstopped foe a:\vllilebur recently retwned Over-lh<>-Ritine ..111ere·ara: l\\'O churches locotod ri<;ht 0 01 thepark(orid) mnny soc:iaJ..ser. 1ce agencies tlt:IJ \voul<lpt\)bai>ly \velcon>=: the help. They \'Ui} Very good. decent people who n1ean \vell but thc l'e are uninlcnded consequences... This1snotjus1f1ll iss·ue that Cincinnari faces. ~Defining \i..-here groups ain p<isSout fOOd OJ' clo thlnf~ is a con1mon 1actic to-gelhon1eless ou1 of s1~~" Clifford soys. ..\Vhether it is successful is to be .se2n. : \.nothe.r la\,,Ol policy isuot gojng tO 1naJ.:e pOvcrl;)·or homelessnes;sgoav.13}1. " A rei:ion by 1he Nation'll C.oalition fo r I.he 1-lomeless in No-..·en1ber 2007-found·22 cities havo.sirnilarla\\'SOr p0lieici in placo. In Orlondo, Fla,, tbe group .Food No1 B¢ntbs hos suad the Cit)' over a la\v that requires groups to getpennits IQ Wa.~1litl~f01'1 Park ar•d ha~ been passing out food on the sidl!v.•aJk, 100111ically not 011 park property 111eparkboard euooumges groups that v.·an1 to pass 0 111 food to panner \vith a non­ proiil.it¥e' tC)' in Over·4tM:-Rinne tha1-might alr"3dy bbproviding asintilnrservice. 1 " \Vhen gfoups inquire about a.spe:wial use pennit to pa$SQUI food. \\~ refe( th~nt 10 lo~I soci~ l-s:crvicc agencies tliatdisuibu1efoodandelotlting in the vicin'-1.y of\\:Mhing:1011 Park," Honte says. Pa.I Cli ffo l'd, s,enc l'aJ coordi n ~tor al 1he OJVp Inn Center. \vhoseageucy is liSted asa ••ferrnl by !he patks board, believes people should be ill lowed to pass out IOod. '1 thml< people should i>C 31Jo,ved 10 getpemiits to feed a.$ lor•g ac; p:eople ne~d the food to pass out food to the and the groups agree to clean J{t(,•k1.~. ' ' ~T}/11111<·(,'r.JitJ1'1 J1r1(!)'•11f/ I 'Q11111111nif'.' (·/r11rv:h, M'aSlt>J,' i homeless, \Vith a l11n i1 of up and flI~ eonsidet'Jtl! o l~ 1he :W1rl~JIN' ij\~~1 1Ji fl 'm:lli1rgi<Pt /J11rk Pl1r1tr1 b,_t' ,.1u;/n~1o1· ,.t,.r/11rsm1 1lJ>plyin$ l'~1ct! a ye:lr. Thec.:ise neighbCH'$," h OSB)1$, is pending in federal court, S-i1lce the Jle\11 sripulatio11 food rutd clothing. Hesaysv.hat be depende11L :i11-<I not v.tle.relheolayor \V:lS forced co lO Stop. , ....a..c; passed f\VO y ettts a~>t>~ tht."Y dt>n 't \VQnt Is ..groups independent," he Say.s,' 1\\'hen testii)'. "'T\VO years ago 1he park, Clifford says he lms only lmda con·tingby anddroppmgclo<lie; groups leave, th.e re is al\,>ays ~1 urphy SJY.S hJsgroup has _rJ(>hCeask'l:d us 10 l~ :l\t~ w1d 10 t'OUple of ~coups contact hiln 011 the side,valk .:uuJ le•lvin~ trnsh pil<ll h•sh in 1he i;a1bage worked \,1j Lh Cit)· Gospl!J notpassout food in the park,,. aoo,ausing d1c Orop'Jnn Centt:r rrash evety\vhere. rt~s not good cans. f\..fissio n on Murphy says. as·astagingg.round to pass o ut fortl1eneig11borl1oodaod is not various art Tile ne\V "Defining where projoc~ digrll6<..-d tOr tile people." reg·ulat ion groups can pass .. 0 u r has n'r r~ally t.'luJJ't:h t'O/Mul~l!l'-J /'rf!)' ll'illt r a.\iJdnl.\' ufl)~>eJ«//14• .Rltf111! iJt out food or clothing 1 'Unintended deterfed thl! focus: .is not ll'lt$l1i11g1tn1 I'(ll'k, 1/K>l(I h).l t f/11,/rt:,., ,-J11tll'-r;.1)11 consequ ences' public f..aing, is a common tactic solel·y on \ \1essels·s·ays. to get homeless out food, but "lhav1,."f)·I Joe \Vessi.:IS.·\\JJlo lives ntw fo r m i· ng of sight" the parf.::, belie.ves that.groups noticed a relarionsh1ps ·P'dLCllttord and helping '"·ho c(ull~ dO\\'lt t() pass out· declinf! food h11vo good intootions.. because they people bolter "'1 dtlnk their inreutioJis are just use the sid:ewalk t)O\I/, blfl theirsituarioo;·he says. pure tind good bl.it theend n.:?$111 i i is much better .sfn cc the With bU<~gc.'ttings1n.~J« is less than s1>ectacular," he groups did o better iob of and resources lllOreexpeusi\'e, soy~ picking up the trash :t,fh!t 1t rnigtu be in th.e~ lnterestof everyone in\•olved to nol Th• food distribution has themselves." he seys. 1 negari ve consequences. \ \ essets \\!OUld like su<:h 3li~nte groups th.at in lhe'-'ftd according to \\rcsslils b'TO\JPS 10 p~lctnr.,.'1'\vith agencies all·h ave thc$!lmegoaJ: ending "'It encourages people to or churches tbstare alread)• in hlmger ood hon1cl~ness. 1 ... Continur.d rrnm p11ge-' bcrs ivcv», Ilic ccotcrmovcd to M'ain Str ee1. 8}' then Nixon '"'On re-election by a llind~lide, and the Nev. Deal \WS·on ics \Vay ot1t, but soc.fat senric.e 1\ )()cat assassination don't h.avea·great frame ofref­ era1~ this being n1y fi'rst )'ear. Buddy Gmy gre.w up iu bu1I think d10)' ;ire very jJ(lliti­ Mount Carmel in Clern1on1 caUy a\\'al~ really engagedand 1n rune with this elec1ion. It's Coun1}', a.bucolic village set 1n fl rural county. and gradu:.\ted funt.'lSUQ "\\'hat \\1e'reseein~J 1 ere in from highschocil in IQ68 ·r he son of a rai lroad theIastycar ort\\-U is-1hatp00plc \\"Otker, l.e \ve1\L I.Ct Putdne Uw­ v.holivein roc:ially isolatOOsOO.. w'ban are~1s are becoming "'l'Sll)',got d..>eply embedded in acutely av.'are that educarion tl1e anci-\var 11W)ve.1ne111 and l.sn·1 re-.J.!Jy education if(fs OOne d•vpraf out ofcollogcJ~1 t\\O in :J rncially isolated situ.11tion. years latet 11\ die swnmer of 19?0 he 11w.soc.i::d education can bej ust as po'verf'ul ll~ the academic 1noved into an apartnuo!nt in educat100. Peoplev.hc>ba,rerun <:h·l!r-Lhe-Rhine, afiel' leavlug and hiddl!Jl10 be insulated are his engineering pursui1:; al realizing dlut doesn'Ihelp thi:ir Purdue. l~e staned taking iu homeless peQple.at bjs npfif't­ child.. 1 ered a friend, so1neone he'd hc.lped us a bon1eless niait, SOn1CQne \itwho' d \!wt)l'kCd at the l)rop Inn c~.n ter. \VnJked in as Gray s111 1hel'e and 1·rused a handgun ond shot hiin Wilbur ""He \\'Ould speak rtuth 10 Worthen shot him nwi1n wtd f>O\lier and not bo: nfrajd to do again,emptying his ,357 Mag­ that." Bonnie Neun1eier told 11811. Ci1Ji81J(1t rv.o years.ago. ·"J'hat Buddy Gray dted oot qune chreedeca.<ks aft~r that tun1ul­ \V'd$ hJSSt)'lc." The Drop 11111 Cenrer tuo u~ yearof 1968, c;ray \\lfi~ moved ~o E1mSu-eetrnJanlJiliY 46. killed byson1CC)nc \\~10 v.-:i$ 1978. l t reninins lhere tod.tl)~. likc n1inded, \!.'ho apparently i'ound ~01111011 111 home a1,vay Mving 1.housands. Bui t1 do -r,cn ye~;:; ago. from home. in o home.Buddy Buddy Gt3)1, in n1any W'J)'S die Gray helpod set up, killod tha1 aJ1eniative face of Ovt!t·lhe­ yc;.lr almost 1htoc.decAdes 11ftcr Rhine, \\'tlS ai the Drop lnn thar)'~ilr of ironies... Cen(l!f wt1en.a n1an heoonsid· agcncice> \"\.'fC ~II 111tact, (;ri'J\' ~ "''Drl. M'(l,\ lll(ltW ;It 1l11l .vplr~'J <-f 196.'/. rwm~J'..mw,1&' u.-...111 menL Heset up about -a dozen of 1hen1on nlats in his apart· mcnt. \ \1id1i11 a couple ofyears C.my opened UloD10p Inn Ca1­ ter in the 1700 block of Vine Street. a snl::tll pince. .-\ s num· 0 �6 STREETVIBES Community News July 2008 .fllJle/a Panr:-:1111 IS dlrtt.11)1' "/ 1/e1V!/Q/>1J11!t1t iii 0Jtr DlliA• (l,~,-,._1, aJolXI u1t<fhuJ(Jlklll1)• n1t1Jl.~ll')' tll I 730Rl.K:t."i1. , ()1.-'l9'·lfie,.HJ11/1e. 7:/Jt. Jttflll.111':\' Jt't\'t:.~ (J n1kf·tfll)' 11/~U/ i.lan<f(l)' 1/11'0UJ!h Ft'/,/o'i') '. se1\1/11g Ju{JJ\' ihuu50(} 111~uls ot>\'C.'~·tlaJ'. 10 \VJ/iJllli!i'I' Or {/OltOle feo, 11 l)t' I WJI• fJll1'(,f/t1)hle Jtt•1ft )'. ea11.JoaJJ tJI' K'all)' 18 5JJ ~Jl-6J6./, btl\v:ee.n n1eand l\.<lissCookic " 'tis made bcc:1usoour family '"""i;oing to Our Daily Brl.".d, or 1l f\itrs, \\illke, O<Jllced \\'e v.-ere goingthereand made the connection \vtth r...1IssCookta·· lf1/1t1I w1c.•J'l• j:o11r chi/1/lt<>Otl i11y1re.rs-io11s ofAfi.u Cwkie.? Mljust remember ~JIU she '\135 ve1y nice. Sheal\.''llYS ll&:In n1c.e­ snule, il bdght snufeAbourlier. 11 jusl n1ad~ her a ca.ring. conlpas.~01uue ''"utwi l.koo'v Passing it On ,\ f11.ft:.t1f1J1 } 'Ul k'T, Ci/,\1: /lt(».'llJj~l..l ll /11r /)l~Jfl / 111/ 1'rnlt'r, u~1rl« "'''' " /ll'Qfll<' '" /N!lfJ lfrc"' .8''' 1111() !io1t.\•ing. Pl1<1t(} b) fu;lreor ••f,.r/,~r.\'('Nf, Honieless as a child, 7ze norv helps tlze honieless BYA N<;l'J..A l'.\ NCl:J.T.i\ CoNrRUJUTl'NO Wv.ra::u 1\1alco1n1·\ 1amer is.a ne,.,. case mnrmgerartlu.rDropInnC(.'11.tet: Ispoke 10 hin1ih his office.on the """'ond-:itul-a-hlllf' floorof 1he shelter abpu1 die,,'Orl: of1he ·1:>1up-JnnCen1er·s iean1ofcase m:)n~f.,~. includiug.Anl)'Silver. Kenny l:la\rer.s, Sherran Hariis nud t.l1eir- !.up~rVJ!>()r~ Steve Knl£)1l ll'l111l iJ ii J/1r11 J'Ott tlo'! ..f\rfy jo~ as a c.~ 1t1A11Dgel' is 10 refer c.lienTi to various resources,.,fth.in the c.on1n1luii1y tba1 ought Sl!f\'C their needs SS" related to mental health, sub51a11eellbt.t<leor01.heris.'iuL'S Ultimately, 1he case n1anagen1en11eam ishere tohelp 1n1.fividu:~s.gcl into housing.·· 11t,,., du peo11legel /rfl111 flou•11x1air,,• (rl1e ''lti1tr..r aret1) to )'VII? ,.,.Depeudjngon ho\\"ever long our 0 \\111 aparnnentJbra little thatnloreimportantl}'. it '''m 1he relulio11sb1ps- l·ikc (;ertoJn v.bde as '\Cell ·• ta~chers. n1y 01enior at SL X fl 01., 1/iil}'1>11 1:et 0111 uf and the Boys and Girls Club, llllll'! "'tii·ch is·nght do,..n 1h es1rc~t. IL'''as those people \\<ho really ··s asicnlly, 1ny .!!.rru:1dnlotJ1c' hel1>i!dsltapo! n1y ltfu 10 !:? ' 'CU\C took 1ne in Nun1bersand.itges options and to lei 1ne kno,,•the are ve.1y hard for nl'e - I think \\'Orld \V3S much latger ~lan 11 ,,,.as \\lhC..'O I \V!IS bct\VCcn 10 \>\'h.SI ( \\~Sabl e tO!iCC·tuld.v.f)() and 12. \Ve lived in my cared. who \\ref!! re-31 people ¥roodtnotht:r ·s ha.ll\va)1, in bet comnti tl~ to helping <>thets. Jt apartmern building at the time. v.·as those relation.Ships that A re ~.,,,,ie ,·i ftltt' t11l,•ocutes She eventuallysaid, 'Enoug)i is n1otivated me 10 1,vant to gee pe111>le •11lt11 lt111re h1?e11 enough.. ~ Shc-t<.)(Jk n10into her backan<Ironuibuu.: to.sonwc /;011relus tl1e1nse/l'~S'! home. ·n iat totally<changed th< else's lifu. uajt!cto1y of111><life " ··1 v.'t.l\t to \\'~"h1ns;1011 Pruk "'Oh. ye$, A ntnnbe.r of our Elen1eo1ary. I had some great staff ha,.,e been hon1eless. 1111s t/11.~ i!.~perie11<:e •~·illl teachers \\1ho \\'Orked hard in 1nclud1ngmysclf, nnd are nO\V· .v1111r futlter .f1J11~thing 1/101 the community. including Mrs. \rorldng he.re.'' \\lilke. S he \V3.S my i11spire1/ J'"'' tQ g11 i11t11 l'tk~it1/ n>,,rli? kindergartet1 te.achc.r. She.ru1d Miss Cookie; (Vogelpohl. 11111.: /1111;: 1~·ere.V"'' flQllltJfl!S!f? "O!i. definitoly. I dtink ii played founder of Our Daily Bread) a huge role in termsofme 1101 at e goo d fri·<:n<ls I don"' t ""Lt was011:mdoff\\<hen I \\.;lS malcingcemiin OO:isions I think ren1en1ber if the oonnec.tion .f:PUV.111g ~ ltvln£_ ,,1tlt11iy futbt!I'. \\'e slept v~+.erever '-..e c:ould­ on rhe floor of s·on1eone's ap:utmcntbuilding.iua hall\W}" 1'here \Wre tin1eS\\11en v.~had dledi<nthos beenhere, diey rue able lo rec1ue:;l 10 set< a.n ndvocate..and od\•o qiles are the firstenuy step- afiercon1ing 1n10 tho-she?hcr - whcrc they ~ak toson1000e toshare their need$ iu1d \vhaLever their condirions a[e. The ndvocate 1,1,1ill ''ssess things at·that point and referd1cm to c1th-cr usor10 son1e otl1er source \\ihereby they eru·l l'ecei \'C hclp ,. Please be sure to only purchase a Streetvibes from a vendor wearing a white or yellow badge. Interested in neJping with Streetv.ib.es? Are you a writer, p0et, arttst or photographer? Uo you want to heJp Stteetvibes!? Call 513.421 .7803 xl2 oc email streetvibes-2@yabo.o.com my futher.he.speaks highly or bee. He has a .g reat. deal oJ' respect fQr her. She alSQ ­ "''hen I later sav.· her. co111ing back ho n1e, seeing her pcrio<lically. during0<1n jsilS­ she seen1ed 10 ha\1e n deep res_pec1tOrnly ralhet a~ ' ''¢1L.. JV/tu~ 1/11J'tlll S l!l!j'tlllfj'd f ill I/I t! ,/itfl lTt!? " f\1y sho11-tetm pl::in 1'lghtOO\v is to hopefully enroll in the C;ot1egcofM01,1111St. Josei'.>h's Nonp<ofit Lel>:focsbip Progauu. "11jcl1\\fill 1ake11;e.about 12 to 18 l'n onth$ lo contplete. Uldrnately my in1erest istodo aclit~nistralive v.oi'k. Bui 1.llt'1e·s also U1c goo.I ofn.line to getrny J1 h.D. in either soc1oloro• or SQCJal \\()I'~ .,. 5tree.tvibe:i Subscr1ptioos Are you interested in ha~ing Streetvibl!-V dellvilred LO your ma1 lboll; CVCI)' 1nontn'! SendaGbe.iko for $25 \V1th y~ur name and address to: Streetvfbes 117 E. 12th St Ciric!rtnati,OH 4$2-02 �STREETVIBES Community News July 2008 7 Public Assistance as Close as the Library Hamilton County joins with library system to improve access BY LYNNE A u.£\tAN" STAA' W RJl'ER euinghelpfromHamilton Counly Job ond Family Services (JFS)just got easier, thanks to a partnership with the l\ 1blic Libraiy ofCincinnati and Hamilton County. The program ";11 allowJFS clients to subnti t their paporn<Jrk to the library.which v.-ill fax the i nfonr~tion to Jf·s. Forty branch libraries in Hantilton Cotutty, in addition to G the f\1ain Libraiy dO\\'llfO\\'ll, will participate in the ne.w progrant The goal isto make the JFS application process n1ore accessible. Many JFS applicantsandclients tlon'tfeel con1fortable n1ailing personal documents s uch as social security carcls, binh certificrues, passports and n1arriage licenses. This often means applicants will deliver the application andauachmontsby hand. "111aroould nlOOO they have to take time out of \VOrk and spend n1oney on gas;· says Moira Weir, director orJFS. "'We'd rather they saved that tin1e and nlOOey.111.is is anod1er step in our mission to be more. accessible ro the people v.·e """"' JFS doesn •t expect an increase in the nuntber of applicants. The new service is intended tohelp prevent currenr cliaits fro1n having dtelr booefits CommunityAcriooAgem:y,the suspended or tenninated due10 HamiltonCollllly IJepottroenlof an inabi li t)' to deli,•er Mental Re tardation and documents. Developnlental Disabiliry and While thisseivice.\vii.I save. Stop AIDS. The library is excited to clients a crip 'vhen they have papenvork to submit, it V1f()ll 't provide the ne'vsecvice as well. conipletel)•elinlinatedte need to "w e•re cons tantly go doY.fltOY.fl: Clients ,,111 still evaluating and anticipating the net..-d to meet \vi th casc,vorkers needs of our customers and at the do,vnto'vn office. Ne"' pro'<iding diem 'vi th infonnation applicants will still have to go that improves their lives... says do,vn to the K i 1nber n1ain office on fender. " We'd rather they Cent r a l saved that time and ex:ecu ti vc Parkway to dj rector of money. This Is begin receivillg the Public benefits, but another step in our Library. "In subnti tr ing mission to be more addition to s upporting picking up accessible to the documents in tax fomtsand people we serve." addjtion to the applywtgfor a application can pass port , be contpleted through the now they'll be able to connect libraiysystom. wi th the Job and Fami ly For ne'v applicants, there Servicesdepart1nent. It's our are a variet'Y or outreach hope that. by drawing more progra1ns in the community at people intodteLlbrruy dtey 'viii social service cenrers. Jn beconle n»refan1iliar \vithour February, JFS opened its mMy programs and setvices 00\\iest substationatdteColltcil andvalue dte librruy as a cn1cial on Agins They have already sourceofinfonnation." connected Y.iith htmdreds of All Libraiyemployeeshave clients. ln addition, there is a been trained in handling case\ltOrker dcdjcated to the sensitjvc documents to ensure FreeStore/FoodBank, and confidentialit)• and accurate another ""'Orker who rotates submission. JFS has some bet\vem five hontefess shelters. \.\'eek.end ande\teni1:tg hours but Universil}' Hospital has sixcase dte Librarybranches ";ube able v.'Orkers through JFS. Future to fax applicat ions and substations ma)' include the supporting documents when JFS isn't open because the cowttl)'. It offers a sele<:rion of libraries have more \Veekend and evening hours. JFS adntinisters federal. state. Md local programs for thosein need. The Department helps with child protection. elderly protection, child care, child-support enforcen1ent. v.'Qrkforce development. cash assistance, food stamp disbursements and Medicaid. JFS helps to pro,1de the basic in1111ediate needs to a fan1ily living in poverty. Food Stamps areoftoo an inva1uableresource ror IO\V·illcome families. Mar1y families, especiallydtoSein rural and suburban areas, are swpriscd to learn that they arc­ eligible for food stamps. E.ligibility is based on factors su<:h as fa1nily size, incon1e, assets (cl1ecking and savings accounts. stocks Md bonds. etc.) resources and expenses. A persongenerally qualifies if their gross monthly inconte is "id1in JJOpercemofthefederal poverty guidelines and \vithin I00 percentofthepoverl)' level af\ec all allo,vable expenses (rent, utilities, etc.) and if the person's resources such as cash. savings.stocks, andetc.•do not exceed$2,000. With 4 1 locations eounty,.ide, the PublicLibnuy of Cincinnati and Hantilton Count)• is one.ofthe.Iarg,est and busiest library syste1ns in the neatly IO mi IIion books, audio books, cligital audio books & &books, CDs, digital videos& DVDs. magazines and more. plus free internet access, \\'i­ Fi, livehomev.'Ork help orlline. almost I SO researchdalltbases, and J<no,,<ftNow, an online chat v.ith a librarian refermoe 9'7\rice­ avaiIable 2417 through the We b s i t e . W\\'\V. Cincinnatilibraiy org. as v.·ell as over 14,000 annual entertaining Md enriching free. programs on an extensive range ortopics and interests for all ages. Libnuy cards are free for all Ohio residents. All ofthe library branches are participating in the ne\\' partnership with JFS. Some branches include: Bond Hill, Clifton, Conyville, Elmwood Pl ace, ~fad i sonvil l e, ~ft. Washington, Northside, NOr\VOOd. Price )>fill. \Valnut Hills, West End and Wesl\<ood. Note: TJ1e i1!fom1ation pw~·ideci i111/1is article regarding serl'ice eligibili~v is only basic inforn1atio11. A11 accurate detel'r11ina1;011 <if eligibility<:an be obtained by c'>ntacting Han1ilu>n Co1111t)1 Depart111e111 qfJob and Fan1ily Services af 5 I 3-946· J()()Q. WHAT'S AT STAKE? JOIN US for DAYS OF DIALOGUE. What better time than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us aH O UR PURPOSE is to create an environn1ent \Vhere people with differing views can listen and be listened to, and civil discourse can occur. \VIIEN: Each dialogue \viii be held on Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon V.1HERE: First Unitarian Church (536 Linton St) at comer of Reading ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~- - Free & Open to tbe Public ­ Reservations Requested. RSVP to 513-579-8547 w\vw.ijpc-cincinnati.org Immigration July 19 �Artwork and Poetry 8 STREETVIBES My Sanity f losLn1y freedom oot long ago Bui ell)' sanity rer:ulltL'i. Igo through relapsesremembering B.utnot progressing. M~y past i.s sriJJ SOTJl¢ \vfJ.a1· 1m • future Or S9 it see1ns. for nol n1uch has chru1ged 'A'ages '1J~l<)\v 4Uld living is high Jobs are stan:c and lomporary. A te\voftJte pe.ople 1· kne\vare gone. . \nd lhosc thn1 arcstill thCft haven· 1liboogcd. ['111 searching for a better \Wyof Ufe. A1'1d e.och<by rli·ve Lhlr1gs f.<el l>euer, Oul CVl?I)' inch I 1;-1kem1d ewiy n10ve I 1nt1kc l 'he econon1y crun1bles and shakes 1loSt IJJ}' frcodom f'M)t longugo Btrt mysani1y renmins. ''Distinguished Man'' BY A NTONIO HODGE STREIITVLBES VENDOR And So I Gathered .... And so I g_otheted up all 1hn1I knew andpla11ted i1here in Ovec-d1e-Rhioe• .asntall tO\Vll gut at bean lost u11hecit}· n1ovcd by 1ho pcoplc'sstorics d1n1dov.n hon-ie \\l'JY of li,~ng pro11d faces hard bandsof determinatioo sade}1es9fsorro\\S too nmny co n:in1e I looked up more often back in 19!70 there.\...-ere 111ore tace.s ai 1he \vi11dov.~ above got to gatl1er upstrength got to renten1ber (0 Jook up 110 1 loo.I:> do\vn with despair thnt \i,ii:lt ,,re·ve@therl!d isall fornaugtn l'mo littledizzy from all 1hechm1gesdisrt4>ring R senseofreace in this place \\'e•veplanted seeds ·nie Nannie Iiinki>ton l·loii.c;ea1 12111 nrtd Ehn gone Waslungron l'orkSchool J:,'OllC Shalash'soomer store S<)ile People I reJtrember gone landmarks forv.tiom·isaJI thiscementpouring, condo•s rising'/ Gather up thestories gatl1erup the spirit gathcr up the song.8Qf~1c pl'Opl-c gof ro gatherup~n1ething that ,.,,u le.id us 10 see.the ligh1 throug1·1all ofI.his .and not tlle mood S\vi.nging darknessofde1nolition July 2008 �STREETVIBE S July 2008 Artwork and Poetry \.Vriters! ~ subn1ityour WJI poetry to Strectvibes ­ email your writing 10 streetvibes2@yahoo.co111 I 9 Abstract Ball To Scott and his wife / )3\' AN 'l'll(•~Y \VILlJAJ.JS - Lord I'm Thankful l}y Rt)IJEWI' l\if~\N A~A Tharikyou for 111)' ~·es tosee lbank you forsetting n1e free 11uutk you fot )'Ol lf n1et cy Thank )'Ou foe the...,o;-un.~1ne and Lhe raio lbankyou for.easu1g nl)' pain 11UU1k you fot c..·ery, e-...·e1')"tl1lf1£, rm Indy ~innkfol Work Advertisement " Our" Janitorial Serivcc We believe in team \Vork You, Lhe client, decide tbe pay rate We, the cleaners. will handle the re~i Call: Harold V. Taylor 5 13 86 1.0468 Thank)r()u fot I.ti!! n l)\.\'l!l'S and ltil! i~ lb3JJk you for ~ le birdsruid lhe bees 11\tltlk you forgi vlng me v1C1()1)' For 1hcsc things l' 1-n thankful Berta's Art Corner " Chalk Bird" C l.IFTON, CINCINNATI �10 STREETVIBES Columns J uly 2008 The Paperwork Can Be a Killer Inane rules can block the road to recovery yourpicturcJD'T' ol "as taking William h.is nan1e's not Willian1, "I don't have a photo ID... but 1·11 call him that- 10 Peoplecomingoutof prison sign up for treatment for heroin often lock o photo ID. It's just addiction. We had a hard· one ofthe things that n1ake it c.amcd appointment. and v.·c hard fursomc.'()llcv.hohasdone sl10\ved up right on rin1e in the rin1e to get ajob and establish lobby ofthetreatment center. It himselfback in the community. had taken me several days of They get a photo IO in prison, v.<0rkjust lO gel hin1 this far. I andsonle places \viii recognize had to negotiate ''ii th a parole them as ' 'alid . but many officer, a case n1anager, the corrections officers insist on intake person at the1rea1ment laking lhe:m a-; a prisor1erleaves. center, and \\'illian1hin1self to lt'snot right, it'snot policy. but get to this lobby. I thought v.•e had a chance. You have to be able 111e s taff I n1et \vere not to prove you are particulal'ly friendlyorhelpful. It was, "Take your backpack the person you say you are. offthe coun1e( "- not "l•lo'v mll)' l help you?" - until I We wouldn't want to explained I ..va.saprofessionaJ, detox the wrong not a client. Why do you person . suppose that is? Shouldn't So, no photo ID, no everybody be trea1ed with treatment. r.;.."Spect? Out back to our story. Wil lian1 is lean as an arrovihead.Tattoosclimb up his die')' do it. Any"~Y. bockto the neck and dov.11 his ant1s and lobby of the treatnlent center. "\Ve can·1 take you if you ove1· his ankles 10 the IOJ)S of his shoes. Hjs eyes arc blue as don't have a photo ID." sn1oke and \Ya.I)' as those ofa ..It's at nl)1 sister's." "Can·t take you." fox. HehadgoneAWOLfour ri111es fron1 the halfu-ay house I piped in at this point. "His v.•here parole had placed hin1, siste.r'sjust 15 n1inutesa\\r.ty." and he \I/SS just an inch or t\VO "Can't takehim," front being sentback lOprison. .. You could start hin1 Like any good addict, he had through intake \W\ile I go pick it barg.."Li.ned and resisted.. but he up." But no, d1ey couldn"t wait v.•M, fo~ the n10mer1t, '"illing. He had everything he v.tiile v.~ ran to get the JD. O\vned trussed up in a blue Make a note to yourself. If lau1diybag. Everything. it1ums you ever become a heroin out, except for one thing. addict, you are likely to want First ques11on: "Cao I see 1rea1.n1ent at sorne point. So s The Box One man's trash is another man's home furnishings B Y L ARR\. CROSS CoNTR1nurc~o WRITitR think ahead no\v, so that \\then your life becon1es totally disorganized andyou beooole either homeless or in1prisoned (orson1econ1bination of both) or v.•hcn you get robbed or v.tlenyour housegetsbun1t out, make sure that. a.-; you get separated front ~reiythi.ng e1se of value in your life, you never loscsightofyourph040l0 You have to be able to prove you ared1epetSOn yousay you are. Wev.'Ouldn't want to detox d1e \\ll'011gperson. So. no photo ID, no Hammered by Micha.el Henson .~ficf1<1cf ff('ll$(1JI is (tf/l/IQr offemUot'~\ A S,,1(1/f fee>O/fl \l'ilft T'ro11l:J/c 0" .~!)' j\Jind, 111c T<W ofW11gi11g. (tfld Crow C<t//, T'Jiis ce>lu11111 is pt111 ofo !f1011tlrly .Jerics e»1 pol'c11)r <»td (l(/iliclior1, We had to se1 another appointment for fi,redays later. Five nlOredays in tlle lifeof an activeheroinaddict, Willian\ didn't \\iail five days. Active heroin addicts don'tusoolly wait five days for rnuch ofanything.. \Vhen the jon.;.."Sison. thc.TCigi 't ml.di \liill stop it. Apron1ise ofcreatnlenl a f<..-..\•daysdov.11 the road isn't much ofa barrier to the hit that's v.•a.tting just rninutes av.•ay. I took \\1illiam and his laundry bag back to the halfv.•3)1 house v.•ith stric11nstructJ.ons: Follo'v the n~es, stay at the facility and don"t use. He \vas AWOL again v.-ithin hours. Bigsurprise. •••• I could try to be mad at the u11akepet90f1 I1aJked to on the phone. He could have said son1ething that \VOuld have ren1inded n1e to get the ID problen1solved before we got 1he ~e. Bui rnaybe he to ld Willian1and William ignored lw.n1 l could try to be madat the v.<0111an \vho v.'OuJdn' t give us time to 8<-1 over to the si&1er for the photo lD. But she is a seasoned hand, ru1d she 'vas acrually 'iet)' sensiri...reabout the v.•hole thing. So l can't blan1e hereithc."f I could ti)' to be 111ad at \\lilliao1. I put a lot of v.otk into th.is referral, and so did his paroleofficer, his case n1anager andthe intake v.'Orker. H_e had evel)•body puUingfor hint But Willian1·s J USI doing ,vflat an addict "ill do. l could try to be n1ad at myself l shouldhavekno.,,11 I hadbeen do"n this road before. I had bought ID's for addicts with 111oney fro n1 my own pocket. I kne'v they \\iOuld ask for a picture ID. and I simply didn' t figure that into nty calculations. But I had to give up being ntad at myself (and odier people) long ago. l'mjust mad atthe nilcs, Addiction is a huge problem in this society. \\lehke to n1ake a big show of ho'v serious v.<e ate. \Ve say 'veare in a v.•ar on drugs. But it's like 1hat 01her war (you pick the war)v.-esayv.e're6ghring. \Ve pick the 'vrong 1arget, and v.•e under fund the fight<.'fS. And die casualties keepn1ow1ting up. I don"t know the numbers, but itseems to nte\\<e could lay offsoo1e admitaJs or pull the funding from the Homeland Security boondoggle in Wyoming and set upa fund for photo lDs for those \\iithout tl1ent \\lecould sell a ballleS'h1p and expand the number of treatn1ent centers. We could Pa)' the \\()rkc.'f'S in the treatment centers a decent salary. \\lecould do a lot oftllings. Maybe William '"'"Id still "ant to use. Addicts are likethat But it v.rould give him one less excuse to keep on. I assun1e he·s out tllete no,v, nodding frontthe latest highor ti ending for the next. Or S\veating it out in a cell in the Justice Center. Or dead in on alley.Anyooeof tl1ese1shkely. But it's not likely he is i.n a tecovery progrant. Not for a\vhjle, We had a little \llindo\v of.,\iillingness, but it'sgone. I hoJ>ehe finds it again. '"'fliis took place last sum.me." 1 back ..vhoo I 'vas doing son1e consul1jng wo1·k fo1· an office fuminire store do\\fltO\\fl. TI1estore is ruo by a fatlh!tar1d his son l no longer \VOrk there. because the father is the devil and the son is Fon.'SI Gu.mp. but that'sa tale for another day. Ne..vfumllure v.ould arrive at the store almostdaily. Th.;..'Se shipn1ents includedhugeoftice sofas that \1.1ould be shipped in large, th.ick, cardboard boxes. After the sofa s 'vere unpacked, the boxes \VOUld be left nexcto lhe side\\ialk fot the trash collc.'<.10rto haul a'\'3)' that night. Also left for the trash colfec.tot wereoflen old chai~ fra111ed pictures and various other things that the O\\lllers considc.'f'Cdjlmk. One sun1n1er afternoon I v.·a.sstandjng outside the store sn1oking a cigarene. Nexc to the sidev.•alk ..vas one oftl1ose big cardboard boxes.. I ..va1ched a man cross Eighth ond Main, ond he stam.-d v.•alking quickly \Vhen he eyeballed the box. He \VflS a short. shinlessmon '""'1ring dirty bluejeat1s. f<lis face wasdir(y, too. He had short blonde hair and his body \\13.S n1uscular. When he re.ached the box next to the sidewalk, he looked at it, d1en at me. "Hey, )'OUgot an extra cigarene?'· heasked. He had a look on this face that \V8S stem and not all that friendly. I gavehin1 a cigarette. He also needed a Light. The 111an took a longd:ra\V on his smoke and then turned his anention to the box. He moved it around a few 1in1es, lookc.-d it O\~r and lifted it to sec ho..v heavy it ..vas. He then looked at me again, "I v.·ant this box," hesaid ··1t·s yours," I replied . "\Ve're throv.ing itout" ·•1can use it," he said He picked the box up and. v.1ththe cigarette hanging outof his o~uth.hestatted 'vlllk1ng up ~lai n Street, heading toward the courthouse. ln the days follO\\iing. the man \\'OU.Id return to check out otherjunk thru had been lefi fot the trash collectors.. He always ren1ained shircless, al ..vays v.'9.fltt.-d a cigan.11e but that & 1em face ofhis got a linle friendlier. Fie took an interest 1n an old chair that had a damaged u-eanr~nt > �STREETVIBES Columns July 2008 11 The New Jackie Robinson Obama's promise for a different America at docs U.S Sen. year but the grade inner city Barack Oban1a's schools get continues to be an presidential run "F.,. 111e younges1 Md most mean for ourcommunity, this pe>0rly experienced tt:achcrsarc nation and the \VOrld? By rotatedduough 1he mostdifficult v.•inning the e lection in schools and, after tv.'Oor three November, Obama~t prove years, these teachers leave to that the promise of Anlet1ca be repl<lced ,.;!h equally poorly m.ight finally be \vithin reachof anyone. Obama needs to The promise of the change the Constitution has been rarely question: " How can W: reahzed due to polilicaJ and c.'C()fl()JTlic.habits ofinj usticc that seent so deeply en1bedded in our hearts. Today the promise of equal education for all rrunonhesis denied a~ only one major group graduates from high school. 111e prontise of l.'(]Ual justice has lx."C."n dcnicdas only one majorgroup is jailed. Tuepromiseofequal health care has bcc.'fl abandoned as prejudicial treatntent by doctors for heart disease, high blood each citizen and each community be advocates, models and agents of peace?" trained teachers. Thescandal ofhealth care increases as more and more peoplc arcacc<.'Pting that hc.-alth care is too expensive. The C()flS(..'(]lK.'llOOS in life uxpc.'<.tan<.y pressure, diabetes and other for nlinoriries revealshorrifying dis"""'8 is doledout differendy stati&1ics about chjldn.., • andold people. A silence persislS. The silence of inner-cit)• mayors. countyofficials,church leaders and others in charge ofmajor colleges and universities only chills the at.mosphete faciogout cities in this region. Oban1a's challenge is lo change the nature of the questions about An1erica. Instead of denial aboul race, poverty and class. he needs to ask, ''Ho,vcan \Ve usethe gifts of all p(,-ople to rccon.struct a society of contpassion?" Instead ofseeing our country and citiesinviting \\'tll'S. Obama needs to change the question: "Hovi can c.-achcltizx,.'ll and<.-ach co111n1unity be advocates, models and agents ofpeace·r· Rather than let the c."COnomy drift into a depression, Oban1a noods to raise the <1ucstion. "\Vhat kinds of jobs can be ce Village by Stev Sunderland otlercd to citizens. offering stroog '-'11ge5, goodbenefits and realisticpensiorlS'r· Thesequestions su.__ggest a burning desire lO Slop a slide to\varddespair abolrt our major institutions.. These questions point toa di recbOll that callsout to citizens to join a tea111 of equally acrivecitizens in facing and lcadjng our V.'3)' out ofthe failureofoursociety in the past years. Sadly. evidence indicates dtatracisn1 \\111 playa nlajorrole in many sectorsofoursociety. Education forstupidandabsurd unders1anding has led 10 our current context. The "best" n1inds have been lost, fractured by fear. and cncoura_gcd to abandon large sectors of our for blacks and \vhit(..'S of all SOCtet)'. incon1e levels. ·111e pron1ise of fair housing has been shattt.'fCd as poorly financed loans have crashed around the heads of poor pc.'Oplc and have spread to the nUddleclass.111epron1ise offair employrnent has never been achie,recl. It is rare to see n1inorities atthe he.ads orin lhe uppc." ranks ofmajorAJn(,-rican businessesand orgru1izations. llle progress ofnuno1·i1ies in genera l and African­ An1ericans in panicular has bc."Cn spctty. ~tajor advances are al\vays tentporary. lntpactedproblenlS have f,'Olteo mo"'diftic1•t. The politicaland spirin1al optionsseen1 nue ood more Iimitt.'d. Schools change superintender11s eve1y other Without solid thinking, backed up \\~th values of inclusion.fostered at the local level, sociecy stuntbles into er1onnous holes. l·lo,vdid v.•e get SO n1illion people \vithout health insurance'? Ho,vdid \Ve let banks abandon their risk­ assessntentresponsibilitiesand 1rap people into losing their hon-.es? Ho\vdid v.-eal.IO\V lies to lead us into a horrible and costly v.'Rr? Ho\vcan v.clct fi:ar trun1p reason v.hen itcomes to racial and religious leadership? Now, \\~th the political cantpaign entering a n1osl impcrtant phase, Obama \\~ II need to contend \\1th the rising fear and hatred fron1 conu11unities. No one ntakes n1ajorchange by then1selves. I r~ ""fw~ of~ IQ ~~th.;~" 1111,.,""*'" c,. #lfdr-111,. /row Sr, t..',.RJa, think back to Branch Rick•'Y'• effon to bringJackie Robinson 1n10 the major leagues. Rickey had to open the door and Robinson had to perfom1­ and perform hedid. \Ve forget theobstaclesofhatred that he faced in every n1ajor ci(y and even fro111 his ov.n ballclub. instead, \'IC lhink ofRobinson as a pioneer, l ike Neil Annstrong. landingon apartof America that must have seen1ed like the n100Jt Obanta needs nlany Rickcys, many of us v.Tio arc prepared to open the door and 1nsiS1 dlal raciso1rl0tbe allov.ed to rear its head i.n our fantilies, neighborhoods and electoral process. We must take a deep breath and realize that eachday 1ha1 \Ve n1ove IO\vard 1he No..rentberelection is a day of "playing in lhe 111ajors... We must f.'<> to bat to end racism in the election, n1ake few errors that create even more feat.play by theAnterican rules ofjustice and useallofourintelligenceto make a ditf(,•n:ncc by \'()ting. As a 7-year-old, I looked a1 Robinson, and I wa~ an1azed at his talent and courage. As a 68-year-old, I ant again irtspinxl by ffie "n1n"ofObama Robinson and Rickey changed America by making the achieven1entofjustice a"1ctol)" for all. Oban\acan do the san1e, rcrnindjng usofthe hope inour dentocratic processes. As v.-e say in this tov.n,"l·le isrounding third andheading honte. Slide, Obanta, slide... r-------------------------------------------------------~ I I I I I Streetvibes exists as a forum for the expression ofthe views and opi nions ofour readers and supporters. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those ofthe Streetvibes staffor the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Hon1eless. I I I I I ~-------------------------------------------------------~ leg. store decided to throw out a at least l had sonte kind of protect that cardboard box co1•dall beu1 my head Pelilaps "'l can fix that," hesaid. beat·upold studentworl< desk. imaginaiy story in my head front theelen1ents'? Did he cue l \Vant to have sonte kind of AJmost like magic., assoon as it about the n1an. outa doorfor it? Docs thatdoor sati sfactory ans\ver or One~ thc.-re '"'t.'fC someold. faded, franted pictures that was left by the sidewalk, the Thal box he look with him ha"realock? Didhe nl3}'be also conclusion orcl05ure as tov.hat v.-ere being throv.11 out that he shi11Jess man f'eal>peated. those fcv.• \veeks back \vas cul out a \vindo\v? I saw during those sun1mer liked. His e)' es glean1ed v.•hiIe sontehO\V his hon1e nov.•. 'The l guess those pictures he months lastyear. "Ican hang these up, Ican looking overtheolddesk. l knO\V nothing for sure other stutI he \vantcd - that took are hanging up inhis box. usc th cs~"' hesaid to me v.Tijle "Hell,yeah I'" he said to me dantaged chair, those old Docs he \\trite or read by aboutany ofthisexceptmaybe lookingthen1overcarefully. as Ismoked. "I n1ay not have a pictures ru1d that s1udet11desk candlelight v.hilesiningat that foronething: hontelesspeople, I didn't see the man for a home bul al least I cru1 have a - arc nov.• in that box.. His s1uder1t desk? If the store had JUSt like a ll o f us, need fe\\•weeks after he took those desk!" hon1e. d1rov.noutamattress, \\OOldhe pemt."lllence. They need asense pictures. With lhat said, l staned to of place and a place called havetaken that, too'? Que<.'rions filk'<lmymindOne allcmoon in August the put tv.'O and tv.'O together - or and still do. Ho\\• does he Ofcourse. it's possible thjs home, �12 STREETVIBES Local News July 20 08 Developing Communities Award ivinners have tnade a difference in neighborhoods Bv PA'rnJ<~IA GAnRV C<*'-"l'l<!fll i('l}."Q \ VkiTEK Tho Co111n111nify·t):.•,vclop­ n1en1 CorporationAssociatio11 ofGrcaicr Cincln1,1.iti prtScnts \vurking ,,~·th theAvund:alc Re­ development Corp. llfld Walnut l'fJlls ROO~~topmen1F<1uncta . tlon. Je11nnc. direc1or of opi:ra­ cio1tS.-h.as tx~n with the WnlnuL HJJ1s.R.cdC\<·clopmcni Founda­ uon since the I~SOs, hired b>'" i1s tirsi t:Xt'tutjve director, Dou Lenz, nod is.stiII n1an1niinin_g the records. doing the reports and keeping the orga1li7J.Uion On awards.each year to the n10st outs11tod1ogpractiti()tlerinsev· era.I comntunity dcvclopmcnl catet,sories. n 1e\\-rinnenffor dlis year.:prL'Scnt"''<i June 26 atour Annual Awards Gelebrntioo at ttock the Coc:nn1uruty..\ctior1Agcney, • llie MOSI OulSUu1dJng arc; Proj tct for the p.'l!'.Tycnr -..wis • The~\1001 OutSlM<ling C.01ruuons on ·f\1lai.tt, developed Ex.e<:utivc Director iS·ST, Oar­ by Meroy Housing, The 199 bara Buscb, SC, the founder units 1n 1he old Franc1.scm1 ilt'ld leaderofWotkuigUtNei.gh· l'fouSing ~vclopn.ettL proJetl &orhoods The 30-yoar-old art lx;jng revitnJi7..cd into Com­ 1100-profit organi.1.aricin iS dedi~ nlonS O"O/\.fain. twferC}' Ho us· cared to helping lov•'- atld mod.­ Cng. lhc nation's largest non­ erate-incon1e peopJe shape profit housing developer. lever­ 1.h~lto\\'lt co1u111un11i es1 Work­ uges additional resources ing in Ncig)ibomoods hos b1ril1 1hrQugh Cathol ic RcaJLh..::are or rehabbed and sold 137 Prutners. lbtal investn1enc,..;u hollle'.S IO fir.:;r--timc, 1<,......ln<.:0100 topSM miJJion Throusn May home ()V.'ners. s~ of "vhonl 200$. Mercy and C'otholio 11'1(,)'led dittcd)' Out ()f pubhc l'fea1 Lhcare Po:trLn~ts hav~ In· hou~ing. Busch isa111\Titlyhclp-­ vested nearly S9 f\ifillion and ing residents address the fore~ completed 01ajor renovations clo~urc c-risis. Nclf,hbo{hood on SS units and mfnorrcno'v·a­ l ~·aders have ne.gotiated fair nonson JS 1110re. lendingagreenlt.\'llS v.;rh natiooal • "fhe Most-Ou1suu1ding and k>cal lenders and loan scr­ Lender is OS Tlrulk, \Vilh 1ho vicers. -r'heseag,ree.rnents have 3\\l'ard 11.ccepted b)' Glenda led 10 dle protet ti01\ o l' 222 Cousios~ vice presidt-01 arid homes valued.al S 14.Sn1iUion co1n1nuni1Yde:vefopnlent nlSfl·­ WJ.N has 3lso done a ye31ly aget VS B'11lk has led the way st\Jdy, beginning in 2(!02, to in s1:1pporting thotity's Neigh­ rra:ck foreclosures, ·atr e·cced borllood Enh:mcen1en1 l)ro· nesghbothoods·ru,d 1nortsage gmn, siJlce its inceptioo·it12007~ providing $3,00<) to each of the lenders. • ·n1e Mo.st Out!.1anding partic-ipaung con1munities CDC Staffer is Jeanne Dav.is. three each year Avondale. CityBeat cn~ni 1»1oryosto beunconsti­ umonat, the appealscourtruled. Coutluued (1·0111 1•a2e l ~egan gard - stop .tbe~a.. litiDJ1from o\1e1-fook1ng lhe fl'ICL U1at this is.sue has been take.o to court be.fore, ruld d1,epolicelosL ln 2002 the Ohio f irst DistrictCoun orAppeals admon.. ished Cinc.iJu1atl vicecops for singling out ad\'ertisers in (JtJ:/Jea1• .A. three-Judge panel upheld• nili11g by the Hlimilt"" CZow1ty Munici pal Counlhnt d'u'e\voo1d iMges ~gain..<it three peo·pte ac-cused of pr3¢ticing n13SS3ge ''~d1oot a license.·n1e vi cooops- bcha,i or "•~S~1 form ofselec6ve pros·ecutionso dis~ "We do not make relative moral judg­ menls on any busi­ ness placing ads In CityBeat." "lllepol!Ce ha-.. not lnsii.. tut'--d ;:igooeralcmckdo,vn;" 1hc appeals: judges \vrore. "11l e con1rnandetof the vice squad testified th.at.rntherd1:m sinlplyconsulI I.he Yel/uur Pages, ill v..hichiln)•n urri>crQfi.111 liccn~-d n1assage es1ablishn1ents an-cl provide.-s readily idet1tify lhetn­ selves ns offen der~ lhe vice S£1uadady t.lrh'Oled forenlb rce. mcntuf1holit cnsiogorcllnan¢o 1. : chose .advl!!rfj sing under the ·ad1J1· section i11 -<.:it)·Be,'lt," The.""~kly 1\e.wsp.<iperand i LIO. s.1.1ppot1ers mllied Juut!20 011 FolmtainS<1W'lroto :aonooocc its formal response to the ccv.. led coaliLion. Dan BockJ·a1Jt, gfl11crol 111a11crgar (if( 'ft)1JJeaJ. S(t/ c/ the.~ /10/l t' I' <JOQ/ #!l"t.Llt!.\' \Vii/I /;1'11' C!t !/iJt'Cellll;: l'I / Tt\'i"\·· 1iga1io11:t'. But 1/1c ,fact 1!1a1 so1ne l11lvv::1·1iscrs Jtin'C broken Noithside, Price Hill in 2007: Clifton Re1ghts/On1,•ersity l·leights/Fauvie,v, Evan-. '.>l i;>n, \\'e;st\VQod In 2008. fora iota.I ofsix .sO fur. 1'be oonlmunity counci-Js urc using these fi.nJds veiy cr~'l.tl \<ely to in1prove thetr neli;ltborhO<)ds. Sup11orte1s of each Of 1hcse ncig.hbo·rhoods cannmkeckpositsin d1eir11enr­ csi US Bonkbe.inch to help " itb che \\'Ork. • The£\.fast Ou~'t:tnchn_g Collaboralivc Eitfon . \- \wrd \VL'f\t to thecityofCincinn.ati tbr the Neighborhood Enhance­ ment Prowwn WtmCity Man· llf."" Milton Dohonoy Ol'nvcd in Cincinnati, hu sa~· thenood in several neighborhoods fo<drns· tic aciion- 3.i:id he t<.lOk i i, The N'EP\WS"crea1ed to have a last· lng physical lntpact-011 lxuuntu­ nifics, onlim:ingbuildin.gcodcs; demolishing irreparablebuild· inS-S and clealiing upocighbor­ 1~ sore spots.. Keep Cinc1n· nail Beautiful and ~>e Job Co1ps jofn(.-d ln to hulp. as did ni:ish­ boffiood leadetslllld residents. • There arc tv.'Q 0\\'(lrds rn th.e Most Outsranding City Stafferca1egQf)'. presented 10 citycmplQ),.~ EdCu011l11gtiam of~ie BuildingDepanmenr" "" n<>01uiatedby PriceHill Will h<­ cal1Seofh1s ded1cauon to in1· proving die.Jiving conditionsand tholiv¢SofI.he rcsidi..-ntsofCin­ cinnati, especially Ofhis li.o nle neigltb01'hOOd Qt' Pric-~. Hi ll. Whe11 theciiy's Neighborhood Enhanc-en1eon1 Progran1~gan l a$tyc~ir. Clmtnn,bohnm rcacht.-d ~ fjf((}lf n(}l /IHlffj' l'f('l!}l""-f ( '/)f' (/It ((/\' / for lf/fl~I (}llftllllo' ///tg N1f14Jh<1r<1ll1'1 1'.lforl far th~ "'',•lgJ1btJrJwtxl Et1l 1ati<lft11'11t1 Prr;grQf11, Piiot<>at>•U1i!.t)· oj' f 'l11<.·1r111n1/-ul1,gp1· ba.ck to hls roots \vllh People rion,. Over-the-Rhine Commu· Wolidng Cooperariw!y, helpin~ nit}' Flou$lng_, an4 Cmcinna11 ci-eaten ia.skJOl'ce to 1tmke .stJrl! Revitaliz.arionAgene)'. . -\nof lo'ver~incoo1ell0ntoo'"nersdid rhem spoke of his famously de­ «liledstylc .and nbiht)• to gl11de oot <lip·lhroush th• c.rocks. TheQther MostO utsmnd­ die J;,reparalion of con1plex 1ng Ci1y S1aiferis Jeunifer\Valke· fmdiug applicaLiQcis. Pert) ' is a of°Lhe Dtpru1t11ciu ofCon1n1u­ local heio for affordable com·· nity Developn1entrutd Pltllll.ing n1unity-b3S('(fhousing. \\'aJke~ pl :mn 1ng~-u1ulyst, "'11Soomina.J­ ed by S:irah T. All'11l of Over· die-Rltine C.On1muui1y:Eloll!ling. ..She alv.·ays gets'back 10 you righl'a\vay ::ind gives you (1!1 the jnfum1~ttion you rt1.-ed tuid d1en son1e.··.-\ llan says...She's ve1y pl'ofes:sional and knowl­ edgeable about bov.• the city pro_~;mn1s \\(lt'k; ~ld ifSJecan'c ans}''Or your <1ucsli<.ln. she k110\\rs; \\ ho crut" 1 • • a developn1-ent.aod The "''J~1 Ou1stan<~ng \'oluntoor 8\V31d was present ~ ~d 10 l\•fel WiUJAJUS, b(,)i!fd memberof die \\'alnur Hills Re­ de\telopillOOI1-'oundation.\\'ill· 1ams Uves nnd brc~thcs ~1alnut Hill> He manl\!led die CVS dfugsiote a1Peebli:sC'.onlt!ffor more than 2$ y_ ears. \\•as the fow1ding president of 1he \\1al· nu1Hills Busan~ . \ssoc1at1o·n and has long :llld faithfu lly !il!tved <~1 d.e \V~ilnU1.~hUs 1\Jea The ~10st Ou~s1and1ng Council Boacd. He's been a Consultant tt\\Wd\\Ult toSteve 1nen1berofd-ie.Redevelop1i1en1 Pere'y of Steve Percy Real E.-;. Foundanon's board of 1rUSti.."C$ 1alc Consulting S(:rv1ws. Re fo r ntore than 15 }'ears. not \Vas non1inated by 1he \\'ah1u1 couttting the year-Imig breaks Hills Rede\lelopn11~11 FouncJa. ri!·quired by the by-la-..\'S. t/1(• /t1111<io6sn t 1111.·a11<1I/ac/11/1 T h C· , - - . - -- - - - - - - -..... ad s aw 1r 1"(1n g , lie !fa1cl conlirlon's .....~~r., ·' We do not n1ake rela'i'•e attack ''ms. 1nor~ Judg1nen1s on any bust· al its core, 11ess_placing adsin Cil)tlcol. '' «Ul assault 1Jockl'alh .1·a id ·· Doing so o n th e. would 1>h1cc us on (I ' 'Cf)' slip­ pery slope :llld would also be innppropdate... ,\ s an e.xru11pl 6~ lhere \\f3Sa major story in tl1e ne\i..s yesterday that n1ore lhan 400 n;Q) estate ind,~1ry plti)•ers h3ve been indicte.d aspa11 ofa J ustjce Deparunent crackclo\vtl on allegoo mongage fraud. So \:l/O t1ld it be frur to s_ay that nle· dia.wm1x111i-cs·shouldno Ion~ accept adve11ising fi-o nt busi.. ni:s._~ otrer.i11g n1011ga.g.e-set· .;rel!' ln published respcnses to the coalinon, r;~rfJ(!f1J Cdilor John Fo x pointed ou1 d1at S1re1eher, Lds. \Vit11)uru and CCV have been fr•quent tar­ gets of cn tlc.isn1 in Lhe paper. p 11pe r ' s F I r s t Amen d­ n100t righis, according to Pox,and Bookrnth. '"'Mos1 1m po r · ta n t l y . C i tJt/leal believes 10 .' flNI B<if.:J;1vr1lJ...1>¥lfiJr(i/ 111tn1d;,.¥r and values lefC il)•}ft'ttl.o c1.ffitr,f fl l~IS}Nfll.l'f! UJ fr.OOom ofspeech and liee· ( '1'1i:l!tU fer ( 'ot111111111ir y I i t/11qs (If dom of tho press; · BocJ..-nuh ot I Vll(11 11 11 flr11111t111r1 :-,'111111/'i! SSJd. "Govenlmoot1nte1terence P I NJt <J I')'. l1t<lr.:-u • ,.IJNk l :JIYJ \\'ith lhtse inalienabl~ iights dt$­ turbs-usgreatly·.,. fl') co1nply "1ith itsden1and, but 1be coalition :u:mounced it dido 't say "Th" iisn""1 .rep " ill �STREETVIBES Local News July 2008 13 Many Struggles, One Goal 'Voices ofHope' at tfze Freedom Center Br Jou.~ EAS'l'L.\CK CoNl'IOULl'fl NU \\1Kl'l'Blt '';Jiu/ StJ !(>diJJ\ a.\' ll'L' init1afk' 1/1~ U11i~1t.•rsol J.Jecla1Y1tion t?/'H111na11 /ligh1s. u•e c:'Oll tt> 111h1<ltl11t .fi)11rfreado111.\' u/HJn 11•/1Jch 1J1c>·arc bt1st~,t .._ 7ht .fir,r;t J.~· .freedo11t r~/· speech 1111d e.~·p1'l! ssio11 ­ i.:•'CtJ"''ltctt' '" 1lli' u·orld. 711.: steo1ul i.\'/n!t.~tltJ1tt u,f L'•'i'I) ; pt:r.,·011 (() 11•r)r.+.'f1q1 ~•'cl1J:,;•hcro i11 1'1e ufotld. G1><-f 1n hi~· 1111•11 U'O)' ­ 11u· '//1irr.J is.frue<lo111.fro11> '"fin/, '''Inch, 1rouslt11eJ l11tf1 '''orld 1er111s, lril~au~ cco110111i'' u11rler.;to11tl111g.~u1hf''h 1111//sec.·•~re lfl e1x:ry· 1111ri t>n f1 health)' pc'ac.etlutt: lf/t:,/01· it.t luhahi1tu11., - e1·cr>·111/u:1t: in the U'tJritl. l1u:/011r1h ls fir:1:d,JJ11 fir>ttt fear. u /1icl1, rranslate,J inru u•o rlcl ren11s. ~ueans frl1·orlflurltlc 1Vtlucrior1 ofa111mn1c11r.1' ro sut •/1 u 1x1;u1 nnd i11 Sll(.'lt o 1hon.>11g/t fi1-;hin11 rluu no 1 •11•1// be Ill {J JJONiflOtt 10 ( '.{ llt t 111i 1 {Ill acl u.I 11h)·si1:11/ t1g,!!rc.\·.,·io11 a,r;c1i11:t 1 u1t>' n«1gl1bar ­ l/(lfi (}t, <111Jt1t·hc1\,' in 1/1e 11'0J'ld. ·• -~ Frnuklin D. Roostvt.11 .\ilcuce. " the eivil rights- moveruont i.o Arncrica,. lhoH.oloc.tu.1S1 · Rabbi Joachi111 P1·inz, 196'3 l\tarcb on and \\'orfd \\•ar U,.al1 ....•ere 1nfloonrial in defining the \\ras-J1ing,1011 iss:ue. The innovatjve script \\'3.5 perforn1ed by an " 111t:1t· f,,. a11.Jr}rit.'.f111 1>1'tJ~i:tb thttt St1f ·'" '(/J(lu alSCrti>lc cast and ~tured asei·iei; a t'hlswical v.n ting:: u·ant l tl'(!O quick'l)~ g11 u/(JJ'tt!. /fJ 'Ott •~·0111 to l{l).fr11; andOrfltQJ)' froro rnOrc thu.n 30 inWvidu..'ils. in<;ludiog $!r> 1ogt.rhe1; · H'a J~e~l 10 go jh.1; t/1iit kl):" Eleonor Roose,,,,i~ Illie Wi<Se~ Goorge Bemard Shaw -Al Co1-e. Nobcl Lttfu1•e, 2007 :ind othe' s.. Topics included the aften11ath of slavery. the " /.au1.•i11g hchitu'/ 11lg/11s u,f 1cr1vr ttnd,/t ur l~oloc.au.«, d1e Declaration of Independence. 1hc I ri.,·t.· Univc-rsal 0 ¢Cllaralion of Human RJgbts. lbc 1963 Into a tlflJ'bJr:ilk t/Jt11 ~· 11 •<11Jdrously clror ~1 arcb on \\l:ishingtoo, theEqual Rig.hes..\.nlMdi11eJ1t, I rl.1e S1ooe,vaJJ 25 l'ltld.ga)· ~ctlv1sn1, tlle auoot1es i.i1Sud:in and the perils of indifference, \vhich continues 10 8ringi11g the gifts. 1)int "~" u11(.-es1ors ,t;a,·e, p'etpetoruenll)te nliSet)•mdsuffeiing, I u111 thi! tlrca111 t111d tltt '10/)C~fthe ,o;:fal·'t!. { 1-i.)'l' Thcscriousnciss·o fthe matier \ V'4$ appmo1 fro1n I ri:;c d>eSlark appenranceofd1e'S1age-·sctonJy 'vid1 seven I rise. " chairs \vitJ1ceadi.!lgstand~ for the fUli'1ntots ::iud tt lruge -~1ay it An gelou. '"An d Still I Rise'· screen tl1at provided for background Visuals. r ''lfl1•c uu~ .l 'Our 1i1\·J. ) tOlft' /NW t: ; ·u11r /11uitlletl 111<1.t se.\'JY.:arnfn$.! tfJ hn:q1/u:.rro~. " The pr~'SetllAli('Ul, direct and r~trained, n ()\\'6d So1:ooor d1osc quon11ions-o:tigh1be famiUar, some ....£ n1111a Lazarus, fl"oo.11he:sonnrr 1•t 1he base not: but aH \vec~. spoken as pa11 of "\rbicesof Hope: of tilt: Stillu(I- of Libersy Flumru1 RightS- Since the holocaus1," a drn.tfllltlc perfon11anceand call to.action created by the Center ''()p/Jl 'f:i>'.'i'1d f>COJ>I~ t'-i11111ol ~111ai11 0/J/Ut'!l'.\'e'I for l·lolocaus1and l;lu1nartity Educaboo, prod1Jced 1n ,f<)t:i:,•er: 7'/u! Jrct1,.ni11_g ,for J 'rt.•edf1111 c11t.:n1110 ll) • parrocrship \11ilh dle Natl<H:l.Sl U11derground Railroad 11Janijes1s if:;clj.' .. l':reedon1Center. Ii took placeJw1e 11 and 12 in dle ·:\fa1·1i11 Lu1l1cr King JI'., "•Let ter ft'O.ll1 n Preedon' Cen1er 1s J.lat i:1et Tub.ma1l Th¢at re 8i1111inghamJaif.. St1vte11:ibc.•s \Vas proud to be a sponsor ofche event. l11r: piec~.\Vriuen and dil't"Cledby Bob Saut!'lbrey ''81J;ol1J' ttntl hatrt:,/ an: n1>1 Jl1c: 11u).,·111rgt111 covt.'fS tbe events and ti.guros thzit scrvr..-d as cahal}'stS 1>1vb/11-1n. 111e utosf 111gc·111. the 11w~·1 <lil·grt'fcef 11/, 1n d>e revolutiooofl1un:w1 nglits.~and present From 1/Jr: 11Jl1S1 sha1u~fi.tl an•l the 1ftos1 tragic pn.>ble1t1 1s diec:re.atioci oftl1e.lJn11ed Nattoos 10 1.heeirLer~-ei)ceof scaonlossly fro•I' 1opic to topic.Thediologue<"'11¢re'<l on the pron1otion oftolerance. inclusion and social )ustJce- The cen1raJ message \vas tha1 nope.ace is pos.5ible in a \VOl'fd in \1ih ic.h persons, otherbeingsand the eruth iISd r""' abU'ledMd mi$Uled. Theoppr•ssion ofo.n.y St.'llti<mt b~in g. is the of)pri:ssion of all The ftee-dont ofany unplies freedo1n tOraH. It urges our 1n\'(>lve1'ueDl, nOtJt'ldiil~ce, \\'luchhaq_nddJ.e(l hiSt01y \.\; tti so ntauyt~"'«lies . Pethnps 1he banoers thathnni:, on the fa(:ade of cho Frci:don1 Ccnror itself Sum j t op bCSt: "O ur diO-"e.rences are unporta.111 but ot1r sllared hunianiry m~-iS 1nosL" He Makes Others Look Good ·;B,· GRt!C°: O.t.fcttQ~R'' nt)-Selfthmu9;h tliarsiruationagilin," ltCSQ)'S. '1 kneWI had tO.k"'11'!\Shtli1~to coilti)lueon." l'row 19s2 duougb 1 9&~ Hudey setvedJn !he Nwand trained to 0ec-0m~ a borl>er, Regradillit.XI from·Ni>nolk,B0tbl!rsc1ioo1 llllooc t;rpohsmc1Ualroh heopcncd-bislirst'Shop inPiiil.ndelphi• in 1986. 11 lj'aSdtll!ln!l;.bJS·I Q•;)!eal' Silly inJ'Ltlla<(elp!na th•the b.t'Mn ~tred11gJr"i;seiviCO!; \o. th~~~ss. '[b;:goDcuttin!i;lli,o h3irilfli<l!iieless:P'!Cll)[o ear]y onin n1y oate!c,'1 Fiutley SR)'$, "I \\lauld,oAeltrlmes secsoroconepassmgcy-,moI kneweoold usea 1rim or ~.J woul~ th.~i;go outs1der reeruitthe,person Mddi:;u1.thenwp. ll'l'i:le;medi»n1eqne.up, I lirli"' I wa&provi"llmgthem wi'lli a chance 10 sue<OOO'omdi.~ ond llilit \<iai;*"'j !initlf)'fng.~ Jfurl'eyosba~fic·stoJ)' ofhlsnlOSt memorable 01qleneo<;e: lu lhenuddleofwmt~r hesm\\so­ SJanding outlti<Jo who n¢~a hJlit<uLButloy 1ook liinii nsiilo~ tlew\ediiimup,·At iliatv.i1y-momen1 bOth RurLO)i'lll\dbls'cU$1ometnotl<Mn manin Staling l..sidothoShot).Jt turned oin thotwo 111•,,.hll<I 0Jice,beenco,.workess.;Il1en131;¥md1es.uitill'lped.bis ~' Uwl~?· ",:1ri11'(1t1~ "•~W11 1Jr,i~)11,'/.fhrl lli 711rfN~tt1ln 11(~ P!Wq 1'11.llidfv.W ~.-.i o(theci>n1[xlay. STAFF Wiirrnlt ~!J!IS.Hui!ey cuts!!>ebwrofboJh.pwu1g.sodnon· R~rirl~t~\~"'C\'S ~·h1~bai:\lersbop ~·~"''~'Tho' nativel)fBu<ikey.e l:aKe, O~io "115cbe"1) •irtling'l1rur Since 1986. l·le<IJldled bis sltopat ~4 EaS•Coun St in October<ZOO~. Hudt>y hos 1\lways' beeq ell)patheac •IOwatd s:trujf!!iin~ indlVfduol~~t~ 16 he )"tS ••!lllllcl'.l""e<\ Tcy,m_g1o find·ondn1'111llllln a jobJ Ustto sug{lorthimsrlf. be"1cinrnJer&I hardshipse:uiy ln his~ou~lt l \1<>.ycars latcr Rur!oy bi:<>am,c homc)css His brush with bomelJ'SSliess1bWJ11ruely lasiedJustooeda~ b)ll ttJ11ade on.im1~qtelnlR>l<i, "I vow~theV..iy nextdoy ttitul 11<>ulanev'Orp,u\ ltlt'f'.d wli1,1/.r.,lu)p. •s\JI• fri<:nd\>.e<Qmo.sober- lUld'evetttu"1ly !like ch0rs,b �STREETVIBES Guest Column 14 Joe Now and Then A haircut, a meal arid a siirprising kindness 5,. ·r1~ 1 c C.\~"NoN· for bleeding sore.s: and li e~ July 2008 T/111 C111111au ta 1.1 j.'IKll1'>JlFtl{>l11•r und pot•I- flt. ll\"'iiS '11 C J1JC.lfri'ifll ( \11ftl1 .tl11r1..·r11, his u'fl'-' qf.~IJ t>t•111-... they'd boon drinking. They '~'eregettlnga littletoo friendly ru1dbei~iug lb1·n1011ey: I think thC}· just \\IMted to ge1 wann. Jnc v.·s~n ' 1 ~ayu1g 1 uucb as he stood thctc in a bl'\vildcrCd m1por. To n1y d1.$beher,one of th~ insir11ctors ca.Jne over and suu1td $hbv1t1g d1e1t1 oul the ck>or Jo~ s turnble<Iand foll 10 1he floor.·rile i11strucrors1arted kickutg.lunl, l.d.l1nghu1t,, "Get ouL 3lld-stayou1I.. My bro1her :md I riui ov~r and pushed Ille 1nstn1ctor o ut of tht ' '-'It}'· Joe "ns bleedingfrom ih•-•"""- We helped hl111 1.o h1.s reel aod sent bcf(lre\\ ¢C()Uldsti111 CUltit1g. Joestumbled in that day ""d ··1 10\'I! ya. nmn.... 1»1ntOO 10 hi.s.he:id I nlOlioned Mc? I ~skod mysolf Hud for him to conic over; he son1eone.sent an unkoo\1111 re!eas..">Ci a.deeJ> 11)()311as h e.~t i:;irurdian? \\'ho kne,vrha1such do\0,11. I \lllUllCVCf rofl~CI ~le reassurance \~':IS needed to lift odoL He smelled like bacon nw fion1d1is nlclanchol)•? gre<ase ruld cigareites. ....tiile !us 111cfirsthmc IsawJoo, he breath s1unk of •~l •:oh()I and himon hjs'"~· \l/:tS lyingin a doorway~ 11 \v.ts rouing 1ee~1~ Soon nfttt, u1y broll1crruld the v.lnterof 1977 ~·I)• bfother I thrl!\VO.haltc:loLlt around I Y.'Ql"t: oo our\.\'ll}'·to the Oank Cluis and I lutdjlist begun our himand preparedn1y clipj)ers. Cn:fe for lunch_Joe v.•as again tirst day 111 b3cberingscbool i1t AsJ looked into dlen1innr. hts StQf'diug ou1Stde, begging:. J3e O\'cr~the-R.h 1 nc. Joe l~l)' 1herc feattrros began lo-sofit.'11as11ny asked forson>echonge. L~ead like a pieceof gu1n thatsociety dro.plets of frost a.nd sinus \Vt:Off't!rl.°d.IO buy hiiu lttli!ILEli$ had chev16d up an<l :::p11out, drain a.Se s1zu'.1.t!d to mel 1a,.. a>• ,...holiJ pcr$00nQpcncd \\'11111!,..., Citl l::Sl' ( )11..l l),t!\'IST 1 ouly to be trampled upon and fromhis beard1llld mustache. embedded into theooucrete. Ido11' 1re-m~nlber. if l asked His c.lothes '''ere b.tircly fit \vhnt k~ n d o f h1.11 rcul Joe eoough to keep him v.·an11: his \V:tnled. h e"\\'3SJUSI a subject., and I1 ,.,.as o shin satdout past the He asked for some free service. J sbnmken·and change. Instead we only l:newhow fr~·Y ed \VOOI offered to buy him t<.> give u burr. jocket l 1un1ed on the lunch. His whole Through the clippers and persona opened split seam on p roceed~d to while we ate. 1.he rearoJ11js n1o'v his hair pants. his ngh1 do\\'11 the ntiddle. underwear sho~\!ed \Vi111e he " Naah,.... Joe's volce curled up on Mold rur..-ce of gmbledwhile moti01"'1g ,,;lh his cardboard. I '"'3S 17, and never lO O\}' hands. Iifc. had I v.·i tn~scd S\tCih a " l-lcJUSt\\l11nls a J1ttlooffall cle&ilm•individwLHe probably over,jw.1'll trim." Rt>' instructor desetve-d th.:.siru~tion he v.·a~ s.nirkcd, in, jusl plain lazy or drunk. I ·11.Uswosmy fu>treal l<SS011 d1ough1 n ironick'>\\atdt av.100 in humiJi·iy.1 later lwn~d tllnt unnnlo in u g;trbagc can nnd IX."Opleon thc-sti:.:ets k~(.'P thi:1r then Inter see another·person ha.tr longer for \Yarn1th in ·1he St'aJ'th lbr~1trlt1ing 1oca1fro1n \Vint.er. 1feh so Cdlhlu'mSscd. I thesameoontffinet. hwcit-d to finish the halrcm Dnd l'here\I/Wel\IJOan.>::tS 10 the cnn1med his bea.rd. L1ook the schOOI, nJun1or und~n 1 or Side ht11r1.1loth oA:' and lo'''l.!rcd iho ·n1e senior side charged for bruberchair. Joe ;lowly lifted services., 7Scei11S lbtabnircu1 his body uplf01n the seat,cruue and 50 tents·for a shave. On O\'~' ond patted Ille on the back ·rhe juruor side. haiccua and as he spoke; 1L sounded l ike~ sl;(IVCS\\'CrcgQncr!tlly free An " lt'sO.K," instructor \VouJd grasp a for 1he 11ex1 fe\V days, ,..ftenever Joe walk!?d pa.-;1 the display 'vlndo,v. he'd stop. kJ1ock on d1e glass, lakeoffhis beiu11cicup.JJ9in110 hisha1r nnd sn1ile. Jn th11t sin1ple. act of f()l'.gi venes:s, he had s1ar1cd LO becomea J1unw.a tome_ Onecold day, businffl \l/aS sJov.i unll students '''l.lru standing around 1alking. Jus1 dtu:t dw:<ls:)C)rfle,vapt.:nandJoe came iu \Vith L"\VO othtJr indi\:1duals. It \V3S obvjol1S ho1nef~inci'vidual ofl'dtestlt'el and offer a free sen•ice. or son-:eonu~sdle}' ~\'Ot~djust 'v.ill: 10,111¢)· nll received tht:s<1n1e ha.ircu1on 1heju11ior side~ \Ve would take u burr cli~}1>et and j ust bUzzI.he hair do~·n.. Son1e of thesepeople had nolbathe<.i or '~tied 1ht.:1r h!\1r in n1onths. ·n1e dippers 'vould clog ,\Ji1h ac.c:un1ulat«ld'lndru.IT andscabs in the ,va.,-y-coa1ed hair. V.le al \vays had 10 chec.k a1e. Soup dripped as his 1ren1l~ui;: l•11>d Jd\edtl>e spoon, ..111/s 1.t i11}1e:~ I j lr111Jai.l lu1Kl1 w·1tli a ho1t1l!/eJ.1 N1t Nr ntN1Jt•(f ",/l,f " titbl his ftnger.s stained yello''' by I.JI! tt.1.lrf Ill(! (J SIOty aOOl/J life- .. Pholb b,1· 1111UJJ/()1( '10111ot1. CQtS Of .S1noku1g \Vltllc J" thought Jqc '1"1a$Al\\~'!'drunk, ) 1 Ibecrune a'vnre that hesuffered menUlJ problems: his spe.ec.h wos a lillle hord to understand nt tin1es \\'e ti::1n1cd through our conversati on thaL \\!hen Joe cal'ne baek fton1 the Vieuuun Wor, his wife had left fom. His 1>are:t11S had died, und \\•itl1.uo othor l'amlly. Joe fcli into u sev.eredepression.He.drifted arowld nnd e nded up 1n Cincinnati. He did nligrntory Carin lnbor t{) l!"'.iJ"n cnouey., only to IQSC ifoo alcohOI,giunllling. being beate1l and robbed I a~ked Joe o;vhy he dJdi1·1 receive,'t.'terans' l>enefils. He AA rugged. a.nd sce1ned 1101 to ,aro. Ho loved ~oscball and kept repeating, ...t hose Cinc.lnnari Rcdsl',\Vc left Joi: Sitting 1hece at 1he b:ir-\''hen v.~ fini:;hcd \'4th lw\Ch. AAL-r S\Lfrdrad nef\•e danlnge from 3 fall 140\\' c.o uld I kel!p ' '·orktng? t\m I no1- a mnn aD)'lllOOil As I drif1cd along bewildored. l heard...I Jo,,. yn, man.-· My feelings 1ransforrned all, to<hly ho '"~ a p:~ying a!:; 1 i·urncd :tnd s:.l\\t a mun c.ustooler, he could stay warm learung against a bulld1ng, P"lhnrxlling ~· hnlc \\~1ilclonger. It v.•as Joe. 1walked over .\llany yecars Inter I '"as and pu1\\ hat I hOO i11 hiscup. I v.•alkin!; dov.·ntovm, lov1 on sclf-csti..'Cm /\ty life.bud taken told liim thnt I n.'mCmiJ<ln:dhim a oonlplete spin 1n rern\S of J\om n•11l)' ag<>. We !llook hcal1h, employmcnl and handsasour li\'l!S toud,cd Ot:lCC finsn<:es. There hodbeen n bod ng•un. Thal OOy .loe·seemed an .o.uto ncclde11t, a h~an annck, I anj;d, af)U!ll'dian. \Vh.:.-n ii ,.,..!IS had to close our business and 1 my tum to need him ' 'U 1 l"'"" Do you have trouble reading? Seeing people's faces? Doing everyday tasks? There is hope. There is help. We can help you or someone you know who has: •No Vision • Loss of Some Vision • " - .Cincinnati Association for the ' '' - Blind & Visually Impaired 2045 Giibert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202 A not-for-profit agency For information call 513-221-8558 and ask for Adrianne. �STREETVIBES Opinion July 2008 Working for Nothing Bricklayers unpaid far low-income housing project Bv CnRJS H .AR'"l'r.t.,NN Ai\1) At.\SS..\ Ko~'ERi\IANN 1J1l8gine fora nlinutethatfor the past five l'llOnLhsyou have av.11,kcnedbt.-foredav.n to''~ as a bricklayer for 10 exhaUSbog:houl'S.oo.Jy to te(um hon--.e to explain to your fan1ily thru you will sajll r\Ot be able to affurd food or n:nt, The reason: you haven't beenpaid in over a monlh. Tens of thousand of 1n1n1igrant \VOrkers 10 the Cincinnati area~ to v.'Qrkc.-ach da)• on housi:ngprojecsrMging from g:overnmen1-funded projects to private hontes. ln order 10 offer the Jo,vest bid, hO\\•evcr, c-o ntractors and subcontractors 'viii son1erin1es unethically cut comers. For 0 .A.G Construction and subcontractors Best Masonry and O rlando Cacedes, chat has ntea.nt v.•ithholding the pay front 35 c.mp!O)•ecs, an atnOlSltequating to arow1d $300,000. D.t\ .G Consttuclion is not a new nan1e in Ci.ncinnati. The genera] contrac1or has also bC(,.'11 responsible tOr the Paul Srov.·n Stadiun1, the Carl H. Lindne r Y MCA and 1he A~'llncedTedmology Leaming Center at C1oc.innati State Coll cge. Likc\\'i sc. th c s ubcontractors involved cootinue to work in lhe Cincirutari area. Froo1 Novernber 2006 through February 2007, these 3 S n1en \\forked as bricklayers for a D. t\ .G. Cons1ruct1on project in the West End The ptOJeCI utihzed federal g.raot money to fund the initial consrructionofpublichousing, 1\s governo1ent-contracted V.'Ork, there is a 111andate that v.'Orl\ets be paid the prevailing v.·age. According to Oavis­ Sacon \\'age Detem1inations, this "'Ould be$33.SO pethour. Many of these v.•orkcrs . hov.·ever, v.·ere paid SI 8 per hout- or nothing at all. As an ironic twist, the project exists io order 10 provideaffordable holrsing. but those used in the constn1ction process are not being paid. Public housing is 111eant to address poverty, but not paying employees in no v..-ay reaches this end. lllis C)1Clical systen1 only perpetuales the negaiive stereotypes of im.111igrants: if they ate oot paid, 1hey caooot realistically be expected to participate in thecon1n1uni[)1 or contribute to 11S econorny. This situation also reflects pootly on the local econonl)' on both moral and commercial levels. Unethical business practices s uch as this discourage outside jobs fron1 corning into the city, ru1d local union labor suffers \\ihcn a contractor knO\\IS he or she is able to hire in1migran1 labor 15 V.'ithout being held accountable 10 pay them n1atket wages. There are nun1erous problen1s that Cincinnati's Hjspanic pcpulation is tilcing. and this is an issue that carutot be ignored. This is not one isolated case, but rather an exan1ple of one group of individlia.ls \\<hOare stri,iing to make their voices heard. ln order to end 1his cycle of exploitation, action n1ust be taken 110\V to hold contractors andsuboon1111e10rs oocounll!ble to their en1ployees. The unpaid wages ­ rougMy $10,000 perworker­ ate currenlly froze n in a government account that \\'aS originally set up to pay the v.orkers through the contractor. D.A.G Construction has the ability to end this sicuation by simply agreeing v.•ith the U.S. govemntent that this n1oney is ov.-ed, but instead 1he ca.o;e is tied~ in 1.i tigation.The \\'Ofkers have \\iaited through nun1erous promjscs for paymc.'11t tOr the postyear, and U.S. Depomnen1 ofLabor off1c1als estin1a1e the case could still proceed for another year before reaching a court. Ho'Ne\rer. itdoesn't appear that D.A.G c ­o nstruction ,vJJI agree that the \l;'Qrkers must be paid w1less pressured to do so. We ask St1t?en:ibes readers to take action on this issue, parricularly by contacting D A. G Conotnx.'lion andasking the111 to reassess the situation and pay the v.•orkers. Dale While, the CEO of D.A.G Conscruction., has dte pC>\verto do this. forthis reason. \l;'Cask thatoon1n1l1licarion be directed to hint We have drafted a santple lener, v.hich can be obtained by c-mailjng cincinnari'vorkersrights @gmajl.com.Tiie Ohio Regiooal Office for D.A.G Conscruction is locatedat 4924 Win100 Road. Cincinnati. OH45232. Their phone nun1bet is 513-542· 8597. f>leasejoin these \\IOrke.rs and the many others they represent by usi.ng your voice 10 den1and theirpayn1eo1. Maybe it's the Wrong Dream B Y l\l Atut .\T\ K. Sc111R.\ IER CoNTR1nurr~o WRITER I mababyboonier- anold \VOman to a lot ofn:adc:rs. I \V<\S born in the prosperous ru1d post war 1950s ru1d can\e of age in the early 1970s. My parents dido ' t aspire to the American dream~ they knc\\' they \vete in the n1idst ofit. I grew up io a rural area of ClemtontColllty. Welived in a n1odest hon1e su1Tounded by a couple of acres. My fa ther raised a garden and n1y n1other ..put up.. or canned tlte bounty. lintes 'vere hard, because n1y falher \\OOld be regularly laidoff his job at f ord ~lotor Com- Rural reflections on the housing crisis in Ohio My parents didn •t \Vas te monc..')'; they ate simple food and didn't go a lot of places dw'lng d1eir \\()rl\iogyeatS. But they realized \vhat I can1e to kno\v as the Anterican Drean1 - the opportunity to achieve theirgoa1s through hard v.'Ork. But \\iheo did our goaJs get soske"-ed? My patents' goals \\lere simple: obtain adc."<.1uate housingand live oon1fo1tably v.iithin their rneans. ltseenlSto nle thatman)1 of the descendantsofn1y parent's generation have goals that arc Drive through Clermont and Brown counties; there are stretches of rural routes where It seems that every third home has a " for sale" sign out front pany. Their first hon1e cost $7,000 and it 'vas a srruggle to make the mortsagcp3)rmcnts. lllll diey did it Af1et a li fetime, they antassed their empire: a very nice hon1e they had built and paid cash for and a \\iintc."home in Florida. Ifthe)•needed a cat or boat or lawn rllO\ver, they could buy one and pay cash. radically w1realisric. A three bedroont, onebathtoon1hon1e is not sufJicit."llt. I've often nla1veled at the rnag.nif1cet1t hon1es tltat grace v.•hat used to be cornfields. Large hon1es on five-acre lots v.ith roaringcathc.-dral mtranoes O>owdid diey wash thoseenor· rnous windO\'YS anyway'?) and atlached (or delached) three· and four· cat garages. Whl."11 did these homes start popping up? As the farn1e.rs ~ed on, the1..1d \\'ltS split and sold off in lots. Subdivisions v.·ere developed in the fan11 tictds ofmyyouth \\iith namc,'S like Drakeland. When I \\13.S younger, I though! that pemaps the own· ers ofdtese honle:S n1ustbe doctors and such \vhO moved out fron1 the city lOenjO)• counny livirtg. I later realized that man)1 of these hon1eov.ners \vere n1y contemporaries, \vhO had tOIk>\vedin d1eirparent'sfootsteps ru1d got good JobS \vi th son\erimesmerely a high school edi1· carion. lvlany ofd1en1hetdjobs at ford ~lotor But v.•hen did nly conten1° poranes decide tltat dleArnencan Orean1 their parents held v.-asn·1enough for then1? \\iltat ma~thc.'111 think the.')' oould surpass their parents in such a big v.•ay? \Vl1a1 ntade tl1e1n think diey nolonlycotdd Im'" the big· gest, the finest, the 111ost, but that the.')' tfese1,'i!cl all this and nlore? AndOO\V for tl1e declioe. Ori'" throtl!'I>ClennonIand S rO\\'ll counties; there are for the deeIine oftheAmerican stretchc,'S ofrural routes \\<here Dream much closer to home? Could it be that v.·c forgot the onethi:ngourparents taught, that The middle class is 1s, 10 live \\lithin our n\eal1s? I guess U.S. citizens can't dissolving, and the divide between the be blamed et1tirely \Wter1 tl1eit government has a soaring: na­ two remaining riooaldeb1of$ 9.38 trillion.·1ne classes is greater apple didn ., fall far from 1he than ever before. tree. But is it tinte, perhaps. to rethink \vha1 the American it seen1s that eve1y third hon1e Dream should or could be? has a "fo1·sale.. sign out front. Would ii be 100 far.fetched Look in the local papers: there 10 unag.inea cow11Jy, or even a is listing after lisring each ,veef< V.'Orfd, \vhere everyone has adofforeclosures. equate food. shelter and re111ein1nlinentclosingofthe spcct? I \1;-0nder ifthcAmcri­ Ford Plruu in Batavia iscertainly can Drean1hasn't resulted in one reason. The outsourcing of creating tl1e \iety cla.'i&.'S that \V'e n1anufacturing and service in· in1111igrated to the U.S. to esdustry jobs overseas is another. cape. f>redatory lendingisyet an· Tho middle class is dissolv­ other. Your Ii ve-bedroon\, ing, and d1e divide bel\"eeo lhe three-and-a-half bath isn't 1v.o rernru.ning clMses1sgreatet enough? It's eaS}1 ; sintply ob· than everbefore. Shouldn'11his tain a hom<..--cquity lineofcrc.-dit serve a.-; a v.•ake-u1> call for all and, using the equity in yout of""'I horne, go ru1d buy )'Our 1oys. Whethe.r 've like it or not, No\vthere are "forsale" signs the deo1ise of 1he An\er1can flaitking big trucks, boars, R\'s Dreant is i.n motion. Ifv.-e are and motort.)'clcs in abundance. 1ntell1geo1, v.<e·u use tl11s as 101­ Younot only loseyour toys, but pctus for change. lt 's tin1e to rethink the aJsoyourhon1e. But isn't one prime reason American Dream. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource July 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Charity Begins in the Park The 40-Year Journey Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: The Vibe Pg 4: 1968 Continued Pg 5: Parks Continued Pg 6: Passing it On Pg 7: Public Assistance as Close as the Library Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: The Paperwork Can Be a Killer Pg 11: The New Jackie Robinson Pg 12: Developing Communities Pg 13: Many Struggles, One Goal Pg 14: Joe Now and Then Pg 15: Working for Nothing Maybe It’s the Wrong Dream Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource July 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Greg Olkhovsky Michael Henson Steve Sunderland Lynne Ausman Angela Pancella Larry Gross Patricia Garry Lew Moores Andrew Freeze Bonnie Neumeier Robert Manassa John Eastlack Marilyn K. Schirmer Tim Cannon Chris Halmann Alyssa Konermann Andrew Anderson Berta Lambert Antonio Hodge Anthony Williams Joe Wesels Steve Novotni Georgine Getty Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Tim Feavel Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alyssa Konermann Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Barack Obama Berta Lambert Bonnie Neumeier Charity Chris Halmann CityBeat Freedom Center Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Gregory Flannery Hamilton County Jackie Robinson Joe Wesels John Eastlack Larry Gross Lew Moores Library Lynne Ausman Marilyn K. Schirmer Michael Henson Parks Patricia Garry Robert Manassa Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland Tim Cannon Tim Feavel https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/a311ce3dfeb1b7785244406bc53cd60d.pdf d0262c91b9f64a7717d118e01743f4bb PDF Text Text THI<: TRI-STATE'S A LTERNATI VE NE\VS SOURCE MoBo Co-Op takes you for a spin - p .13 '''' "'".ci · nc-ihon~.~.SS.OJ~ 'We Are Their Slaves' Ifthey treat citizens this way, imagine how it is for im1nigrants BY <; R[(;OR\' F'J.•\ N,...•:H\' EurK•R Y our boss stops bv une>.i>cct:dly~ secs 1:1 111ess 10 your ni>arllne.11 t11idJ>Utusliesyou.hy deducting$~(> fromyour ne>.1 paycheck. Ft>llUl31ely hedidn't sec the bccrc:)ns rn your trash - oryourboyfuendhlding m die c:Joser.: etther of 1hose c<:iuld indentured servitude; ind~d some of the '''Orkcrs (efer to ihe11l5efves·as "sla\'eS... J\f1i:.r m<;111Lhs ortrying 10 \\'Ork with the 00111panies to resoJ\'e d1e001r41laints, acti\~sts Hnd union officials are no''' appenl1n.g to the public to dernand adjoc1. BuJdiey '1-onot putting 1111 their holJ"Soo public havegotlenyou fired. At the meatpacking plant outrage; d1eY' \'ealso1rtken d1eir " hereyou \\Ork, the procluction concerns 10 1h<: F.B l. liner\msso fust 1h.at youcan't Sl1~e1,·ihes h.as le;,imed that an keep up the pace, \\'hes1pork FBI agt:11t n1et May 21 '''ithm1 fallson dio floor, supef\1sorstell organizer forthe United Food youto pick it' up and 'vmp irfor and Con1n1ercial Workers d\e grocery store .,..,;,houl (UFC\\'), (mexpert on hurpan cl~u 1 iog iL You' re still not crnfficking v.h.o \VOrks for the \\'<Jr'krng l"ast i!.nt>U£,h . the C:1 n ~it1n:lll '\, \\fC./\ •u1d t\\'O superviSor tellsyou to 1110ve as \\Urkers lured here front Puerto fast os you do \I/hen you' re Rico with the pro1nise ofgood jobs 1 IfyourcJlild is-sick ood) 0 U mi$nday ofv.t)rktyounot (D1Jy •Like a crnzy house' don't get paid forth nt shiA: a The people ofPuerto Rico $50 fine is deducted fu,,n1}'Out p:iychcck. lfyouquit bcfoit six are U.S. citi7.cnS twld ta)l.11a)•crs~ n1ontbs, aS200 fine1sdeducted they need no pernlission to llli\.<ingse.x. fton1your lw,1 cl1 ~k. v.;'<.>rk lo Ohio o.r Keotucky. This isn' t a S\\'Uatshop in a 1bird \\~orl d count1y-: it's ajob in subucban ('inc·innati , A .~roe1 ~·1bcs 1n\•est1gation of Co1ttpJoj11tS by workers •ind concerns rt1iSi1d by uniOn and religious acrivists J1as fo und co n.ditions compitrable to That doesn'tmeon gotringhere is 'eas)'. That·s wllere Diverse Pcrso1111ol Co. - also .k.no,,n :is AbleiD1v"'5.ePerso1mel Co. ­ con-es in. 8.'l~ io f<ut \\' nsJli, Ky.. 1hetao1poraiy~n-.:iloynm1 agency recruits J>ueno·Rica:ns rotj<lbs<JO d"' mainl•nd 0Jfc1ing C'ilu.~1111u11i {'roces~i'1g 11·orkers rt~/(IX 11111sl1iP /•11vte1j!ropl! b;• i l1Nira11•~·bw'C'r.rotr, hut 1/1e / }(ti·e 111.')/dl! c.' t11t hr: (/apgerouslJ•,/ilst TheSoutlrwt$ COhi.o pln)'S ou1 as an ''inescapabJe rughtmare.. tbr hi s~nipl D~lees, \\'orkel's' Ri~hts Soa:t•d nnd U1u1t-tl Food and according 10 EUcn Oicoger. an Commt.rcial \,!'arke1'.S orgooizer for the Ul' CW. ~'a rotnwl: flj erdetnilingoornplai11ts about • ~\'Or,k<:rs forc<xl 10 the ten1p agency, Oienger describes. condi 11ons far )i\iemcro\vdcd·apanmeors different f\on1"""" IJ«l<1lis..'<I in 'M!dJ10uses_. forv.·hJch advertise01t!nlSjn Pue.no Jtiro. 1hey' recharged e.~otbi tan l "'Son1etin1es pel)ple don·, rei15 • ~''Orkrts fur()Jdd(.'(} ·aassnt..'Vl. even make enough 10 buy ..Mr, Rodnguez and his groceries f'or d>.e \'-\'ekand have to have,{sits ln lheir hotl\e f3mily i;amc1othc U.S \vi th no io !,IQ §lUMnf~ or Iivi r'.lgofftheir l'i'o11111te11tlk."'1'$ ot'll1e 1noney, bur\l.ith tl1e knov.100g_e ·fellO\l/\\10rkers,•· tl1e.tliersavs. o·pposnesex~ • l aprohibitionagainst thru diey had d1eir freedomnnd "Able/Dl\iec-sePtocesany,\'h~ could \\'Ork fo r anything they fromfourtosix ~·iorkers intoan drinkms•dcol1oj iJlon...,'s v.·an1ed 10 achieve,•· rl1e letter opa11n1ent :Old up to 12 u1 a O\VTI hoo1e; says ''f\.tlr, Rr,d riguc~ has not house, many ot' 'vhich arc • exc~<>:iVf!.. S1opped v.t>rlang and dreruiting vOCMtofallhousehold furniture ni.1fldatory charges fo'r since.he.a1t1ved in the U,S. 1 le ru1d ap1>liauc:es excep1 fot a transponation lo '""Ork. stal1ed (Di""rsePer;onnel Co.) mattress on the floor to sleep sl\Opp:1ng·ormcd1caJ c.llTC; \\'I th lhe purpose of helping 011" I • bla1ai11 ""'uni lwasSL11eril~1 1.he i11di"ldual$from Pucrlo Ri.togct ln1mi111ucl °'1il.S~ln tiago. n v.ork with Miplo)'e.rs in the fan11er Able/Diverse i>er..sonnel ~,Qrkp{ace; • tb111illesf~,vid1 U.S. and ntaking ava.ilaJ)!e to en11>loyee '''h<> novv lives in the111on a short·tern1basis. i f MJddletoY.n. says he be-Jieved C\'ll:Uon from comp:lll)'­ diey des1r"'1, a furnished pla<e the promises of a bener tire controll~d housu1gthe V"1)' do~ • w<uk<r gel$ Un:d; and 10 li ve~ transrx:im tion roand v.'hcn hesigned 111> 'o ~omc 10 fron1v.t>rk."' Cfnt innari 1n 2006. Buti1:t5leiid • unsanitary and pot<noally dangerous food But \vhat rnight hRve p~si.n.gprac:uces seen1ed a drea1n for-Rodnguez Confinut~d an p:1ge 4 OOusing andtransponarion. Wittie Rodrig uez, the founder and O\vncr <Jf th~ co111pany, ck">Clined requests f°' an intetvie\\I, Buthls anor1tey, Nlichael S. 'Gl;,issn1an, sent a staten1ent to S1reel\tib«s. ~odri guci.cs n1c 'o tJ1c United States front Cuba with his n1other in J980, acC01'ding to .. �STREETVIBES About Us 2 STREETVIBES Stniet vibes ·1·11 East 12th Street Cincinnati, O H 45202 p hone: (513) 421-7803x12 fax: (5 13) 42 1-7813 streetvibes2@yaho<>.«om June 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes isa newspaper that provides relevant d isclissionsol hol'(lelessness, poverty and other relat«I social justkeissues, It is published on<ea monthby tlw Greater Cincinnati Coalition fo r the Momel..ss. 'TheGre.iter Cincinrtati Coalition (or the Ho11\C.less isa group ofshellers, nget1cicsand ind iVidual.s commltled to ending homeless inCindnnatl through ooor.dinating.services,educating the public and grass roots organizing. Our Vendors W\'\'\V.cindhon)(?}ess.org Streetvibes Staff Alfred Anih<Kl) ' \Voo!Jotk WiJJianlS Mark Sl1ears Gmdy Cooll Antonio llodg• Berra Cleo R:~i11ard L'l.11.tbtrt \\>'01tili1C9 Jont s Editor Contri buting Writers C RbG OtJJ·ltJVS~\', Mat.\l!LH ttl\SON., J ames Quinuoo Jon Josephine Byb<t' \\'illlan1s Dru·by B askt.1'\'iUt $TINl!S UNOEltLAND, ARDr>J..IJ\ IV<X>l.£NS, l,;)'N}.'f:: i-\ll!!MA..~. U1L1 GALl.AGHl!JI., ANr.OEU. p/11''CliLL\1 LARRY C K0'.6, PATRICIA G ARIN, ANIJ 1-iow.•l'Af<l.'Ut Photogra phy A NDRE\\' A r-.1'£RSO."., Bl'.Kl'A LA~IBEltl', AN'D UFCW ~(ar k Jul it \Vnlkrr 0 1mpbell D~vi s Artwork .A~"J0.'10 l•JOOC£ M'rnt.\NV Vlll.l.w.8 Advisory Committee J\t n neth Ri«ardo Saut SiJ,i a Tony _8111J1doc1 StonitS<h Taylor .Jackson Collins 01\UllOlOOd Nelson l\ilillOO H ;m•kin;& J1.>1t \Vl!SI"-~' S'll!Vlt NOVOl'NI, ANt'>Rf;~\' ff{€~ Cf.C~l.:<:l i>-1r. C erf'\', MJOlA~l 1-l l!N~, STIIT'tlAN lt! OUNl.AJ', Sruv1::G11ms Cover Cr.rvUR 11f.Sli.N UYB11 t Hi\l\.f~. l\itichae-1 1 (_ r l'efl (C Ch:uic.s llt111is \Villian1s Cole 75 cents i.. !I goes 25 cents (a':_ directly to your vendor We are members of: -tU¥'1!!_ " pays for printing costs .k----------------~--------------------- . Don ate to Streetoib&s No11h An1e1ica.n Street Nel\rsp.aper 1\ sso-c_iation JN SP ./ l11tert1alio.11al Ntl\vorkof Street Pat><rs I I The mofe.support weha.v~ from the community, the. further our effons reach; 0u~work is possible only with the help of gen'etous Individual gifts. Please consider making a coutributibn today! Name: - - - - - - - - - - - - - ­ l\ddt.o ss: ------------- City I SUtte/ Zip: - - - - - - - - ­ 1 ~ Endosed·is my 1ax-deduetible oontribmlo11 of: : I $25 _S5(} _ $ l00 _,$ 1SO_ OtJJerS_ I 0:r nUlk.. ch~ks 11ayoh lem: : Yqucmi dori111eonlin• ,w,w,~fion,Je...,·ort; litrcOtVi~'llt ll 7 E:JSt l2rl1s~ Cinolnnall, 0H452()2 I J I .. ________________ _________________________....'J , I hankyou .for giving generously! I �STREETVIBES The Vibe June 2008 3 In The News New Or!tao~ Louisiana Mayor's JokeTakm OITeo1ivdy By 6rega.y Fl1• ••ry Ch 1rdES to Ch.n::il: N:t So Fast \vdungs 1n go\emmen1amtobor1ng-orsodlr~1n 1hceir 1mpwon ncogl>bomoods-:is 7001ng""""' Alannod by prop>5Cd dllngcson ohcal)' rCUlCllllOO's mnmg code. hom:in«nl('<S COMMl'1•'Y Md n.-losiaus lc:><leissuc:c«ded ~ bv 20 on i;cttong col)' ()()Un(ll IO •tql bil<l Md """" Th<! proposals '"""d SC\ ere d'fcet an howchun:ll<'S :ind noo1X0fi1 oroan1Z3tioos ser\'e their clients.. according to S1eph.......,. Gibbs. founder 1he F~ Foodllm\k and• ,,.,,,..,..ol'd1obolldof C11C1nn.'l1 Cool11J011 rorlhe Homeless. AnlOll!; duni.}"S"l'Pf'O'<d by die C.namllll P1:•1n•>g(·,.,.,.SllOl1, lho ~~ "'Otdd create restrict·ions on "M•-r soci.al St•' iC'l't C'ttn OIK'nttr Md eve11'"here mcir3dntinisu-Jt:i,reofficescan be. Cnhe&S3)' tile lmlgu• is so bmld th.11ehurcl1es \\OOld be affoaed. 100 The proposal '''Ould ndd ..spec1nJ a.ss1s:1a.nce shchers.. 10 the- 1.0n111~ code. o1Jo"'ir1~ Joro111ory hou~in,y. bu1 only as ocond1uonrd use 1n tl1e rouo,,<111~ ateos. F: ....,<'S. h."" • 1"0Cir"""'' """''IS1S or commemal. do'"TIID\\'O ;ind' 1n1anuf11cturinu hn111ed"dis1ric1s r\11 new progr:ints V.Qu(dbelinlited 10 50 residents.\'l'ith a l'eC.l lHfen"IClll orSOsqu..Wfeet per resident Thodcfin1h00 of"'tta1\SJ1J011:i.J ho11S-n!i·• \\'()uld bechnngcd 10 rcnl()VO<.iomutoiy st)•le housing n1 agencies thru SCl'\'e'p001>le floolnll 3'>l1se and nc~lcct. adj us.ting to hfe \\1i1.h n phy!Jcnl disallilily or1ncnlftl 1llncs.\, 1oou1:11.:n11ing rron1 lhcCfl"l!OtS.Ofdn1g or aloohol and readjusting IO !!OCiuty \vhii~ hOllSl.'<l l11cl~ cnn11 n/\Ij t1!>lic~s..1pcr'\llsion Existing shelters \Wuldbe "g1mKllb~1e1\!d i11,''according 10 Mntliar~1 \Vuersde. a C·llY pl:.'U\H{lt, Out lh(lt \\'Quid cl-TCQlivcly rrce.r,e lhOSlfltuS: <1uo '"'It really han1pers ooy n~\vplanning il'v.~ \\'Dtlt to rc1\ovn1c Bnyol'theshehcts,.'' says Pat CldTurd.. ¥e1tetlll cc>01dinator or the ()r(.)1>hu1 C'1.:n1cr Opponents of1hechnnycshnd 1uiw1quickly~ theprnccsszipj)i?d 1hrough 1he plnmungoon1nussio1i_ "'\\'~ dldn' 1cva1 kllO\\' lf1t:SC 11iCC11rtl>S y,\.'fC hoppc1t1r~.. Cl1fJOrd says. ··1f y<>t•' re g_ou1g todooode chooges for shelters. It \\'Ould behoove you 1ohl\te inpur from sorucoo~ v.11a v.'Otks u1 st~l 1c& L n.sti:acl lhc.')' v."Crc \vr11ti..'fl by pwplc "~10 op1-,ose slleher.;." Clifford's·r~ference \\'JS 10 opponc11uor the C11yL1nk humJn-servtces mall proposed for ihc WC$! End ..One ofdie reasons ''e are nlak1ng the chan,fS ''as :a reeen1 coun case on C11ylul!.., andtheJudi;cspouucd OUI i<lmc problcn"' uoouroode,• Wucrst!e ~ Ci t)•cotDKil's Ecooomt(" 0e.. et0pn•ent Comm1ttff un.:i111n10usl)· \'OC4!<i to wdefuitelyposql<lll<discUSSIOOofdieZ011111j;chlr1i."<Lp.rilll:die1SSUebockbefore the planmn1>~ "lien: b..,.......,.,MCCS-smc1<Slll1d odvocat<S hope IO mflueoce ibe OU1C0111e s1f111Jh""Y ""crons d'°1 ·, olondy l>a>'O ~ 1~0 gcmngackqu:olc treaanent, sonle \'eleransAffiwsclmK':satt l'M)\\ dtn) int pAin nlfdicatioJl o people \\no fad ICSIS ra1 Jllegol drugs. 1110ll\ll$ Vane.:, a r<llred AJJ Force ir..asta-sergeanl isorp111jns fellO\\l\.CCemns to chang;e 1he POiiey In a rompl31nl he filed Y.1th the \ ·C1eransA fTwrs ~11.'d1c3f C01cer 1n C1nc1n1ma. Vance dl-"Cn ed me delu ill ,,,. mcd1c:1nc I() panmis \~ arc '" p:u I\ -1b1s pobC)' encourages \'cterBl\SIO he 10 tl1e1r docior and die V1\ for fe.'.'lr of losin~.needed~.. he511)1£ ··1 \\Ondcs how n1.a11y hocnclcSS velcrans gnl Llm1'v..\Y speodingaU theiro1oney a11heblnck mnrkm IOJi..'1 caredenied 1hem by lhisunjusl and vindicU\.e policy. Pain-clin.ic paiien1s areunfaifly IOf\'iHe<I J\oother c,linic ri:tllJ1rcsvc:rcr1u1s 10 unclc•to Llus hun\Jl1n11ns proct.'<luro •• \lance asks vete-raos \vho hnve been don1ed rrc;1.1n1cn1 because of n railed urinalysis 10 00111:Lct hicn 11185%35·108801tl1ornyv~>111U)\Vll canL 1 Sur~ cultw·ttl exchanges are :11111nportMI '"°Y to de,•clop pe~1ceful r~louons wnh 01I1;,.~ colmtr•c:s. n u1iscntcrtu11111Kn~t oJy.·ayli t1 goodutco, or doc.-s ii so11'1C11111es have the effect orgi,·i112 t)'1"AUISn f rl"f Jl~s'! As 1hc l~aople's Republ1corc111nll prep;utS ror lite 2008 oiynlptc G:u11es.. petiplc OJOlllld the \\Otld l1t¢ '''°'uliLing to hi!lliligho oho1 regimo·, Ol'P•"-<SiooufToboo. p<o<:1i1ioromorFnl11n Gongnndpohricol dissidents. But tha.t's not ~oing to s1op 1h\;) C1ncinno1i Pops 01·chdsrra from perfumi1n.g 111 lloo•ng 1n Au£uSI. Thodc..:.1s1Q111otu-wp1 .• the1nVlUUion h~1se-.'Okcd htrlecnnasn1so f'al Butperhaps lhat's noc s:urpnsin~ 1""h1s 1s~ :t.t1Cf atl. 1.heaty th3r y.•atmJy \1iClcouicd atl c.\h1b1UCN1 ofhuJnau corpses fro1n Ch1n3 at the l\•IU$tu1n Center- \Vet311 only hope \1oestro Eru:h Kun~l 111l.t'S a eue fron1 Bjork. '"ho song-Declare lnde\1ende11<10" d'"i 'Ill o Sh:ini:haoOM<M ru id a>r'11,>ad ohe Chin<Se So'«flmi<•ll by .lhoulmg••r.1i<t•Tot..11" l\>llyo<C. Ray~ -lySUgg<Slt.'C! a"""YIOttdua: orus <>1>"shomcless populotion: Gi•e than one-way bus lickets oot of to"" N•ain re11'11Ctcd his smremesub<Isnl!poruayedJhehomei..sa.subslllflCCabusas"horel'\ISC"1ellor Sldt..l lioouome1"bereelse.Asur""Y byad\<oco<y-i> FebnmyV.0"'1CI !Mr 86 pem.'111 1'..re1it>m1''ewOrleloos Si'<ly percenl:Jaid lhey \\'<fe 1->cl<ss bocause ofHumane Kotrin1, andobout 3-0 !"'r<t'nl sasd !hey had r~1Y<d rmlalm!l31<eatooelimefumlheFedenlEmoigoocyM....,,..1A&<rlC)' Fortl.audmlalt, Florida Ttt0 Pleads Guill)' in Boating or llomd.., Mao One.oflhroemon accusod offaially beoiingahomolessmon ashosk,,o on• porlc bench pleadedgutliy aad asreed to iesufy ~ns11l1e od>C11. \V1LUan1 Ammons. tbe20-year-old su!jleCI pleaded guilly to lhird-d"ifOe murder and aggrovai..rbatrery ilndfllCes between I0 and 20 years 10 poson. 11loplea was alf. .ed in exd!ani;» for his 1cstimony oi;ai11S1 oh< olhcr1'\0 on.'\dtors lllld!>.'<•USO A1mK11S ,ws fb<lldto havefrredpelleis fioo'l apain lboll gun. buo had"" inOi ctod ohe fam! injunes. Cbkqo. ll!ioois Propos•ls Boin1T•k<:n for H9.,.ri• .,, Only S<h ool Ch1c•goschool offic.:ds1ireaskuig IOrpropQSals from onyor•Q 1111~10S1od m creatingaboortlingsdloolforlhec:ity'sbornol....,studei)1s. lbeChi~Conlirion t\lr the Hon1el~si~ OOnceme<t Lhat.crealioga boarding schOol for hornclcu ohildtco will lik4'ty.drivca ,vcdge.ill fitmili~ahd alionah!t>tudentS fro1n d1elr housed peers. Chicago Public Schools identified 10,349110111elossswden1s ohiJ year. The coofui-011 ~ rever.ons the nS>ngnu111IJe< ol110meless du lc~en ond fumil ies by creating decent and safeaftbrdol>le housina. Comm Wllty members Me raismgquesrlonsabouthi>" ohescbool system wlll beable 10 financiolly cpcm1c •boarding 5choolW.eruhcyare Ill r.ady S1roJ:J1;llns 10SU11•ln dieircummt operations.. By the Numbers It's Too Dam Hot Ifthe thermostats in every house in America \Vere lowered I degreeFahrenheitduring the wmtcr, the nation would save.230 million barrels ofcrude oil ­ enough to fin an oil tanker 400 Limes. (Timt's the amount ofoil being imported into the United Slates fr01n Iraq each year.) VirtuaJ Payment Ifevery American S\vitcbcd to rcccivingJUSt one bill as an electronic siatemenlinstead ofa paper one. the one­ time savings would be-217,800,000 sheets· enough to com pletely blanket the island of Key West in a single layerofpaper. Paint by the Numbers If I quart.of leftover paint wore rccytlcd from every renovation project inAmerica this ye.Jar (I 0 percent of all U1e housepaint purchased in the United States is typically throvvn out). itwould reclaim 2.5 mi llion gallons - enough to paint the outside ofthe White House every year for the next 43 centuries, or to paint SanFrancisco'sG-Olden Gate Bridge 250 limes. ' • S<i.ll\;I!' .D:I la ~'-.) ~~lltl;li: Murch 200!' �Cootinutd f ro1111>a).!t I Santill;\osays be fow1d himself livlng with 11 ('Uher mon i n~ ltouseinOO\i.'htov.n Covington. \\7i lh the ihem10suuJocked, d1e house 'vas cold in \\inter, he Sii)'$ ..., tum-ed ·1he oven OJ) to wain1the house," hesays. ..A 101ofthe people wereso cold 1h6)' '''Ore their coats in the house You· ve got to rove! up 1hc ''~ndo'''S \Wth bli.iki.15.YOO look at our hoose- it's like a Ctl)Z)' house;'" Theentploynxmt COlllJ>311)' chacged Santia.go $135a ''ceek an apnnment 111 do\\•nto\vn C'ovingtQn that \vOuldsccm to ·bei1t the 013.CketofSSOO " '"'h1f ~. the company·s la-\\'}'er says Lh.e housing arrangen1ents are optional, Di.enpcr,Shermanand $0n1cof the \VOrl(erssay v;orkers v.-ere told th¢>· had no choic-.e·b1.1t to live \Vhere Di,rerse Personnel Co. 1old dle11' dllrd IJOle.\\le \Yill deduct$5'0 pcrpcr$00,., • "'Bei?r cans. liquor or drugl}ate not pet'miu:ed u1 Lite house o r 10 the areas surrounding it.'' • "'A.s an ad11l1, your belmviorshouldbe tho lies!. No Jighttngord1scusston. lf'Lhet'e are problen1s. we will ca.II the police,no questio1lSasked." • "lf } 'OU do notshow or fQrrtnt, hosays-cwn though he son1e1imes received fe\v hoursol\vork. ""Lei·s say. you sci $60 ­ you s1ill got to pay $ 1J S," he snys. '"'I ~"01 one check fo r $6.40 for 1h~ \vcek. That \\'eek r\\'Orked one da)· orru-o da)'S, but they business of the co111pany .. girlfli endstaned asking \\i1at independent of\'ihothcr 1husc h:ippmcdiohim Thcyfirodhcr; are ofa confidential nature or IOO. 'Then !heygivehim ooedey t i()(. •• 10 ge1out of lh~·npru'tmertl The. • ..ilfyou are fired f'ron1 n.exrdny they starred thro\ving your place of \\."'Ork. \\1e \viii -e.veryth1ng - thro,.ving this, throv..ins :ill their stuff and e\rctluatc 1hcsitua1ion, and ill notify if you 'viii be saying_. '\'ougot tot,'«>! Yciugot transpotted toan.otherplace.oc io go!· Th~• took evesything i f you h.ave to leave the likodtegrooenesllftdiheclodies aparrn1ent \vhere you reside and pU1 i1 ou1 on the St:reet 'C1tey immcdiotl'iy." didn'ts1X"1k English,""-'>' d;dn't • "U'youdeci® 1o:leave have no ntoney. they didn't bf fore. yoltr six n.onths~ the k110\\'00 01\e.hel'e .TI1e,.· started con1rac1: 1s tern1ioaled \\'lth crying to n1e. They don't \\'301 (Diverse Personnel Co.), your 10 live in lhestn.>et .. las! 1.:hock \viii bo retained until Sanliago. \vho ·spea·ks everythingis discowttedfro1n English. says thatSonh?ofthe­ youtcheck, 1ndl,Jding the$200 co1npaJl)' ·s l;>eba·vior ~mt>l y 1ha1 wil l be mystified h1111. He gives a discoL11100 for reponer a pay stub dated r\ pril brc:1king 1hc 2S, 2007 For47hours,h1s nct coutr.:lct." P•Y was $204. The fi rst n~erules ptobtett1? Th.~ cheek lists his are so address as· an apartn1eor stringent that comple.x in l'ilrk Hills, Ky..- but \\'Orii:ers: and Santiagosuys ht \ Vtt.s hving ;-md familieshave V..'Orkin_g -in Middleto\'-01 at the­ '''I: 1 \\ notice 11.nd, snanil.\1 aod ha')6\'e inoon16-tax unable 10 exemptions. Neuher lS tn1e, he speak English, S3)'S havo no idea " I kno\V 1h is ii:; fra ud because )'o u' re ly1ng.··Sar11Ja&'O.$ll.YS: "The fedesal inoon1e t lX th:iriks1·11, Ii ivi ng in He ShO\\'S a reJ)Otrer a pa)• June 2008 fou 11 d tii1ii!, the1usel ves "It's a fake address," he e. vic 1ed s:!)'S, "'I never hved dlere." wi 1ho u 1 TheSt.'(:()f1d problcm? Thu Proper lagal pay stub indicates San1jago is Sllll clwgcd ~ ie rent.·· 1u ai·k~d STREETVIBES Streetvi bes Investigation 4 s tub no, 2784 , <h11od N°ov. 29. 2006. sho\v i ng SanriagQ's ne1 pay as $6.40 Dienger'$ ITiers:iysAblel Kentucky. I am Diversecl1arged up 10 $6,000 per month in rent for some houses. In Sai~ti.ago 'scasc, 12 pc<.>ple paid SIJS a \vcek for ren t toraling $6.-480. "'f he runountS cl\tll'gfd rue exccssi''e. according to Don Shem~n. di.ri:.otor of the Cincinnn1i rn1crfaith \\'Orkcf$(t-'flt<..'t ...Vlhe.n they get to the U111led ·S1a.tes. they're put 1nro these ap;inmentsor hou~. " he says ..l 've ~en insoo1eafthc apnnmcnts.11\CJY•rofbtirorfi,·e to an apartnl'oot. bu1 1here are only t\VO bedtoo1ns. So1l1e of 1hen1are p~ying $ I00 or more a v.<eek 10 ll\•e in the llJ>~1u1~L The)' \\'Qt1J dn ' t pay th!! O \\'ll CT ofthe apan n1ent: they V.'Ould pn)• 01 \tel'Se l?mo1lneJ The)' v.-ere p-ayiitg u:p.1 0 $I .6QO for Ti.If'; l~n 1'r.'i! / •(Jr,,.c»11wl l1t1111~s t/n• fJJm'rlHll'l/l~ nh'1\'<!. /?jglir l/111 1lr~ /XIJ"''' lf.'rli h> ilk' rig/II gi\'t'.S Jfu.U aJd1't!.Q' 10 .1t»rllYJ11•· w·Jm 1J(llvV r ft\v:d 1/1\'r<'. T/1t• JJU>' sud> a/.'ftl .s!w.,.•i 1ht11 I/If)' .JUlfJI! 1tQri;(•fY Ill po•rs1111\1't1S r11<1rr1(l(I (1111.l /111tl }/\\~ 4·1d.t, •~1111..•/t ltt• ,f;,•11il•s. wo·1ey 01r1f t·11• P/wJo ' Do what he says' l~lgh rents and cto\vdcd conditio11s aren"• tire onJy complalots-al>ou1 lh~ housing. Emplo}•ees havl.} to .sign c-011 1.racts and con1ply \vith house rules 1ha1 VIVuld offi:nd mOSI people's senseofpersooal l'reedoni. EQp1esof dotun~ts obtained by .')/1t:t!1\·iba:; incJude lheserestricrions: • " h is tho responsibility of those residing in the company·s 11.f)tttlmertts 10 01wntall1 andcleoo the 1n1enor as-\Wll as the e..\:terior of the apartmcnrs.ll1c fir.s1 ti mo 1ha~ the fac1Jiries are found diny. 3 watniog, \Viii be £.lvfi'I. The second1ime t1usoccurs,, \W\viii deduc1 $25 per person. The wo1:k withoul giving nn1 1 co previously, $SO will b~. taken fron1 your paycheck." • "'l:very aparonenthas a lead Tho lead is 1n charge of thehouse.You ha,ia to do 'vhat 1he lend says. He ,,;II 1ruk for Willy(Rodriquez) " • ..Moo ar~notpeani111!d 1n lht: apWtmoots.ofthe \\'Omcrt, and \l/0111en are not permi1ted 111 the aparune1\1S ofthe n>en:· • ·1beemployee~1all 001 reveal. discuss orcon11i1u11ic3te to any 01hcr pc:rson, firm or con1pany in any nion1en1. form or 111eans;direc1 or1ndi1iectly~ theoature. class-0rdescription o_f the affairs .re.lated to the n1snied and I have rive cltdd1'eo. They don•t JUSt do that to n1e. ·n1~rdo tJ1a110 a for lol Ofp~")JllC" Whenbeapplied fot une1111>loy"1enr v.•har to do next.• according_ te con1pe11sation fron1the-state of lheUl'CW Ohio. San Liago says state "In OVCI}' (;,~SC- \W havi: officials told him 1hcy h•d no conte-a-cross so far, as soon as rcc-0rdofbis htl\'i.ng v.'Or'ked in a petso11 is f'lred t1y the thlS$f~le. con1pany, they thro\vthen1out of lheapannlen~ \Yithinjus1a fc\'i day~ sonicrim<.'$ d1atsame night \\1th theonly optionsof goingditecdy 10 the airi)()rt., a shelteror outon the street." the unjonflier says. Sanciago. 26, sa)'s he .sa'v ii happen. ·11iey hada couple, ~1eguy was SJ ck fron1the back pain," hesays. ~·1·1 1e~· fire.d hin1 "l'he Sleeping on the floor Santiago •s girlfriend. Jll.Sl11ine Rivera. \...tlOfn he 11.e1 after conung here te \\'Ork, is a forn1er en1ployee of Able Personnol Co ,,..i1ith might or n1i&rbt not be the san1e as D ivt!l'Se. T he l'elati.onship Continued on p::te::e 5 ·­-· Earnings Summary ,.. w i.,ts-..u -1 OU o.to 11: . 00 �STREETVIBES June2008 Continued f1'01U 1>a2r4 bern een the DiverseandAble con111aules i!i tnurl.:y l11e t\.\'b e-ompa1iies share tha sn.n1e addfcss. ru1d \vlieit a fet>Ortcr tried in vain to reach \Villjc l~odnglrlon d1epho1le.he \\a'> 1 told lht!1\\Q con1paniesa~ one and thesa1ne 'Jbe le1ter f'ro1n Michael S. Glassn1an. Rooriguczs la"~"'" Olso fuilcd to n1ake the rel3tionship cleat "F-0r 1he la'>I severid rnonlhs, Mr. ~odrigu ~z. and the O\vner of.;.\bleMnnagei1ient ha\'e tiled toopcm.wjoiii1ly-undcra nev.iy tbm1edmtil}' doing bnSlnessas l11i= Divets~ Pi:rsonnel Co ('TOPC') but recent!)' hove decided tono longerOpe·rale in thi.Sfashio•t." the lcUcr .&ly!>. "lt 1s Mr. ~odngi1ez's intent to rl!tunt to doing busloes$on his O\\fl v.id1 IUsorigi1ui1 oon1pmy." _Rivera·sdescriptioo ofher ~:i)pcrieocc· ''·i1h che Able l>erso1mt.i Co. soundssu111larte 01.hers· occounrsof \\twking for Divers_,. Personnel Co. After oni"inghere, nmy 1wrk<'IS find the1'nst!lves ~ttuggl ing, tog1.'t-by. shesays;. ·· A lot ofp«>ple go 10 ~ r e Salvn 1ion ;.\ rn1y for food because they've go[ 10 send m6n~· to dJ1:(rTI.uni lies." 'Riv1;..'fa says ..Aftermy brotherandnty n1Qn1r~n. tJ1~job, they cho1ged 11iem $200 because they. supposedly broke the oontma." Riven\. 22, arrive<} frOJn l' uerto Rico in May 2007 "$on1e guy rrorn the conlpany goes to.Puerto Rico," she S<1ys. ··tte pays $50 for ""'.Cry 1)¢JSX)n \\~10 ,gOt SK.'flt bcrc. They have a person \vho sa\v you ln the! su~t qrson1~1.hiog and lhe)• 1old you about this con'l':uty.They say they pay for y0\11' housing. t!Jid the).•-give)'OU transporration. Bur the>•don't say youhu....e.topay IOr i1 1i'c>10 your pa)•check. Once peopJe getl1ere, the)•findouL One of theguys \'iho usc..-d to \.\'Ork for­ Able had te>sleep on the floor fQr th tee 111c.>nthS \vflcn he got here." Rivera says that \\~\ea s.l1e and h'cr fn mil)' c.xpresscd a degre to live 10 an apartn1entof their own choos111g, CQnlpl'lll)' officialssaidsucha n1011e v.'Ould cost 1hen1 theirjobs. · "They bring people from 1>uerto Rico to here.-and lhen thl!)' lh.t<.)\Vd•em iu 1he str~IS... sheSays-, The UFCW mer echoes .Rivera·s al.legations. "'In one inst311ce, Able/ Div~rse P~rsoon~I told the ~'Orkers th?Y c.ouJd lenve but they \vouldha-..re tocontinue co pay (or r¢.ot -at the compJJny Streetvibes Investigation apartments or they \vould be tired," dte H1ersay~ Conlrac1s \vidt Diverse require \Voriie-rs to pay S7 ~r­ petson per day for transpornilion t. o \\'Ork. ·'Il's less th3Jl 01\e n1i le tiun1 1he U1>art111ont· to dtl! job,.. S.lfltii,tgO says As ''rith the rent cJ1arges, the tn\tJ.;1J0rU1tioJ1 ''scr,>icc" app'3ars to be lucrative for the 1!111p!o)'l1X'fll ageucy. "They also charge folks$7 lld.1y inUMSfXlrt.uion tees, even if1hcir \.\"Otksitc·ls OJ1ly o.1.1c mile a\vay, and they takl.}groups of folk$ 111 buses or vans," We UFCWsays. Not •II of the \li()rkers·are Pucr10 Ricans. Ja ck ie Robinson (no[ hi$ real name) says h·e 'vorked 111 lhe S:alvad Q:ran s~cret Sl!t\11ce boforeo!Jlluningpoliticalasylum in t11e United Stales.Assigned to ~ job at Cincinnati J'>rocess111g, u company thnl· processes pQrk for the Kro_ger Co., Robinson explained through ru1 i111erpreter \.\'hat he d-Unk,softJ-~ \1,;()f\.;jng oon.ditions._ "'Su prett}' n1uch we are sla\;es,," he says...ll'sor11elh1ng hoppens to us. wegei fi r«! and dtey get somebody else. They are 1naki.ng OlOfC·moncy offll':I. and \\'e are. tb~1f~l aves Ola.king all 1.h1..;r ntOU~' •• ' I sa'v many get bu rt' It Yl'3S \'-'Orii_1ng co.nditJons ut Cfoti1i11.'.111 Pn.x.'essirig 1h111fiis1 pron1pied \VOrkers lnstyear to contact lhe Soulhv.•est 011io '"'<>r~crs Genter, tdJjli.ated \vith UFCW, and th ~ Interfaith Vlori<etS ~enter. "'Struiiog aboul Augustof last year. \Ye bea rd sonre complaints from i1nmjgn\nt \\'Orkers about ho\\' they \I/ere tfe~te<l at· Cintinnitl i 'Processing," Sherman says "We felt die b..'Sl way to address the problem \.\'a$ through 1he COOlllllUli1}•.SO\WJOllUI}' fomll'd tlleSouth\\+est Ohio \\1orkers· Rights Board " i1b rcligious:11d co111n1uttlty activists ,vho in Dccembcrhclda hcarins \.\ith six V.'Ork.ers. TheY. descnOed 1he situatu)n at (.1ncinnati 'Processing. '"1.bls one \Von1a.n had dinbctes bui Ibey v.'Ouldn·1101 h·e r take her medicine Tile ~E>i:r\'isQrs onl)•le1. hl!ftake d•I!' nledicine alcl!ftain tinleS They ha.d several s upervisors: who '\\'01dd'm.a_ko doci'sions on 'vho 5 \.\•Quid take breaks, Some lSSOmC\\i:ifltptuzled b)· the l&: \.\mkerswe.renol eve.1 atlo\wd of the \\1ord ·con1phunts' \ VJth 10 1·akt! ln<e:ak~. and I.ht:)' '~•t refere.tee to SOWRB. 11 isihe '''Olkirigso1110tin1es 72 ho.urs a co111pi11y•s undeistandingthatat \.\~k..­ n1ost SO\\' RB rec~1 \red lo January. the \\'orkers' allc.gat ions from fo rmer Jllghts Board.sent.Cincinnati eotploy~ ,,iho 1ns1sied on Processingand the Ktoger Co. ano11y1nity. ... Jn OOditi().11, it \\'ft_(; ·a lengthy lis t of \\•orkers' obvious lha l SOW l:lB con1plaints: "\\rork necessary aCcepted as true \IA1itever \WS forn\'O \\•orketSis done by one. tol<l10 U1em,even though tnM)' •• Superv1sors-ha,•e con1e to oflhe olleg;ill005 """'obviously \\'Ork druuk and drink on the falso ru1d 01hers diipl•yell a job. Supervisors asked cornple1e misun~ers1anCting of en1ployees to perfom1 sexual how the tneat processing acts. S~cJVioors imply that this ind\1Stry \VOJ:i.:s !md' hov.• it 'is isdwonJy ''laY 1hey \.\ill receive regulated. It \V3~ clear that SOW RB \vas either l>opelcssly S.rt\\'O'l31l¥ peopleg.e1 burto1\ tht! Job b.."Cousoofimprop...- trnirnng ru1d bee.al.$! or lhe pressure u, ""'kAideRodrigl"1Z.'sst:uenmt too fast " containsanaccU)l)Lioit, •'ef>ea!ed by o the r \liorke rs. that p11)rl1pled Ci1.ciuna.tl Pnx:e:ssirlg 10 thrcateo a laY1Sui1 against •hu SOW:RB. ..Thet~ \\1ere 11.lsQ tiroes v.11en 111eat \vouJd fall oo the floor, mid they would j ust pick up 1he mCjtl ~nd put i1 lnu;k on the line. ... Ooedtingdtar'S for su1'e is that, a11et \V()11::.ing -al CinGlnnati Processing, I Y..111 nt',>er buy n1eat fi'Q111 Kroger. bt:Causc1hccond iiion 1n·,'lf1i ch dte meat is h3J1dled is ' 'el)' bad," na'l\.'C' or so J.\ ide R<><lt iguez's s·taternent unfair ly says favorabll.} treatn1oot. ... The Supervisots haras$ed, hun1ili01rad and inlirriidated sonre en1ployees through vCfbal abuse.. Employees v.·ho approach s upe[visors \V1th sincere c:o1npl&ints and/or sugges6ons for i n1pro\'e1nen1 a.re disrespected, i.e.. tlte}' :ire. threatened \vith tt.'llllfo:,:itionO:' cursed at.'~ Thi! l>otitd reque$ted a mee1Jn_g to discuss 1he complaints. In a fan. 30 t"l'IY, Dennis H_ilgcro1lf'I, general nlanager of Cincinnati Processing\ sfud duu1ks - but no thrutks. ... \\1hile. 1he co111pany ·apprecil'Jl'S yOlir brio.g.ing lhcse allegaaons iO its atten1ion, i1 v.uuld be tn.appf\)p1·i.nte ford1e company-10ntee( or othen-..1se deal \\~ th your organization about mutters· in-vol,iing itS employees... FCilgeman v.•rote. ··1111: co1upany has rctairted rul indapendenl jnvestigiltor to r111/fJll Qrgool:...•r f{/lt n DiQngtr l1m invesrigate the complai nts /11w1ogra;JJ; IJv A1>tln-l• t .-l1n1i!f,\'"'" rtliS<;.'(! in the r~")Xlrt ·· _L.ynn 0 , 1>uodzak. an partisan thal they had no :1ttornl!)' luted by Cancinunli concern li.)t U1e ll'Uih .. Proc.essing tO conduct the Bu1Hil£>'1UW1 is "TOO!' Not investigation. refCrrt?d o. all cbe con1pl1tints -nboul reporter's questions· 10 C'incinl't3ti Pttx:4.'SSing h~tve ~ 001np:.viyattomeyJin1f\1iJls. He givmonoooditioo ofanOl'l}rmity. ln tu1n relayed IQ 13il~111t1n a O nt': o r 1J1e \\>Ork·ets who reques1 for an inrervie\.,.. nnd a co1nplained abotn die cofnp:llly copy of the i11vesriga1or's \~·as ..\jdc.Rodiiguez, \vho v.as re.port. Jn letters rcJH)<Cd by fi red in October 2007, The Mills to ~·111:c tl'ihcs. Ril.geman UFCW provided a copy of declloetlboth rcquesl!l. Rodr1s~1 ez·s $la1 c111~11 L, tided Hi]gen1an's le1ler to 1he ..Gin.cinnati ProcesSing \\10rk~r South,ve'st Ohio Wo rkers ~ .L 'fi.ostln).)1l)'.·· Rights llo•rd (SOWRB) •scd "Wh-cn Istarted \\'Orking. 1 the \\Ord "coo1plaults.••butinhis \.'!'as never proper,ly trained on May20 teyJy tOSllt!4!ll"ibes, hi! how 10 use tht: kni \ tCS or bov.• bristlesarthe use.of1he 1enn to use the chen1ioals... lhe ..No inreMe\viscalled for;.. state'n1en1 sa-ys. ''l received no Hilgcmwrwrit~ "Thcoornpooy oricnt<1tion \vf'Httsoc!vcr. an.d l h·~·n lk•ping l.an110 \l·(Jrkirn, ~1,an a Gon1e.z (not her r~I cu1n1e) o_ f Fa.trlield v. tOJ1_1>ed meat at Cincinnati Processing until she Wl\S fired last fall. 1 5¢aking throusfl an l111erpre1et. she nlak_es the same charge nlwut sanit.'11iQn ru d1oplont. "A lot oftimes. if1hcmcat fell on d1e floor, they ,,<0uJdn·1 do \Vhnl they're Supposed t() do." Gon1ez say~. " TI1ey' re supp<>sed to :;pmy i~ but d11:y 'd jw;a-put i1in thcpack:ib'i:S, l s.'l'v ir\vith Ill)' ov..n eyes. E\'WI the Suj)e1·v1sot Sil"' il Titl! ne'v people hadn '1 been trained. l11ey pickl!d 11 up. and t.he Sup:.?rvisoisdidri 't sayan)1hing �6 STREETVIBES Streetvibes Investigation June 2008 Courinul'd rron1 paet::i bC· h igh-ha~1rd ind11$trics," he It \\.'<.lUld alrend)r be on the says. St)'tofoa,111 plale..'i:. The \lthqle ,i.\ skl!-d to respolld 10 plate""uld falloo the Door, and allegations ofunsanitaty f:ood they ,vouJdpickeverytJting up, haridJing, Hilgetnan \Vl'iles. \\'rap ii up -and send i i to ''C iocin11ari Proccssinsl1as an Kroger," unquestioned re~o rd of '"Jt"s preuy ruuth t:vc1y ill1y, providing qualll)' S<.'f\'lCCS .:ttK!of They 1w uldyell and make diem con11liance\\·fd1ngoroussafety goso fast.and people couldn't tmd sani1ation standards. 'l'be cvoo Stretch their backs, The company's operationS·aild n1ent \VOuld fall on the ftoor all records ar~ closely 1110J1itored 1he thne because they \\'Ould by \lflSheUSDA inspect01s :· V.'Orkso fast." Butse\>:eral\\urkerssay tha1 supervisorski10\vv.ben OSl>1\ 'T hey' re coming' or Kroger pcrsonJ.ll!'l ·,vitl be Si:xual h.a1!lfi$1n 611t \VilS con1mon ac Cincinnati l)ro c~s sing. according 10 GoJnezand Jackie Robinson. ''When1heStipen.isorssa'v thru Di:onis g.i'"I!· nte a pieceof candy, they said !heremustbe son1ethi11g f::>eing on," Gon1ez says. ..T.hcy 'vould say. ' Did you go under h1s desk ru1d do oonie.thins for hin1·1· I Jjk«I d1e v.orkand reaUyenjoyed111)•job. Ijustdidn' tundmtl!td die w~y they trtate<I me. ihe·way 1h-cy harassed mese,,-ually and nl~tde us \l/Otk su harcL "They'dsay. ·Worl< osfost 1 3S), 0 u lllO\te a l night. Move as fast as·you do "ticn you1 rc havtag9aX.••• So1neiin1es 1nj wi~ resulted from pressure to \\•ork f:isier, Gomezsays. "One day tbey hod a lotof me31 to cut.~• she says. "They v.·~tl! t-t1tting r:ioi:k feeL They had lol offeet to cut. One of the supervisors told one of the v.>0rkors, ·vou·ve got to go fosterl You'vegot to go f~erl ' He cut hi111self. IJe lt151part of his fingor. They1ook him10 the hospital. They did not call 311 ambul.aocc. Th1..'Y didn "'t stop the hoe. They didn't c.lean the kni ves They didn·1 <lo anydting... la a letter to ,)11v<~tvibcs. J·l"ilgclnt1n, the 1>hmtmanager, brieflydefendeddie oompuny·s safe!)' retord a "As you n1ight ~l. there have beoo cuts front tin1e to time, and the company has compl1ed\\;th all OSHAreoord k~~ping tequirt1ntlllS," tJ1e lettersays. T he local office of rhe (ltcu1Xl!1011a!Safeoty 1r1d Heal di Administration (OSHA)hos no record of sat"et)' vlol:uions at Cincin:na ti Procoss ini;. according to Area Director DicJ< GilliltiSL '"\Ve have noth1ng. on that con1pai1y, aud.c>0111tally \vt a1e familiar ,...;,h m1.:a1packcrs because there areJ1' t n1m1y of lhem le!l and tl1eyalso tend to Jlotlt Di,•ersc aorl Ahle t.·i>1npar1ie,\· n·u:nu·t '" l' 11crf(J R.iC(t, l1/11Jll),~J'(Iplt bj•i J11ti1TJ11•A11i11..·1"$0ll. ''Reruly,ve'tes1ill lhc union there," lie says. ·•\\-'e nevet de­ c:ertilied \Vejust haven·1 had a lot pfcontact until r~ce11tly.H Dieng.er says 1he 1uuon has in itiated formal w nraci \Vi1h i1tspecting, and 1J1e operation tcrr.,c>nuiJy impll.)vcs,An c-m~i I cr1ti.01zing the <:on1paoy. c.itculated by 11tl!n1bcrs of 1.he Worhrs' Rights Boaid, says visits by Krogerpersoon~l '~ere anl\0t1occd in·a d,•::incc, '"'Ob,•iously, Kroger ~n1pl oyees SIOJ> by the plru1t 10 inspect the V.'Orking C'Oflditions tind standards but 1he c mpfo)•ccs at ('inc.lnnttti J'>roce$lnge;IQ)lain.edd1ese ,'lSits are pltuu1ed in advanc:~;· Lhe staten1ent ~ys. ~'Mlm agemeiit tt.nd s upervisors know in advance when Kroger l.ouls l.eny, Mid\vc·s t regional manag;.:or for USD:\. says all rccordsrequestSn1us1 s o thrQugb thcagcncy,soffitlJ ill Vla.sbingtoo. D.C: " .4.ny request for records has to go lhrough 1he FOIA process." he- ~ays .. , . Ill not at.1thori7X..-d to rclcasc.anythnlg." AFreedon1oflt1fOmmtion Act (FOIA) request to USDA v.'aSll"tans\\~red intimeforthis edibo1t H-ilgeman denied tl repo11er·s reques1to lour 1he plant Kroger officials have ·not repres..~tati vesareoom111g an d. re~ponded to the con1plaint ofC:Ollt)le. nutke'Sltte e\1L>tytl1ing rc.porl by the Wor.kcrs' Rights isperfCct on those days."' Board, according co Sheanan. 'rhe. s a.nle is 1rue of Ktogetrepresentntivesdidnot inspections by the ll.S ret1im a reporter~s·cruls. Depart111ent of Agricullure (USD1\ ). nccor<lin~ I(> CiQn1ez. See you in court "'ll••Ycame in andchecked things1 but dley aJways kne\v TI1e UFCW is 1he legal before they \vcrc going 10 bai:gaiofng agent for.,.,-orf.:ers :lt coil).?."9-ies..-;ys. ••0tnn.1sv.'Ould Ci:ncinnu1ll'rocesS1ng- but10 ~ay, 'Th~y·r~ c.Q1i-1i11g: and nanlc onl)', according fo !)ill everything \vould be done Dudleyt ctirocioroforgatiizing slower. They oould cleaic" and strategic operado11...:; fot l'n)lis lcltcr. f:fil,b'<!man Sij}'S. f..ocal l 099. The union \\'Oil a the "'fulse.s1ate11\ellts'' ~>ut the cerr.i ficati0tl elecnon.ru dle1>lant c.Qn1ptu1y s.hO·uld be chet:ked more chan I0 ~ears ago~ bu1 agoinst USDA records only after n pronncled leg.al ' " ILwould be re.:kless for barlle, with the Nnti011a.l .Labo1 anyone«> rcpcator oth0cn\~Sc Relations Bo-ml impot11dingdie pUblish these false alle.&'3.t1ons ballolS tOr three:years. he says. \\ithout cht.>Ck1ng.the001np:u1y·s BY. the time IJFCW ' \/OS record of USDA oolnpliaqce,'" C·erti fie-d as the union at ("1nci1u1n1i Pn'>Ces.'ii11£., n\Ost of the lt~trer says. Asked foroopicsofUSDA 'he empto)rees originaJly 11151)\~lions, Hil!,,i.en1ansays the involved in the can1paign had c<nnp:lt1y <lot:.Sfl'1 havl! tht;:nt moved on The union never "These are kepi by the suc.c eeded in negonilling :i U"SOA, not the con1p.ai1y," he COlltrllCI \vith 1he C0 1npru\)', .,\'rites. Dudley says. n1~i.e1nentlllldhopestobegin neo~oriati:ngsooc1. ~'hen 1t co1l1es to COitlplnints against Diverse Pcl'Sf?Jlncl Co,, '''hich provides ten1porary \VOrkers fo r C1f1 ciru~ati Pr(lCl!SSit\g, Club Che ~ the Castelhn1 Co and olhers. Dudli:y says the union isn·1 ovon tryi ng ICI rccnJil members. '"'\\'e're not orgwuziog at Diverse," hesays,·•\\'e,vould JUSI Hke to hcJp th~ \VOrkeJs. I think ma)•bc thi:fC; arc things happening dtattire.1101lej;aL'" A h!gaJ fi~u onesorl Ot another is- a1most certain to O>Suh frQtn thoe~Q.~ lolbL'therit invol vos tho r:s1, fede ral regulatory ag~. nc ies or defan:\aLion luv.-suits. ln odd!1ioo to rhe threat by Cincinnati PiocessUig tQsue tJ1e SQl1dl\\~t Ohio Workers' Rights Board, that.con:ipany's ltt\''Yer:llld tbe atto1ney for Diverse Pet~ooel Co. inti111ated in let(ers to .~rec:tl'//1es thnt i1riske-.d let~I action in purs1nng 1hi's:;itozy. Jackie Robinson, \Vbo \\orked for botl\ com1>a11ie$~ or says he decided 1ospeak out in 1he bopc thrn odlcr \\'Oitcrs \vi.U b.e· spared the-death threats, seli.ual hara~1\)eo1 ~od othet problems he experienced. Be describ:eslheday \vhcn hedre\V the lino. "They ga'e me a lot of rneat,.and tl1eS1,1fx."f\;isoc looked al ntennd.said. 'You're-really a v.•o n1~u1. you' re an anin1al, you·re good fbr nothing and you've gol todo the \~'Ork that. Isay,tlintl givey<l<!,'• Rollinson .S8J'S "And ltnldhin~ 'lopk, I've seen you look a1tho \\/Qroco Youyell .mdyQu·re not going ll)yell tu me.evet beqi_US¢ in the Lrn.iledStales there's no such lhingasslavec}'; 1here·s no sudi 1bing8S :;i group ofslaves: ... 1'he ne-:<:l ti n1e that-you screain at me. J'm £-Olflg 10 f.~l a ride out of here and call the sf1e1iff *­ Thc too.frontatioo worl<<'<l - at lea.~t ternpornrily. "Everyl>ody SIOf~ied fot a nunlber of ntinur~s and 1.ooked up,:md tl1eysaid. '1batold fudt has quite~ IC.roper'- in Jfonl of evCl)'body. Then mat man stopped ti,llklrtg to 1n.e fo r Slx days... No\v Robinson Mdhis oo· '''orkcrs Say lhcy solutionthat I.as-ts. •n.. S.'trootvibt:S Subscdplians Ne yQu u:uereswd 10.bavingS!~tt1t•1/J1•.r dcl1verod toyour mall box c.ve<}( montb2 St!nd a clicek ror $25· with your nam~ and address to; .'i/rt!e/i•ibe~ LI1£ 12th SL Cinclnnati.,OH 45202 �STREETVIBES June2008 Community News 7 The Myth of the Deadbeat Dad n1oving.poorn1others into lhe wo1•kforcehasl>een 1osupporl t~Jr "''l\S'-'$ \Vllh 01htr benefits: or reliable transport ation. foods1amps,. he3Jt11 lnsuranoe $heller instab1l'il)' and lack of ru1d inSOlllt stottsreui.inuis a Englisbskills allserveasbaniers portionof1"ANFgrants as they 10\\IOl'k. Lack ofeducruioo v.~-; h>O to \\'<>l'k. for poot mothe~. ,found to bl! the n1ost oonunon Coogres'S hns sai~t. .. If you go ba.rrie.r.O\.-e.r40pe:rcentofd1e to \York to support }'o ur pOOr, nOn-t11$1jtuli.on:ilrn."<I, non- d 1Hdrt:1t, th~ yovt:m1nen1 ,v\JJ paying fathers hndn 'tobtained provide selectsupport to help }ailingpOOY• fafherS dOeSn f hel1'J anyone BY B1u .. G.,J.L\GUt:lt ( Ofl.'TRll)tITTNt1 WJUTF.I( the or.dered payn.1ents. La'vs punish c.hild-suppar1 debt by suspenditlglicenses forjobs 10 hat does a "deadbeat" heir.> produce tlh.~ ""iages n~ed look like? The popular 10 pay the debt 1n:iage ofa "'deadbeat dad" is :i Arecentstud)· ~·d1eUrlxut mandeli IUit in his refusal IQ pay lnstiruto, a Ws.shington-bascd for hts <lhildren ,-,·hil~cl earl y chi nk 1ank , determined having the ability to 1>3)' foe agsressi\'e c.011c-c11on ploy~ a d1em,Thisinlnge is oot re:tli1y. ,;1olrolempll<llinglow-inoome Consider the,re nre nlore ..black men aged 25·34 out of thait2.5 million noo-rcsidcn1 Jav.·fi1I cmploym.ent.'rhis isthc fathersin theUnired States"4-io .exact opposite.of the goal are poor, \I/Ith liTni1ed or uo MUghi h)' l>Ol1cyn1ake'rs v.·hen ability to provide support fo r passin,gpwlis.hn1en.tstatutesfor thcir chjldre:n. c:JrcunlStances, OOfl-payn1001ofchild support. banicrs imd lack of nvnjlablc Researchers a l 1hc Urb(ln progrnm1ning do 001 pro\'ide h1stirute-notethatchild.suppott hope, for incre!lsint 1he t.-ntoreernenl a..t;:St1n1es ail 1nen contributions by non-re:sideQt ha~-ed\eabilitytoptl)'. fatl1ers. ~aut son1ei1n1es n1en cao·, In 1995 lhc dcbl owed by p::.y because the)• Rrc in prison fathers \i,;·as appmxinl!rtely S3 I or don't have thtrmoney," s3id bilhon. By 2003 1ha1 figure Elaine.Sort.'flsen, a researcher uipledm S% bil.lion. Increased at 1he institute. ··child support repornngacoounts toe son1~of poticie;needtobemorefle.xible the increase, bu1the grov.•ing io di-stlnguis:h b~t\11ecn those number ofP<>Or and underpaid v.•ho \VOn'1-pay ru1d those \vtt'o citizens 111akcs pnymen1 of can't·· support incre:iSi.ngly I~ likely. l.ncarceratioo afTeclS.abou1 Seven\)'pecce111 ofIlle debt one..founhofpoorfathers\1<ho is O\VCd by n1c.n \vho earn don'1pey support .A.. n1ongf)OOr $ 10,000 n year or less . v.'Orkingfulhers,n10Srh;;,>ld full­ accortllng 10 d1e Federal C)ffice ti11iejoh.s bu1 <Lid:11' 1\"1>rk.>•ear ofCbild Suppon E'nforcemen1. round. the Urban lnstitu1e Less di an4 perce111of the debt tbund. bn <l\'l?r.lge, lhenUJ11ber is ov.•cd by men ni.aking more of "w.ks \\'(Irked \\'a50nly 29, The average earnings were th311 $40.000. (~ice 1hedeln begins, poi)r $5,570. Fac.torssuch as heahh men stand httJe chanceof ever lin1ltat1oos. linlited education, getting backeon track 10 pro\4.de lintlted \\'Otk experience, lack W "Child support policies need to be more flexible to distinguish between those who won't pay aOd those who can't." adiplon1aorGED. Welfare 10 \\fork progranlS havu con1rib·u·1od 10 th!.! inGreasing deb1· O\\'ed by 1he poot Otde.red to pa)' child s upport In 1996, \Ve.I fare ..refon11" legislation cre31ed a block grant progra1n called Temporaf)' ;\ssistance for Needy Faniilies (T.i\NF). ·rhe ·sra.tes were left to de1enn111e you c<>nttnuc to \VOrk:· Poor fathe.rs \\110 P3l-' support arenot f;tVet> n.ccess 10 these san1c: . . progrnnlS, ' ~1a1iy stalesdon't 1)<!111111 B coon 10 adju.s1 the Wl'K>unt of nm~· :\$igi1ed toa11W"1 to pa):: h1u11111y States, d1e figure Li; Sdl autontruically anheoo10uni the n1otJie.r receives fto1n v.ielfare, regardless of ubility to pa)': cl1gi~i Hty,and nlOStstates h.a1,.~ l~educt1on isp' t pem1jne.d in been rcluc1a.n110 spe1'd any of rllOSl juri~dictiC)tlS. leaving the fi1ndson programsain1ed al paynlerns uncollected and debt no11-resideo1f adl~t~ \\'0111eo in<.'tt'a<dny. ·J>oliciesfol'fu1yi\1u1s receiving v1elfttre OO\Vare or rcdue iog arrests arc required toparticip3tein \W fk · unpopul,at.ReqoestS torein~~ne related nctivitics such as job d1i'vcn;' licei.isesorproit.';$Sional trajningandjobsearch. t\13ny licenses. si1spended for nonother en1ploy111ent-related paymcsu of support. nre rl\any p.rograms that target lhe poor tltncs refused byjud~vcs v.flottrc give pnor1ry to \\'.el(are slc.k and 1ired of dads \\•ho rccip1u"ts. As a result, poor don ·1pay_/\1t'5l ooui1S ru'C:Ot:lly non-tesident futhershave Jess in1erested in seeingpayments acccss 1ojob-J"ela1ed s~1'·iccs ma·de. than poor mothers. When 3 ftiJhC~ \vhodocsn ' t Additiouali}', 1he srmregy of pa}' isprosecuted. h1secouon1ic s1ntusp.l aysn role.ntevery stage oftheproce.:dlng,s..Locally, it v.'3Sthc on\vnl1(~n ruledi.'ltbond vo'Ould be set at the amount of the art~arage. Men with resources \\'eC'e-refea~ \\ohile the poor re1tt.-Ur-od incarteratOO. ~11Ul)•<>fthc- •TKl'l 'v.ho nl3.kelx1il arepemunedton1.:tkepayme11ts on d~e Brrt!Ara_ge Jll nn atli!J11pt 10 n1i1igate pl1nishment. If successful, these n-.ei1ate lie\•l't mearccrUlcd \mile p•ymcnts arem:u!e. The: poor " 1lto at<! int:'lroerntedarealmostcertainly :;.ving ll) pri~ fol'nOn-payn-.en1 because of an inabil ity 10 n1j1ig:ate their c-ircumS1anc~. Suppor1obllgntlorLi;OOntiuuCt() mount \Vhile incnrcern1ed. utcreac;ing l11edcl:>t O\ved ,..nen released.Yl-t lhclikt;ilihoodof ntean1ngfulempl0}111ent upon rclea....:;e ltt..11 pn~11 ii; less likely d1an be.fora incarreration, 1-\ better und~~ta11 di n_g of 1ho circumSttlnces 1ha1 lead n1any of the poor 10 find dle1nsel\'es facing 1UOWlting support debt and unable 10 1n:UL1tgei.lv.ill hof)efully leBd10 rcfonn;.-dpolic1cs. EX1ool ac.<;CSS 10 educational and j ob ptogr~nlS \vouJd be. a gQQd starL Progrnms de·signed 10 address 1he leading fnctors of uncn1ploymcJ1t and undcr­ enlplo)'ll~ntareneeded. 01ild supJ)Q1'l la' vs. nec!d to petnl1L courts and adn1 inis1rators· flexibility v.i1ei1arefuced \vith debtorsv.bosesitt1:ltior1caJlsf0t reductionor fOrgive.ness WHAT'S AT STAKE? JOIN US ibr OAYS OFDIALOG UE. What better ti1ne than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us all Educati·o n May 17 OUR PURPOSE is to create an environn1ent >vherc people >vith differing vie\vs can listen and be listened to. and civil discourse can occur. \.YIIEN: Each dialogue •Vil I he heldon Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon \VH ERE: First Unitarian Church (536 Linton St) at corner of Reading - Free & Open to the Pub.I ic ­ Reservations Re.quested. RSVP lo 5 13-579-8547 w•vw.ijpc-cincinnati.org l~'!"--------::i l11111llgration July 19 �STREETVIBES Artwork and Poetry 8 Ju~e 2008 "Some of the Tools of the Trade" BY ANTONIO H ODGE STREIITVIDES V ENDOR Shutter Speed BY A l\'DREW ANDERSON FATHER J3Y D ELLA WootENS A is for Itis S1.1'0n,g lovinga1nls lluttshielded n1e fi'Otn n.11 l11Um Tis for all of tl1e good 1in1es,,<e had H 1s. for has puro kmd heori R is for real and reol he' JJ ttlw~ys bo Pul Lhe1n 1ogecher. they spell Ffltlh~,c A \\-Ord tha1 n1eu115 the ubllOS[ fO me, Cleo's Joke Corner \\~h}• did C-inderelJa get ki.ckedoutof the bMcball g"nw? Well.sbc left the ball lllld her coach ''1as a punwkin. \Vhy~<iU 1here lle\"ef ag."lin be·a full moon? In 1969 dlesc~e11tiS1S said tit.at lhe ascroonuts bn.>u_g.;1 ba<:k scimeofthc moon rocks • �STREETVIBES June2008 Artwork and Poetry 9 Abstract Ball To Will \.Vriters! ~ subn1ityour WJI poetry to Strectvibes - email your writing 10 streetvibes2@yahoo.co111 Then disappoinbnent set in llY RC1LtYP \RJ;EJt aq·i Sil he'e 1shake n1y bead oo.t10 thythnt conies 10 n1ll'1d j usa slnught·up di sapppoiJttm~I for)'OU and all n1en Istood s.!lying not aJI \vhere the same that you \\•ere iheone you lo\1ed 1ne 1 l..111~\I,' l"otsute Work Advertisement " Our" Janitorial Serivcc We believe in team \Vork You, Lhe client, decide tbe pay rate We, the cleaners. will handle the re~i Call: Harold V. Taylor 5 13 86 1.0468 00\V i <IOnt knO\Y i ask for a hug again anda!?fun till no\vthe tearsflo\v 1ru.hurtiog so c311 i please hRvca hugj ask you did no \l/TOllgyou den1and v.•hen aJI i a.~ed \ '/a(; fora linJ'eauentiOf'I a Y.'Onian i explain to you lam Berta's Art Corner a-ge.ule c:;iresscan erase Ir nJJ "',\i1cn you sflu1 \IJJ" then i-,vill you dc1nand becauseno,vlhete ishun sitting b=>...sidedis:tppoi111n1en1 tk)\Vlhis-atl ~tarted I ~oodt!ri!d d1e.n dle're it.\'<'aSagai11 1fl do LllJ!; foryou 1hcn that you \.\~ II do tbr mo no n10rereac:hing oo;-er·and_gen1le love i feel 1 first1nl~t ean1ii you den1and IK)\v \\'ilS i $0 bhnd sod.isil l u~ionedsomcho\v thendisappointn1001 set in tk)ur nftet Itour has pa.iosOO r1ow thegentleaffection and $'.IJ'Ol'lg (e..'tl';SWMCe oflhe love i thought \'lilS 1hcre no'vit'sjusl hun ru1ddisappoi11t.iite.1t "Remnant" Ovi;R-'l'HP.-RHINE �STREETVIBES Columns 10 June 2008 The Strange Story of Crack Cocaine How a single drug nearly wrecked the black community B Y l\t ICll Al?.1, H £NOON Com l\JDllflNO W RITER renlen1ber, i.n the ntid ' 80~ E nying to \W1k ,._;th ayol.llg rug dealer ,,..,o v.·as a particularly hard nut to crack. Like n1any dealers, he was a bright kid, but very dedicated to dealing. He \WS a kid fron1 the \Vest End, s mal l but muscular. very alertand 'VIDY, like afox io acotoer. L~ke Lhat fox, he \v.tS lookingfor anout l 'here \Vere three of us more or less tcamc..-d up against him. Isay 1110re orless because h1SSOCtal \VOtkerhadg.i\ret\ up and chose to check his e·n1ail instead. Out my friend Jerry and I weredetemtined to gel through 10 him. This ..vas at l·lanuhon County 's institution for de1inquenl youth, and lhis kid v.'9S asdclinqut."lltasth<..')' come. He had j ust been arrested ­ again - fordealing"t1deon a weekend pass. \Ve \Vere looki:ngfor a litt1e v.'ed~ a little sho\vofrcmorse. But nothing was getting through. It didn't rn11ttet 1hat he ..vas already adj udicated. It didn't 111atter that he \Vas looking at son1e harder time upstate. It didn't even ntatterthat his 1110ther and his yowig« broll1ersandsistel'S v.•ere about to beevicted fron1 public housing because ofhis delding. Hedidn'tbel.i O'>'O us on that one. so v.•e let hin1call he1·on the phone. I thought,"Surely. if he talks to his nlother, he \viii tOld. He \11ill adrnit he is \\<rong. He \viii give us that remorse." Sony. He hcardh<~ tcll him that. yes, itwas true that she and tlleyouoge1·children "'eteabou1 to beset out But no remorse. "You shouldn't have let thc:m in.'' he told her. So,insteadofbeingset rigjlt by a r1gl1teous. ru1g.iy n1other. th.is kid v.ias lecturing Ju:r on legalsrrategy. The social "'' orkcr continued k> tap at his conl)uter. 1'ie had been "'1()1'k1ng: wilh tl1is kid for v.<eeks. He knew. l hope son1ebody has gotten through to that kid by now. But on that da)', nothing v.'01'ked. 1'ie reS1>0nded toeach intervention v..ith a shrugoran excuse.·111e shn1g .., ias thes.:'\01e c:ach time,blrt theexcuses \"'t.'fC variations on two different 1hen1es: " If I don't do it. son1eone else v.ii.11"; or "The govetnn1e11rbroughtit in, so ho\V can they say l ' m \VTOng'?,. Neither offers much of a defense for v.11athe .,,ia,s doing. But the>•'vorked for hint administration.the Contras of At firs t. it \vas a West Nicaragua and a dealer fron1 Coast/East Coast, bigger city Los t\ ogeles nan1ed Freev.•ay tl1ing:, Fron1..,~1e<e ..ve sat, u\ d1e Ricky Ross. Midv.•est, following the news about crack cocaine \V<lS like • Cocain e used to be v.·aitingfor bad '"''Cather to roll considered a rich 111an's drug. in. As usual, the v.eather rolled But 1ha1 changed with the 1n fronl the west. In this case. emergenoeofcrackcocaineon the bad \\feather rel.led in fron1 the \\'esl coast in che '80s. California by 'vay of Detroit Crad: oocainebroughtlhepricc v.•hen Frec\vay Rjc.k roll ed ofthe product into the rangeof dov.'fl Interstate 75. A1110ng a n1ass n1atke1. II \V!lS quick et otl1et ironies here: Fteev.•ay and 1110re intense and all forthe Rick is said to have oon1e to price ofa Happy Meal. Cincinnati because his crack· Hammered by Mi chael Henson l l1e highdidi 't last dw loog, and the drug \vas highly addictive. so a dealer could g:ua1·antee d1at his custom.et V.'Ould be back soon. addicted girtfriend had family here. Freev.iay Rick set up shop Md the rest rolled out fron1 there. Children who have seen their parents, grandparents, and community elders...put themselves in bondage to a teenage dope boy do not see why they should respect any adult Did the&'OVt.'ffillll."llthave a hand in this? A lot of people, 1ncludiog our young dealer. believe so, based in pan on a series of ne,vspaper anicles v.•rittcn by ajournalist named Gal)' Webb.Webb's reportage v.•as quickly suppressed but never refuted. The articles featureour hontebO)•free,vay Ri ck and the Nicaraguan Contras and their pals i.n the Reagan adn1inistration. (You can read nlore by Googling "Gary Webb" or ··oark Allimcc.') To 111)' eye, it doesn't look l11e fi rst excuse is sadly true. There v.rere, at that ri111e -and still are today - an ani1y ofyoung dealers ready to step up like patriots, ready to fight ru1d die fo1·the cause. ( I blan1e gangster rap, but lateron that.) 111e second excuse isn't cxai..·tly tn.i~ but ithas some fact behind it, invol..ii.ngthe Reagan l11e result \vas chaos. We all knowthestol)': physical and spiritual in1poverislutle1tt ofthe addict; vioh."lloe. incarceration andearly death an100g dealers; 1.rau1na to innocent v1ctin1s; social-services systents over,vheln1ed; shattered families; shutt(,.'ft.-d storefronts ~ blighted Lives andreputations. • like a deliberateeftb11to v.reck d1e Blac.k cornmuni(y. as son1e havealleged. Ina \V3)'. it•seven v.•orse. Reagan aod Olivet North and his gangj ust didn't c.are. as long as the)• got \Vhat 1hey \\latlted. which was to wreck the Sandinista g:ovemnleot 1n Nicatagua lfit v.•recked the inner-city con\n1unity. too, dtat v.-asjust so muchcollatetal damage. It v.'1 11 take a lot ntore than crack oocaine to co1nple1ely v.•rcck the Black community. But there is no doubt that the contm.wlity ha-;been brutly hutt Oneofthe ntore disturbingand ulti1natelydeva<;rotinga<;pc.'Ctsof all this chaos '"'as the invt."rSion ofauthori()•i:n fan1ily,schooland contm.wli1y.Ouryoungdealeris more a son of freeway Rick th.10 ofhisown nlOthot. Children v.•ho have SC(,'11 thcir parents. grandparents, ru1d con\ntuniry elders beg, s teal, sell off evel)•thing they O\\lll and put 1he1nselves in bondage to a teenage dope boy do not sec v.•h)• the)• should respect any adult ioMy role. Over-the-Rhine gets a dope dealer on eve1y con1er. and Oliver North gets a talk shov.•. Doesn'tseen1 right (And don' t eveo get n1e staned on gangsta rap.) f\.ftchaet Henson is author of JU111sack, .-1 S'111t1/l l?t>f>n1 u1itJ, 1'ro11ble on My Mind, 1'11C 1Qo ofJ_onging and C1tn•· Call. This column is panofa n1onthly series on poverty and addichon. Neighborhoods Take the Initiative Against Foreclosure Buy in bulk, sell them at 't11holesale' prices Br p ,,1·R1CL\ CARRY Coml\JDllflNO W RITER th fo~oclosu.n.-s soar ng 111 2007 and ""'Shboihoodl being decin1ated by the resulting va­ cruu llOn'leS. a oom..n'li11eeoftl1e HomL'()\lincrship Prt..'Scrva:tion Groupgot togetherto1alk abo1tt ho..v toramp up effonsby corn­ munity developn1entcorpora­ tions (CDCs) 10 acquire and rehab these empty homes for re-sale toqualified fan1ilies. Most members of 1he Hon1eov..nership Preservation G1\'>1.41 ate focused on tl1ecoun­ scling and roodiation needed to W: keep families in foreclosure 1n theirhonies. Cal ling i1Self the Systen1ic Change Committee, the group tackled 1he problem: In 2007, I 00 hon1es per week 1n Harn.ilton County v.<eregoing tl11\'>ugh f0<oclosure viasllenfrs salo. Early intheyear, mostofthe homes \Vere in tl1ec11y- about 65 per week. Bytheendoflast year, dte balru1ce had S\\lung: to,vard the county. Early in 2008,nlD1tbers \verenearly 125 per ..veek. They have begun to drop back son1e\vhat al this point. Systt.'fTric Change mcrrb<'rS creaied a plM to acquire I00 homes at a tin1e in bulk fron1 bank.~ nlOttgage hot~ finan­ cial intt.'flllcdiarics- \vfl(X.•'vt.'C is holding title to the properties - and v.holesalethem rocom­ munity developmentoorpora­ lioos.othernon-p1'0fit <level~ crs andotherpotential partners. to berehabbed and returned to productive use by families in dle neigjtbolhoods. TI1enameoftl1is ptojec1 is Neighborhood Homes 1.nitiati'"' (NHI). All nine CincinnatiCity Counal men-berssupported die motion toesmbl.ishthe NHl and recently passed a motion for a contract to create the business plru1 needed to make !heinitiati-..re operational. t\ ncv.• s teering comn1inee is be­ ingcreated l'O fi­ naliz.e thedetails of day-to-day operati ons of NHI, and its re· pott 1s expected inwly fall. O.il)ina!Sy.. tern Change Con1n1ittee nlen1bers \Vere JearuieGolhhel', Cincinnall D<> velopn1ent Fund: Rick Fisher, Local lnitiaLiveSuP1>011Corpo­ ration;Matt Strauss. Price Hill Will: Don Latz, consul tllll~ Patd Rudemdler, CampWashington Conununit)•Board: and Patricia Gari)'. CDC Association of Gn:att:r Cincinnati. �STREETVIBES Columns June 2008 11 and healthy 41 milli0t1 people are \vithout an)' health care. As hospitals close emergency rooms due 10 federal and state cut backs, thepoorare leanting there is no place to go for healtll care.The r1s1ng costs of root adds to this problentaspeople \\llth 1.inUtedinconleS Sltuggle 10 pay for housing and teduce their food refusesto allov.•both contriblrtions oftOOd. \i,.11.tcrand budgets other basics if they are accompanied b}• specialists in Expandinghw1gern1e..-utS also an increasing health emergencies. The resultisclear: 14undteds ofthOl$rtcE c1·is1s a.-; people choose to ea1 ta1her than take ofpeople are dying. and n1any n10re v.111 die due to medicines that are too expensive. Nev.4y poor are this cb:;ision. unaware ofthe rules ofclinicsor una\,1ateof \vhat is Lc,'SS clearisthe \VOrld pattc.'1Tl:S ofhungerthat have needed for accc,'SS, \Vho is responding,tothisS,fO\i,.ing health crisis? Elders on fixed incon1es are suffeti.ng ftorn v,aichingdlcitnm iesshrink in ten115 of the basics. \Vhai to choose­ food, nledicine, fuel?Ch.ildte-1 aresuffeting from hunger and \viii have reduced opponunities fo r food throughout the by Steve SlUlderland s uo11ner due to 1he closing of school breakfastand lw1ch programs. In general, the Joe.al and natjonal supportoftbod progra1ns is an indicatorof arisen. Here isacapsuleversion tion1'"The Last Bite" the rising plightofboth governn1enl and the private by B. \\'ilsonin thel\1ay 19ed1lior1ollheNewY0tket: sector to rneet agro\vingsurge ofhunger, Ill health, "Tlte V.1orld Bank reoootl)• arutouncedthat 33 countries poor housing and broad·scalestress. are confronting food crisis, as the prices ofvarious There is no quick fix. So1ne citjes are tuming to stapleshave soared F'ro1n Janoaiy toApril ofth.isy<.-ar. sa'iing food that is OO\\•th.ro\m a\vay,Amazingly, "the the costofrice on the international market \Vent up Deprutnient ofAgriculn1re estin1atedthat reoovering 140 percent. Pakis1ru1 has reintroduced rat1on cards. JUSI 5 peteern ofthe food ·~...a<;tedcould feed4 n1ilhon ln Egypt. theAntl)' has started baking bread for the people a day: recovering 25 percent v.-ould feed 20 general population. ·111e Haitian f>rin1e Minister \1/35 million people; · according to "Ooe Countty'sTable Olrstedafu..,.honS,(,"f riots.The cum."lltcrisis oouldpush Sc111ps. ArothcrCountiy'sMeal" by A. Martin in the another JOO n1illion people deeper into poverty." May 18editionofthe NmvYork·r1n1es. Burma·s brutal stru1ce n11glt1 becoo1e patt ofa \VOrld What \Viii Cincionati do? \Vhere are 1he strategy to reducefood to the poor asgo,remn1ents, in govemntental and private sector planning tean1s? n1oresophisticated \V3)'S, allov.•v.-idespreadhlrlgerru1d Where ate Ille! O\iljor food corporat10r'!S in saes>piog up healthprobl<."mSto kill and \\J\"alct."11 millions ofpL'Oplc. to dUs crisis -odocsrom<.'thing, more vioh,'l'lt ha\'Cto "\Vealthy countries. as a group, cut agricultural happen before \l/C n10ve to ans\verthe questions. the donations roughly in halffrom 198010 2006, 10 S2.8 vital questions.ofour corn1nunity·shunget w:gettC)•"? billion ayearfront $6 bi.I.lion,..v.rote K Bradsherand fite\~ Sun<letlm1d. fat111e1·!y <leCNt of1}1e l.i C Colleg<' of A. Martin in ··\\'orld's Jloor Jlay Jlrice as Crop C<m11t1111111y f,·,,niiN:s anda professcrofsocial wo1*for Ille Research is Cut, in the f\.tay 18 edition of The pmt 1I )'l'!Ot.f al l.i C. tJ <lirector CNtdfo11,1ilerof11'e Pe(l('f! I ii/age. a Ch1e;1u1a1i b<ISed /X!(IC<' 1w1\l'ork fo11,1ile<I ('.fter Washington Post "The Un.ited States cut itssuppon the 1·1oiS ar1J.i <!Xpmllle<I afte1· 9 II lo \!'Ork 011 /Jf!(l('f! ar1J.i foragncullure in poorcow11ries to$624 01illioo fron1 J1eol11rg. J-Or 1110/f! 11l}Ont1a11011 OJ1 Jlt<• Peace I ill(1ge prt>­ $2.3 billion in lhalperiod." grmt1~. p/11asc "'rit11: s111Kl;:rsc(f!.."'1noil111: <(/r1 h1our oountl)•, v..e cru1only \\OOderjusthov.•strong The Hunger Urgency Will it take violence to get action? n,• sw·~ SUl''OO~tAJ-"l> CONl'l"UOLl'flNO \\'1t1f£~ The shreddingofthesafery net forjobs. housing, unen\ployn1ent insurance, n101tgag~ healthcareand pensions. has nov1 added hunger as another factor rippingthe average cirizen•s \veil being. In our como1un11y, 1he FteeStore FoodBank conti.nues to ti)' and 111eet the expanding need. v..ith 4SOn1en1beragencies distributing IOnUllion pounds offood 10 160,000 poople in our region. Whether there will be enough food on hand for ourcomn1uni1y isa very importantquestion thatboth the FreeStoreand i.ndividuals areconsidering as the eoonon1y \\Qf"Sens and fuel and food pricesdran1arically rise. The questionofho\\• 111uch food isenough for our com.01un1ty is too in1por1ant to ignore an)' longer. Reducing allocationsoffood to fan1i.l.ies is a dran1atic v.•ay ofsaying that our near cen11future is beconting morcdanS,<.'tOUS tOrindivi<h1alsand familiesv.ho have been accuston1ed co three nteals a day and now have 10 c.ut back to tv.'O less appealing meals. ~take no n1istake:The FreeStore is not a three­ star restaurant \\~ th lots ofchoices;and peopleneeding tOO<larcnot picky bot hongry forthebasic.staplcs, What happens in our com.n1unity \vhen the hoo1eless and hu1lgry are joined by the ne\vly wiemployedand hwlgl)'? Who ";uhelp people -.ho can no longer afford driving to the f reeStore or even taking thebus \i,.ith their lastmonc.1'7 ~lore isolated than ever by the suddenjun1p in gas pncesandstunned by thejwnp i1l cosas fora gallon of n1ilk or a loafof bread, the consun1er is stuck in hw1ger thatcannot be relie\•ed b).•current govemn1ent orpri,iateac..-tion. Cinciimari is a nticrooosntofa V.'Orldgettinghm,grier by tll<>mdlions. Wesee tliebrulal policy oftll<> Bumiese tho.gs \\'ho oontrol and steal the food in their reaction to the recent hurric.ane.'rhe govemntent of Buntta 0 ce Village 0 Lawyers for People Who Need Them 'Second Chance' legal clinics p rovide f ree legal help B r •.\..,·c•:J.APANCF.l.t.A CONTRJOL1f&.1G VlRJTIZR. Stes>henJohnson Groveis dledirectotofdle Ohio Justice and Policy Cenler (OJPC)'s Secood Chance Community ~d1nics. llledin.icsixovidefreelegal help at \'11..rious locations throoghoot the city. On Tuesdays theclinics nteetat Our Daily Bread. "\Ve pld up a bigsign thatsa)'S 'FrceLa\-..y(,"f for Arl)rbody v.-ith a Crin1inal Record,· and people \V:Utder 10 10 chat The nlajn 1hings v.•e foc us on are expmgem"'~ advisingand representing poopleonchild support mattel'S anddealing v.'ith paroleru1d ptobation otlicers \lihO may be imposing conditions that are burdenson1e, n1aking itclifficuh for a personto keep a JObotf:.>et housing, \Ve also have dealt \vith a lotofthe sex-offender la\VS. not because v.-e're i.n favorofsex offendj ng~ it·s more that v.•e see thai many ofLhese lav.-s arcdetrimental to thev.tiole oommonity.(Vle 00) anything dtal focuseson people \\~th c1i n1inal records out in the community tl)•ing to make a go of it and blood ' lt doc,'Sn't matter. All they care about in the n1ove for.vardv.1d1 their lives. expungen1ent lav.•is.·is i1 don1esric violence? Wl1at's the charge code?· They don·1 look in10 it any OlOre. As soonas youstartsa:>•ing, ·see, v.hathappened was -', d1egm11e'sover." Expungem<."111is probably the rno61 •'lnligjitfurward of all ofthe things l handle. It's a littlecontplicated, I JY/1t1I is r eu:t1rdi11g ''' }""'' i11 J'"''' cli11ic Jl-'tJrk ? guess. ifyou·re nol trained as a lav,yer, but it S oot overl)•con1plicated. Basical.ly,youhaveto bea fi.rst­ "T11e thing v,.;rlt legal problenlSis, ifson1ebody has tinleoffeoder, \vltich literally nleansone andonly one a bunt foot, the)•'re going to say, ·1gotea go to the otft."llSeon yourrecord-except- there's all thc,'Se do<.1or' Bui lo"Sal problemsan: the kindsofthings !hat v.-eirdexceptions. asyou can expecl front lav..yers.•• peoplesay, ·tfl thro\vtheenvelope in the trash, they v.on't find Ole.' Lee rne1ell you:Thru doesn't \VO&:. ln Jf1/1at ''re t.l:-11,,l{Jles <if<iffe11se~· t/111/ are fact, itusuolly fester.; oodp11Sde\<elops ood1hen ilentpts exp111rgcablc? into son1e sonofgross thing likea boil - and that is "hathappens "ith legal problc'111S. and that's thept'Ople ·•·rtie.ft can con1eoffif it'syouronly one. ""lostof l calk to. As an anomey v..h o caresabout social j ustice the drug crimes can oon'teofl'a~ lor1g a.-; youonly have ru1d as an attorney who cares about reaching out to one. Passing bad checks - I see that a lot: that can people \vltohave been cn1shed b}• thecrint.inal j ustice con1e off. 'Things that c.an't con1e oft~ chough, are systern and areliving in poorneighborhoods and preny anything that has to do \\~ th violence - the most ml.:hhavenotrust in anything n.~att..-d totheSCJV"-'ITl.ment extren1e violence. of course, nturder and rape, those or lav~ it's,•ery in1>01tantto n1ethatI nt:'lke n1yse1vioes kindofd-Ungs ."-ny kindofse.xual ctin-ieca-1 nevercon1e available in a \vay and in a place that·s safe, that·s off(and) domestic ,.Jolence. People v.111S3)', ' \\'ell, comfonable, that'snon-threateni.ng, \vherethey feel there \Vasn 't rut)' violence. She and l \Vere shouting, ttust- and d1at's v.11at Our Daily Bread is, rutdthat's and the police shov..'Cd up and l ended up \vith a v.•hy \\'C go there.That, and I just love hanging out don1esric violence charge, but l didn't, like, shed any v.1th Sister f\.fa1)' Beth and her dog, Coooa. 0 �12 Community News STREETVIBES June 2008 The Art of Homelessness New murals capture the many faces o..f'the struggle 8\ l.''NNl'iAL1'\.\tAN Sn\J1F \Vi~JTFJt V students '''Orkingon the mural Beneath the really g~t l t They hnv¢. htgh,vay sits an understood there are many Arnerican flag ibrant ne\v 01ur3ls different ways of being 1"'1L Seton High School, lod by ~1e Greater Cincinnati c'tptured chat in ac-r~trive, very tcachor Coalle.ion for the Hon1e1ess respec~JUI ,.;ay that'vdl help us Ari ~·1 a rgi e 1\1etz. (GCCH), to rellcl1 out to the public at c!1ose fn1n1Jy TheMonuelD. ond Rhond• lart e." Maye~ Fo1.J:1d:lL1on unveiled The n1urol '"ascrcJitcd by homelessness, its la1e.st publican projectf\·fay morl! than I00.stud.ents fron1 de11ie-tl11s, tv.•o 22. created ihrough the seven local high schools: St young i::htldrcn l'oundario·o' s High School UrsulaAcademy.LaSalleHigh playingon a tire Seivice-Leamir\g Progrom Schoo~ Seton f.ligh School, $'\\tng. A i k en Thene"· rnumls transtOnn Aiken Univt::~lt)' Bjl?h School. 1he previously non-dascript M3SOO Hjgh School, ~lL Notre U1\J\'e1'Sity I Iigh storefrontol Tl 7 E. l2tl1Street Dame High Sch~ol and SL School, led by a tean1·ofteachers iu Ov'6r-d1C-Rhinc into nn<:yc- XavierHighSchool ca.tchJng \mrkofan·dlatbonors Each high sc.hool chose a and sp011$0rs, the coalition and 11.S' quarter- the.me to represent c h o s e centmy of work on behalf of homelessness. SL Uisuln, led by ~·1rtetvihe J , Cincinnati's hon1eless cinzens.. 1eaeh~1s1\lt.so11 Probs1as1d Kutt Tnspircd by tho GCCFJ will cclcbnitc its 25tb Nicruw, cbosehoallh:issuesaod v.'Ork Of Jin1my yearofservice-in 2009. cre3tedrunepanl!ls to represent J-lead1, tb rn1er of T<:111:hi:rv unJ ~iUi.lr:nts l'n~t_,\JJ.:cu l.!ru\'Ct'Sh)' J.Llg)t Schon! p!•M' fl)r u picture In l'ruui ,1r n;e.muml$., \\oh1chJllUSlt.t1e 1dunt1t)·,nutntl0f1, l~N/A l:OS, editor ~· rte t vi he J , ibc. rnul'a l lh¢l' cret1t.ed o.mulld Jimmy Hooth :inJ ~·1rr.1ii ·il>d. Phi"'' ftr .fJJJttw~-t.11:'.rrJo'Jt! variousfacitsofbonwlessness,. pe3c.e of triiud, he.3 J1hy 1 lbc~11:i.ycrson Ffigh Sehl.xii .. (Marge projects ·Jike chis con1plen1au GCCH's llltssion ptegi1a11cy Sltld neooatal health. Students: inc.luckd a pioturc of of cduciltiug tbc public und co1u1nunity inclusion. hun1sn Heat11 ''sv.iell as a \lendorand Service-Learning Progr:'llll brlng urban and suburbru1. e n1po\vering homeless ~ouch. acces.s tohealtl1 care and acamera. p·tov1desS'l.lpport to n101-e ll\an public and pr1va1e sehools Mason HighSchool, led I>)' SO localschools \Wlases1udonts 1ogetlier where sludents share 1ncfi,11du;ils10 advoc:tt~d01· their rccovcn-. The)' also p(llntcd n .nrt teacher BeLh AJtn _Eltne, do con1111u11i1y servlc.e 10 aud le.arn fron·1each other in civil rights and hol~singneeds, I0th 1>3nel to bep laced above according to Georgine Ge-tty, thedo<,>1· chQscshclti::"r,f our hRndsclasp nonproli 1 org.llni7.atio1l $ ways in \\!hich 1hcir passions around 9..m'!'cecan help to build executj\rc director o f the laSalle.Jedby.-\nTea-cher togecher to f ran1e a scene of a throughout the.Tri-State. coalitiort MikeKnue\l-en,·chosehomeless sh~JterY..~th l11e Y..'Ords. " V1Ston '"I heprocessofcrearitlgthe bridges,·· says S te,'e Elhot. "G.ecl1n_g beyond 1he vetw.ms.Thef"lllCl $hQ\~::tcily 10 See. Faith to Believe, murnl helps students n1ake directoroftheService-Leruning .sterool}•peofhon1elessness is skylu1ein tltebackground. \"lh Cow:ig.e co.Do" "'1rappiog.Ll11: sense of the experienc-e thes• l'rogmm. have hnd dc<1.I i ng \viii) Mil}'Cl'So.n su11plicsfl•ldin_g often lhe firsr step in our\\.'Ock," ah1gh\vay going:i:nJOthec:ity 1.ha1 hands IOS)'1Tlboli1.Cshcltcr$ i\1t Notre Dame High homelessness 1n their fora11the 1naterial needed to sho sa ·s. "Tho high school turns into shaking ha11ds. cprc•.;mwo''¢> 1mn wnous S.:!(lL\ scIV1cc eg_l.'Jtc1es s~6o'" mc­ Sc.hoot. led by arL Teacher co1nn1u111ty," says Neal If. conip!e1eth~n1uraJsandh1resa 1uutuls " 'fll bleak dun'tl stCJt'O lypcs uhoo.t tlwir elJenls. ,...,.,,,,..,....,,1~ Shelly Brauer. chose do111estic M3)•eJSon, president of die local pro fessional artist to violence. 1"he pitnd dq>i ct~ a foundation. ···rite n1ural coordinatetheprojoct yQ1111gmo(hcrholding herdiild. bocomes a symbol of !heir .. r help'.st11dc.nts: refine.the breaking tl1rougJ1 chaos and ~lings and an irispi ration to imagesthey create-andkeep all be1ngpulledUJ>111toMod1erhfe. other.s 10 get involved 111 Ute seven g,1·oups or ar1.Js1~ on SL Xavier High School, k'<l •soiues theyfeelstronglyabout" track," says lead artisl Carol by 1eaL:hetTedl\·fethle,y.,.chost: Building b1·idg~ betv.'een Ann "N~\\r'Srulle c-ivn rQ:j"lts.fou:rp.;111cls illSJ!if'<XI illoscOOo Stn.·c and ihQsc. v.iJo In acklition to the 111urals at by a photograph by Ji111111y ar~seNed i·s an i1r1portantpan "GCCH,similar 1nurafs can be 1-leath sllO\VJ>l'OlesseiS .siandiitg nf Lite l\1nyetSOn pl'o<~nm. The i'ound aLo ·u r Daily Bread on in a line. l'hesh:ldO\VS formed murn.1fort.heCoalition for d1e Race Street and Peas Iee by Lhe pfotesters flow i.nto ru1 l::lonwless.is the 50tJ1public an Neighborhood Ce,nter on A·mcric1m Flag \\'ith the Bill of project completed by the Syo;uTl(>reStroct. boih In O\rcr­ Rightsin..'Clibedon 1he stripes. program. the-Rhine_ ~r'L\ Lhee-'5ter1orof h(>1n0l~ss , an d thoy h ave ........ rnterested in heJping wit{! Streelvibes? A[e y<iu a writer, poet, ar;tist o.r photographer? Do ~ou -\van:t;to he!J> $1ree:Nibes? Call SLY..421.7803 ~12 oremail streetvibes2@yahoo.e6n1 Please be sure to only purchase a Streetvibes from a vendor wearing a white or yellow badge. �STR EETVIBES Local News June 2008 13 Shifting Gears Forward Bicycle co-op wants to sendyoit on a ride 8 \ • C RF.6 O J;KIJO\ 'SK\' SlMF IVRJTER T he Mo Bo Bicyclo Cooperative is a non­ profi t O<S/!'U.<;lllOll dedicated"' provic6ngcvcf}-body in1hcTri­ S tate access 10 bicycles. mainten.!l:nce nnd education.. The volunteer-run otgatunltloo. f()utlded in 2007. is IOC1ucd in Nonhsid\.\ MoBo Bicycle Co-op's m1~ion runs nluch deepel' lhru' bi cycle di s1r 1bution. 1·1, e /)11•lgJ11 DJ'l.!r '•'t1rks ,;,, u hike m the i\'1off<1 r(>-011111 .Nor1hsi<le /:J/u1fo,i:rt111J1fly .1rn<ln1111 An<lcn«11t they <:~ut purchns·e 0 1t e of 1he togethc.t. People conle to 1he org:;u11zailon teaches h9,v to rq)air used bikes . pro,•idiog n1en100rs ~vith ~\!orkspaoe and tools. Volu n1eer!=i n1en1or n 1e1n b ers 10 th~ir O\ Yll bicycle pcojectS. MQBO do~so·1 reprut or fix bicycles fOr others. bu1 instl!ii.d provides thetools and guid.:1rtce.10 do i1y(}Urselr. It·sa ' ''3.Y of helpingothers to help then~ se.l ves . e ni.po "·e rJng people \vi1h education nbou1 bicyding 1\ S'20 annu.1.l 1nen1bel'Sh1p fee grants people access to I.he ShOJ>, tools, gre;fl,S.e, maintenance. kn O\li'l cdge~\nd n1uch n1ore. If a n1en1ber doesr-·1 h av~ their O \\•U hike, shop to l~a ro . It is nn e.ducatlonal and COl'umuonl f(lt ility ·rhc co-op is a place ,....here people suppon one anothet and d1scove1· to.Jettts they m1gbt ha~-e neverlhought d\!lt'ptO\'lde 1.h1sserv1ce. ~foBo d1eyhad.' 00.,,,' t Ill low pc.'Oplc I() drop off Sinceits inception lnstyl>ar bicycles for rep.air. ~1oflo the MoBo Bicyde Cooperruive volun1ee.rs are I.here 10 s ulde. hais had nearly 200 membeis achrtSe·and t~1ch nlembem to fix join and helped more than 65 and re pair blC)'C:(e s ror kids, Moredum 100 blke$h~v• thcn~lves. been distnlJtJtcd, and MoBo Luc.ia J>aln1nnnia is astaff has organized 15 comn1unity volunteer ~vi th die CO-OJ>, evcJUS.. " A lot ·o f people thi nk The MoBo shop nt 14 1S 'bicycle shop? Who Cate$'!''' KnO\Vltoo. A..;e.. No1'thsrde, is she says. "Out 1h-cre is much open from 6-9 pm. n1oreto it than tJ1nt. It is aboUI Wednesdnys and I · 4 p, ni. d1epeoplc leamln_garld gi'O\Vin}; SurKlay~. 01any tised bikes and parls donn1ed tl) MoBo. ~·l o B o is n•1 exac tly a bicycle shop. J f people ore u1h!res1ed ln ooquirin.g l nL5hed bicycles. the.resren1auy stores /JC'tl Hn}1 Jig/1f(~n,<: 1/Jc l 1a1'<.ffc bor:s q11 Iii.<: bike'. />!Jo1ogra11h b;·;l1nl~u· ...11ult.Jr.\'tJn FreeStore Welcomes Four-Legged Friends T0li.tnteer veterinarians teach oztt to need);JJet orvners Bv G R£C.:<.>f( v 'Ft(\NN•~O \ ' Eurrc•N. All cats a.nd dogs are not e.rea1ed e~ol\I ; so111e becon1e thecompanionsofpeople·\\.ho can ' Lpay for ve:terinaiy care. l.ast month tho.FrceStorc Food.Bonkheld its senu·annual Pet l leaJdl Day, 11tatching \.'Olunlee.r veterinarians \vith :u1i111afs thatotllt'r'1ttse.n1ighrgp v.•l thout hc~ll th care, One nieasure oftl1e need is the fuc:t d1:i1 li \<e«!xru11in ~i<.)11 s tauons and a "M.ASH lmi( ' \\•ere set up, according to vetellnorirut Zokc z..,ko ft', \Vho has coordinrued the progranrfor the past sevenyeats. M:; rut1 l·k:c11.lticl."ll(ill1\ll1li 1£1. gi:-1 bas Jos_clocc~d uut nt P~t I fcnhJ1 D.\y, Pl1olu/(r1ip/1 1') +:11.\."'/l~'lr . l1Jd~1:f011. Anothersign ofthe need is tl1e li11e dtrus1arted fornunslong_ be.fore the doors opened at I p.nt.. "\Ve have peo1>le \vfio are lh e r~ as ·e arly as l O a.m.." Zekoli says. "There 's a big demand Typ1cally, I get fiveto ~\'t'fl vets to voh1n1ccr Forthu past three .events, \\~·ve done 220 to 250 t111inl4ls. Ove1•the years \\'e' ve kind of fi ne·n1ned iLlt's a very e1Tic1eot systen1, !llld \VC learn flomciwhcvttu:· In :tddj 1j o n to the vererinaria.ns. volw1teets frotn De lta A·irlines he l p ~ and d1.srr1bu101s of veter111-ary products oootrib~rt.e \•acc.:iiOes, Sonl~ \.'Ofwiie.ers don'1stop al \\"Orking, at Pet Health Da)' but also contributecash. Zekolf says. ..\\'chavewmcpeople Ylilo have volun!MOO oudoffored up 10 S I.000,"' hesays. Zekoff, president of the OhioAnimnl Heald1fomclati01~ sa)'S 1hnt organi<=ation has owarded two S5,000 grams to dieU.uredCoalition forAnitnlll~ v.tiich operates a no-cost or lO\v-c<>Stspay ru)dncutcrclinic on West Eighth Street " \\'~ ol \Vays encourage people1o spay orTieuter iheir pets!' lie says. •\\"e send d1e1n to the UCAN tublc and eooou:rnge.1hem to sign up." The fel! for the v~tl!.rinary care isbasedon aslidingscale. ~11 goes fto1n W'O to :zet'O.'' Ztkoff S.'i)is•."J t~s free." Realth care f(>rpelScan be 1:.x . pensjve, and \o,·ithout P~t Health Day :u the FreeStore, son1e fan.lily ~ts v.oold haveto g.o W'ltreated, ZekoA·says. '·1lJe>•reaJI)•showa lot of love and ulfec11011 for thd nnimals, :;ind SQmctimes)·oujust can' t afford icf" he sa)'S. '--f or peopte., the gove1'1111teol backs you up \Yith Medicare and ~·l t."tli ca.d. Bvt thete is 11o suc:h 1h.ing furmii nl..1IS, \\fe'r~ sl:~ to help tliem. I wish we could do more:· �Guest Column 14 STREETVIBES June 2008 The Lonely Bear B Y L ARR\. C ROSS CONTRIDl/flNG W RITTR I slatted noticing the 01an v.•hen I ntoved dov..ntov..n last year. I \VOuJd seehintstanding there on Eighth Street right across fron1theJvlain Library, about half ..vay up the block before you getto Vine Street. lt \\1<lS sun1111er. He \\1<\S dressed for \vintcr. I t looked like he had on several coats, and he always wore a ba.'°ball cap. He looked to be a little bit heavy but maybethat•s bccalrsc ofallhis coats. He had around face, black hair ru1d graying beard. His sad, big bro"" eyes looked rigl11 rlirough me. He v.·as a tall man. Beside h.irn alwa)'S \\<as a rusted o ld hand truc.k. On it v.•ere neatly folded blankets, sheets, panes and shins. Also there \Vere some boots and some beat-up books.The hlUld ttuck '"a-;v.dl sttaps>edso nor1e ofhispossessions wotddfalloff' lt \V3S clear the n1an \\las homeless I would often pass hin1 going fl'orn hete to thete dov.'lttOV.'lt. His presence on that side\valk -al~va)1s on dtat side,valk - v.·as unnerving to me. I caole to knO\\lhun io oly m.i.nd as the lonely bear. That descriptionstuck ,vJth nte - his face. the sad look. \Vhile he neversaida v.-ord to me, never v.•anted oloney or tlte tiole of day, I would son1etin1es cross thesrreet so I \VOuldn't have to v.·alkpast him, In the fall, events beyond rny control, ot so I 'vaot to think, led to a job loss. Around the san1e tinte I also lost nly home, 0..-pression that had be<."' v.•ith nle for years - but I paid Ji11lea11en11on 10 - finally took controlofnl)' lifu. l suddenly \WS in a dark place that J couldn't figure out Drinking 'vas theonl)•thing that v.'Ould help, so I dtaok a lot. I found ntyselfcrying i.n bars. I didn't care if I livedordied. Pl'(...'fcndingeverything V.'8S all right, I let a friend store nty possessions io his baserneot, including all of 111)' beloved books. As I packed then1up, I thought I v.rould never sec or read the111agai.n - and didn't really care. I also tl1ou£111 ofthe lonely bear and those beat up bookshe had on hishand truck. Wh<.-n Idid, mysiomachstartc'<l to hurt. Aoothet ftier1d 1ook me in late in the fall. He and hisfanlily gave n1ea place to sleep until l couldtigure outmyS(.offandmy life. FaJI quickly tutoed into v.•inter. Wh.ile I had a place to sleep, Ioouldn't really call it a home. J felt misplaced and un'vanted. r\.1y mind was cloudy. My depl'ession conti.nued but I tried to ignore it. I didn't knO\\I \Vhat else to do. I follld ntyse!fdov.ntov.11 a lot at the Ma111 L~braty. As I would walk up Eighth Street, family and friends. I came to "I ' ve a l\\lays e njoyed grips \vith nty depression. I f auJkner," he said as hesn1iled started 1alk ing about it. I - andtlMt"sall he said. I walked lt'a11te dtopull nl)•selfup by the away. again I \VOuld see the lonely booL~traps. 1\s we nO\V approach Counseling helpc.-d; so did another summer, I have gone bear. He \\'3S in the san1e spot, n1edication. ln takinganother full circle into fourseasonsthat v.•earing the satne coats, saole steplo get my hfe back, I found l\a\lesomehowchangedrl'I)' hfe. baseball cap and still had that four wal.ls I could call hon1e. What started out as a ne'v rusted handtn1ck adventure the ptev1ousswnmet turned intosom(,'fhingdarkand bcsidehim.Oflc"' While he never said a word hazy and hopeless- at least in rimes, it v.-ouJdbe snowing but he to me, never wanted money rl'I)' rni.nd During those 1110nths, as I v.•o uld s til l be or the time of day, I would standing there ­ sometimes cross the street SO<led dltoogh all the muck and silent, v.•ith hi s came to face realities about so I wouldn't have to walk n1yself. there \vasonly onethi:ng a rn1s crossed, past him. btavingthe cold. lhat te1naioed constant It \vas I would that lonely, hon1eless bear spendtin1e at the Iibrat)' h)•ing The friend v.•ho stored 01y standing on Eighth Stree1 \vith to read books but the interest possessions in his basement his hand trlM:k. clinging to the wasn'tthereanyn1ore.I usually delivered then1 to nty ne\V only possessions hehad in the eodOO up aJ tlte ted1 cesuel' usi.ng addtess a couple \Veekends v.'Otld theircon1puters. or I justsi.111ply ago. Tears came to nty eyes as His stol)' isone ruprobably sat and \vatched people con1e I unpacked my books. My old nevet kno\v. Maybe its bettet I friends \\ICrc back, but more don't- but ,my him and not and go. One ti n1e on a snowy intponant, l \vanted to read n1e? Why is he hon1eless? Whete ate his farnily a11d afternoon v.•hile sining ru the theo1again. I continued to w1pack nty friends? libnuy, l "otchedthe lonely bear cont.ing in fro nt the cold. \\'ith books; and as I did. I again I can't help but \\f()Odet if him \vas hi s hand truck. I thought oftho lonely bear and he·s one of the rc.'a.SOns vA1y I watched hi nt go into the the books he had on his hand had to at least try to go to the ltuck. I doo't know vJ1y, but I lighl and leave that tertible resttooo1. Several minutes v.·ent by. put a couple books aside. I darkness. I don 't kno'v the He eventually cante out His knew I \VOuld be going answet to that - no1 s mart face. bc.ard and hair looked do\\lTltov.11 the fullovMg day. c:nough to figlucitOld. wet. Son1ehow, he had gotten As I walked up Eighth What l do kno\v is \Vhen I hiolSelfclea.1ed up. Street, thete \'ias tlte lonely beat ~ hun stautingthereon Eiglttl1 I 'vatched him leave the in his usual s pot. As I Street: I \\'On't be crossing the librat)1, and l follO\\'ed hint. He approached him, I took those stteet aoynlOre. (\.1aybe I can't v.·alkcd back to his SPot on two books out of my bag. helphim much,but at lc.-ast I cm Eighth Street to stand for the He \Vatched n1e as l puton offerrl1e lonely beara heartfeh rest0ftlteday. top ofh1s hand truck a copy of srnile. As Icontinued to \\'3tch the Charles Dickens ' l)n,•id lonelybearstand in rlie coldand Coppe1fielti and 1'he ~>uncl the SOO\V,a thought crossed my n1ul 1'1e F'ury by \Vill iam Larry G'vss is tire n111hor of Faulkner. (looked at the nlan mind: lsthatgoing to be nte? Sigtlc(J. Scaled a1ki De./i,·e1t?<l' S'tories. l11e \\11ntet slowly tutned v.<e!ll'iog all dlose coats. ru1d he into spring. \Vith the help of looked at me. Entrepreneurs, Not Panhandlers: The Daily Life of a Street Sense Vendor BY J E•1'1i.R\' l\'l cNlilL Srn1nrr N E\'i'S S r:.R\'ICE 1·ve been selling Street Sense for a fe\v months and have nlanaged to save and invest01)' ll~r-ie,• i.n a small rooo1 in Virgi.nia. I v.~sh I could say thateverything isv.onde1ful and that there 'vas a big; parade for n1e fornying togetoffdte street, bul that v.•as oot dle case. Still, I never do anything v.-ithout d1eideaofbeing \'tlCld­ c.lass or the best at it. My landlord ru1d nty bill collectors don·1 cate aboul 01y troubles; the>•\\"Mt their ntone}' on rime. No excuses. I'd like to tellyouson1eof 1he reasons Isell Street Sense so people understand that v.e'renothonde.55pmh.andlers beg,g:ing for change. We arc si11.a:U entrepreneurs takingrisks and tty1ngto live theAmetican dreant We don't rely on pay checks rutd \'IC have to budget our money so that \VC can stay inbusi~ Being a S1tee1 Sense vendor is like being)•ouro\m ~ You have touseyourrin1e VCI)' \ViSCly during the day. u· anyone has evet been in business, you koowdte timeand enerro• you have to put in to n1akeends nteet. Being a vendot 1s commodity-oriented and veiy cyclical because of the f\vo­ v.•eek period be[\veen ne'v issucsofthc nc..'\vspapcr. l might also add that v.•eather and climate affec1 people's olOOds and ,vftetherthey want to buy or not Another major factor is con1petition. I can never rest because lhete's al\vays ne\\I and veteran vendors trying to enter nty n1arkets. Last n1onlh somc.'Qne doubled me in sales so like in an}' busine.55,you've got 10 be cteative and irmovative. Many areas are flooded v.-ith venOOrs nyi:ng to se:U to the same people io the same areas, like Dupont Circleand\Vhole foods. ·ro n1e, chis does:n't make anysensebc<:ausoyou kill an area \Vith excess COlltpetition. If anyone has ever been in sal~ they kl1ov.•that the key is tinding nc..'\\•marl:cts, sol am a travelling salesntan. I can sho\V up anyv.•hete. Iespec.ially like going to areas \\<here no one everheard about Street Sense. I love mc.'C.'ting ncv.•pcople and sellingto dtentfor dte first tin1e. I pay f0t Ol)' tral'lspo1tation, food and papers and have to keep records and books so I can havea profit l~ying for all thedruly expenses 1n a day can leaveyou \\~ th little at a tin1e. Like any business there's feastandfamine periods ro you have to be frugal \\~ d1 yout 01cw1ey. If I buy a lot ofpapers and no onebuys then1, l takea loss. u·I buy papers and gi\'Cthem av.'3.y for free, that's lost ntone:i,•. Likeanybl6int$, \,flt.'S1you don't sell yourinventOI"}', you take losses. Weather is another factor thatcan ruin you. When it'scold ou1S1de, it's hard 10 approach Continued on page 15 �STREETVIBES More News June 2008 15 What Were They Thinking? City turns down.federal grant to study minority health in Cincinnati Bv G tteCORV F t.A.NNtn\ ' EO!l1)< lt•s long established th at Afiic:u1Antericans in Cincinnati suffer disproportionately high rates of HIV/AIDS, diabetes, hypettension, infant rnottality andother i.llnesses. But the city ofCincinnati has turned do\vn an offer of federal flDlding to study issues ofn1ioo1'ity heallh. Las1 rnonth city counci I's Finance Con1n1irtee indefinicely suspended a proposed ordinance to al lo'v the CirlCirtnati J'ieallt1[)q>arttlleflt to accept a$69,023 federal grant ad ntinis tered by the Ohio Commission on ~ti nority Health. The grnnt v.-ould have beer1 lltefirststep in establ1sl1ing an Office of ~finori ty Health v.-ithin d1ehealthdepartntent. Now the health departmc'flt faces the unsavo()' prospect of sending the n1oney back to Colun1bus., according to Dr. Can1ille Jones, cite c ity's assistant health com.rni.ssioner. "At this point, there is no plan to bring the ordinance back," she sa)'S.. "'\Ve have to retwn d1e nlO!le)'... Oecause of deadli nes contingent upon acceptance of AJJiancc ofGrcatc."f Cincin.nari a coalition of clergy, social city ..viii alro losetheopj)OJ'(wtity servic.es, labor unions and to recei,re an additional interested citizens - expressed $200,000 in federal funding for concern about council's an Otlice of1'finority Health, decision. Jooess:sys. "The Faith Comn1unity Alliance of G r e at er "I can't explain it I'm not sure what's going on in Cincinnati. Cincinnati is discussing the Whatever the problem is, I issue and hope It gets worked out to the 1nvestigat1ng benefit of the people." the in1pact of losing th is 1'hetotal amountofmon<..y monc..')' on the hc.-althsc.nric(..'SOf we could have appl.ied for and Cincinnati," says Charlie received ..va.o; al>Out $2(i(),000,'' \\lalJner, spokesn1an for the she says. group. "We are continuing our About 45 percent of investigation and ha ving Cincinnati's population is confen."llC(..'S," Afiican-A11lericait \\l'hy \VOldd Cincinnati istheon.ly n13jor Ctl)' council tun1 do\Vn a fedetal c.ity in the state of Ohio dlat grant to study nUnoriry health? hasn't yet established an Office State officials seem befuddled. oflvlinorit)• Health. 8o)1ceS3)'S Cincinnati is the firstclty to cv"" Cleveland,Columbus, Toledo, turn dov.'fl the nX'>Oe}', acx:ording Akron, Youngstown and 10 Cheryl Boyce,<hreciorofdie Dayton haveoffices of n1inority Ohio Commission on riwtinority healdt Healtlt ""n1e direction fron1thestare "lcan't explain it." ~ says. and !Cderal llf,'<!llcies is that local "I'm not sure v..hat'sgoing on health departn1ents should be 1n Cincinnati. \\lhatever tl1e rnaking assessolents ofhealth problent is, I hope it gets disparities." Jones says. v.orked out to d1ebenetit of the Son1e council n1en1bers people." seemed to be concerned that The Faith Con1munity est:i>lishinganofficeofminority ffic initial gnint, ccunciI's rcofusal to accept the n100ey means the Street Sense Vendor Continued front 1>agc 14 people about Street Sense. Rainy days can also hinder sales. As you can see, to sell 1,000 1>91>etS a month, my approach is one person at a tin1e. l don·t go out trying to sell a cc.'ftain numbc."a day. J &'O out meeti.ng and saying "'Hi" to people. I might get 100 rejections but thosecwo or three sales n1ake all the .. No's,. v.onh..vhile. l "1iteeve1)1hingdo"nthat happens during the day to becon1e better. Also, to artrnct ne\Vcuston1e.rs and touris ts, I like to make catchy sign.s. Jvly philosophy is to hit a broad range of audiences b)' trying to get nn~tiple buyers during rush hour. Sales arc a numbers game so I like to go v..·here it is busy 10 absotb the rejec.tions. 1..vant every c us to n1er who approaches nle co have a very pleasant enc-o unte r or convers.."'l.tion v.<ith nle. TI1ere 's a s tign1a aboul homeless people and' ""ant my customers to see that Irnitijlt not be \vhere I ..vru1t to be bul I do have CXlf1fidence and character. l \\iOCk n10re hours than people v.Tiogo to jobs and some days I n1ake\ eJ)' little but I go back out again. I ratel)' take dayson· so holidays can be rough because l can' l really v.<0rk thoscdllys. Still, I ant the captain ofmy ship. I rule 0 1y O\Vn circumstances. I believe in nlysel f and 'vant to be Ij ust 'vantpeopleto realize that Street Sense vendors are entrepreneurs. not panhancUers. Weare the ultin\ate risk-takers. ThaQk you. Re1-1rinted fro1t1 Street Sen:i·e© S'troet Ne,t>s Set'\1ice: ,•.,•.,•.. stree1-1w1x:rs.org 1 "In 2004, HamiI"'° C0<mty had a higher infant monality rate d1an all other w'ban cownies in Oh.io .. .. This is nlOStly due to dead1 rates in African An1e1ican infan ts that are three times higher thait in Caucasi an~" her repott said. ln Hamilton County in 2004, \vhite infants died at a rate of6.2 pc." 1,000 live births, v.hile Afiican-Anlericaninfunts died at a mteof20.6 pe1· 1.ooo Iivebinhs, Jones' report said. 111e proposed Ofti ce of Minority Health \VOuld be focused on neighborhoods, Jor1es says. "The proposal was to establish a local Office of Minorit)• Health and go to various neighborhoods and COfl'lll\WUty COw\Cl.IS toseeiftlley v.-ere i.nterested i.n establishing v.'Orking groups on health, go thro ugh a health-needs assessn1ent for their area. do a bitofa~et nlappingand choose tv.'Oorthree issues the>• \VOUld liketo focus on,·· she S:t}'S. Ironically, April v.·as ~li nori ty Health r\.1onth, as notedb)' a proclanlabOn issued by the Cincinnati Health Depannle11t Visit www.cincihomeless.org for more information on GCCH programs and volunteer opportunities. Do you have trouble reading? Seeing people's faces? 1 suc~i~d. hc.-alth \VOuld duplicate other groups' elfons. '11\ete \VllS disc~Cf1 in tfle Finance Contntittee 0\ er v.flether this\\~ duplicationof efforts in the pri\'tlte sector." Jooess:sys. Butthe proposed ordinance explicitly states that a Cincinnati OfficeofMinori~· Healtlnmuld complement ongoing etlorts already underway - not con1pete \vid1 ll1et1\. "The Office of Minorily Health v.'Ould provide a focus for Cincinnati Health Depam11entactivitiesandV.'Ould be a natural partner for collabora tion \Vith other incerested governn1enc, community. professional and acadern.ic entities V.'Orki.ng on the probleo1s of d11ierer1tial health status and outcontes based on race, ethnici I)' and other factors." the proposed ordinances:sys. Moteover, federal ar1d state regulations specify that the grants can only bea\varded to city health departmc.."llts, Jon(..'S says. In a presenta11on to the Boord of Health in January, she outlinedsonle of cite reasonsan Office of Minority Health is needed in Cincinnati. Doing everyday tasks? There is hope. There is help. We can help you or someone you know who has: •No Vision • Loss of Some Vision • ~ Cincinnati Association for the , , ~ Blind & Visually Impaired ~ 2045 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202 A not-for-profit agency For information call 513-221-8558 and ask for Adrianne. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource June 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: ‘We Are Their Slaves’ Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: The Vibe Pg 4: ‘We Are Their Slaves’ Continued Pg 5: ‘We Are Their Slaves’ Continued Pg 6: ‘We Are Their Slaves’ Continued Pg 7: The Myth of the Deadbeat Dad Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: The Strange Story of Crack Online Pg 11: The Hunger Agency Lawyers for People Who Need Them Pg 12: The Art of Homelessness Pg 13: Shifting Gears Forward Pg 14: The Lonely Bar Pg 15: What Were They Thinking? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource June 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Greg Olkhovsky Michael Henson Steve Sunderland Ardella Woolens Bill Gallagher Lynne Ausman Angela Pancella Patricia Garry Holly Parker Andrew Anderson Berta Lambert UCFW Antonio Hodge Anthony Williams Joe Wesels Steve Novotni Andrew Freeze Georgine Getty Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Bill Haigh Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Ardella Woolens Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Bill Gallagher Bill Haigh Cincinnati Entrepreneurs Federal Grant FreeStore Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Gregory Flannery Health Holly Parker Hunger Immigrants Joe Wesels Lawyers Lynne Ausman Michael Henson Minorities Panhandlers Patricia Garry Peace Village Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland UCFW https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/04e122fcac4e8839b1187abc44c971b1.pdf c9c7fc3640af08341fc47b212fcf9718 PDF Text Text How does Ohio stack up in the death penalty? page 6 TH E TR I-STAT E'S ALfERNATIVE NE\VS SOURCE INSIDE THIS ISSUE Local News Sleeping bags donated to the GreaterCincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. are distributed to people sleeping outside. page4 Soccer team perseveres Deaf Iraqi players brave violence to play U\ SAIJ~ fOUAJ) STREIIT NE\\'S $ F.R\'ICE BAGHDAD M )'One bon1deaf and mute aces a challenge playing in asoccer tean1- it's hard to con1n1unicate on the pitch, playerscannot hear the n.f'croo's v.tiistle and fewooaches knov.• Slgtl lan.guage. Community '.'lews Our DailyBread. soup kitchen in Over the Rhine, receives many blessings on Valentine's Day. page 7 Columns Michael Henson talks about addictions and the language people use to d iscuss it. page 10 National '.'lews \\l"'''-<'incihonlclcss.o rg Add the risk ofbeing shot or blo\~ up on the \YaY to training in Oaghdadand Jrll(]'S soccer tean1 for deaf-mute playe<s could be forgiver1 for Stlying hon--.e. But the squad is set to compete in a_n international townament in Kuv.·ait in April, an.d ltainel'l·ILSSein al-Shafi 5a)'S he is deten11ined the tean1 v.ill do their best. A forn1el' local league footballer. Shafi uses sign language he learned fron1his brothc:r, thcchainnan of a sports association fo r handicapped Iraqis, to ttain. a squad of 15 players. He also trains a 12­ strong deafchildren's side. " It's tough, but J feel spiritual.I)•bound to 111y players. It's my duly to 1nake sure they succeed." Shafi told Ret1ters. as yoo1g ntenbehind hin1 botutced ballsoffthc.-irfec.'t, gesturing to each other v.iith hand signals "11er1 they passed lheball. \ ljolence has dropped in Iraq, but bon1b blasts and gunfire stil l echo across B3!'1>dad. That ha.-; n'l.:'l.de Ii fe hard fot the ph1)•ers and son1etimes interrupted practioe. first. Ipanicked. but eventually ..11·s d iff1cult 10 attend they \vetlt dov.'l'I. \Vher1 the training~ions v.tien there are shooting stopped and they got glU1fig)us andbl3stSeveywhere. up, they still thought it \V<tSa I'm afraid to co1ncout,'' said ne\v training drill,... he said. Mohan1n1ed Ja\.vad Yusif. 20, talking in. sign. language through his coach. "Son1etimes there's no tra nsport because of roadblock~" Yusif s.."'li.d one oflUsfriends, also deaf, "vas killed \.Vhen glllmen opened fire on a car he v.'3S travelling i1t "Jt sappod my SlTc'llgth IO play for a V.'hile." he said. Shafi recalled \.Vhen a gWlfight bef\veen rival n1ilirias oncebroke out near the training ground. The players cooldn ' t hear the gtUlfire.so hesignalled fol' them toh1t the ground. "They <lidn' t understand at See Jraq Soccer page 13 The attack on dignity will not prevail to restore some s h red of dignit)• CONTIUDUTINO WIUTEK to suffering fan1ilies. Ho"'~ver, the attack on djgnity continues.. " Body parts ror sale Outside ofthe Cinc~ooati lvithout per111iss ion ~~ OYS'l'lt\'t SU1''0tRJ,A1''1) about them Vle do not knO\.\' if the bodies \vere prisoners, slaves, political victims, or donated \Vith the pen11ission offa1nily nlembe<S. " Bo d y 1>a•·ts take-n T Amanda Wolfe discusses growing up with a different kind of povcny expenence. page 14 lroq1s love their football. The countf)' v.•as the surprise \vinner of last year's Asian Cup oompcririon, The victol)'brought rarej oy an.d mity IO thesl:1att«ed rk'lbon, v.~ th Shi'ites. Suru1i Arabs and Kurds pouring into the streets tocelcbratcthc:irtca1n'sunJikely 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia in Peace at the bodies exhibit An article from Street lvithout per111iss ion ~~ ''Body 1>arts used fo r Sense, where a reporter learns what it a rtistic purposes \virhout permission!'! is like to live with schizophrenia. hese three headl ines page 13 should bevel)' familiar to Guest Column Passion for soccer C1ncin.na11ans. Ovet the pa.<;t fe,vyc-ars. Hamilton County has paid close to $30 n1illion dollars to families that have suffered as a result ofthe prior coroner·s actions with the misuse of body parts. v.Tiether selling then1ortaking pictures v.>ithout pcnnission. Laws have been changed due to class action la~vsuits that have successfully sou,g;ht Peace Village by Steve S1mderland Museun1 Cence.r a sn1all group of protesters have continoed to n1ake clear that the e..xhibit on " Bodies.. is unaccep1able because it defi les homan digniry. People·s bodies have again been taken \.vithout pem1ission ofthe fami lies. The bod ies a l'e fro1n China. and that is all ""''C knO\.\' l'heMuseun1 directot, lvlr. Douglass f'litc Donald. soo,g;ht to assure the public about the exhibit in a recent opinion article in the Cinci nna ti Enquirer. "Despite the invaluable learning experience ··Bodies...The Exh1bi11on·· offers. \Ve understand the nc.'Cd to offer it in a respectful and responsible n1anner. At Cincinnati l\<fuseum Center. v.·e' ve alv.•ays believed s uch ru1 e.xhibit1on- 1nvolv1ng real human bodies-should be handled \vith extraordinary scnsiti\•ity and consideration. Before agreeing to host the exh1bi11on., ..ve asseo1bled a team of area doctors. unive rsi ty professors, phi losophers, thcolo,g;ians. medical ethicists and legal expects 10 help eos ul'e the exhibit ion upho lds the n1useun1's ethical standards a_nd furthers its educational mission. After much discussion and reseorch, this group, alons v.•ith the Jv_luseum Center leadership, unani n1o usly agreed that the ex.hibition \Vf!S See Bodies page II �STREETVIBES About Us 2 STREETVIBES Street vil;es n 1 liast 12th Street C incinnati, Of-1.45202 phone: (513)42 1·7803x 12 March 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes isa newsp.1per Ihat provides relevant cliscussionsol homelessness, pove1'ly andolher relat«I socialjustireissues !1 is published onrea month by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition fo r lht' Homeless. ·n"K?Gl\:......-it1trCincinr~ati Coalition (or Lhehornelcss is a g:n)upof shelL-ersJ agenciesand i11divit1uals •'Ommitted lo ending homeless in Cincinn.atl through ooordlnating.servk'ES. educating !he public, and g rassrootsorganizing. Our Vendors fax: (S 13) 42 1-78 13 streetv1bes2@}rah00.('0m \VV.'~v.cindhon)t'}es..c;..org GCCH Staff E.Xr.cut1VEOIRECTOR GeorgineGetty AtfO\<I \\roolfolk An1hoc1y \ViJJian:t.11 Antonio lf udgr Bt>rta Cleo Ooi"id L'Uu.bc.-rt \Voulbld \\rntkirtS A0ti1INJS1'fl,\T.lVE COORDU-.~'fOR SusanSmith EOUCATIONCOORDlNA'l''OI~ Andy Frc"e7.e 1\J\IP..RICO,Rrs \tJS'ri-~S Lynne Ausn1an, Greg Olkhovsky, '11ffo ny Hannon M:u·k G1mly Ja~s Jaml's Shc.::srs Cook Bybee Oan)'Oll Jon Dnrby Bas.k t.rviUt Julit' ~1arl< l\'1UI') ' Nett 10ni1• WnJJ;,,r Uoniu'CI .J=icks:on Citmpbctl ~1u~ll~r '\ \'illi11n1s 1-lnlf)' RacshRwo Rir-cardo S1u11 Si.l\'la Tooy Rn): llnrd Gipson T..'lylor ,Jac.f.ison COiiins 011nt1fll0f1d Joseph111e A~IAPRO.JECTMANACEll Ken.,eth Cheriyo I RECEPTJONLS'l'S Melvin WiUjantS, EleUa \Aloolevs Streetvibes C01'"fRIBlflU"'<G\ \IRrrERS Cl'\i; OlkW••iSk)·, C\.fich11cl l•lc1~l\n, St\:\-.: Sundcrl;,nrl,. Andy Frt.'"?~'• /\lys::<a K(1n.,: rm"ru1, P..fari: Sl \1..~ltrS, 0.."4.• \·Vu1n blt.~. Julie: l'rl'yby~ r.. /\ngL'll11 1\,u '<l'lltt, Qi.101.1tlc \'\>'right, J1.•ff~r O-,t111rn, O;i,•id l-h1rrt.., l\.16hammcd Ali, Su1:a11114!' l•l ,'\1111(~)', Am t1ndt1 \\t('\ft•, f\f,indy ~l eA n n ll y1 r-.t.1uric~ King, t.1n Grif(n..-r ,I ones OOlCN!i •UUl : .11 Pl·JOl·ocnAPllV/AR'l'\\'ORK Anrl y FllX':tto, 1-\ nton i(1 Hodgl', 1\ nlh<.' n)' \.Yillian1~J 13crta Lambert, --~ ;12 . J, , ,. : Ct-.ISTlil! --··­ ...........12 <-'OVER (' l")''I' ~\;t:rd'-C.' during fl lrninlng ·~~Sion for 1r:llf$ ~(l('C\' r lo.!.1m , f'h01<• by REUTER.S/CN"n\ an .Az l?_ 75 ce11/.~ gt>eJ.' ,/Jrtctl)• ltJ J'OIU' 11e111lt> r 1:'i t:e11/.1' pu)il' ,{or prblliftg ( 'tJS/.)• We are members of: - No11h Antrri<::ln St r'\~1 Newspape1·;\.sso-tiation IN SP ./ l11tert1atio11al Ntl\vorkof Street PaP<r• Reat.i ers! Do yo11 have a favorite Vendor you would like to non1inate for Vendor of the Month? Please send your 11on1inations to streetvibes2@yahoo.com or Streetvibes 117 E 12th St. Cinciru1ati, OH 45202 513.421.7803 x 12. �STR EETVIBE S The Vibe March2008 3 Shutter Speed By the Numbers Frum lbc Bro6klugs lo.stitulo's ongoin~Jraq inde.~; th,e laresc l'ele~ed ·oecerober 2 1. - 111e numb'eroinewly disploce<I pcoploio lrvq, intoruolly 'Md abroac\, ran·between 60,000 artd 90,000 pet mon1h beet weeo Jnnuary and August~of 2007 In 'N<>vem.b~(. 40~000 peopre wer~· nowly displocc'd - Since th~ s:wc of 1be wnr 1n 2003. 124 Jouni:ilis:ts ~oveb.~n killed. IQ2 ofthem Iraqi Of 1hl>sc, 84 ~·•Iii~ were by n1u1:detnnd'AO by ae·ts of' war. [(___roe(lio wo1·ket~ such 1\S delvers aud inte~reters-are c9ucited, 1b.e numberreacbes Ib8. - The coali11on uoop s1reogth U1 lr;ui was 173,000 Jn !vla,r 2003(U.S. "1th ISO,O'o0. all ot,lrer~ not lrnqi. 23,0DQ). As of OeCt1J'1bcnhc tOol js do\viJ sli~hdy to l 70, 96 1 (9,S. wnh 169,.000 alloihecs 001 rraq1, i'o, 9'6 1). 1'hennnual Honteless J\tart11on ,.,.as broadcast from Nashville tl1isyeaL lt \Vo1·ks to prontote dte issuesofbou-.elessness ::ind poverty /1 l1or,; '1J•/l ffuJ!'" , 8n1w11 -'As 6f Deoembcr, thcre'wcre an esumated 25.,000 de1ainees­ n)·U.S. custody lniraq'$ prisons U.S. andJraql t,t0vtmmeru offl'c i:ils rapomha1 ""' cstimntod 44,000 - 65,000 Mr. and Mrs. H omeless Downtowner suspected l rriq1 msurg~nts or ~ectar1an kJllecs<letnJoed 1c11taq have been released .s_iiJ,ca March 2003. Ci~ed reasonsinchlde prison O'•Crcrowding. 'SL6bal poljti.cs-and·corroption tn the Na1ut: Ky le:\yner Ho1nch1,VJ•: Cleveland,OH Ncighborhood: A''Ofldale Fs.vorife intti.1-est: .<\.ltplru1es, listun,g.Md JUstoiy I r.an't 1:esist: Staying \\•arn1 and a:good bot meal I cau 't stand it " 'he11: t>eople \\':1.lk right l>)i n\eand ignore rue~ When people think d1ey arebe.rter than nu~ Ir '''''on the. lot tel'")' 1·,vould: Buy my O\VJl airp'lane and travel the \v~nrd Tl1e one thio2 l '''ou1d chan2e about the 'vo11d \\'Ould be: Findinga cure torcancer a.ad otherilJnesseS Jf I c:ould hll.V~ done it all over again I " 'ouJd hn,·r: Ne\'~r gotcen i1110 drugs 1 l'l\.q•ju~11c~-sx.ste.it:L - NC)lrly 4,000 U.~. soldiers biivc diod rl> f;oq Love to lllt is: F.org1veness l~----------------------------------------------------· Donate to Streetvibes 1 T~e morl!'supwn we h11;ve from th,e community, the f1utherouretfotsreacl:). 'You cni't don·aie.onl'ine -\\'\Y\'i·, ei'rrcilJo·n\eless.ofg . ' 1 Our work is possible only with tile he.Ip ofgenerous i11dividual gifts. : !?lease consider making a c0111rThu.tion 100ayl Et1cl0sed is my iax-deducl11bl<!'co111nbuti<>11 o( l $50 >$ 100 Others_ I I I Or make chooks payable to: S.treetv ib<-.s 117East 12th St:reet, E:'i ncinnuti. OH !15202 Addnlss: - - - - - - - - - - - - ­ T hank you for giving generously! e'ity I S\'ate/ 2!ip: - - - - - - - - I I I I . ________________ ______________ ______ __________ ________________ .. . _. . . I I �STREETVIBES March2008 News 4 Sleeping bags reach those in need Toledo inmates participate in comn1unity service, make bags and blankets for the 111ost vulnerable One hc;>1)1eless persoo srud 10 l'ue that geuji1g the b~ Wa.5 agtc'Uhelp, Thc'Y only hlldone9Tlall blonkctMd nov.•theextr:a \\'llmlth helps a lot. ,o\ separateperSOo 1 ()n Wednesday Februaty 13' \ I.he Grea1et said that 1he ~provided exera supr1<)11 fol' tlleirback Ciocinnnti Coali1ion for1he ~to nu~l ess received I00 issues.'' donruedsleepu1gbags Md 101es. Both the homeless 1-\ ltllough thetna1n goal is 10 get people off tJ-1e and communily outreach \\Urkcrs have Visited 1hc slrcctsAodsuccessfully placed intohOu$ing. the 1t.-ality Coalition daily ro colJeer theslee1>ing b.a,gs for eiiher is lhaton any given nigl1t in Cincinnau L,300 people pel'So11 al use, or to v.~11 behotnc-Jess and l't1any \viii sleepou1Aide, on th!.! "Although the main goal is to get ri..~istribute to hon1eless riverbook. under badges or i.n abwldoned bu ildi~ U\ ' GRr-:c; OLK UO\l'SICl. S'l'l \fF \\rR.m~ people off the streets and successfully placed into housing, the reality is··that on any given night in Cincinnati 1,300 people will be homeless" wd1vidullls \.;110 may oot have the means toget the bags dtentselves. The -slc~ping bags were doo•tedby the Bags ~111<JBtanke1 pn.)gi<un li'om the Ohio Oepann1llnt of Rcilc"lbihtruion nnd Comction (OORC). ·n1eBagsand a Blanke. ptograot is OORC's comtnunity si.::tvice corunlitme.11 to parmerv.•j1b organiz..'ltic>ns that ne~d help lo 1>rovlded seN1ces 10 sup1>0rt-die homeless. Cincinnati isn•11hconly city lhKI has benefited from the donations. OD'RCprovida-sleepingbags and roll.~ to ci1ies 1htough6tJ1 1he state to help hon1elt.'SS org..111lzal1oos during th~roveriloM'season. The ptoduCti(ln ortt:ieactuaJ bag,~ Md t0l<!$ lhftt tho GCCH.rccei \'Cd cume from the commmicyseivicc inmates at the 1bledo Correctlonnl Institution. .o\11 of the f-abric u:;e-d to produce th~ ha-i~ ar1d tolt!::i·\lo"ete don.ated nt.."l!erial One of Cii1~1!Ut:th ·s outrc:te:h \VO.l'ke.rs, Chico l~Qck ha" , shares. " I ltilkc.d lo~ lot of people \vho received the blrutkecs and dley \\1Cre ~finitdy thrutkful. Please be sure to only purchase a Streetvibes from a vendor wearing a white or yellow badge. ISSUES 2 WHAT' S AT STAKE? JOlN lJS for DAYS OF DIALOGUE. What better tin1e than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us all OUR P URPOSE is to create an environn1ent where people \vith differing vie"vs can listen and be listened to, and civil discourse can occur. Economic Development March 15 <> ' <1><) 'i¥flEN: Each dialogue \Viii be he.I d on Saturdays h .... E.... d_u_c_a_ti_o_n_, frou1 9a1n to 12 noon Wl:lERE: first Unitarian Church (536 Linton St) at corner ofReading ay17 - Free & Open to the Public ­ Reservations Re.que$ted. RSVP lo 513-579-8547 wvvw.ijpc-cincinnati .org <) �STR EETVIBE S News March2008 5 The state of Massachusetts releases five-year plan to end homelessness ll\' l,\ N G 'l,OFl;o;\1\K Srlla:r N1-:v.7' SliKVJCTi O\'en1or De.var P3triCk \\1ll atti:lmpl G to 11n1>l~menl n 1>l an 10 end homelessness ii'1 1hc Comn.1Qn\VC11l1h ll1e plan lmsbeal given a bodg,'tof$ I0 rnjJhonovet fiveyears, \'••iicll \\~II be b~\sedon n reportfiled in Deoen1berb}' the M.assachuse11S ContnlL~1 on 10 End Homcl-cssncss, 1'heoonu1:tission•s. repon proposes: to end hon1elessness fol' both fanulies and indi \.idtKtls ~~pro,1ding affordable hoUSlng. p1'0.\iet1Ll0£ d10$C !11l'lsk rrom bcingcvic:.t'-xl or di~'pl ncOO. Rlld roding in nsse1 develop~nt 1\ccording to smte 1cpresen1ntive AngeloJ.Pupollo Jr.. there"ill be.some diflerences bet\Veei1 the ("~·ven)()C ·~plan ~nd 1ho<:ommis.sion's n:porl l:.-J<.1'-'vvcr, "a significantportion doesoverlap,..he srud "1he Govemof?s·pJan isin line ,,.jth ou1· ~m 1·n1s.oe;.io n... said P'upollo, Q mcml')C'fof~1c CQmmi~<.lll He<b:hnc<I to c-01nn1enton the difli!rei1-ces bernre-n d1Cl\.\ i0. The repon recomntends 1heuseof cash and tlOn-C3Sh l'esources 10 p1'1!\!esn displaccmcn1 and cvict1on, including re-u1por.uy cash assismncl!.for rentand utilities. The CQ O tJl lis.~ion also reoomnlends \1iurking \\<itb tltose about 10 be disch:1J'g¢d. ftoin prrso.11 10 li od pcnnanCn1"hQusi.1Jg.. l'hec-0mn1isslo11 's.plan to proVlde per1nauen 1 housing fol' the C.onunon,,'ealtft >s ho1nelesS begins ''41.h n10~·111ga~v<l)' fl'01n d'k!tiscoFeit ll'1get-.cy shcltcrsasdcfuctohuiising. The nombcr ofshelters in Mass. will be reduced bin 1101 a.l t-0ge1her don~. awily with. According 10 Joe Fin1t, C'xec.uti,,e director of the -~'Jnss. Housing and ShcllerAll1anco(MMSA)ond :1member Qf1hc«lmn1iss1o.n, shcltcrs \\'Ill b\!U51;!d only forsl1on-rern1emergoocy stays, Jtot housing fot the duonicolly homelosi wid diS3bled. "Shel te<s: '''1JI be used~ diey :u·e mcanr tQ be." said Fron Gail £runru1,. e~ec uti ve. clir~tor of CASPAR (Can1biiclge and SbmeJ''"lle Program for 1\ lcohQI and Drug Rehab1l1tat10.11). ~01nn1ended 1be commissioo and 0q,,crnor Palrick f'o r proposing 3 pla n to help the homeless but she clojnts the plti.n does 1101 adequately deal \vilh non-economic l'easons JOr hontL.-.fessn·ess~such as 1nental iJJ nessc;; and substanCI.! midiction.s ''ih~ probleol ofhon1elessuess is 001lq>lex,..said EnnlM'1l1ei1·solu1ions \viii \VOrk for so1ne people .butotheJS \vtU 1101be able 10 keep their hou.~g;. ~ For this rcnson En n1~m 001 icvcs shcitMS.. especiaJJy ~lose th::tt deal \\'ith. s ubstance 9.buse. v11ll continue 10 be necessary despiw the plan to end homel ~'>llt!SS. Srud Unman. '"'There,,;JI al'\ln)'S be a place forshe1 ters. especiaUy fo r the populn1ioc1 \\iese1ve, thepopula11on \vith aoriveaddictions. The community \liill al\v.l,YS \Vlllll IQS~porropponun1ties for thu• populntioo," Sana ~adel. Director of Public Pl:1lic;,· fol' Ros(e's Placea Booton-brtSed \VQnten 's shelter, Is nlore op1imistic about tliepropoS<d plruL ~add cited the focus en 1hc di fferent needs of the h.;;im~l css RS o pQsih\rc asp<XI of thc repon. Fadel illso :tpproved of 1J1~ tl:po1t's :ltlecn pt to add.J·e~ djf'fetl!nt C.'l.USes ofho1nelessness and 1he focus oofinding 'o;ay:sofincrms111g.dte 1ocoine or a~s ofthe hon1ctcss. "1tlunk it's r....Jly grea~" said f'odel ••11'sn n'rulti.focuSi.."'d plan.·· TJ1e repor1 seek.s to reduce lhe Sb.Ue·~ 1'el1ance on s:hcln.>tSl;,:r• 1ncreasu1g: thi::produdion oflo\v-in..:omohous.lng u11hs and the add1tioc1 ofnlore housi1lg vOuchers. 11aJso c.alls Ibt producing a torn!of 1000 Single Person Occupancy hous1og. UIUIS and 800 lb.itUJy units O'Vel' the plann~d five years.r ive h1Jndrcdof the fim1ily lllJIS \\ouid be COOSln1ctOO Ul privitte de,ielop1nents \vltl!e300 ''IOuJd be oonstn1cted in ne\vpublic housing 11le repoltn1so hsts k>1.,\!1111g 00rr~ers th..-u prcvcnt 1hc homelc-ss from ncqtrim1g exisnnghousiJtg.asa !,."OaL The plan ,v;11 ~,r~)ltlotc: an t."'Tl d to hon1elessoess notonly in dle.Bos:ton area bu1 tbtoughou1 Lhe Con1nlo11\veaW1 Geraldine ~~cC'afl'erty, 1hc Deputy Directorofthe Onjce of HousLng :u1d the l!it) ' ol'Sptin~ietd·spoinl 1Jersonoo homelessness. slates that Sptinb<field is ~dready \\Otk1n,gID oi.'lkecluuiJ:,>ess11u1l3J· to cho5~ suggested in die .;omm1sslon's reporl such as tOcusing on crc?.afulg nifordablelX>using.for die homeless. ..Springfield is \VOrking to make the saolfl ch.aogeso\re1·1hep"3! )'ear ol~$0," saidMcOilli:rty. ).'l c.Caffer.ty belie\les: that 1.h ~ C"JO,rcroor·s proposed SI0 1nilllon 1,vill help ~eJernte 1he cities efforts to 11\Cl\.->ase lK>Using. "Wearespecifically looking to cn::ilo 250 unitsQfsupportive housirtg." said rvlt.~feny adding thn1 the resoucces pc~ b)1thel:ovetnot1.v1U hastendie JOyearexpectancy oftheplru1. To solve the e(;011ornic causes of' homelessness the roport rcco.1nmcncls ptovidin_g reSources and c.teating progtatns 10 allow those at tisk U) n1axjn1iie lheir inco1l\e and become econonuc.a lly stable. T1lere are also proposed progrums 1hat \'fill provide skill training and en1ploy1nent as \\<ell as SlJ!poqjve en\ploynllmt oppn1tuliliiSfor lhoSe \\<ith ntental illoessesorsubstance ab\IS.e problenl$. Acconliug 10-Pupollo. 1hc- ti rs1 step in 1nsti1uongthe co1un1ission·sreponis· funding.Tlte (;ovetnor. has proposed a budget of$10 million dollarto f101d the goal of enduig ho1nelessnes~ 111 the Comnlon1.vcalth Finn said that approXJmately $1.8 mlllion of tl1e proposed $10 nlillion " ill f;OIO MliSA. and dreotherSS.2 million ..;n go to the Depanment of l.lo~ing :ind lJrban Development (HUD). ·rhe Govc?mor's plan snJI 111us.1 be 1~iss.ed tltrousfl Sfate legislature before it can be instituted Ke\'irt Hun1ey. a hoo,eJess 1natl h\f1ng on t.heStteets·Of' Boston, has fui1h 1hcGovcrnor·s p)BTI to end honlelessness v.;nsucceed. "I lecould do 11 I dunk."said liumey. "lt~s thesmart thing todo. \Vith all the hQ111elessness.-0u1 dtere it' s a big priority." Re11ri111cdfiv111 .S1x1re <"':h<1nge f.'. .\~J;!CI :Ven'.~ ~t·n·ic(f: UTUTU',,\'frC'l'I • /k.1/JCl's.o rg f\.1issed a copy of ,{}freetribes. Check out the Street1•ibe.\· nrchive on the Greater Cincinnati Coalition l<.1 r the Hon1eless· \\'ebsite at http://\V\V\\.ci nci hon1eless.orgicontent/street vi bes.ht111 l Do you have trouble reading? Streetvibes Subscriptions Seeing people's faces? Doing everyday tasks? Are you interested i11 having Street11ibes delivered to yt>ur mailbox every month. Send a check for $25 with your name and address to: Streetvlbes 117 E. 12th SL Cincinnati. OH 45202 There is hope. There is help. We can help you or someone you know who has: • No Vision • Loss of Some Vision • \ Clnclnnad Association for the ' ' '-' Blind & Visually Impaired 2045 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202 A not.for·profil 'lgency For information call 513-221-8558 and ask for Adrianne. �Community News 6 STREETVIBES March2008 Moratorium now! Many states rethink capital punishment laws, not Ohio B r .IULIF. PRZ Yll\'SZ CONTR.IBUTING VlR.IT~ R F a111ous a uthor and longtime death penally opponent, S r. Helen Prejean. OSF often describes support for lhe dealh penalty as, ..a rnile long and an inch dee1>." \Vhy is that? Often that one inch of su1>port is based upon easily c.hallcng,cd beli efs sue.It as - the death penalty is reserved for the v.•orst of1he v.•orst or that it deters crin1eorthat eveiyone receives a fai r 1r1al of 1he1t peets. Yet. digg ing beyond that f irst i nch, surprisi ng real i t ies a re discovered. that over 3,3 50 people sit on death TO\VS in our nation, that 126 innocent persons have been exonerated fro m death rO \\IS, the role of racial and geogra phic d isparities 1n death sen tences, the all-too-con1mon story of ineffective assistance of co unsel, to nan1e a fe \v, As these facts and tl av"s arc slo,vly exposed, the enti re d eath penaJty syste1n n1us t be caJled into question. So, ho'v d oes Ohio stand up? Ohio to execute innocent person Of the 126 nten exonerated fro nt death ro..v, five of them were fro m Ohio: Gary Beeman, Dale Johnston, Timothy l·lo..vard, Lamar Jan1es, and Derrick Jamison. Altogether, these nte.n spent over 80 ye.ars in1prisoned 'vrongfully and ri s ked bei ng executed for crimes they did not innocent people. \Ve arc thankful that ~Ir. Richey did not have to lose commit. Beyond these five exonerations. his life due to the nawed policy and countless others have been ntoved ineffecti\•cness of Ohio 's death o ff death row or granted ne..v trials penalt)•. Wearethankfulthat he,vas due to trial errors and ne\.\• e\•idence able to return home to Sc-o tland to that called the fairness o f their be \Vith his n1other fo r the fi rst ti111e convictions into question. The most 10 over 2 1 yeatS." T\vO days fo llO\\•ing Kenny recent exan1ples are Kenny Richey Richey's release, and John Spirko. K e n n y "Across the co untry, John Spirko a Richey, a native more and more states received to co m1 n u tat1on of Scot la nd , are beginning to l ife ""i thout \Vho "'as rethink t heir capital parole front convicted of the punishment systems, G overno r Ted 1986 murder of recognizing the Strickland - IS Cynthia Coll ins days prior to his irreparable flaws ." spent O\•e r 20 sch e d u I e d years on Ohio 's execucion. Jo h n Spirko had been death row. The en tire tin1e Kenny 111aintained his innocence. Concerns convicted of the 1982 n1urdet of over the entirely c1rcun1stantial Bett)' Jane r\.1ottinger and s pent nature ofevidence that \\'&$ used to a ln1os t 25 years o n death ro\v convict hin1, eventually led to a ne ..v d espite no incriminating fore nsic trial being granted. \Vi th lacking evid ence. In November of200S, the State confidence in the justice systen1, it is oflittle s urprise that Richey pied ofOhio began conducting extens ive 'no con test' fo r lesser charges and D NA test ing to obtai n any to be released for tin1e served at the conclusive evidence that "'<>uld have linked Spirko to the crinte. l n over beginningof2008. Sister Alice Gerdentan, who two years, no evidence was fo und. gre..v up in Putnan1 County, Chair of During the investigation, Spirko Ohioans to Stop Executions said received a record 7 reprieves (five ··.,ve have kno\vn for years that the fromfo rmcrGovernorTaftandt\VO death penalty ri sks execut ing front Governor Strick land) , receiving a ne ..v execution date each ri111e. Come and have a cup of coffee and enjoy a relaxing atmosphere at 1506 Elm St. Monday - Friday 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm Saturday 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Sunday 12:00 pm - 5:00pm Phone# (513) 381-3368 d ispariti es. a nd i nsuffi cien t protection for in111ates with 111ental d isabilities. \Vhethe r o r no t someone receives the death penalty c an depend upon the race ofthe victim. The ABA found that those that kill 'vhite victin1s are 3.8 t1rnes n1ore likely to rec-e ive the death penalty than those " 'ho kill victints ofcolor. \Vhethe r o r no t someone receives the death penalty can also depeod upon what s ide of the state thecrimeoccurred. Only IOout of 88 co un ties acco unt fo r ·14o/o of Ohio's death ro\v, And, those \vho co111n1it capital cri111es in Harn.i lton County are 2. 7 tin1es n1ore likely to be sentenced to death than in any o ther county. lo regards to 1he ineffective assistance of counsel, the ABA found that indigent defendan ts do not have eq ual access to v.•ell­ qualified ano111eys and that anomeys representing those who may have 111ental illness need to have n1ore s ufficient tra ining in order to recognize these mental disabilities and recognize the in1pact o f the disabih ty on their client's defense. Lastly, the risk of wrongful inc.arcerarion continues to occur due to a lack of p reservatio n o f biological evidence , lack of documentation o fi n1erroga1ioos. and frequent fa lse eye\.\•it ness identification. Study demonstrates need for moratorium A changing tide In September of 2007, 1he A nterican Bar Association, j o ined t he 130+ organ iz ations and institutions in Ohio \vho have called for a n1oratoriun1 on the death penal ly in O hio. T he ABA conducted a 30 -n1onth in-depth study o f Ohio's death penalty and fo und that o f the 92 standards of fairness set fo rth by the ABA, Ohio failed to meet 93%ofthe s tandards. In addition to concerns about innocence, the ABA reported on inade<1uate legal counsel. unfai r j uiy practices, racial and geograph ic Across the country. more and n1o re states are beginning to rethink their capital p unis hment systems, recognizing the irreparable flaws. J ust 1n 2007. ·rennessee implemented a study. Illin ois continued its lvtoratori1u1t, Ne"' York choose to not reins tate its death penalty, and New Jersey abolished its d eath penalty. \Vhen .,,,ill Ohio li sten to the n un1erous groups c a l ling for motatotiuo1, 1nclud1ng the Cincinnali City Council, and begin to ad dress this issue? �STREETVIBES Community News March2008 7 Valentine's day brings many gifts Our l.!<11/y lJ1•ad Is a)Qod a1uJ 110.l'j>irnli i}' 111l1ri.1·U'J' 1J\' A1'<it:.J,,, P.iis~"t'.A.LA Cor..'T«1nunl'o WxrrEM Ou1·Daily Bread celebrnlcd Vale-iltlne's l)ay fully thisyo.'IT. Hem1-sh:ipedsugwrookies covered \\ii.th 1>ink icing front ·Larin Club of M.oooi.n1 High Scbool set the tooofor lbc day. Masy Beth Pefers, our ExecutiveDirector. lulf'lded lhe1nou1to people and \' 1::Ult0£. rot the .serving1ine io open, 1be celebrnt1on continued ,vflen. an 1he rrtlddJ e of Iuu<.:h. ~ truck pulled up·1:1r Ql(r back door, wluch IS located nghtdo\\'1 tbefirstalley offElder a.1\et the lntersecCJoo '"1th Race. The door \velcon1es and 1hanks chose bringing do.nario.ns 1.vilh thl.!' \.\'Or.ds -aoo ll l..ESS U'"spray-paimcd bcSidc ic Ourof the truck can1eagro~ of\IOIunteas \\1to b1ought1n boxes u1:>Qn boxe$ filled \v1th foo<l, toiletries, blankets iu1d more. 1bis wasOjleralion Wann-Up. ex1>lained l~ l i ~bcth, a 1114.lmbcrofthc crc\v, ·rite Elil lel Jewish Student Center at the Univers1t)1 of C1ne:1nnaHh3:$·1X!en $i)Ollsonng I.his wu~u!ll e\lenf since 1996. II is not, hO\\'ever,just a one day atTuir. for $Cvcral m011ths pri6l', volun1ccrssolk.it bUSlnessesfordon:irio11s, \\hich dley then bnng to vnnous.sheltel'S,J>Mtnes., mi$$1ons. ruldsol.4) kitdiens. Maiiy UC students are invol ved; "yeso.:rdS)• mu b.undrcd vohmlc.'C~ bc:Ip¢d OOg upall that wascoll<eted," Eh2'1beth said,"we had eight tl101L$attd b~. ·•AdddJonally. the Cincinnati f\1on1essori Secondarv Teacher Education l'r9gran1 provided s.is of our u1 01 ·c~r-1/J'i!-R/1i11c, C inc:i111m1i JJ'e .~c.>t,'t.' (I f ll}t/-</(( I' 1111!'1l li1111un: 1i1a1r 500 iluil1rh/11nl.s c 1°'l.''J' ,f(JJ ~ A1(11ula)t tflJ"Vllg/J f;ritlOJ' rti· pro,·hfc. )1•a rur a t-0111j(1nnhl1: /Jfacc j i1rall 11·J1(1 C(1111e. lt ;s o.·11/nc:c u•/Jc1r.· 11// 1111!'11.\ ;,, arv in1·111.·1/ 1a hv a f ll1'" ~fa ttJ1111J11111i1}' 1ha1 ix CMSTE.P \o'Olunll!Cr$ in th!.! kitchon at Our D~lly Rn..-ad. l'brJ10/rt1111 !'1 1s7·51~ Sdf\•ln_g..fine volunteer.; for the da>'· This trniiti11g course tQr, middle school teachers included a.serv1ceoon1ponent, and they c.u1no n.ot only from lndiann and Ohio. butalso as foras Washington. Florid."l, Tux.., Md l\tlichtl}&Jt "The- idct1 is to help us learn ~1-0\V to 1ntroduceoon1nlun1t)r service-to our 1111ddle ~chool students.... ~pres;c~ Rcbc<:ca, one of theCMSTEPvisitcrs. lnorder to ex,x'Yit!rtce Cinci.tmari's'various soc'ial SCJYicc agencies> the group $pCn1 time ·'ill f'easlee Ne1~borhood Center.. \ le n.1ce on n'. ft-e l '1i! t1h·,·11,L<'S looki11gfi1r 1'()/11111ccirs anti literacy pro.g,rBn1, learned aboul social t l (11HJ1i(1n.f ofn o1t­ enterprise.Sat \ 'coiccoq \ 1ine and lcaftlcd tho /k'ri,\'}rnblefoods. valueof\!•TInng and refl ecuo11at InkTank. !'/ease _gJ1.-c ~IU{111 or Tuna-tl.sh-saladsnnd"~ches \-\'ci:oservcd Kmh }' u ct1l l '1t up and greetings or-'Bappy \\1lentine~s Day" \'1/f!{i:.¢.XCh:U\_yedb e!Y>'Cen t\l.L The Spidtof1hc dt1J \\'l\S thick in the u.ir• ooeof'our guests gave \\obite rosesto those of' us on 1hc stuff. Slt'ts of stickci:s. lollipops. .stuffed animals, and cards v.;;~lre exchanged. and hugs 'vere fm..-.ty givt'1'1. \Ve havo a fricnd·v.i10 likes to givf:. us all h~~ shecan1e 1n ~a)' ai111oun.c.ingshe bad sp~1:d v.ilentine's Day hugs \\:~. did not turtt V1n~m1d lnk Taitk. They \\Urf.:ed \\ti th (;hildren in the,.Peasfee her do\.\'J"t Well put together c IL\ RJ.01-n: \VRJGtrr Co.,'1nun1.rrrNO \\'R1TER h is n(>tveiy often that you areplacecl in a facility "'here you can say you liked the entire staff, l an1a client at 1he Center for Respite Care. h is·a -fucilil\.· pr'OVided to hel1, ho1nefess people reco\ie1'physically. 1m>:ntnlly ru1denlOtinnatlY: It also prcp3rcs yo\1to be ready to go back toe·vcrydny living, I have bcitm heresince februaiy 5, 2008. \Vh!!n Icrune here I \Vas.extren1el)r depre~and close lo suicide. I c-0uld have never been placed 1n a better place. h is n very homey n1nl05phere. there is 5o1neone to help evel)·one. Who ever is respo1ts1ble fOr the sraffh'el'e.did fill C'>celle-n1ioh. The\' ••o the e.X"cra tt\1le to ~ help the clients boh:tpp)' and splrit stroo,g1hroug,h thc1rrt:eo\reiy, On da~·s when you are blue at least on~st3fl' perron care enough.to brighten your day. They aclually ,;'lrc lllcy make n.'00\'Cringcasy, no matter \.\•hat)'Our illness all ofourneeds are met$ lhey• are requlred h is asj.feandc.lean enviro1unenl You o ev·~r g,o to sleep 91 night feehng:b'1ld. 1t,s 1heir goal -You :tro prov1dc'3 \W-ll balnnc01.i meals :lnd O•lo snack CRch day. 1\ ll of)·ourmedic.ation is there nsneeded. Yourcloth1ngand personal needs are 1hcre as 'vcll Wehnve-indiVidual acri\rilies lha1are reqlUrOO ofus each ''ieek as ,velJ as gt0of)t1clivi1ies . .'-\11of 'vhich i~ hclpful 1othe clienLI\. [...'lStbu1·001 loast \\o'C have fl.m and do a !_01oflougtung, ltJt1$l goes to-SbO\\' you that being sick is not so bad after:UI Lt'saH about pos:inv.e 1hj11.king. Look at - 'IA'ha1-it did fur me. I. mris.ure I \1,ill recover in n1ore \\'3)'5 than one,no m:itter hO\.\rlong IS1ny heri!. (>oe thing I kllO\\' is nl)l lifeorhon1eless:ness iso\~r. Dtlesrepat a 01ne. l-:lat.'$otT10 the-cli1..>t1tS arldStat'f-ofRcsr>itc. \\1c.\vork ,w-11tog1..1hcr. lb1s 1sour safe-havoo~ ourhon1e.ooril \\lf,l. get our 0\\1l. 1Y<ill definitely \x•, \'Ol1.S1tCC11ngsomcof1ny h1neoncc Ism rclc.'IScd. Th3nks Respite for3ll ofyoursuppon, ·' t '111--r11g. s11pporli1"tt, ,1111/ 11·elao111i11g. 5 JJ..62 J..f,Jf>./ fl) j i11d 011/ llUJll!. ()11t' /,'J(1il)•1Jn:f1t,f i:: /r)clJ/1.~tl lll J 73() liacc .\'11't'..:t, ('inci111tt1ti OH, 45102. Give credit where credit is due f.I\' J\1, ' 1,,R.K S.0F.J.1t-, ST1ia; rv1ues VENDOR Pi~1of-all, I V.'OU.ld like10 tha _nk God for havi.n,g_me here in sow1d hfatthand fOC'havingrny Fits1 Lad)' -trl)' n1on1- in my Life: Mrs Eliz.abclh PCJU"IWaller~ -my in.spinttiOOI 1\\UU!d ltlso like tO thru.1kAndy Freeze from $11YJe1v1bcsand a host ofothet'S; .Ijus-t found<>ul lhal I 2u11 VeodoroftheW1on1hl I would like to thank my ftiend !Tom Clay Su..1that feeds me, (ireg Ross from "Mc110" Jetf11'0 1ll Rhil\os, Bill Bawn ffotn lJtban Sites, and tho M:worM•rk Mnllo1y. Yos,l helped pass out Aye"' for you years ago before you become nlayor. I '111proud ofyou! ·rQyou, thu1f1bs up, You uri::.doin£ fl greatjob 1A1th Ove1·d10 Rhine, As far as I an1 con.cemed, the6ad lhings here are the individuals that break 1n10 cars. r ·rn a rat! If you ttre hrea.ki1lg.in, J an1 relling! Rc!lOOn bciog, I \Ya-')h pc.'Ople'seurs The carthat yoo decide.to break 111 could have.beeo1l\)' nlOther's, so stop that! l anl ptoud 10 say a good thing nbout (rrn. is Str~ecvibes.ruld its man}' suppone-rs Md en1ployees, Ofthe businesses here Classical (jlass fol.tnder Mr. Davicl b ufflla.o; boon hllinspiffition i.n ~1y life for }'ears .Rc-carc.s abou1poopfc. Ph:~c support his business; he is a stained glassex'Pert Alol)g \Vlth·re.rry and nty long t101e fnend1'on1. Jim l'ronl Luc:_y Blue·s Pin-a and 0$11y o1hers I lhink that I \Viii close forno\v 111is is.Ill}' _llrst rinte \"ritin,g,, ro if you like It, buy ru.11ssuc fronl 11, e Md tel 111e krlO\'J! I v.-ould Inter like to \VTitc about"my po,sition in the riots·Of OTR. t hankYou! Mark ,.\nd1ocly 1 �Vendor Artwork and Poetry 8 STREETVIBES March2008 Homeless in N.Y.C. InJail Tiii tile suits \\loreotr J S!l.\V)'Oll On Swid:Ly Ad:iy ofresi BeJOn: Freen1nrket fot.aid more ere.vices ~lelp:!d n'liObili7..chaJfnmlllionpeople Bunwarolf Did >'OUnot Si;Ulding pratJd Loolangcmzy FrQn1 asJtksoc1ety Nine fingera ru~l;ed in One str~tch~ Tojudge '10 your residence On th~ streitt Ye:~~j udt;!i 1a1t To n.-devclo1> Yeah, II wasAugust29. 20-04 When lJ1lilOO fol' Peace aodJusiiC"e Bo.Sng l11e republj ciw' 001\\'e11uon Jn i1 city Notho1.rang e\'ef)'OOI! In t'i cit)' \vhete Touristshurdle l11e honicless and gari)af;e bags On theside·wulk. NofgaJblb>e bags in asense of'tiltl1 Bulg;:ubage b~1gs 1.u 1;\ settSe of duplicity Doubling LtS a n\9.kesilift pillo\'/ t\Jlda ho1dcrofonc•s ,....orld Aholderofevetytlungom1ed Pet~l::il l 1emsortl1lnJ;S cntried And held OOI() Even,,;thoutalu>fna E.vt11 fron1 TI1ecalm Ofhn] f t'I m1Ilion pcaccmnkc1"S Not lotO\Vlng y.•hat to 1uakeof .i\ ~~vcn fbot soarly .1ti :w \.\'ilhout ahome '"' seven fooi SRMly nuu1 WiriK>utquil r\ sl?\·e11fuotsn;u:ly ni..w Rftis111s hJ!S vol~ Wid1 anleSsage But themh>S 10 be Sontedung \\'T011g ''1.lh you You have 10 bosick Too sick To ftu'1dll)Jl Jn aClvili-7,1.-dsoci<..'ly The Wolf #lbday \WIS different N.Y.C htld u makeOvt!r BuiuU IJ1 ~ c.xpht.at1vi: 'rhe hon1eless disappeared In tJ1.:v.-orld For the \vee.keod \\'t).ufd be 11euphef11jsm You "~~re U1elasi Too bold l•lotncle:SS n1:1t' Sltul.tbug TO<.lU!!l)th The oops deporred Thep"ll"' n\etf:!)•es6rd·s Ofd10 TothooutSkins 1\nd1>u1l.be-resr C'.nlm or}'Our C:()Ulttldt:'$ Cleo's Joke Corner Peuce_ Berta's Art Corner \\ft1at did ~jlrs. Vo[c.anosJy to Mr. volc<UlO. Do you lava n1e7 \\'h:it did 1.heoc.ear:l say to 1h~ s.eashoJ'e'? Nothing, i1just v,~ved. \\lriters ! ~ sub111il your liftlJ!J poetry to Strcetv ibes ­ e1nail your writing to streetvibes2@yahoo.cou1 " 1828 - Miami & Erie Canal - 1920" PAINTING llY ?vllCHAEI. J. Bl.tlNKENSHIP 28 W EST C ENTRAL PARKWA V �STREETVIBES March2008 Vendor Artwork and Poetry February dream 9 Abstract ball Last nigluT dreru1u ofpeeriogthrougl1 a \'-indo\\• ofa gray stone cottage, the room \\ri t}un. suffus~J v.-idt \\~rmglG\\<iogligbt .;.\Jong the '"-all~ pastel ballerinas strerched and l\Vlsced their l i 1hcbod1,~, A fieldstone fireplace h~ldanes1 ofcrackling. dancing Bames. Istood, paroJyzl'd.by indecision and desire just before thew;,lootne mn1, sunnunded b)r l,lS \VirJ QfSJ)(.lV.{)(l.ke:;l My leO fronl.(X)ekel \\'JS v.ei,ghted do\\jn v.1diajangJy fiS1ful of'$hiny keys. Aou1nbpaw ·yrutkL"tJ thCltt (onh nnd Jtried chem, one by one, rod1oneaneager tongue tl1ur m1gh1 fit du.: lock .. llk! satvecone slippoo in butdidnotrum: a coppe.rone \l\':1'5 re1cctcd~ "ss-,r.~fk!j ftc,v ag3(nst coldmetal. 1lv..istedru1d tw.;;ged keys time.and time again :is:\\'3Jlt1d1 v.-hhin bcckone<.i .. 1tried a .final kc:y. shin)' and black; 1t caught,~dO\\ll)• ttillted and 1hc1h1c.k Qak door aeakedopen lazily .. my sentleprod•. Then Iv.'Oke and brushed a frosty 1hree-ind l drift J'ron1 d1erough bcr1ch that formed my bed, fronl my icy b<>dy. Ireachedimo my left lrootpocket Jbrnl\.'J ciflu otkt.."""S: .,, ' l found them nil. except the one. soblacknod shiny !\lot opencd tho door ~ Universal love OOn ' t lt.-tncgtttivcclcmc11tS in life Confuse the issue anddestroy yoor nlind Rccof,'Tlize all 1hcevJIS00..usdone toyou Then realize-v.flat do . it is lh.at}'OUhaveto . .Leanl tJu~ sec tt.1$ of tl1e wu \1c1sc T() ~ti er tmc1cn.1andy()ur lifCon earth Becon1e.a panofall cre.ation Only the.n c:.tnyou sucQL~fUl ly Nh: anntion Be the poople \\1boyou \vere<:reated 10 be TI1c aiai1111lgtcdi.e att11$0dety Cause evcl)' m1n11to counts cvcrysccund tOo Cause any niinu1eany seCondyour lifecan bethru Door( \V'3$(C)'Our life by v.·:istingyour n n1c Progress. achievecultivate )' Our 1nind .Li\IC~-..-iesyda)• a.sdinllf;i1 tt "•erey0Utl~1 Plan fQr the fi1ture. learn from the pASt l:teed 1hescriptures \vith 3sieuthfUIey1e Try 10 find lhc answer to dtequc~ioo .. \,fly?" Wakeup and see-\\TIO you rea:JI)• are God's i'iness e:re-ru:ioc1 unde:1-.)e~ the.$1Ql'S Search for 1-hc mnh, fight fQr\-vhi1t's ri~1 i Don'tS!op until they see dle}igh1 Because God Jooks: a~ cvco•body here as l~anhJ1ngs So forge11hestatus quo, let'sbehuman b~ngs Cause Unive1...-.al is "11-uu 1·1u speakin· One (iOd, <~n o planet, nahu11lly One lo vu or 10 \V1UT1llh, lle/Jri11rc<l.fr<1111 SJreer s..~n.\'(~ ("$1.rtet Nt'\t·s .yt!r~·Jce: 111111u'.slree1-pnpers 01g So Jl)aJl)' diffcrl.'11.t pc..'Oplo·in 1Jte \vorld today It's bard to tmderstand all the roles.they ploy lnsi l;J1ifjCai11fl.'i: lltU!!)' $00111 llvoiybody h11$ a purp\JSO f\>r l><!ing 1\ndit's tin1e Man.kind }'OUbe<:onlea\vnre N<>-OnQtS l)O}' bctror thnn :lnybody bcrc No nlan isgreater than another man So v.-hy 1~ it SCI hard 10 w)dl!rs1and That the day youdie son1cone else is b<Jm Bui life goeson and on andon lt ·docsn't \v-ait tor me. it don· t \WUtforyou 11goes on as it \WS pJanned to do See eve[)•body is soniebody is \\<hnt we bebeve No rrtrulet what race. 1,, 1ha1 coh)1 or creed EcononUcstatus<loes:n~1 make.a hu1nan being J11s thed.i\'ioe conlhtn::ttu,)ll ofso n\Bny tlilng.~ It's tho goodnesspf 1hc hcar1, it's thcsl-rt.."Oglh <.lf the mind Jr>s an individllal \.\'i.10 iss}liriruaJized Universal Lo\le is \\fiat I' It\ spc!akin' of One God. one planetoan1rall}' one love PCOjllc arc ditTCR.'111 bu1 \vbo is to bhlnlc ·rharnot bot! living soul on the Earth isthes3Jl:ie Cau.i;e evetytin.e J tum atound \\-ba1 do l see · Nothing. n6 person thar's thesame.as 1ne -\ \'ell 11'sobvious tbeonJy d:ung I can co:ncJude ts lhtHthere has to be purp<.lSe for this 1111tural rul~ \\'here nothingjs.identical on theplanereiinh From d1eti1ne it is00t1c:e3,«1to1hetin1eofi1·s birth And d1e d1ing 1hat aJlov.'5 t!Vef)•thing to be bont ls tl1esnn1epov,-ersow·et: th.at turn..<; C\retytltlngoo Yes. \VCnrcdiffercn1 yes 1hisis (fU9 BUL}'OU.got to understand how this relates:royou Eveii though \\1e.'1-e di ft~t (lC'Je fQCt still ten1ai1is Titat \vhich gives tis life, in all it is thesam·e Un1vel'Sal l ove 1$Y.4u1t I'n\ speakin• Qf One God. <.'nc pl~1net nah1rally one love Cultiv.:ueyow· in.ind soyoucan reoogt\i.:r.c The evil one in f\111.d:isguise .Thenobroi.n lhe kJlO\\•ledg.e Qf tlte uruverse So youcan rule di\rincly on planet earth S~k OU[ the truth :ind you \\/ill find There ate oo li1n.itatimls to tl1egtO\\oth of 1he.rniod All the people !lave to cbis understandone tiling They·renot bea<isorthe lieldsthey'rehumon bcinss. And thohum11:n i~bom \\ith thequal 1 ti ~1ti on ·rharen.ables us lo ruJe allof ~r~ruion And in the inUtgeofhe ll1ru. createdyou So should tho planet Eonh beruled C'..ause UnivctSal is \..hair n1-SJ>eaki1:1' or One Goel, <.'n~planct, naturnlly,one love �STREETVIBES Columns 10 March2008 Language of addiction The words used reveal, more than we might think 1\'1ic:lll1el 1'l e11so11 is author of Ransac:k, A S111ttll Roon1 u1itlr Troul1/4? 011 My Mind, ' 'ery n O\\' and then, to shake thi ngs up, I' ll ask a group in therapy or in E a school 10 list for n1e as n1any \VOtds as the)• can lhink of for getting drunk or getting high. Some of 1he ..vords are like 1his: Sessed Poverty and Addiction by Michae l Henson Getting a wake up The Tao of crwtk Lo11g i11g, a11d ge111ng soo1e c.andy trippin' getting an eye-opener offco your final trip, you' ll be lifted fo r sure. So n1aybe these are a stretch, but is t>tJrt of 11 blazio· a sphf take a look at the technical tern1 itself, 111011thly These \\'Ords testify to the intoxication. \vhich on its face seems series 011 clinical, neutral, unthreatening. 1>leasurable side ofintox1ca1ion ( 111t1ke­ 1 poverty uu1i ) "I'· ca1ulJ or to the transc.c ndent. o ut­ But Strip lhe \VOrd dO\vtl to its root, adtlict ion. of·the-ordinary nature of intoxication and \Ve fi nd that. tucked in bet\veen (tri/>pin ', C}'C-opene1; u·akc-up) ot to a prefix and suffix (ren1en1ber this stuff desire to sound unique, odd, or from grade school?) \VC fi nd the different ( sesse<I. crunk, bl<i=in ' 1ha1 poisonous \VOrd toxic . .tplif) Consuo1e enough of a n1ood-al1er1ng But n1ost of the v.·ords are like this: chen1ical, and you are said to be intoxicated, in·to.t ic·aced. \Ve have taking a hit blasted Poisoned ourselves. We might not think hammered of it that v.'ay, but that's the v.'ay it is. blowed The 01ind rnight be clouded. but the toasted bod y knows. And the body rebels . it \\laSted von1its; it coughs; it shrinks against the v.'l'ecked needle T he body \viii even shut itself f- kedup d0\\11'1 so \Ve can no longer pun1p the These arc v.·ords of violence, \\IOrds Sluffin. ofde.ath, dan1age, and destruction. The bod)• knows this, but the 111ind, in addiction, is clouded. lt'ssontething Son1e group·scan go on and on ..vi1h these v.»ords. I ha,re gotten as many as \Ve knov1, but vie hide it behind this finy-six 1n a single session. If l had kept screen of \VOrds that reveal and hide at al I these lists. I might have hundreds by the san1e 1in1e. 11·sonly v.•hen v.•e stop nO\V. and think about \Vhat the \VOrds are The consistency arnong these lists is saying that \\IC really get it. ren1arkable. Nine out of ten of the " lt•s like I \Vant to die v.•hen 1•m ..votds or phrases using, .. an addict in treatn1ent recently \\IC commonly use told me." If it ·son the street and " If it's on the street and for intoxication son1ebody says. \\•hat this one's got is somebody says , what this in1ply violence to all right, but this ocher guy'sstuffis one's got Is all right, but the self. k1lla. J' m gonna go for the stutl' that•s t his other guy's stuff is These include killa. Killc1: l1ca<i·b11sfer. bo1t1b, \Vhatever, I 'rn gonna go for 1hat.·· killa, I'm gonna go for the '"ords v.•hose references c o So these \\'Ords reflect, as stuff that's kil/a, Killer, ntetaphors, the fact that v.'hat \Ve do death. dan1age. head-buster, bomb, and destruction \vhen vie drink to cxc.css or use drugs in whatever, I'm gonna go for ate not a certain \Vay is to poison ourselves. that.'' ilTlJllcdiatcly I s uppose this is 1he J)lace to note obvious. "f'ake that small an1ounts of alcohol have been chilhn' or cool. These come up pretty s hov.'ll to have health benefits and that often on these lists and seen1 pretty marij uana has been sho,vn. in proper dosage, to be nledicinally useful and innocent. So I ask the group. v.•hat happens that rnorphine and n1e1hadone have \\!hen you die? An1ong other things, you sin1ilar beneficial uses. But \\lhen \\IC talk about addicrive ..viii drop to rooo1te1nperatute. Then, a little later, they take you to use, \vhcn \Ve speak of intoxic.ation, \Ve the 01orgue and stick you in a are not talking about sn1all an1ounts or refrigerator \vhere you•n be chilled and proper dosage. \\'e ate talking about cool for sonte rinte to con1e. HO\V about use to excess and \\<:ithout n1edical /ifteif! When the pall bearers pack )'Ou justification. We are talking about the Crow Cull. 1'his t:ol11111n literal poisoning that these \VOrds reflect. \Vhy so n1any ..vo1·ds? The only other life function I can think of that hassuc.h a rich and fluid vocabulary is sex. And 1t seen1s 1here are ne'v \\'Ords being made up every day and old words being retooled for the purpose every \veek. One reason for the nuntber of \vords is 1ha1people ..vho ate fao11liar \Vi th a topic ha,re ntore \\'Ords that relate to that topic. Someone \vi th no interest in carpentry probably knov.'S there are things kno\vn as nails, but he or she n1ay not kno\V about cleats, comn1on nails, finishing nails. shingle nails, rooling nails. panel nails. or the various penny sizes ofnails. People \Vho are into drugs have a whole glossary of v.·ords relating to drugs because they have an interest. People \vho don't. don•t (When l go inco a school and fi nd that the class cannot con1e up with 01any ..vords 10 put on the board, then I kno\Vthese kids are probably okay, If there is one kid out of the c.l ass v.•ho knov.•s a lot of \vords, then l knov.• co talk to hint or her after class.) \\' ho con1es up with these v.•ords? I have not kept a close tally. but most of them have come from African­ An1ericans and IO\V•incon1e \Vhites. (\.1aybe 1hat's because of ..vho I have v.·orked with for most of my career, but n1y 1otally unscien11f1c guess is 1hat if I \Vere to do this cxcrc.ise \vi th the drug abusers of sonte \Vealthy suburb, I would not get such a list. r\.1y totally w1scientific guess is that n1arginalized people, in general, are more ac.tlve in \\'Ord creation than the nlainstrean1 population. \\' hy? I think. because \Vhen you're do\\'ll, \Vhen you•re on the 111argins, you experience dislocation and pajn. Poverty, \Ve have said in an earlier coluntn, is not just an econon1ic shortfall; 11is a ..vound to the psyche. \\'ounded, v.•e look to \VOrds that express that pain. Blues, tap, bluegrass, arc all )>Oetlc forms that come from people at the econon1ic ntargins. All of them coo1e frorn peoJ)le in pa10 . And so, the street poets who come up with these ..vords for getting h1gh, \vho have this constant drive to create ne\v \VOrds for abuse, are trying, in their way, to tell us of1hei r pajo. Ir-------------------------------------------------------~ I Streetvibes exists as a forurn for the ex pression of the views and opinions of our I I readers and s upporters, l ' he opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of I I I I the Streetvibes staff or the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. I I ~-------------------------------------------------------~ �STREETVIBES Columns March 2008 Bodies, from page 1 an in1ponant and valuable opporn1nit)• for the co1nmunity." Nov.•here in th e article does r\.1r. ~le Donald discuss the fear tha1 the bodies """'illegally obtained Dr. RaymondG\o,...-, c,hiefn1edical director of the exhibit, in a differe nt a rticle. says: "We v.rould never curate an exhibition v.•ith contents v.re knew ·~veteobtained illegally or unethically... \Ve have thoroughly investigated evel)' aspect of \Vhat v.•e are doing. \Ve feel very co1nfo11ablc that the bodies v.·crc obtained ethically(Pulse, 1/16/08)." Yet. there are n1any 1n Cincinnati ..vho kno'v that serious questions ren1ain about hov.•hun1an bodies are treated in and out of public \ciev1, The key to resolving, this issue is sim.ilar to the earlier <:oroner issues: the ~1useu1n should pl'Ov1de evidence ofhow the bodies were obtained and \\•hether pem1ission \1/35 gjven fron1 individuals and/ or their tttrnilics, The "educational .. and "'spiritual.. 1ntentjons ofthe f\1useuo1come only aftel' we kno\v that people and.for families chose to pa11icipate in this exhibit. History doesn't help Sadly, Cincinnati's history \vi th misuse ofbody parts did not setve as a ..va1·oing to the Jvluseun1 Center. Over the past 7 years, the publi c has repeatedly read about ootrageoos ose of body parts or \11holc bodies \vithout the pern1ission ofgrie,.ring fantilies. Now. efforts are in the courts to change the practices ofcoroners so that this kind of abuse s tops 11 Nor did the national ongoing n'IOven1er1t \VOnder and beaut)•ofthe hun1an bod)' can to ha,•e n1useun1s return the bodies and orlly be n1eaningfully w1del'Slood in a context body patts of Native t\metic.ans to their of resPonsibility. We can be amazed at the appropriate nations and their burial grounds 'vays in 'vhich the bod)1 has been developed aft"'ect the f\.fuseun1. as long as ..ve koov.• that the bodies \Ve Not d id the "Th is exhibit continues a experience \\iith the ate looking at ate not long pattern of arrogantly the victims of illegal taking and assum ing that human dignity religious or political no\v returning of art can be violated with persecutjon. objects fron1 impun ity." \\'e can see 14oloc.a ust v1ctirns alter the r\.fuseu.111's spiritual lessons io the creation ofcells. muscles and bones as 1>0lic1es and decisions. Thisexhibit cootinues a long pattern ofarrogantly asso1ning, that long as \Ve are assured that pern1ission to hun1an dignity can be violated \vith intpunity. exao1ine the 1nost ptivale parls of our anaton1y has been gi'ren freely. \Ve cru1 corne a..vay fton1 Lhe 01itacle of Peace issue hu1nan physical development as long as v.-e kno"' that social, nloral and eth ical The treatn1ent of the huntan body is a devclopo1ent has em.braced the exhibit. 1>eace issue. Societies have tecogn1zed how the bodies of the deceased are treated, contrib utes to a respectful and Answer the questions psycholog.icaJly healthy coping ..vith death. There is no ..vay ofjust "viewing.. the Disn1pring the grievi.ngprocess equates v..ith bodies "'iithout th<.-'Sc moral concerns being viola11og the petsonal and social peace understood. 'rhe Peace \ tillage urges che process ofindividuals and com1nlmirics. ·111ere is a long and grueson1e histo1y of rvtuseun1 to not only pause in tl1eirshov.•ing using bodies to denote vic.to1y. hunuliation., of this exhibit until the vital questions of and pseudo superioriry. Displayingthe bodies choice ofthe people is decided. but to also or body parls is n1eant 10 con1m.unic.ate a undertake a community hc.aling about the fierce and ugly message about the "'<>rth of injury ofour public standards ofdecency. one hun1an being over another. Bodies and Few \VOuld Cl'tticize the rvtuseunl for body patLs have been patt of"ttoph1es;· or realizing that it acted too quickly if the ntade parts ofe.x.h.ibits for as long as people rvtuseurn shows it can bring Lhis exhibit10 a conclusion that r<.-'Spects the meaning ofthe have created museun1s or \va.ts. An indic.ator ofpc.aceful relations, the bodies. 111e local and national con1111unity restoration ofcon1passion, and the healing ,vouJd 1aJce r10teofsuch a hun·wutarian focus. process. has been 1he return ofbodies or If the Museum does not act. v..·e need to 1'eo1e1nbet the Rev. f\•latt111 Luther King. Jr.'s bod) parts during or at the end of \\•ars. \Vhat ate the spit1tual and educational \vaming: "Our lives begin to (,'11d the day v.-e "lessons'' the communif)• is learning about becon1e silent about things that n1atter." the ..body" ofleaders at the l\1useun1? 'The Dr. S1111tlerla11tl. for111erly Dea11of the UC College of Co1'11'111ni1y .Ser1.·ices a11tf a J>ro.fcssor of ~·ocial JYt>rk,for the J.'ast 21 J1ear:; at UC. is Director a nd /'!(.)1,,uler of TJ1c l'ea(:c Village. a C'i11cinnt11i basetl pcat.:e netu ·ork fou1uled after 1/1e 1'i<)tS a1ul e.,·rx111tlecl after 91 I I 10 '•'Ork t>ll pence nnd henli11g. For1t1ore i1if<)r111a1irJ11 on the J>cace Village 1>1vgra1us, please \t'rite: S11t.ktS<l.i!Jmt'lil11c.txlu 1 Vendor Profile - Hustle man IN1'F.R\' l t: \,'F.I) U\'•. \t.\'SSA K ONNRR.\1..\N STAil' WrERN I ..va.o; in the US Am1y. I ..vent 10 Fort Jacksor\, guy and Ididn·1 1ikehetan)' more. I niet aoothor South Carolina for basic training,. After graduation, I had advanced individual rraining in Fott Lee. Virginia. r...1y pe1·01anent duty station \\'35 in FortHood,Texas.. There, I \v.tS Lhe all atlll)' boxing ch.an1pion. From there. I \vent to Ne\v JerS(..')' and became the Nev.• Jersey CJolden Glovechantpion. f\·la&: has been sdhng Streetvibes since the middle o f last Oc."Cembcr. H_e \1/3.S picked by rliestaffto be vendot of the ntonth for his help \Vhat did you do after that! around 1he offic.e, l.-'SpCCially tOrhe.ofping shovel the ~TI0\11 aftc.'1' the In Ne\vJcrsc,.'Y, l had my tirst son. and l v.·as recent stonltS. the fi rst black supervisor for the People ExJ)tess Airlines 1n Ne..v Jetse)', Notlh 1 Ten1tinal. I got eng.iged. but didn't 1113rry her. \\ he1-e djd you ~ro"' up! l11en, I can1eback to Cincinnati. I 101ned the l gre\vup in f \'MSton lt v.·as peaceful ~ it "'<as army reser\•es again. Jn 1988 , I v.•cnt to productive. I used to cut grass, tunlble. and Honduras, in Central Anterica. in ''[ask force &'<> to rvtr. l·latty·s store. I ..va.o; a preuy average 16. That's v..hen I got sl1ot 1n tl1eleg. Befote I kid. Then, \W nlO\redto Bond Hill, and I \\'eflt got over there, the} shot me up \\<ith r\.falaria, 10Cres1 HillsJuniorhi£handWoodward High and I haven·1 been Lhe same eversince. School, where I gradualcd in 1978. From there. I \Will onto then1ilitruy. How did you beton1e hon1ele-ss! young lady and \V3Sstaying \\llthher. blrt \\iht.'ll I \VOuldn'tbecon1ehec enabler for using beer aoddrugssheshov.'ed rnetl1e Mor.so I \\'Ould rather stay outside than deal \\<i th al I of that. H ow did you become invol\ ed with 1 Strectvibes? Jimmy. I used to talk to Jinmty all the ti.n-.eand he .., ias telliog me. ''you're agood husLlel', v.t1y OOn•t yoo come and sell nevo'Spapersand make nlOne)• that \V'J'j?" And l did. I nlisshin1, n1ay he rest 1n peace. I respec1hio1. \\'hat ad\·ice would you give to others! To cry co let go of dte past, \vllich J'nt dealing with right now. And to catty on. 1 " I would like to get my own apartment and have my own key for it, so I can invite my son over and cook for him." \\'hat " ·ould you like to do! I \vould liketogetnl)' O\"O apannlef'ltand have Ill)' O\\fO key fo1·it, 90 I CaJl invite Ol)' SOr\ ovet Ca_n you te.11 n1e Back inCinci1mari, l Y.'35 living v..ith n1) son's and cook for hint And I \\'Ould like to go to about youl' tin1e in lllOO'I. aod v.'erlt lojail fotchdd support When Disney ''()lid. the military? I f.'Ot back out, she \llSS pregnant by another 1 �12 In The News Canada: 12-year-old girl sells red s"arves to help homeless Twelve-year-oldHannah Taylor visited Winnipeg's Parliantent Hill to urg,e Members of Parliament to purchase and v..-ear red scarves to raise awareness for homelessness. Despite her yowig age, Taylor has created the Ladybug Foundation, which sells the $20 scarves to raise mooey for the homelessas'"'" as"to show the homeless people in Canada that \\'e care about them." Taylorsaysshefound herpassion when she was five years old; she recalls seeing a homeless man eating from agart>age can. Ever since, she has worked to showpeople that they ·'shouldn't be afraid of the homeless because they arc people j ust like anyone else but with 'sad hearts.'" lns1ea<I, Taylor insasis, "they should betre:ated like they arefumily....You wouldn't letyour brother or sister eat out ofa garbage can or sleep in the street." (CBC Ne"•, I/30) New Jersey: Homeless removed from Hudson Trail A number of homeless people havecalledthepenmeieroflheHensy Hudson Trail home for years, but Monn10uth COl.111)' plMs to elint.inate this an:a as a possible residence. The county had announced its plans to clear the homeless from the area, and v..tien they arrived at the tent city to deliver the equivalenc of eviction notices. thC)• found that its residents had already abandooed their home. Deeming the remaining items garbage, the county workers threw away al)' belongin~ren-.ainingat the sjte. (Kevin Pen1on, AP, 218) Maryland: Senate passes homeless bate "rime bill In Frederick, Maryland, a homeless man recently found assaulted in an alley has died ac a Baltiimrehospital.William Sigler, 49, of Frederick was arrested and charged eatl1er in the day with attempted first-degree murder and tirsi:-degreeassault. Since thisevenc, The Masyland Sonale has voled for a measure to expand protected groups under the stare·s hrue crimes lav,s to include homeless people, and the bill passed on a 40·4 vote. 11te hopeisthatlhisbill will bolh prevent and pro,.Jde harsher prosecution for violentaasofhatecommined"!ll'inst those experiencing homelessness. (WJZ 2/15, NBC 4 2121) National News STREETVIBES March2008 Chicago receives record $49 million to fight homelessness Chicago programs to end ho1nelessness will have a record $49 niillion in federal funds this year, up from last year's $45 million. 8V S UZ.ANNF, H_A~NF,V Only I in 5 homeless persons arc addition, Continuum grants fu nd chronically hon1eless. but these in1portant services including job people use haJ f of all e n1ergency trajoiog, heaJth care, n1ental health .S. Oepartn1ent ofHousing and shelter resources, so getting the n1 co unsel ing. s ubstance ab use Urban Developn1ent Secretary into pern1anent housing has been a treatntent and child care. Alfonso Jackson announced the federal and Chicago priority. Once Emergency Shelter Grants ($3.7 grant - the lion's share o f n1oney they receive stable housing, they also ntillion of \Vhat \Vas announced last spen1 IO\vard Chicago hon1elessness can receive support - from \Veek) provide f unds for the - on JanuaJ)' 29 as he toured the substance abuse to e 111ploy111ent operation of local shelters and fund training - to heJp related social service and hon1eless ""largo an d Harold Schi ff " On ly 1 in 5 homeless t hem stay prevention programs, T hese fu nds ntay also suppon essential services Residences \Vith housed. perso ns are rvtayor Richard said including job 1raining, health care, c hro nically homeless, the Daley M. Daley. A ne\V foc us d rug/alcohol treatn1ent, child care but these people use on ..pern1anent and hon1elessness preven t ion Single Roon1 ha lf of all emergency Oc cu pa n cy solutions. not activiti(..'S . Al locations v.•ithin Chicago (SRO) building at she lter reso urces , so sh o rt• t ernt strategies;· ha.-; include: 124 4 N. getti ng t he m into Clybourn A,re. , led to progress •$16.S ntill ion to SO projects perma nent hous i ng the Schiff has been a federa l and in elin1inating that prin1arily serve fan1ilies v.•ith Reside n ces homelessness. children Chicago priority." opened last year ''We' r e • $ 13.6 ntillion tO\Vard progran1s a11d \Vere funded changing front a for hon1eless people wi1h substance in part by the federal go,•emn1ent. systent based on te111porary shelters abuse problen1s; ·rhe H·u·o ntoney \ViII support into one that n1oves people quickly • S9.5 n1illion CO\Vard housing more than 150 homeless programs i nto pe rmanent ho using \\•it h and support for th ose v1ho arc in Chicago and \Vas av.'arded on the extensive support services, such as severely n1entally ill and at high risk basis of ann ual, co mpet ilive JOb 1raining, literacy and subs1ance ofbeing cJ1ronically hon1eless; applications. Programs encon1pass a b u s e • S8 73,898 the full spectrun1or ..conrinuunt of trea tn1en t ," " We' re changing from t O\Vard care" for homeless indi,,iduals and Daley said. programs that a system based on fan1ilies- front street outreach and Since 2003, prin1arily serve temporary she lters into en1ergency shelter to ltao.sitional and 1he C i1y has do n1es1ic per111anent housing. ln addition, the a dded 2,500 one t hat moves people \riolence ,.Jcrin1s: fu nding \Viii provide ..supportive units o f quickly into permanent • S349,694 SCf\'iccs" such as job training, child perma n ent housing with extensive to projects that care, substance abuse treatn1ent and housing city\vide su p port servi ces, s uc h target hon1eless n1er1taJ health. fo r the horneless as job training , literacy veterans; This year, HUD hon1elessness and nO\V has a T he largest and substa nce abuse funding v.•i l l go to,vard 8 1 total of111ore than reci pi en ts and t reatment," Daley said . perma ne nt supportive housing 6. 100 un its of h c r progran1s in Chicago, as \Veil as 40 s up por t i v e approxi ntate transitional hous.iog progralllS and 22 housing for its horneless residents. grant totals are: 1he City ofCh1cago In 2007, 758 units of per111anent Oepart111ent of Housing, $3.6 1 supportive sef\•ice progran1s. f or cite third year in a ro,v, housing v.'ere added, DalC)1 said. ntillion; Cit}1 ofChicago Depann1ent Chicago has recei\•ed t he HUD "Jn our effort to end of Human Scrvic.es, $2.05 m i ll i on~ San1aritan Initiative A\vard to serve hon1elessness, one of our n1ost Hea rtla nd Hun1an Care and chroo1cally hon1eless individuals in cons1ant and 11~1po 1·tan1 partners ha.-; l>feartland J'iealth Outreach, $6.46 pern1anent housing. This particular been the Oepart111ent ofHousing and 111illion; Thresholds, $2.61 m.i llion: fu nding, \Vhich is av.•a rded to Urban Developn1ent," he added. Housing Opponunities for \\'0111en, successful programs. has helped add Since 2001 , HUD has a\\•arded Sl .89 mill ion; Featherfi st. $1 .82 450 units of pern1anent housing for nlore than S294 n1illion in funding to ntillion; Catholic Charities, $ 1.6 chronically horneless. 1he City ofChicago to support the n1 ill ion~ Deborahis Place, S 1.08 Thi s yea r, Jvlercy Housi ng ho usi ng and ser,rice needs of 111ill ion: Residents for Effective Lakefront, \Vhich developed the hon1eless individuals and fan1ilies. Shelter Transitions (REST), $1. 04 Schiff resi denccs. \\•ill rec.e i\•e the HUD's funding is provided in t\\'0 million: lnner \ 'oicc. $ 1 03 million. San1a ritan A\vard fund ing: $4.2 v.'ays: 14UD 's Con1i nuu1l1 of Care n1illion for tv.•o yeats, all of which \Viii be spent on programs to help progra111s ($45.3 I ntillion of the the chronic.ally hon1eless. Part ofthe n1oney announced Jan uary 29) J?e1>rinte<ifro1t1 S'trectlfise © Street money ""i II go tov.·ard development provide permanent and transitional Ne 111s .Se r ~·;ce: •v,•·111. stree1­ housing to hon1eless persons. ln /N.1pers. org ofa ne\V SRO in Engle\vood. STRElT NE\\'S SERVICE U Visit \.VWW.cincihon1eless.org for n1ore information on GCCH programs and volunteer opportunities. �S TR EETVIBES March2008 International News Iraq Soccer, from page 1 the final inJakarta in July. Witll the natjonal teams as their inspiration, the deaf·ntute squad qualified for the regional chan1pionships of the Asia Pacific Oc.a f Games in Kuv,.ait Shafi founded the teat11 in 2003, shortly after U.S.-led forces toppled Saddan1Hussein. At a ~rts club onc c.·v·cning. hcmc.'t a group ofyolmg deaf men v.•ho v.·ere l>O\vltng, S\"1nuningand bod)'budding. He suggested the>•pla)' soccer. h1 training. he \VOrks v.-ith tv.o other coa<:hcs \vhO do not kno\11 sign Iangu$f.oe, but -.ho do the physical training. Shafi teaches the various n1oves. tactics and strategy. "Ph)•sical training istn1cial, but it•s notenough. You need son1eooe '"ho can communicate ideas ''~ th the kids. especiallysomethingtechnical." he said " Ifs Sbll difficult- '"'th sign lang uage youneverget the v.~1ol e idea across... Despitethechallenges- the referee has to \\lave a Aas instcadofblO\\ii.ng a \vhisde and each tean1 's trai.nersits on 1.hesidelioes ttllt'ISlattng his decis1or'!S 1n sign language-Shafi says the games are as good as any other. The playerssay so1,,.1imcsonly half the squad turns up to train.ing v.+.en 13 In The News - Cont security is bad. Those \vho do often travel are in fearofbcingk1dnappedor killed on lrnq'ssrill dangerous roads. But \\<ith anacks across Iraq do\1/11 60 percent since lastJlme, thanks to an additional 30,000 U.S. troops, Sunni ne1gld>outhood patrolsand a ceasefire by a feared Shi'itemilitia, the tea111 now n1Mages nl0rerrauungsess1ons. "The 'tiolcncc has cr<.-a.tcd a lot of problen1s for us." said Adel KJ1alef ~lahn'IOud, 20,also LL~ngsign Jru1guage. "But \\'e nWlage." CtJurtesy ofReuters Cl ..."itrtet Ne•vs Servi,·e: 1v1v1t" street-J.""1J.Jers org Hearing Voices: My Hour of Schizophrenia O regon : Teen gers 70 months for beating a homeless man Sh•"" After 16-yeor-old Soldier Glancy and ""'other"1derage young mensolicited a43-yeor-old homeless man, Andrew Gonzalez., to buy them beet, they planned to kill G<>nzalez fo r the thrill ofit and then steal his backpack and bicycle." Gonzalez barely survived the beating, and the stabbing. which \V:.tS only stopped because a homeless v.'Olt'Wl camped neruby scared Glancy and the others away by yelling that the police were coming. (KO!N News 6. 219) 00 Hawaii: Homeless evicted from homes on bea<:h Approximately 300 homeless individuals lived on the Nani Kai portion ofUlehawa Beach Parl< and 0\' J\1J\ l'(l)V l\rl cA~'1.Al.I,.'' level rises as l "•'OIT}' about performing emcrS,t."lll.)' room. the nearby Surfer•seeach area, but Srrrutr N EWS St RVlCE ,velJ on the test. The voices are quiet no\\~. but I' nt Logan reviews tlte test orally.The nervous about ans,ver1ng questions. are now being forced to leave. City voices make it hard to hear her but I The intervie\ver seentS detached. She officials claim to be only temporarily an1about to learn firs t·hand \Vhat kno,v l did poorly. At least l ' nt not has a blank expression and she is closing the parks for ntaintenance and aski ng me repairs. but the homeless living,there life is li ke fo r someone \vi th the only one. Out schizophre nia . People v.•it h of I0 questions, " The voices grow p ointles s suspect they will not be v.·elcomed back. In recenl years, the homeless sch1zo~1ren.iaofien heat intemal voices tlte n1ajority ofd1e quest1ons. louder and more " Who were have befriended the porlt rangers and and experience hal lucinations. class gets about vicious. They are yelling delusions or other relaced syn1ptonts. three correct. the last four U.S. helped to keep the beach clean, often obscenities, commands, president(? \\1hat picking, up trash and evendeaning the About 50% of the homeless suffer I tell 111)'$CllT IJ bel ittling c riti cisms fron1 mental health problenlS, and rebound on the is the point of restroom£ As this process tal<es place at me now." your visit today? on more beaches, the many homeless about 2So/o of them have serious tootltpick act1v1ty. mental i lln~ includingschizophrenia. This activity Ren1en1ber these ore being furtherand further displaced. according to the National Alliance to sho\vS v.hat a patient ntight do in a day v.'Ords and re.peat then1at the end of 111.is, hov.-ever, does nor seem to be a End Homelessness. the intcrvie\\•: umbrella, app le , concern for the city officials. treatmentprogram. complained Tony Kamahalo, "'they I join about 30 people, son1e v.ho The ' 'oices grov.•louder and ntore bicycle.'' have fan1i ly and friends v.•i1h vicious.. They are yelhng obscen1ties, 11te voices dt0\\111her out Ihave al\va.ys push us aroundjus1 because sch.izophrenia. in a Bethesda church to con1mands, belittling criticis111sat nte to ask her to repeat the questions. v.-e're homeless. It's not fair. v.·e're take part in an unusual v.<0rkshop. no\V. ..Look v.hatyou'vedone! You're "J,lease spell ·\vorld' backv.iards. hwnan too, you know." (KlTV,2111) "Do not remO\'e your c.arphones stupid, You'rcshit, You're ''<>rthless!" Repeat the follov.•ing numbers in the Texas: Homeless shelter correct order: 64 -53 · I2-24. What during the next hour," Joan Logan, a the voices say. takes in s tranded chinese f\<(y agitaltOn increases \vith the v.•ere the words you v.•ere a.s:ked to pohce onicer who coordinates the Crisis Intef'\renrionTean1 in ~faryland 's intens il)• of the voices. Plus I can't ren1ernber?" she asks. a crobats read the instruccion sheet to ntake She puts a yellO\Vsticker Montgon1ery County, tells us firntly on nty once \VC are seated \vith our portable shapes \vith the toothpicks. Arc those evaluation. \\1hatdocs that mean? Did A group of 18 Chinese acrobats MP3 players in hand nun1bers or letters on the paper? ls it I pass or fail? I don't ask. I go to niy arrivedon one-\vay rickets to Dallas, "Over the next hour, you 'viii hear n1e or are the instruc1ions 1llegible'! seai to do a cross,votd puzzle untjl dle Texas. onl)• to find thatthe man v.+.o voices, son1e will be quiet and son1e (Logan latertells us that the instn1crions rest ofthe class finishes. had planned their nine-month are intentionally The\•oices have v.111 be loud,'' she says. l put in niy illegible co evoke a returned. ·111ey' re performance lour had run out of telling me l'm stupid l don't complete money and could not ta.Ice care of earphones and tum on the recording. reaction.) Hosted by the National Alliance on I fee l fr us trated and a l ittle a single ansv.•eron the puzzle. thent With no English skills and no Mental Illness ofMontgomery County, paranoid. I v.'Orty tha1 everyone will Finally, Logan tells us to turn off plans. the ac.robats were without the inte ractive ''Hearing Voices" think I'm incon1petent, even though the ' 'oice playe r to discuss the options. Heoringoftheirpreclicomenl v.'Orkshop \\laS lastheld fouryears ago l 'nt not sure v.'ho "'everyone.. is. experience. "f' he group appears Bill Thompson, executive directorof J\.lean,vhile. the ' 'Oiccs continue rclic-.·ed, J\.lanysay the voiocs leftthem the Union Gospel J\•lission homeless to educate the c-o mmunity about schizophrenia. 111ercilessly. "You stink! Evel)•one can be\\<i.ldered, depressed, anxious. even shelter in Dallas, stepped in to help. Logan tells us \Ve v.•ill read an sn1ell you. They· relaugh1ngatyou00\\1 exhausted and nauseated. He is allo\li\n.g team to take residence article and answerquestions, perfonn and talking about you. You better run I agree. I leavethe workshop \\<i.th in the homeless shelter under his a task \Vith toothpicks and take a a\vay fro n1 then1. Run and hide son1e perspective on \vhacit's like to leadershipuntil theirfutun>-whieh is mental health evaluation. yourself. Hideyourself un do~ thcb<'<l." li\'C \vith a mt."lltal illness. very much in the air-can be I begin the article and the voices I v.•ant to turn offthe recording. I resolved. Hisgenerosity has notgone on the recordjng sta1't to v.•hisper. I·m n1ove on to the menia l health l?e1>rin1ccl fronr 5'1rcc1S'enserb uinotiocd; "they made me-h them a lictledistracted but calni. Then Istart evaluation. This sin1ulates ,vflat a Street Ne iv:; Service · ll'll' IV.Street­ to SOY. •thank you.' to say to the Union to have trouble focusing. f\ity s tress patient nlight be adn1inistered in an J>apers.org Gospel staff,- f\·ls. Yeung, a director of research for United Way. said. (Holly Yan, Dal lasMorning NO\\s,21 Learn about other street papers at www.nasna .org 13) I �Guest Column 14 STREETVIBES March2008 My Mother's Promise Growing up with a different kind of poverty ov A\IL\!\1),\ \\'oLrt Gu£S1' COLU~ INl~"T' don't knowPoverty per><>nally. but I do conte fron1 a fantily only one f,'COeratiOn n?lllO\-ed from it My mother, along with herthirteenbrothers and mo sisters, grew up crammed into three bedroomsofan old fa rmhouse. They stilI had to n1akethe crek to an outhouse years after everyoneelse had obtainOO the miracleofindoorplwnbing. and 1ny mothet reme,mbers goingto school in dresses made of old feed sacks. Sho also recalls being kept a"iake at night by thescratching sounds the ralS made I as they crawled in between the floorboards. Sheandhersisters al v.ays madesure to tuck in the blankets sothe rats \VOuldnor be able to clin1b into bed v.iththcm, So she ntade a pron1ise (Oherself that any childofhetS "uuldneverknow poverty. She took me. to the denrist religiously because her fant.ily couldn't afford dental care-until as a last reson they hadthe teeth ptdled. She took me 10 restaurants lO eat because all she ever &'<ll wasbiscuits "'d 8Jllvy and milk &om the CO\VS. l attended the ciry schools, v.+iereas hereducation up h) theeighth grade was in a one-roomschoolhouse. lcanseetheelfectsofd1is~giog in difiCrent v1ays in my aunts and uncles as \\!ell. Son1e hoard their n1oney like they may neverseeanotherceru in their lifetintes, and others spend it like they are nUUionaires, as ifdtey needto get rid of it before somoonc realizes their n1istake and takes it a\vay front thent. One thing almost all of them have in co mmon is that they are e ither successfully se1f-en1ployed or \VOrk at very \\<Cll-payingj obs now, On the surface, n1y fan1ily alone seems togive some "'eight 10 the vety co1runon opinion in myho1netov.11: rhat people \\ieTe poor because they \Vere lazy and "ouldn 't v.'Ork, because-they A1nm1</a ll'olfc, g11cs1 col11ft11ri$Ifor 1/ri.s 11Wlt! ur(l.j a t in1e iss11c. is '' 200$ gra<luate of ,f(1vicr IYhe11 a n1an u'a-'· n king Uni~\~rsil)\ a 11:rxtbook Ci­ litor by tr<N.k, ""'' ifhe ou111eci a poe1 bJ' wt~·ictio,,, A11 oldbro"'" detenninedto riseabove theirbinh and make something of themselves. and through hard \VOtk, they v.·ere able to aocomplish that goal. Those Iazy peoplc no,vad3)•s \liho don' t niake it sin1ply aren·t willing to try hatdenousfl. But ifyousrop to think about i ~ really think about it, as l feel so ntany people don' t. you v.'Ould notice that my self­ e1nployed uncles are things like demolitioniSIS, electricians, mechanics. '"1dtJootrimmors. Youcouldn'tjustpicl< any ofthosed1ings up in thepresentday \vithout training and licensing and 1­ don't-kno,v-\lihat-all. The others. who work for once p<OGpCrOllS tacruries, got theirjobs "ben a man couldj ust v.•alk in andstan v.'Ork that day. Those factories are no longer as stable, and nev.•\li'Orlc.ers are often in Lhe first round of llk)•offs. I' m sure it \V3$n'teasy for my unclestoget to ,vf:icrc they are today, but l 'ntequallysure it's even harderno\v, I con'thelp but "'°oderifthe people 'vho hold those opinions that the poor arcjust lazy havedeluded themselves into believing that poverty isnot all that bad, l kno\v that as a child, it v.ias alntost a thing oflegend to me, like a fairy tale. I heard my mother's stories, the few tintes s he would talk abo ut her childhood, and J also lea mod about a greatwt<:leofmine\liho,vasapoet. He leA a handwrittenbinder fullofstoriesof his childhood; in it he wrote.ofpasting ne\vspaperon the v.•allsoftheshack he lived in to keep out the cold, and of traveling milesdmxl!!h a bli2Zll'CI "; th his one mulejust to keep his family ftom starving to death, But he.somehow 111anaged to keep fai th and be<:ontent \vi th vihathe had. There isone particular poem ofhis dtat standsout i11 1ny nt.ind: just wantedto abusedteS)'stent, and dtat they CQuid change things if they wanted, "King" but they chose to bepoor. One oooldlook 31 my family and S3)' by He111')1Gil/11n1 they are proof of this, They \vere Place Your Ad Here! With sales ofStreetvibes continually on the rise, and circulation reaching 5,000 monthly in the Downto\vn and Cliflon area, now is the time to advertise. Rates are as cheap as $25 for a business card size ad. J.nterested in :id\'ertising ,,11h Strcer\'ibes. c01ux1513.42 1.7803 x 120-reruail stroetvibes2@)·nhoo.oon1 Streervibes is sold by vendors which meaos that nearly CVCl)' paper we print gets into the hands of readers. n111/e IJ11/l 1ongue 11/Q111 hoe a11d rake A bluetick Jwund calleci D111111 A t1t'O l'Q()nted -'·l1a<:k to call ho111e A little •~0111an t<) call /1is Q>vn ./11s1a sntall gnnlen 1J(Jtcl1 1•vo or three c/,;/drt11 1t'itlr n1outl1s agape Looking ''I' fQ this big 111an they call Pap A double-barreled amt oldflintlock A11 oldbell 00111 out on the slope A .fe"' heJts 0111 back in a Ct)Oft JJ'itlt all this uicalth IYhy cottl/Jlnin For he alroady has Aln1<>St t!\'i!f):thing.' (It's an interesting fac1 that Uncle Henry wrote all his poems about living in poverty l!frerhe \V<tS n10re financially secure and retired in Florida,) I don' t think lever really thought aboul ""31 those children "with mouths agape" felt-.hen they didn't get enough to ear at night. l kne,vtl1e poore,'<isted in Chillicothe. v.i:ierc I v.ias born Md rrusect. but I never kne\Vthent It nevet occurred to me thru the old veteransthat Lingeredaround the 1nental health facility ordie guy aslcing forchange outsideMcDonald'smightbohomclcss, So l v.<:1nder ifthose v."10, likc me, don't kno'v\lihat itis notto ha"e enough to eat, or a place to sleep, maybe unconsciously retainth.is ideali.?£d vision of poverty in d1eirminds, believing dutt maybe some.people have to scrape to get by, but that it all works out in the end, happily-ever-allet. Noodless to say. \vhen I moved to Cincinnati forcollege, l v.•ll'S clueless. I bought into rumors l heard that you absolutelydid not go to Over-the-Rhine forany reason, andthat, ifyou did end up there, youshould drive like mad to get out, ignore stop lights and all, and j ust gun it. Wow, I thonght, that must be the \VOtSt place on earth. So I avoided Lhe area tOr a long time. I don't remember anyspec:ifics fron1nl)' first ventures into OTR. but I do recall my impressionsof the people I ntet on the street. Those whoasked for changealwayssaid thank youifyougavethem anything. andifyou didn\moreoftenthan llOI, they still said God bless you. I did not fuel thre31ened; I didn't pick upon any undercurrent ofangerorhate. And J'wsl o"~Y come to rea1;,.,, that the poor in Cincinnati are the san1eas n1y family was. ~·ly mothe,·s family ..vas fortunate enough not to have to beg for ntoney, because of the farn1, but other.vise they v.·cre the same. just ordinary people ''~10 have run into hard times and couJd usesomehelp instead ofjudgntent fro1n people v.00 have no idea ''~1at tlu.¥ 'regoing througlt Just a couple.ofv.<ecks ag.o during a visit hon1e, I heard tlutt san1eold point of view expressed that lhe poor have chosen tobe that way. I held my toogne. l 'vi sh I hadn't, but the fact is, l'n1 still not info rmed enough to make a oonvincingarguntentodlenvise. l'n1sure that there are those whotakeadvantage ofthe syste1n, but for the 1nost part, I don'tbelieve that anyone choosesto live in p0vcrty, Ifanything. I thinl< tho system has failed theni, and as nluch as l v.ish I did, I have no solulion for theproblem. But I do strongly believethat at least a'vareness is a step in the right direction. Interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a writer, poet, artist, or photographer? Do you want to help Streetvibes? Call 5 I 3.42 I .7803 xi 2 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com �STREETVIBES Opinion March 2008 15 Our papers are out of order 8\' $TA.11" \VRITXR smmr'"-s SJ:Jn.'1CF J t's frigjnooiog......;, comes cm•n 1he pok~ Ourlargdy ~-oppomredS..,...,,.CounJUS11ces"..;,hmaa dociS10ll dull <Ould U1S1JftJIJONlu:e1he~ Ind cis<nf11nohisemcr11 of""'1desspo1<11ooJ ,,,.... In lhiscase.1he poor, ""' elderly and""' yomg. The<l1oll<11S< bef0<eo..-hjJll>esl court os..,.,. lndur1a·s,._ ida11ilioarion la"\ considmdlhesrriCl<St in lhelond. ><ltidl r<quim anyone ""inS roptt$Cf11 a cuncn1 80"'""""'' pllo4o Io 1rvoters do not ~ ooc al !he polls, lheir ..,... ore p10V1si01111, "liodl me311S the volers must presen1 their ID ar an appropri a.te p·emment office \Joithin I0 days, or lhe'\.'Oles do nol C0'8'1 t \Vidi Mt1ci palton or 1he highest coun's affi mwion oflndim's Iaw. statesnre preparina 10 ramp 1.4> theirov.n 1dentifianion rcqu1ren'IC01:S to ll04 only regulate voting. bu1alsoali11111hemsclveswi1h the federal REAL ID Ac~ 1n essence creating a national identificB00.1card. But \vl't.at is rrKJrC disturbing ls thestatement by Justice 1-\ nthony Kennedy, v.tio, in the lndiana l3w, said. "You w:u1t us IO invalidate n statuteon theground that it's a 1nill()r1neonvcnicncc to a sn1n!I percentage ofvoters?" lf Justice Kennedy sa\v thepeople '"'\ Md n1nny social service agencies see- those v.<ho cannot &ct into housing gee thohoahh cnrc ordisability benefirs they'reentitled to for lockofidentification - he would not be so callous 10 call it a minorinconvenience. There arte pt.-ople v.flo arcslet.'Pingoutsidein thooo!d 1onigh1 because they do not have the n1oney 10 1mnsfer birth ce11ifica1es1 or procure papers toget Social Security cards, to docun1cn1thorn.selves as valid hu1nan beings by govemnleflt s1Md3rds.. Md therefore access services. You can include in that 1lsa \\01nen \\'fiOhavecsca1>ed dleirprevious identity to escapeabuse. along \\<ith thopoorWld homeless inour oomnnsiity Mio facedailyslogofdocun,..11i0ll th"11selvesac""'5 stateLines and thro.,gh myriad hops. This"small perc:er111141e" of voters inolucles die gJOwing numbersofhousod poor. "l>o storicllly chan~"addresses morefrequcndy man tho5c"1lh means, and"'"' eaoh """'"comes dieohatgeof keepingdocumcnis up to date Bonom lineis, procuringidenrificarion isa oosdy and highly o"'...i S)'Slelll. "rough' "idi barriersofnme. distance and mere aooess (or U.S. c:itiz<m. And polls showdw Ille pcople 1#ge1cd by lhese laws tend., lean 10ward die vi""s of!he Ocmoeraric Piny Thesuict idenlificatioo lav.s.,. bein: by h<nlded by propooeois os a""""""., !he i""dlous '"""'fmud undcm11n11111 ourpollingproces.<. and indeed. our el<cronl pride. oraued "i111 all die vittiol as 1fweaponsof massdeslruoooo were 111he polling SOies. Just like the WMD's 1histhrca1 does11t «ist Evidence sho•'5lha1lhese10 laws will no< doone>•hit 10 curb 1-'0ttf fraud. lbere's no kno~11 record ofS1yonc bc.ngprosecuted for impersonating someoneelse ttt the polls. nor doe.s 1he rede:rnJ govemmen1 keep any statisticson such crimes. Thoseaffct1ed, i.n the words ofJusrice Kenne<ly. nreasmall perceruage, prec.isely because lhe perce111111...., has neverbeen measurodoraccounted for. It is a"minor inconvenience"' because it hasneverinconwnienced those in poYo'Cr. The nttirudcs rcflccrcd in Kennedy'sstatement are steeped 1n v.tute, niiddle-clnss privilege. frompeople.v.tio never knewa dny \vhen a $30 docu1nent tmnsfcr fee n1eai1t foregoing food, or rent, or \\lnSll' 1cvell in the ooonon1ic equation of survival. Do \\<e v.·ant univers3Jsuffrngeornro v.-o content to lei manipulative la"ischannel d1evo1ersofvnrying favor to and front dle polls? Money would bobcuersponl ro facili1a1c membership 10 the rhisgreat county, in itselec1oral process, and its citia."'llry. \\'e CM fearfear as k>ng \~ l et ourscJ\rcs, blrt v.-c can choose es1e,:ig.c in progressandgovernanceonly as k>n.g as \Wd'-"11and it. TI1ere·s nothingmul(H'about it Re11rin1ed,fron1 .'iireet J(oot f P .~reet /'lcu•s .~n'fcc; www stn:et·/"1/JCT'i' <>rg ·:.iccording to our calc11/ations. we can make it ij' "-e become a .'ii:r-i11co111efa1ni(1 1. " Movie Review: Sweeney Todd rall1er nlelaneholy Mrs. Loveu, tu no point i,11 the tilm 1s h erhairproscntobl ~ and het sin,ging leavesson1cth1ni: to be /lpe thing is for certain: "Swealey desired. VTodd: The Demon Barber of Alan Rickmon plays dieevil Judge Fleet Street.. is not a story for Tul'j)ln 1nos1oonvinc1ngly. Sasi,3 Bnron everyone·sta>1cs. AstOI)' redolent Cohen givesa most cnlertaining "-idl blood, cannibalisn1and gore, se1 perfonnanceas 1hecharla1nn Adolfo 10 otusic that borders on opera. it Pirelli;he isone of 1he fev1 ac1ors enjoyed a short runoo Broadway ond 'vhose voice is dubbed, and that f mcc is an aborta \'C tut an London. but iI stiJI indtcated ul the final crcdlIS.The v.'()n numerousTony awards in 1979. performances of meocheraclOrsare Theoriginal stageproduction was forgenable for lhe mo"' pan. sovtty operatic that it v.as difficult to Perhaps Bunoo was uying IO imagine howdiroaorTrm Burton could aeaiea film lha1 seemed less d...mcal rransferlhe play 0010 diescreen and morerealt$1ic by oc1lining the "'flour losing asiglilioantamoum of chorus, but much.,.. far"id1 die d181l1Cter oflhe v.od. hisom.iWons. Somemocshaveat11 Afterseemg lheftlm, I oonduded lamented dw the film v.115made1n10 a 1hat my ~cioos u-ere aauate musical mall ln a \\11)', I c.. under$l3nd d'ICt r because """'a bit ofdie spin• or""' original died indie transition.. die feelings Sweeney Todd IS screen.. leaving the \ie-.'-ersao seean ~y • mUSl<:al.ondS'f O"erty ""£>C resull """""'10ludelhefOC11Sludrcrous. l1 People "ilo °""'rsawlhe stage """'d hovebeen "isef10 h..."O \'etSK>n ate not likely to nob.ce the included all lhe musical numbers Ind., omission of!he manychoral l"'SS'IS<S ~ fomd """1ti'"" ways m hondle lhat rell lhe sroiy oorare they likely 10 diem r.ty recommcndiuioo?The feel shoochanged some oflhe major musical nwnbers areleftout. Entenainmen1 Ch3Mel 's version of Ho\\<ever. someofthedelettons SweeneyTorkl1s avtulableonDVD 11 result in obscurestory lines.such as \VOn three Emmy awards in 1985,Md lhe romance be1ween An1hooy and it delivers lllOSl of11leongi1llll srnae Johanna. ln the stage version, musical version. \Vha.1ls mo~ o.JI ti~ accOtS nwnberssung bet\\ieen the couple sing theiro"fl pans. lt'sa teal explain diedevelopmen1ofdie performanoe an<l is v.orth the n'IOney rel ati onshi p~ in the 61m. thctv.'Q poid. exchange not a word, and the audience is expected 10 believethat Mauri<:e Ki'1g lra-r bc:c1, ,11r11inR JohMna is ready to rlDl a'vay v.1th a sailor 'vhos1ood outside hetwindow fi>r 5~rect 5'c11sc !-.'Ince .Jtruutrl)1100./. one day P1ausible thcsituation isn't. Joie is afs,> a ""'xician u·ho last and1"im Bunonshould h.avekOO\Vll 1>/0J'e<Iin a stage 11ro</11ctio1, <>f .S'reeuey Todcl II. 111trll J1i1u at· better "hen he \VllSputbn_ghis movie IOgerher. be11<1da111(j/;cJ>bc nlucle.con1 hl1ufor Johnny Depp"sperfomunceas details. Sweeney Todd isas brooding and morose as thepan requires. and he Reprintedfrom Srreet .St-1,sct s·1~cr News &n'iCl': u·u'u1.s1rec1­ singsadequatel)' for his role. Helena Bonham Carter romes across as a papers org HY l\IAURI CF. KING S'rRv,J;:r Nl!.'\\'SSv,Rv1cv, he""'" "it"' � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource March 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Soccer Team Perseveres Peace at the Bodies Exhibit Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: The Vibe Pg 4: Sleeping Bags Rea h Those in Need Pg 5: The State of Massachusetts Releases Five-Year Plan to End Homelessness Pg 6: Moratorium Now! Pg 7: Valentine’s Day Brings Many Gifts Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: Poverty and Addiction Pg 11: Columns Vendor Profile Pg 12: Chicago Receives Record $49 Million to Fight Homelessness Pg 13: Iraq Soccer Continued Hearing Voices: My Hour of Schizophrenia Pg 14: My Mother’s Promise Pg 15: Our Papers Are Out of Order Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource March 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Georgine Getty Susan Smith Andy Freeze Lynne Ausman Greg Olkhovsky Tiffany Harmon Kenneth Cheriyot Melvin Williams Della Woolens Michael Henson Steve Sunderland Alyssa Konermann Mark Shears Cleo Wombles Julie Przybysz Angella Pancella Charlotte Wright Jeffrey Ostrum David Harris Mohammed Ali Suzanne Hanney Amanda Wolfe Mandy McAnally Maruice King Ian Griffner Berta Lambert Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Melodie Fickenscher Jimmy Heath CMSTEP Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF addiction Alyssa Konermann Amanda Wolfe Andy Freeze Angella Pancella Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Arts & Poetry Berta Lambert Charlotte Wright Chicago Cleo Wombles CMSTEP David Harris Death Penalty Della Woolens Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Ian Griffner Iraq Jeffrey Ostrum Jimmy Heath Julie Przybysz Kenneth Cheriyot Lynne Ausman Mandy McAnally Mark Shears Maruice King Massachusetts Melodie Fickenscher Melvin Williams Michael Henson Mohammed Ali Ohio Peace Village Poverty and Addiction Soccer Steve Sunderland Susan Smith Suzanne Hanney Tiffany Harmon Valentine’s Day https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/d3a643c87f6d4d0a07d5bc2699e61a49.pdf a69c594bb03d7e98cbad19ca3c894681 PDF Text Text Vendor Artwork -page 8 and9 THE TRJ-STATE'S ALTERNATIVE NEWS SOURCE ·'Lion" by Orlando Craig www.ciucihomeless.org Children's Creative A little paint, some imagination and a lot o.ffun 8v A NDREW f REEZE that "there were not a lot of coming to create art, hang out STAFF WRITER tilings for kids to doan1ightand ru1d beoutside. not a lot of As the weatl1er cooled T t's five till 6 on a Monday th.ings that "They are never down. lnight, and kids of all ages were orga­ the pro­ bored, they stay gram moved started gathering at buddy's nizedjustfor kids." Haigh out of trouble and from Washing­ place. "What aie we painting to­ says, They ton Park to they get to hang night?" Kameron asks Josh enl isled the Peaslee Neigh­ out with other kids help of borhood CenSpring Spring, resident seivice co­ Laura and in the neighbor­ ter. It stayed at ordinator at Over-the-Rhine K a r a Peaslee from hood." Comnumity Housing(OTRCH). Mc Neel, October to De­ - Tonya [(JWieilce saw a need for "a place where who were cember and kids·could.express themselves exci ted to then moved to buddy"s place. and an outletto talk about what share their art expertise. was h<~)pening in dieir neighbor­ The resident services pro­ Theall-volunteergroupthat hood." He and Bill Haigh, aresi­ gramatOTRCH helps re..<>idents works wiih the kids saw a need clent ofOver-the-Rhine,noticed with finances, emotional assis­ for more mies and more orga­ tance, as well as nization. They started having classes on resumes monthly plann ing sessions to and inte~'iews. flesh out ideas. "It is unique to Tonva -. Lawrence has three us; · Sprin·g says. kids who parli.cipate every "Most places fulfill week. the role of bricks "They love it." shesays. ''It and mortar. We gives tl1em s.omething to do on wai1t tojoin people Monday and Wednesday in lire." nighlS." What began as She heard about the pro­ Art in the Park in grmn when it was at Peaslee July 2007 has Neigh borhood Center; her grown steadily over three kids have been coming the past year. At ever since. Her kids enjoy first, the class was "drawing and paii1ting imd love split into two seeing their work hang in tbe groups, 4- to 7- windows." Lawrence says. year-olds ru1d 8 and Many ofthe children who older. The group participate are st udents at had almost 30 kids Rotl1enbergPreparatory Acad­ every Monday and emy. Working with many ofthe II piece (Jfscrop u·oa<l work,<petfec:tlyfor (Jfl Wednesday nighi, students ''has allowed us to art pall!lfl!. Pho1~ by ~r11dre1•' 1l11cfcrson. "Poom Poom "enjoys her painting with a little as.sistance from Dierdre Gorman. Photo by Andrew Anderson. work closely on education is­ sues that many ofthe.fami lies deal with in our community," Haigh says. Lawrencesays hc.r children love coming. "It's great" shesays."They are never bored, they stay out oftrouble and tl1ey get to hang out with other kids in the neigh­ borhood." The program continuesev­ ery week. according to Spring, because "the dedicated volun­ teers religiously show up at 6 and because the kids make it strong.,, On April 21, the kids painted a chair. Next week, as they begin gathering outside buddy's place they will certainly be ask ing, "What are we paint­ il)gtonight?" lnrerested in vohrnteerlng or donofing qrt supplies? Co111ac1 Bill Ffaigh or .Josh Spra~ at 313-381 -1171. 'At Ease' for the Homeless For n1any, annual Stand Down brings relief "It's about getting help for optioas out there for so many." CONTRIBUTING WRITER people in onespot at one time," The Homeless Veteran Re­ he said. ~People who don 't integration Program of Ohio ohn Briggs has been work know they' re eligible for one ValleyGooclwill Industries hosts mgforOluo ValleyGooclw1LI thing find outthey·re eligiblefor this e~'elll each year in Cincin­ in Cincinnati forover 20 years. three tilings. There are so mru1y nati to draw attention to the One of his primary jobs is lo bring various agencies toged1er "It's about getting help for people in to help the homeless, and the one spot at one time, " - J ohn Briggs, Stand annual Stand Dov1n is one ofhis Dow n Volunteer favorite events. .Bv .L ARRY J GROSS needs of homeless veterans. While the event is geared to­ ward veterans, all who are homeless are.welcome. The phase "stand down" comesfrom an old military tenn relating to tin1e d1atmilitary per­ sonnel have to attend to per­ sonal needs. Itmeans "atease." Despite a steady. cold rain that fell all day April II , over 380 people attended Stand D0wn, held at Mercy Frm1ciscan at Sl John in Over­ tlie-Rhine. All received bagels, coffeeand donuts for breakfast. Lunch was a free chicken din­ ner from Lee's. Volunteers from more tl1an 30 service providers spent the day helping tl1e homeless- giv­ ing medical exams, checking hlood pressure. distributing free underwear mid conductingeye exan1s. See page 4 �Streetvibes l 17East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 phone: (513) 421-7803x12 fax: (513) 421-7813 streetvibes2@yahoo.com www.cincihomcless.org May 2008 Our Mission Streetvibes is anewspaper that provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty and other related social justice issues. It is published once a month by the GreaterCincinnati Coalition for -the Homeless. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a group ofshelters, agencies and individuals committed to ending homeless in Cincinnati through coordinating services, educating the public and grassroots organizing. Our Vendors Streetvi bes Staff Editor STREETVIBES About Us 2 STREETVIBES ' Alfred Woolfolk Anthony \.Vi Ilia ms ~. ~, ;,.. . . . . . ' ... "-~- J . Antonio Hodge Berta Lambert Cleo \.Vomblcs David Watkins Quiotion Williams J on Darby J osephine Baskerville Ne ll \Villiams Tonia Haley GREGORY FLANNERY Contributing Writers GREC OW<HOVSl<Y, Mlo-tA~L H ENSON, STEVE SUNDERLAND, ANDREW FREEZE, ARDELLA WOOLENS, Al..YSSt\ .\ 'l ark Shears Grady Cook James Bybee Juli e Walker Leonard Jackson Mark Cam pbell Raeshawn Gipson Riccardo Taylor Sam Jackson Silvia Collins Tony Drummond Raynard J ones Kenneth Stonitscb John Gai nes Terrence Williams Charles Cole Milton Hawkins James DanyoII l<ONERMANN, KATHY H OLWAOEL, LYNNE AUSMAN, PATRJOA GARRY, BILL G ALLAGHER, L ARRY CRl:>SS, BRIAN CARRY, G EORGINE GE-n'Y, JOAN TIFFANY THOMPSON, AM;ELA PANCfil.LA, C AROLYN COSMOS, 1\ND ELIZABETH BROWN Photography ANIYREW ANOEHSON, BERTA LAMBERT 6 6N L. KAUFMAN, AND JIMMY HEATH Artwork ANTOl\.~0 !iODGE ANTHONYWILUAMS 0RtANDOCRAlC Advisory Committee }OE W ESELS, STEVE NOVOTNl, A NDREW FREEZE, G EORGINE CEITY, MICHAEL H ENSON, STEPHANIE D vNLAP, STEVE Cmss Cover SINCERE AND l<AMERON WORK ON PAINTING A CHAIR DlJRINC CHD..DREN'S CRJ:ATrVE CORNElt PHOTO BY ANDREW ANDERSON. We are members of: Donate to Streetvibes Them.ore support we li(lve from the'community, tbefarther our effr>rtsJeach. Our work is pgssible only wjtb the help ofgenerous indivJduaJ gifts. Norlh American Street Newspaper Associ.ation Please consider making a contri.bution today! JN SP _/ lnf'ernational Nelwork of Streel Papers Cit:y I S.tate/ Zip: _ _ _ _ _ _ __ I I 1 : Enclosecl is .my ta".•deductible contribution of: : l $<25 $50 $'100 $150 Other $_ I Or make checks paya~lero: I I You <:<1n donate on line Streetvibes I WYt'W.cincih<Jmele;;s.org 117 East 12tll Street, I Cincinnati, OH4$202 I I Tha)l k you for giving generously.! I ~-~---------~------------------~----~-----~ �STREETVIBES May 2008 The Vibe 3 Reserving the Banks for the Wealthy New neighborhood was supposed to include all classes City Club. "The BoardofWoman's City local faith groups represented by the at GBBN ArchitectsInc. and a member Club voted on April 23 to encourage Amos Project and various labor unions, ofthe board ofthe U.S. Green Building CONTRIBUTING W RJTERS Cincinnati and Hamilton County to in­ held a press conference at the stadium. CouncilofCincinnati, worries that there e long-awaited Banks Project cludeamixed-income community in their Irvineservedon the inclusion Policy will be a place for low-income people s once again the subject of vision ofthe Banks project" Committee, which formed to write the at The Banks: Theycan work there, but eated debate. Some envision liveelsewhere. housing atThe Banks as exclusive, with "Sustainability can be measured in " ... Those that inhabit affordable housing in the only upper-crust individuals welcome to three symbiotic terms:environment,eco­ community would likely be the service workers Iive there.Others imagineThe Banks as nomics and equity," Warner says i.n an for the businesses of The Banks." amixed-incomecommunity,open to au. e-mail to Streetvibes. "Here at The - Alan J. Warner, architect What remains open for discussion Banks, the environmental component is is whose vision will be enacted in the primarilyaddressed by the achievements end - a complex debate that spans Often the recipient of venomous inclusion policyforthe Banks. Therewas ofgreening the project. As to the eco­ public policy, racism, classism and ulti­ criticism,Section8housing is also known plenty ofdiscussion to support mixed nomics component, does the business mately the ideologyofCincinnatians. as HousingChoice Vouchers. Provided income at The Banks, she says. plan for The Banks incorporate ' afford­ The Banks, an ambitious develop­ by the federal government, the vouch­ "When the Port Authorityoriginally able' housing?That is unlikely. But the mentspanning IS acres on Cincinnati's ers make up the difference between 30 planned the Banks project in the 1990s, real issue is one ofsocial equity. Are OhioRiver bank, has brokenground­ percent ofalow-income family's income there was a stipulation that it was to be people ofall demographic groups able and broken the peace, thanks to com­ and the fair market rate ofthe housing in amixed incomecomnumity,"Irvinesays. to liveand work within the commw1ity? ments from Pete Witte, a memberofthe which they live. Section 8 has served to "The NAACP unanimously passedsup­ 1bose that inhabitaffordable housing in board of the Cincinnati Metropolitan provide housing for more than I0,000 port for the creation of an ordinance the community would Iikely be the ser­ Housing Authority (CMHA). Witte has ofthe I7S,000 citizens living under the which states, 'In the residential real es­ vice workers for the businesses ofThe suggested that housing at The Banks poverty line in Hamilton County. tate developments where the city ofCin­ Banks." Elizabeth Brown is the director of cover a rangeofincomes, including fed­ "Cincinnati has lost vast mm1bers of cinnati is involved,20 percent ofrental erally subsidized housing, lmownasSec­ affordable units," says Karla Irvine, a is SO percentofthe median income. For Housing Opportunities Made Equal tion 8. veteran housing expert and housing di­ home ownership, 20 percent should be (HOME), an organizationcommittedto "I believe that all neighborhoods in rector for the NAACP, "and Section 8 at 80 percent ofthe median income.'" ending housingdiscrimination. What dis­ the city ofCincinnati should be mixed helps fill that gap." Jim Clingman, economic develop­ turbs Brown about the way this discus­ income," he says. "lfwe intend to have The board ofCMHA voted April ment chair for the NAACP, also served sion has playedout in the media isn't the a truly diverse equitable city, then we IS to urge the city and cotmty to include on the Inclusion Policy Committee. inaccuracies and faulty memoriesofthe need to work at making all neighbor­ acomponentofaffordable housing in The "This country has fought long and politicians, but the hatred ofaffordable hoods safe, clean environments for all Banks. It met with resotmding criticism hard to stop segregation (by race and housing in the general public. income classes to live, work and play. from Mayor Mark Mallory and many class) in housingand in scl100ls," he says. "This is a policy issue," she says. With the huge publicsubsidygoing into county commissioners and city council The Banks, it would only make sense members, who claim that this demand "This is a policy issue. Unfortunately, it's also that this new large-scale development was too late and that they were "blind­ an issue of hate. The media in this town is sided" by it would be open to all incomes." demonizing the poor... " Mallory has been a supporter of - Elizabeth Brown, Director ofHOME mixed-income commtmities in the past. Check the history What makes The Banks different? Regular citizensare chimingin. The "We don't need to start the conver­ "Creating an exclusive community on "Unforttmately, it's also an issueofhate. Cincinnati Enquirer blog posted more sation regarding low-income housing The Banks is tantamount to returning to 1be media in this town is demonizing the than SO pages ofcomments, most of with the Banks project," Mallory says. the days when there was legal segrega­ poor, and not just in the form ofpublic them negative, about the inclusion ofaf­ "There are plentyofaffordable housing tion. The results are the same." commentson the Enquirer's blog.They fordable housing in The Banks opporttmities throughout the city." are also printingletters to the editorand On the other end of the debate, He then cited CMHA's failure to Welcome to work only guest editorials that present the poor as mainstream civic groups such as the complete the City West project - tm­ ' scum' and 'vennin.' We need to beable After the NAACP 's 2006 press to have a public policy discussion with­ Woman's City Club have offered their occupied storefronts, displacement of support formakingThe Banks a mixed­ people from Lincoln Homes and Laurel conference, the Affordable HousingAd­ outdegrading to this level." Also at stake is the issue ofsubsi­ incomecommunity. Homes- as well as their destruction of vocates (AHA) - a group ofhousing "Wefonned in 191 S,in part, to work English Woods and failure to replace providers, advocates and consumers dies The Banks has amassed quite asum dedicated to the goal ofensuring good, ofsubsidies in the form ofgifts ofland, on housing issues," says Kathy those units. Helmbock, board chairofthe Woman's The numbers for The Banks num­ safe, accessible, affordable housing for free parking garages and several other bers are already run, and that CMHA is all people in Southwest Ohio - voted " perks" that come directly from tax­ Mayor Mark Mallory. Photo courtesy too late to be a part of this conversa­ to support the NAACP's vision and payerdollars. ofcity ofCincinnati. formed a committee to look at tion, Mallorysays. "The Banks should be inclusive all "I'm opposing this becauseoftheir inclusionary housing in111e Banks. The the way from the workers to the owners timing and appropriateness," he says. committee included DonaldTroendle, of the businesses to those who live "Others are in opposition to Section 8 then director ofCMHA, as well as rep­ there," Clingmansays. "The developers Housing and I don 't agree with that" resentatives from The Banks. AHA was are inclusive as to their sources of rev­ Buttimingshouldn't bean issue.After repeatedly assured since 2006 that the enue, wh ich comes from all ofus tax­ all, the 1999 concept paper by Jack inclusion ofaftbrdable housingw0ttld not payers across the board, so they should Rouse, the business leader who devel­ be a problem. be inclusive as to who benefits from the oped the ideaofThe Banks, envisioned What wasn' t discussed in as much finished Banks project." it as "a mixed income neighborhood." detail were the complicated details of Brown points to the glaring ironyof Further, in 2006, the NAACP got how to make that happen. Optionscould the debate. " It seems strange that people don't involved with makingsure the develop­ include w1its being purchased and main­ ment included minorities.At that time the tained by CMHA for their low-income mind taxpayer dollarssubsidizinghous­ NAACP also expressed its dedication clients (project-based units) or the use ing forwealthy people, butthey do mind to The Banks being a mixed-income ofvouchers. taxpayer dollars subsidizing housing for neighborhood. The NAACP, as well as Alan J. Warner, principal architect poor people,"she says. BY BRMN GAR.RY Ti & GEORGINE Gl\TTY �4 Local News STREETVIBES May 2008 'At Ease' for the Homeless continued from page 1 ··we had awoman come in who had lost her gla'lSes,"Briggssrud. "It's.a Iittle hard totind a job when you don' t have your glasses. We got her a prescription that day:· Nurse Lori Blackburn ass isted the homeless who have diabetes. Shetested blood sugar levels and got insulin for those who needed it. uDiabetes is a majorproblemfor ihe homeless," 131ackbum Said. "It's not al­ ways possible for them to be eating the kinds offood they should. Donuts are easy to come by, but not always fruits and vegetables." Another service provided byStimd Down is assisting in finding housing forpeopleout on tl1e street. Martl1a had been home­ less Since early Jfilluary. She and her 1S~year-old daugh­ ter, were staying at th e YV.lCA Battered Women·s Shelter. Martl1asaid her boy­ friend broke her daughter·s ribs and she ·•wanted to get away from tl1atsituationfast" On Apri l 11, because of Stand Down, Martha is no longer homeless. She's found housing and now lives in Price Hill. "TI1is is a god-send," she said.'Tmso glad Icame here today." Love Anderson is a vet­ eran who gotout ofthe ser­ vice in 2000. She has two children, ages 3 months and 7 years. " Ineed to figure out how not 10 be home less," she said as she entered Mercy Franciscan. "I.ve been homeless for about a week." Tall, wllh slicked-back black hair. she had acell-phone receiver in her ear. " I know I don't iit the typical pic­ ture," Anderson said. " I can·t explain how this happened to me, but I didn ' t see it coming." For those auending Stand Down, being homeless means notbeing typical. Participants came from all kinds of backgrounds and in all colors, shapes has been so wort11wh~e.·· and sizes. Most could walk.Some were Asked whatservices he's interested in wheelc.hairs.A few had anns or legs in, he laughed. missing, and one ofthem had his ann in "1 need it al l," Page said. a sling after being shot on a downtown ~10 .find but 111ore aho111 the ,\'t!rvlr.:es (Jj' Strl;!el. Ohio 1/(11/ey Goodll'i!l lmlustries /11 Ci11ci11­ Page didn' t offer his last name but nn1i, \'isit u·u·w•. «incbutqttgotJchvjll.ctnn, was clearly happy to beat StandDown. Despite having a damaged Jell am1. he was all smiles. Sumd Down bring.y a sense of ·'Jt's nice to talk to people l'ace to COl/llllllnity. PluHON hyAndrt'll' face," Page said."[l's much better than AufltirS«)ll. trying to get help over the phone. This No Wonder the Jail is Overcrowded f{an1ilton County likes to lock 'em up Bv L YNNEAUSMAN STAFF WRITER r the past two years, campaigns o build a newjail and campaigns o halt those plans have been un­ de1way ia HamiltonCounty. The first campaign,spearheaded by former Cotmty Commissioner Phil Heimlich, was a plan to build ajail­ brick5 and bars only. Ln November 2006, voters defeated tl1e quarter-cent sales tiu< increase to pay for a newjail, by a margin of 57 percent to 43 per­ cent. The second campaign, led by com­ missioners Todd Pomme and David Pepper, proposed a comprehensive public safety plan that included a new jail butalso created more specialized treatment and re-entry progrnms. ln .May 2007, voters turned down the sec­ ond newjail proposal. During both campaigns, a new po­ litical action committee formed to op- R pose the tax levies lo build a new jail. The No Jail Tax PAC waged a grassroots campaign to encourage vot­ ers to turn down botl1tmdevies. Activ­ ists held Signs oa streetcorners, partici­ pated ia neighborhood parades and col­ lected signatures to put a repeal ofthe sales.tax,, enacted by Po11tmc and Pep­ per, on the ballot. The.Justice Policy Lnstitute, a pub­ lic-policy re.search institute tliat advo­ cates alternatives to incarceration, re­ cently released astudy, "'Jailing Com­ munities: The ImpactofJail Expansion and .Effi:c,tive Public Safety Strategies." Using data from the U.S. Depart­ ment ofJ ustice, ihestudy examined the 50 largestjails ia the UnitedStates. One ofthem was tl1e Hamilton Cow1t)' Jus­ tice Center. HamiltonCountyis the59tb largest co1mty in the nation, but has tl1e 46'" largestjail population. Thus the Jus­ tice Center ranks amongsome ofjails in the nation's large.st metropolitan com­ nnmities, such as New York, Los.Ange- Jes and Chicago. 111e average national incarceration rate is about 256 per I00,000 people. Incarceration rales in New York, Los Angelesand Chicagoare al lwell below the national average. Hamilton County's incarceration rate is 291 per I00,000 people: above the nationalaverage. The report points out that high in­ carceration rates don 't translate into low violent-crime rares. In fact, the oppo­ site is true. New YorkCity, for example, has the secondlargestjail system In the county but has one ofthe lowest incar­ ceration rates-and a declining vio­ lent-crimerate. ·'These countiesjust cannot afford to invest tl1e bulk of their local pubIic safety budget injails, and we are begin­ ning to se.e why-the more a commu­ nity relies onjails, lhe less it has 10 invest in education, employment and proven pubIicsafety strategies..,says Nastassia Walsh, co-autl1or ofthe report. Forthe2008 Hamilton County Bud­ get, 71percentofthegeneral tund is al­ located tojudicial administration and publicsafety.The 2008 Budget in Brief reports says. 'Though the county funds numerous acti vities that intervene proactively to address the root causes ofctime, the majority ofthe general fund is related to the consequences ofcrime: theprosecution crfcrimes (prosecutor's, public defender's and coroner's omces). tl1e adjudication ofcrimes(county courts and clerkofeourts) and ll1e dete111ion of inmates (sheriff's oflice)." The county has only b(1dge1ed 0.9 percent of the general fund for social services and 0.3 foreronomicdevelop­ ment Thestudy by the Justice Policy ln­ stitutedoes give us someoptions to con­ sider, such as addressing ~'Time at a com­ munity level, releasing-more individuals while they await trial.and freeing upjail space by reJerririg mental ly ill and ad­ dicted individuals to community-based servicesand treatment. Finally, thestudy suggestsreal locating money to help fund "education, employment, and housing. Research has shown that education, employment, drug treatment, healtl1 care, and the availability ofaffordable hous­ ingcoincide with lower crime rates." �STREETVIB ES May 2008 Local News 5 This Thing We Do Advocates .for the horneless take stock and recomniit Bv GREGORY FtANl'IERY Eo1r OR d~ed progress and the urency offighting on were the emes attbe annual meetingof the Greater Cincirn1ati Coalition for the ffomeless, heldMarch27 at the Church ofthe Redeemer in Hyde Park. Last year tens of thousands of people in Greater Cinciru1ati learned aboutll1est111ggle against homelessness, according to Georgine Getty. executive directorofthe l'Jomeless Coalition. KeynotespeakerMargoPierce, a staffwriter for CityBeat, reminded the coalition of the Iile-and-death nature ofits work. "It's usually not malice orgi·eed that we ligh~ butignonmce," Gettysaid. ··we fight comfort. Wefight against complacency and people who don' t see, because they don't have to. Aud we know we can win this fight, because wasn 't there a time when we were all there, blissti1lly ignonmt, burwith a nagging in our gut that toldus there was something wrong? Weren't we all !here until someone nudged us, switched us on? Don't we all continue to grow 1md learn'/" That, ofcourse. is the central missionoftl1e HomelessCoalition-to help the larger soeiety learn about the complexities ofthe crisis in housing. Getty detailed thateffort: • ln 2007, the Voice ofthe Homeless speakers bureau reached 5,500 people at 116 speaking engagements in 2007. • The Homeless Curriculmn, de­ signed by a teacher for teachers, is now in use by more than 40 high schools, colleges and organizations. • Vendors sold 38,000 copies of Streetvibes, the coalition's monthly newspaper, last year- and the growth continued in the first quarter·of2008. "This month also marked the very first month in the historyofStree.tvibes where we actually sold out ofpapers," Gertysaid. • A new program coordinated by the Homeless Coalition. Cincinnati Ur­ ban Experience, gave college students analtemativewaytospendspringbreak. "Instead ofdrinking until they puke in Fort Lauderdale, college students come to Over-the-Rhine for a foll week ofvolunteering and reflection.... The results have been overv1helmiugly posi­ tive, with students promising to take what they've learned back to their home communities," Gettysaid. Pierce, too, tatked about worl..ing to educate the pubIic, descnbing the role ofadvocacy journalism. She opened with a terse description ofihe last days and hours ofan Ohio prisoner about to be executed, then talked about the need to tell readers about the issue. ln case the point were missed, she talked about the link between poverty mid Deatl1 Row. "I haven ' t had the courage to look at the statistics to find out how many people on Death Row were homeless at the time of their conviction or who have been homelessatsome pointin their lives," Pierce said. "1don't know ifthat infomiation is even available. but I will find out. What 1do know is that mostof the people on Death Row, the majority ofwhom areAJiicanAu1erican men. fall into tlie category of· indigent.' "A conunent l 1ecently heard from a senior about to graduate from law school sums up ihe situation in achilling yet ac­ curate way: ' Capital ptmislunent is for those who don'thave capital.' " It is for those who don ' t have ac- i\1argo Pierce. key11ote speaker al tlte GCCH Annual Meeting, discussed advocacyjournalism as a tool 10 educale people abo111 !he realities of1he world we !J've in. P/1010 by Be11 L. Ko,,f 111c111. Georgine Gelf)1, executive director qf GCCH. recapped the year and reenergized the group to cominue theirfight. Pt1oto by 8.:n L. Kal!fi11a11. ccss to drug treatment. It is for those who don't have access to mental health services. It is for those who don't have access to adequate food. clothing and shelter. Capital punishment is for your clients, and that is beyond pathetic. It's inexcusable." Ofc.ourse, homeless people ex1>c­ rience the tyranny oftl1e criminaljustice system in little ways. too, according to Getty. She discussed the study "CriminalizationofHomeless Individu­ als in Cincinnati," release.ct by the Home­ less Coalition lastyear. "The study identified 840 people who were homeless and involved in the jail system," Getty said. "Seventy-two percentofthe charges againsthomeless individuals were misdemeanors includ­ ingsitting, ' dumpster diving,' spitting, public urination, Iittering, loitering, pan­ handling, lreSpas:;ing and disorderly con­ duct. The bigwinner ofbomclesscrimes is open flask, accounting for 50 percent of homeless arrests." Ignoring that phenomenon comesat a high cost ··At a cost of$65 per night in jail, the report tracked 53 individuals who were arrested six or more times during ayear and estimated that ll1escindividu­ als could have cost the county $4.2 mil­ lion dollars," Getty said. Both speakers closed by thankiJ1g the people and agencies who serve the homeless- and urging them to carry on. "I wish tl1ere were no need for ad­ vocacyjournalism," Piercesaid. "Butas long as there is and long as people Iike you who do what you do. I 'II continue to do my damneclesrto get the words of your clients in front ofthe people who need them." Thegoal?Tomakcthework forthe Homeless Coalition a thing ofthe p!!St "'We may be tiny and grungy and grassroots and loud," Getty said. "But we're al l diat toged1er, walkiJJg towards a solution so that our children, grand­ children or maybe even great~grandchil­ dren can ask us with wide eyes, 'What was that th ing you used to do? Homelessness? What the hell wasthat?" Do you have trouble reading? Seeing people's faces? Doing everyday tasks? There is hope. There is help. We can help you or someone you know who has: •No Vision • Loss of Some Vision • I/"; Cincinnati Association for the , ,'-' Blind & Visually Impaired ~ 2045 Gilbert Avenue Cincinnati, OH 45202 A not-for-profit agency For information call 513-221-8558 and ask for Adrianne. �Community News 6 Crazy Justice Expecting tougher laws to reduce crime is insane B Y B ILL G ALLAGHER CONTRIBUTING WRITER ome have defined insanity as continuing to engage in the same behavior but expectingadifferent result. This definition would allow every taxpayer to label our criminal justice system"insane" as it confronts theworld ofdmg-related offenses. Ever-increasing penalties, increased incarceration rates, longer sentences, removal of prison programs and property forfeitures have had a major impacton the numberofpeopleentering the courts and prisons for drug-related offenses. Nationally we have over2.2 million people incarcerated. We have the greatest incarcerationrate in the world. In December 2007, the Ohio Department ofCorrections surpassed the 50,000 mark for its incarcerated population. It now is slightly below the 50,000mark but there is every indication the number wi ll continue to rise. Ohio has the seventh fastest-growing prison population ofthe 50 states. In Ohio,allfelony crimes are placed in one of five categories of severity. (Murder has aseparate classification)A "felony one" has the greatest level of punishment and a"felonyfive" tl1e least. Most nonviolentfelonies are found in tl1e felony four or five categories, where prison may be possible up to 18 months. Rapes, violent offenses, serious drug offense, burglary, robbery are generally found to be at the felony two or one levels, where prison is generally S mandatory and may reach I0 years for a single charge but can exceed one's natural life ifmultipleacts orcrimes are charged. The widely held beliefis ourprisons are filled witli violent offenders who need to be removed from our midst. The increasing rate ofincarceration is aresult ofa never-end ing escalation ofviolent behaviorthatmustbemetwith increased severity. But this is not factual. Violent crime has beenon the decline locally and nationally for more than I0 years. In Ohio, over 55 percent of all personreceived into prisonin 2007 were for felony4 or 5offenses. Dmgoffenses account for over 33 percent of all persons incarcerated. This does nottake into account the offenses committed while intoxicated or seekingto satist)1a need for drugs. Sixt)'-seven percent of all persons currently incarcerated in Ohio are serving a sentence ofless than one year. The cost in Ohio to run the DepartmentofCorrections in 2007 was over $1.7 billion. It cost the taxpayers of this state over $25,000 per inmate incarcerated in 2007. The rate ofviolentoffenses has been on tl1e decline in diis stateand nationally since 1991, yet the number ofpersons in prison has grown by over 50 percent in that time. This has an impacton more than just the inmate, but also on their families, the community and the surrounding area. Less than one-half of the inmates released last year were employed at the end of 2007. After dra ining the state of resources for incarceration on a nonviolentoffense,less STREETVIBES May 2008 than one-half ofthose released are in a different approach. In order to qualify, position to contribute to the general funds one must have a low-level, possessory of our cities, counties and country drug offense. There must not be any through employment,taxes and taxable history ofviolence.This is true even if spending. the violence weredmg driven orclearly The refusal of policy makers to symptomaticoftliediseaseofaddiction. recognizethe tmevalueofdmgtreatment In some cases, the prosecutor has veto in placeofincarceration is insane. While powerover entrance into the program. the inlmediate inlpactofincarceration has A person dealing insmall quantities to its effect, there is little long-term benefit. supportahabit is denied admittance into Study after study proves conclus ively drug court, as are the petty thief and what we know in our hearts: Treatment vandal. works. Long-term,supervisedtreatment The insanity of our policies is more than a cheaper alternative to concerning low-level nonviolent incarceration. It is also an investment in offenders is ever-present Recently, ourcommunities. State Sen. William Rand Corp. Seitz (R-Green Study after study studies in the Township) 1990s estimated introduced a bill, proves conclusively SB320, wh ich that every $1 what we know in our invested in would increase the hearts: Treatment treatment led to penalties for collateral savings persons convicted works. of stealing more of$7 to taxpayers. A sober person is than $500 in a more likely to work, pay taxes, commit year. This bill aims to confrontorganized fewer ifany crimes, not be incarcerated rings ofshoplifters but is not limited to and requ ire less medical attention. them. A person who shoplifts over a Incarceration has no positive impact periodofmonthscan now face I0 years other tllan forestallingcriminal activity in prison with no possibilityofprobation. during the time one is locked up. What used to carry six to 12 months in The refusal to alter policy in jail now might result in adecade.Sane? "Tough oncrime" is a saying used in addressing drug offenses and drug­ motivatedcrinle has additional collateral everyelection to indicate a candidate is damage. There is the erosion ofcivil serious about crime and the effects it has liberties, the increase ofdrug-related on each of us. However, once elected, harm such as HTV infections and the there is never aserious discussionon how effect on the famil ies of those to properly address the crime that allects incarceratedas aresult ofa failed policy. us the most. The "tough" discussion Ohio has in place "dmg courts" as a involves understanding the problem, mechanism to address offenders in need identifyingsolutionsthat work and then oftreannent This program,started in tile instituting policies that will achieve mid- l990s, has had a positive impact success. on many who have passed through it. Bill Gallagher is chair ofthe However, these"specialty courts" come Indigent Defense Committee ofthe Ohio Association ofCriminal nowhere near handling the number of offenders who could benefit from a Defense Lawyers. Making Birthdays Heavenly at Our Daily Bread B Y JOAN TIFFANY THOMPSON AND ANGELA PANCELLA When Our Daily Bread first began, and when the population ofpeople we served was smaller, once a month we made a large birthday cake, enough to feedeveryo1ie. Those who had birthdays that month were first to be served and received large pieces. Today, with 350-400 guests dai ly, it's been a challengeto provide recogni­ tion Iike that, but we don't want our guests' birthdays to go unnoticed. We know the birthdays ofthose of ourguests who fill outour twice-a-year surveys. David Carlson, a longtime vol­ unteerand neighborhood resident, makes amonthly poster listing tllose birthdays we know about The poster is up right by our front door, so olten our guests will write their birthdays on it ifwe' ve missed them. In our last newsletter, weexplained that we wished to honor ourguests in a new way, and tllat we wanted help. We included a quote from the Hasidic Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson: "Be­ cause time itselfis like a spiral, some­ thingspecial happens on your birthday eachyear: thesame energy that God in­ vested in you at birth is present once again." Then we asked, "Are you the birthday angel who feels called to help us with this project?" Six wonderful friends ofOur Daily Bread have respon ded: Ruthie Brunsman, a longtime donor; David Carlson; Katie Klug, who has been vol­ unteering since she was a student at Purcell Marian High School- she's now rearranged her work schedule so she can come volunteer every week; Lela Foley, a parishioner at Bellarrnine -she got involved withanother project ofours, a fundraising cookbook, after seeing anote in her bulletin;, Bev Miller, whose late father, Clete Baumer, was a devoted donor; and Leanne Waid, who works full-time but loves crafting and watercoloring-she'Ube workingfrom home on cards for our guests. Here's how our "birthday angels" projectwill work. We' ll coUect surveys from ourguests about their birthdaysand a few other pieces ofinformati on. On the firstTuesday ofevery month, start­ ingJune J at 12:30p.m. - before Bingo - our birthday angels will pass out jumbo frosted cupcakes with a candle on eachone. We' ll give a personalized birthday card and a small gift as well. We will all sing "Happy Birthday" and ask our guests to make wishes as they blowout theircandles. We hope our guests will feel asspe­ cial as we think they are. �STREETVIBES Community News May 2008 7 Attacking the Hate crimes report showed increase in 2007 Bv GREG O LKF1ovsKv STAFF WRJTER 2007, 16 1l1omeless people were iolently attacked in the Un ited tatcs, resulting in 31 deaths. The number ofattacks against the homeless increased 12 percentfrom the previous year. Last month the National Coalition for the Homeless (NCH) and the Na­ tional Law Centeron Homelessnessand Poverty released Hate. Violen,·e and E Deathon Main Street USA: A Report on Hate Crimes and Violence Against People Experiencing Homelessness 2007. Th.is annual reportbegan in 1999 and continues to serve as both an in­ valuable source ofinformation and an honest rem ioder oftbe unfortunate re­ alities ofhomelessoess. On August 7, 2007, Cincinnati ex­ perienced what ~\1as classifiedat the time as its first documented hate crime in two years. Geraldine Beasley, 62, shot 44­ ycar-old Donald Francis in the face.al: ter he asked her for a quarter. But.pros­ ecutors later concluded the l1omicide resulted from adispute over panhandling tenitory. Last month Beasley received nine years furvoluntary manslaughter. Between Febniaryand May2007, young men with baseball bats and pipes beat at least six homeless people in Cleveland lo early April, teenage boys anued wiU12x4 piecesofwoodsavagely beat, robbed and set ablaze the camp ofa39-year-oldhomelcss pt.'fSOO sleep­ ing under a bridge. On May 11, sLx meu bmtally attacked a homeless couple ru1d stole their puppy. In Akron on July 21, two people, ages 19 and 22, were arrested for throwiog rocks, shooting BB guns and setting the clothes on fire oftwo home­ less men, age.s 50 and 68. Eradicating homelessness is the mis­ sion ofthe National Coalition for tbc Homeless, which is comprisedofho.me­ less people. formerly homeless people, advocates, activists, community-based and faith-based service providers. Foui1ded i:o 1982, the NCH is ..com­ mittedto creating 1hcsyste01icand atti­ tudinal cbanges nea:ssary topreventru1d endhomelessness.'' Tbe National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty (NLCHP) is the only national legal advocacy orga­ nization com mitted to ending homelessness before it starts. 111e NLCHP sends attorneys into court­ rooms and speaks to legislatorsto pro­ tect the homeless and tbcir rights. Lack ofaffordable bousing, over­ crowded shelter space, lacko(jobs and low payingjobs are many reasons wby people sleep outside. nie homeless who optto spend the night outdoorsare most vulnerable. Forty-four percent oft:bc homeless are unsheltered, according to 1he U.S. Deparuncni of Housing and Urban Development. Some cities andstates have helped the homeless by enacting harsher pun­ isbmcnts for attackers. Butmany other cities and states have implementedlaws speci.ficallyagainstd1e homeless. Laws across the country include measures that have ''restrictedsleeping, sitting, storing property and asking for money in public." Such laws dehuman­ ize 1he homeless andsuggest that crimes committed against them wilJ not be treated seriously. Hate crime.~ against the homeless happen all over the UnitedStates. How­ ever, 51,)me st11tes reportedJnore attacks than others. In 2007, Florida led every state, with 32 attacks. 111 second place was California, which had 24 homeless attacks. Nevada reported 14 attacks, ranking third. Ohio, with 13 attacks on the homeless, was fourth Last year. An overwhelming majority ofthe predators are young men between the ages ofl3 and 19 and are respons ible for63 percentofreportedattacks. Kids as young as I0 have engaged in ahome­ less attack. An alarming 86 percent of U1ose who have bee11 accused or con­ victed.were 25 years and younger. The most chilling a~pect ofthe hate cdnkl$ repo1t is the conunon motives that the perpetrators ofter. "The attackers repeatedly cited dleir motive ofattack as boredom, commit­ ting U1e crimes for the -dll'ilr or ' fun,' because the victim is homeless or per­ haps even more harrowing, because they simply ·can,· " the report says. 1-1ieJ1ate crimes report proposes: • supporting H.R. 2216 and H.R. 2217, two bills before U1e U.S. House ofRepresentativesd1atwmtld add home­ less status to the HateCrimes Statistics Act and U1c Violent Crime Control and Law EnforcementAct • supporting state legislative ef­ forts to add homeless persons as a pro­ tected class in hate-crime statutes. • engagingin publiceducation ini­ tiatives in schools to educate young people about homelessness and to hu­ manize homeless neighbors;and • advocating for more affordable hOLL~ingand pem1anentsuppnrtive l10tL~­ ing to bring an end to homelessness. WHAT'S AT STAKE? JOIN US for DAYS OF DIALOGUE. What better time than an election year to dialogue on the critical issues that affect us all Education May 17 OUR PURPOSE is to create an environment where people with differing views can listen and be listened to, and civil discourse can occur. WHEN: Each dialogne will be held on Saturdays from 9am to 12 noon WHERE: First Unitarian Church (536 Linton St) at corner ofReading ~ Free & Open to the Public ~ Reservati.ons Requested. RSVP to 513-579-8547 www.ijpc-cincinnati.org 0 �STREETVIBES Artwork and Poetry 8 May 2008 Cleo's Joke Corner There wa5 Mr. and MrS. Carrot walking down the garden patch. Awatem1elon came by·and knocked Mrs. Carrot over. They went 10 the garden hospital. The doctor said to Mr. Carrot, "T got some good and some bad news. The good news is Mrs. Carrot is going to live. TI1e bad news is she's going to be a vegetable the rest of her I ifo." Mother BY ANTONlO HODGE Bv ARDELLA WOOLENS S TREETVlBES V ENDOR Vendor of the Month ­ Antonio Hodge What do you like most about selfing SYreetvibes? I get to place my artwork in the newspaper so others can see it. I also enjoy letting other people know what is happening in Cincinnati and elsewhere. M is for themillion d1ings she gave me 0 means only dtat she's growing old T is for the tears she shed to save me H isforherheartofpuristgold Where tlidyou grow up? I grew up in Cincinnati and have lived here all my life. E isforhereyes with love lightshining How tlid you become ltome/ess? My mom passed away and my family was done with me. so dley put me out. l have been homeless for the past year and a hat f. I am staying at die oro·p Inn Center and working on getting my apartment·by working with a case manager there. R is tbrrjgbt and right she' ll always be. Witat are some ofyour hobbies? Ienjoydrawing. writing, walking, observingpeople, conversingand listening to music. Someofmy fa~'orite musicians are Led Zeppelin. Prince and John P. Coltrane. Wltat wouldyou say to your customers? Lappreciate you buying the paper from me and staying informed. I also e1tjoy conversing with you. Shutter Speed Put them aU together, they spell mother, a word that 111eans the world to 111e BY BEN L. K AUFMAN �STREETVIBES May 2008 Artwork and Poetry 9 Abstract Ball To Peter Writers! ~ subn1jt yotu­ "i!!IJ!I poetry to Streetvibes ­ email your writi ng to streetvi bes2@yahoo. con1 RY A NTAONY \V 1.Ll.JA.MS ''Lion" Bv ORLANDO C RAIG Poem - The Big Blue Bag Bv A NTONIO B.o»Ct The big blue bag has contents therein ofgreatsubstance. Lookingat the big blue bagon the outside one would tend to think that it isjust a big blue bag. The big blue bag holds two meanings to the carrier. One that it holds contents that is essential 10 him ancVor her persevering i111he.irdaily life in society. Se~ondly. the big blue bag holds thesymbolic meaningofcarrying the cross. as Jesus Christ carried his cross on the earth. Tosome individuals' eyes the big blue bag is of a burden to one's sight. bui to the carrier ofthe big blue bag; ii is a pillow to the shoulders of the one whomcarry it. The big blue bag holds the contents ofa day ru1111er, legal papers,clothing, l'ood. etc. These arethe main things that help oneselfsustain himselfand/or herselfin Life's twists ai1d 1ums of negative and positrve to reach the heightoftheir achievement. The big blue bag to the owner is just like the cross of Jesus: it holds great value as the cross holds great value to the Christian. The cwss represents the burdens oftbe people that did not believe in a livinggod: lo wit: it he.Id the blood and body ofd1e savior and all the l)urdens oflhis world! The big bl ue bag, so precious to all who carry it. as the cross is to the believers. Much love, many blessings- by Antonio Hodge. Berta's Art Corner "Gradation of Light: About to be Destroyed" C INCINNAT I, O HIO �Columns 10 STREETVIBES May 2008 The Poverty of Culture It 's much easier to love the poor on stage Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room w ith Trouble on lvf.y Mind, The Tao of Longing, and Crow Call. This column is part of a monthly series on poverty and addiction. pie talk ofthe cultureofpoverty. It is much-debated concept, with merit on each side. I discussed my view ofit in a column last month - that what we think ofas a culture ofpoverty is really a description of what happens when poverty coll ides with ad­ diction, resulting in a mutually reinforcing pat­ tern in wh ich each helps trap the addict in the other. But that was last month. What lam con­ cerned with now is the povertyofculture. Jn particular,[ believe there is a poverty ofCul­ ture with a capital "C." I believe there is a poverty ofCulture that is set in motion when Big C culture collides with poverty in a com­ munity. It stems from a poverty ofcompas­ sion, an inability to envision in a realistic way the pain ofothers. l shou ld know better by now, but l still keep thinking that one outcome ofan expo­ sure to the arts is supposed to be an increase insensitivity(or, ifyou are afan ofJane Austen, sensibility) to what others suffer. But it seems To revitalize something means to bring new life to it. But Over-the-Rhine was never dead. It just didn't have any money. thatwherever BigCultureencounters the poor, there is a disconnect. Thegrandsensitivity that the arts are supposed to generate somehow does not translate into effective compassion for the poor- especially ifthe poorget in the way ofBig C Culture's plans for development and expansion. • Last month I went to a performance of August Wilson's RadioGolfat the Ensemble Theateron Vine. This is a play by an African­ American writerwho is oneofthe leadinglights ofthe century. It deals with a conflict between hmnan values and property values, in which a real estate developer confronts the reality of the people he intends to displace. These are less than perfect people, but they have a com­ munity and diey have nowhere else to go. Does he proceed with the development? Or does he side witl1 these people that he has learned to appreciate? The sympathies of the play­ wright are witl1 the people ofthe community. The play ends a5 the main character makes a decision to sacrifice his political career to side with the poor. Everyone applauds, and we walk out of die theater. And d1ere is Vine Street and tliere isOver­ tl1e-Rhine, where every day or so we lose an­ other unit ofaffordable housing to develop- over his shoulder picking blues. There was a thriving Doo-Wop culture. Kids were fonning and refonning rock groups. None of th is small-c cul­ by Michael Henson ture got a write-up in the pa­ per, Not one of these people ever got a grant from an arts agency. Some of them have ment of theaters and other arts institutions died sad, difficult deaths. Some of them wliere we can go to more plays about tl1e plight struggleon. Oneofthe Doo-Wopsingers who ofthe poor. had a tragically beautiful voice was living un­ It makes me a Iitde crazy. der a bridge the lasttime l saw him.The stoops where people used to play bluegrass and blues I write here about Over-tl1e-Rhine be­ are now the stoops where crack dealers hit cause Over-the-Rhine is what I know. Radio their licks. The small-c culture ofthe neigh­ Golf is set in Pittsburgh, but it could be any­ borhood has been battered, the people who where, in any city in the country. There is ev­ created it scattered. erywhere a drive to replace low-income hous­ l don 't think Big Culture cares. ing witl1 BigCultural institutions. * • But when you address the issues ofthe BringingCulture into acommunity is said people ofthe neighborhood, small-c culture to revitalize tl1at community. We started hear­ begins to flourish again. Under a partnership ing abouttl1e need to revitalize Over-tl1e-Rhine between the Drop Inn Center and lrlkTank, 30 years ago or more. there is a monthly open-mike reading ofpo­ 'lb revitalize somed1ing means to bring new etry by people who are notsupposed to make Iife to it. ButOver-tl1e-Rhine was never dead. poetry. They read strong poems about pain It just didn't have any money. Therefore, if and recovery. This is what small-c culture is revitalization means to bring money into acom­ all about. munity, it mLL5t follow tl1at, to adeveloper, Iife ButlnkTank is struggling to keep the doors is money. open. And everyone knows what Big Culture ·n1is is tl1inking at tlie level ofdie dope boy. thinks oftl1e Drop Inn Center. Here's tl1e problem. Money is not life. Life * is people. Aneighborhood is not tl1e buildings. I am not against culture, Big C or little c. It is the people. Revitalization people talk But what we do to create culture makes no about the buildings but riever abouttlie people. sense. We solve the problems ofa neighbor­ I remember a slideshow presentation on revi­ hood by moving tl1e people oftl1e neighbor­ talization tl1at showed only the buildings. Not hood somewhere else. Are tl1e projects a problem? Tear down the projects. 'Ilie re­ We solve the problems of a sult? The people of neighborhood by moving the people of the projects take their the neighborhood somewhere else. problems to their new neighborhoods. So asoul appeared in any oftl1e slides. There was the people who had problems with poverty a lot oftalk about Italianate architecture and and addiction in Over-tl1e-Rhine and the West tl1e good olddays wlien tl1e neighborhood was End now have problems with poverty and ad­ German, but not one ofthe current Black or diction in Price Hill and Westwood. The pov­ Appalachian people who lived tl1ere showed erty pockets ofthe East End have become tl1e up in the pictures. poverty pockets of Mount Washington and But at tl1e time those pictures were taken, Amelia. We cannot solve the problems ofour tl1ere were a whole lot of people who lived society byconstantly pushing tl1em to comers tl1ere and they created agreat deal ofsmall-c where they can safely be ignored. culture. On Main, between 12'' and Liberty Want to fix the problems of Over-the­ streets, were five bars and five storefront Rhine? Address tl1e problems oftl1e people of churches, and at various times tl1ey al lrocked Over-tl1e-Rhine- jobs, treatment, education, with gospel, country, or bluegra5s. I recall a health care, housing. And culture, Big C and storefront church on Main Street, where an littlec. inter-racial congregation sangHank Williams' The poverty ofCulture is that we learn " I Saw tl1e Light." On Vine, you might see a compassion in the theater, the art gallery, the man walk down tl1e street witl1 a guitar slung concert hall. But we don 'ttake it to tl1e street. Hammered Interested in helping with Streetvibes? Are you a writer, poet, artist or photographer? Do you want to help Streetvibes? Call 513.421.7803 xl2 or email streetvibes2@yahoo.com Please be sure to only purchase a Streetvibes from a vendor wearing a white or yellow badge. �STREETVIBES Columns May 2008 11 Sounds of Peace Are Getting Louder Students lead the growing chorus in support of equality and justice Bv S TEVE SUNDERLAND CoNTRJBUTING W RJTfR ounds ofaction are brealdngthe silence : had fallen across our city. Perhaps S shock about the latest loss ofjobs or the continuing threats to home ownership or the rising and astoundingcostsofco-payments for medical and drug expenses had temporarily and reasonably taken our voices and breath away. The average person has seen what looks like the complete shreddingofthe American Dream and has fallen into a ldnd o stupor. It's as if we are asldng, "Which disaster should l focus on? What should l protest?" Turning to schools and colleges,the citizen is dazed by thejump in tuition at public colleges and private and parochial schools. Who can pay these fees - and for what? What is the "hope" for education that the pubI ic imagines is worth any cost? As crime statistics rise in suburbs and city, the resident asks about the loss of public safety and the inability of government to either control or contain violence. Related to this fundamental and growing local insecurity, the wars in the Middle Eastdefy comprehension: Why are wefighting andsacrificingthousandsofAmerican and Iraqi lives withouta serious and publicdebate? We are all worrying that the price offood will mirror the price offuel. Will the average fam ily continue to be faced with choices of which food to sacrifice along with whetheror not anyone canjustdrive to the store, to school orto the hospital?The conceptofa family or individual budget has been replaced with nightmaresoflatest, worse conditions: Do V we cut backon medicine, food, fuel or meals in orderto pay the mortgage,the child'stuition, and/or the car payment? Cutting backon food is agrowing common experience for the American citizen as more and more of our community turns to the FreeStore FoodBank for help. There is nowhere to turn for tuition assistance, mortgage help, fuel vouchers, guaranteesofa reasonable job or for schools that are either affordableorhigh quality. 'Critical difference' Young people in ourcity, particularly in the Peace Village, are facing this bleak reality in brave and creative ways. Young people are accepting that the unfairness ofsociety must Steve Sunder/ond, can break the barriers formerly dean ofthe separating people who UC College of have "disabiliti es" by Con11n11nl ty working for inclusion at Services and a every level. He pr(!fessor ofsocial by Steve Sunderland reminded us that those work for the past 21 years at UC, is with intellectual and director and physical disabilities are founder <!(The often an " invisible" Peace Village. a be changed, whether it is in Cincinnati or in group that are poor, underemployed and Cinci1111ati based pet1ce 11etH1ork Uganda, Darfur or at Walter Reed. demeaned by all sectors ofsociety. founded after the About l00 high school and collegeyouth "We will not be forgotten or neglected if riots and expancled recently gathered in the3rd annual "Peace or you respect us," he said. after 9111 to work Hunger?"conference ofthe Peace Village to on peace and discuss and become involved in the reality Home, sweet shanty healing. For n1ore /11forn1otio11 on the facing homeless and hungry people in Peace Village Cincinnati. Teams of students visited and I recently attended a peace-signing progra111s, please provided service to the FreeStore FoodBan.k program at Nativity school in PleasantRidge, w1rite: by sortingtons offood and preparinghundreds as students from Finland and Chinas igned an swdersc@emoil.1c.edu of boxes of food for a state of Ohio food agreement with students from Nativity to program. continueto exchangevisits overthe nextfour Another team ofstudents went to Joseph years. Nativity is the leader in ourcommunity House to hear about the growing plight of in peace programs that involve visiting by homeless vets, perhaps one-half of all elementary and middle-school students. The Cincinnati homeless; another groupwent to the studentsmarched together to the signing table, Drop lnn Center to meetandserve homeless seriouslytaldng the responsibilityofthe future adults. Groupsfanned outto meet with service on theirshoulders, as the entire studentbody leaders at Tender Mercies and learn about ofNativity waved paper flags ofChina and what is being attempted for mentally ill Finland. homeless. Finally, young people and their teachers Agroup visited with ProfessorTom Dutton are comingtogetherfor the first time to have a ofMiami University to gain his perspectiveon why there is a widespread attack on the most Young people are accepting that the fragile people and institutions. A large group unfairness of society must be changed, ofstudents ventured to the Freedom Center to seek historical understanding of the whether it is in Cincinnati or in Uganda, connections between hungerand slavery. Darfur or at Walter Reed. Later in the conference we heard from pioneering high school programs at Moeller, Sycamore and Loveland thatare raising money citywide"Shantytown" in October. Under the to build schools for orphans in Uganda. A guidance ofSteve Elliot,service learning and delegation ofstudentsand teachers is heading peace guru, teams ofyouth from dozens of to Uganda this summer. Connie Ring, math schools will live in cardboard boxes on the teacherat Moeller,says she is inspired by the sameweekend to call attention to the growing youth ofher and other schools. needs ofthe homeless. A Cincinnati Peace "This entire project is driven, organized VillageShantytown will stretch outtheir hands and nurtured by the students,"shesays. "They and caring alI across the city. Will this end are maldng the critical difference." homeless and hunger in Cincinnati? No, yet A group from Wyoming High School hundreds ofyoung people, citizens of our spoke eloquently ofa citywide high school democracy,will bevoting for adifferent world effort to support a Darfur relief effort. A for the homeless that night. This vote is as representative from St. Xavier High School importantas any paperslipped in a ballot box. devastated us with a film on human slavery and The work, never more difficult, continues. what local high schoolscould do to buy people l bow to the youth leaders in great respect out ofslavery. and gratitude. May they fmd shelter, peaceand Robert Harris,Peace Village consultanton hope in our Peace Village. inclusion, raised questions about how youth Peace :Village Natural Neighbors: Rebuilding the Bridges Bv P ATRICIA G ARRY CoNTRJBlTllNG WRITER The Community Development Corporations Association ofGreater Cincinnati (CDC Association) is partneringwith the Commw1ity BuildingInstitute at Xavier University to rebuild the close ties and relationships that used to exist between schools and developmentgroups in Cincinnati's neighborhoods. The commw1ity learning centers now beingcreated in the Cincinnati Public Schools are meant to be inclusive of the entire community and to provide services, classes and access that a particular neighborhood wants. During the growth and development of many CDCs in the 1980s, school ties with the community were close, with each group knowing what the other was doing - community councils, business associati ons, CDCs, schools, other groups - and providing needed supportto one another. In the past 20 years those partnerships have weakened. Using a Powerpoint presentation created by the CDC Association's Sarah Hayes, visuals of housing and development projects, listings oflocal contacts and infonnation on where to go to get help with foreclosures is now easily available, targeted for various communities. The CDC Association, wh ich is the trade association for regional communitydevelopers,and the Community Building Institute are bringingtogether CDCs and school commun.ities in seven areas ofthe city during thespringto begin the rebuilding process. �12 STREETVIBE S National News May 2008 Graveyard Shift Leaves Nowhere to Go Not enough shelters help night workers who have no homes B v C AROLYN COSMOS STREET N EWS SERVI CE Donna is trying. She works as an inserter at The Washington Post in College Park, Md., from 11 p.m. to 4:30a.m., the so-called graveyard shift. As for her belongings, shesays,"Everythinggoes with me." Donna, who didn't want her last name used,stays at a downtown shelter on her two days off. The rest of the week, shesays, "I catnaphere and there during the day." Donnais among many homeless resi­ dents in the D.C. area who work night­ time hours but Jind it ditlicult to find a shelter where they can sleep during the day. Most shelters accept clients only for overnightstays from 7 p.m. to about 7 a.m., although a few are beginning to accornn1odate night workers. Michelle Durham, program director at Rachael's Day Center for homeless women,says there are more joboppor­ tunities at night for herclients. But a lot ofshelters still stick to their traditional evening timings, which don' t meetcli­ ents' needs, she says. Durham estimates that about I0 of the clients who come to her day center work nightsas home health aides, child­ care workers or as cleaners for small companies wh ile spending their days sleeping on the streets or staying tem­ porarily with friends. Ruth Cummings, homeless and working nightshifts, is one ofthe lucky ones.AgraduateofDCCentral Kitchen and New Course Catering, she gets kitchen jobs through the Food Team employment agency- and has a bed waiting for her at a northwest D.C.shel­ ter for women when she leaves work. "At John Young, they allow you to sleepthere (during the day) ifyou show a pay stub. They'll keep your bed," Cummingssays. Onceshe finds a room she can afford, she'll move out ofthe shelter, she says. Most shelters accept clients only for over­ night stays from 7 p.m. to about 7 a.m., al­ though a few are begin­ ning to accommodate night workers. Donna, the woman who works nights at The Post, also wants to find a place ofherown. "I' msavingmoney,"shesays. "But D.C. needs to come up with more af~ fordable housing, not only for families, which are a priority, and that's good, but also for those of us who are single." Then there's a woman who was sleeping in UnionStation. "I heard of a night job at a book store doing inventory, but I didn't apply because I had no place to stay during the day," she says. She doesn 't want to be identified. Michael Stoops, acting executive directorofthe National Coalition for the Homeless, puts it bluntly. "Most shelters are not 24 hours a day, but homelessness is," he says. "Agencies who kick people out during the daytime are preventing them from getting offthestreet." Some overnightshelters allow em­ ployed residents to claim a bed after curfew butstill require them to leave early in the morning. Forexample, the 90-bed La Casa Men's Shelter, open from 7 p.m. to 7a.m., can sometimes accom­ modate "regulars" who get a job and come in late, according to a staff mem­ ber. However, the 350-bed overnight shelterformen atSt. Elizabeth's Hospi­ tal doesn' t do that, says Charles McCrimmon, the program manager. The 25-bed Calvary Women's Shelter will sometimes '110ld dinnerand a bed" past curfew, Durham says; and the N StreetVillage women's nightshelter, with 31 beds and a I0 p.m. curfew, "works with employed residents on an individual basis," according to Kristyn Carrillo, nightshelte.r manager. "Shelters are beginning to accom­ modate the working poor who are homeless, and mostshelteroperators try to be supportive," Stoops says. "How­ ever, historically, most have done shel­ programmanager,Ke.nyaua T. Brunson. "There's no difference between night jobs and day jobs." Open Door is another pioneer that offerssupport for night workers. "It's a trend I'd like to see continue, but some don't have the capacity or staff," Durham says. The Community for Creative Non­ Violence (CCNV) shelter does. It has a 2 a.m. curfew and bed check, and resi­ dents can remain inside during the day­ time. With caseworker approval and proofofemployment, agraveyard-shitl worker is welcome, according to David Mincey, program director for the men's lloor. "You want to give residents hope," he says. "Suppose that's the only job they can get? You tell them they can't workat night-youbreak their spirit." "Every shelter should loosen up its rules soall its homeless are able to both work and stay in the faci lity," Stoops says. "Ajanitor, a security guard could oversee daytime sleepers, or a vol un­ teer, a forn1erly homeless person. lfwe "Suppose that's the only job they can get? You tell them they can't work at night - you break their spirit." - David Mincey, program director CCNV ter and food, and not that many have are evergoing to end homelessness, we taken on an employment focus." need to help those able to find work." Catholic Charities' programs such as theJohn L. Young women'ssheltersup­ port nightemployment, Michelle Durham says. Reprintedfrom Street Sense "If a woman is working, I accom­ © Street News Service: www.street­ modate her," saysJohn Young's senior papers.org Four Decades of Opening Doors The 4(Jh anniversary of the Fair Housing Act and HOME B v ELIZAB ETH BROWN CONTRIBUTING WRITER In 1968 the Fair HousingAct made housing dis­ crimination illegal in the United States. In the same year HousingOpportunities Made Equal (HOME) was in­ corporated to ensure the new law was enforced in metropolitan Cincinnati. Theenactn1entoftile federal Fair HousingAct on April 11, 1968, came only after a long and ditlicult journey. From 1966-1967, Congress regularly con­ sidered tile fair housing bill, but failed to garnera strong enough majority for its passage. When the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968, however, President Lyndon Johnson used the national tragedy to urge the bill's speedy approval. Since the 1966 open housing marches in Chicago, King 's name had been closely associated with the fair housing legislation. Johnson viewed the law as a fitting memorial to the man's life work and wished to have it passed prior to King 's tUneral in Atlanta Senators Edward Brooke and Edward Kennedy ofMassachusetts argued strongly for the passage of this legislation. Brooke, the firstAfrican-American to be elected to the U.S. Senate by popular vote, spoke personally ofhis return from World War II and his inability to provide a home of his choice for his new family because ofhis race. With tile cities in turn1oil like to no1~1 inate for Vendor of the Month? Please send vour non11nahons to streetv1bes2cavahoo.con1 or - Streetvibes, 117 E 12th St. Cincinnati, ()11 45202 513.421.7803 x 12. A...":J Do you have a favorite Vendor yot'. ~..... b't-Q ~v \Vc~ul d after King's assassination, the HouseofRepresenta­ tives passed the act and, without debate, the Senate followed. Johnson signed it into law, all within seven days. Today, HOME continues to receive calls from people who believe they've experienced illegal dis­ crimination becauseof their race or because they have a disability or because they have children. In 2007 HOME received 500calls ofpotential illegal discrinli­ nation in GreaterCincinnati. HOME helpsclientsgatllerevidence andexplains how they can enforce their housing rights. It alsospon­ sors the Housing Mediation Service to help resolve problems without the need for legal action. HOME services are free. �STREETVIBES Columns May 2008 Streetwl.se By 6re9ory Flal\l\ery Evet\ C.tt\Ctt\t\ati lst\'t That Meat\ hasn 't been that long since Cincinnati was nmked sixth in a. listofU.S. cities that are meanest to the.homeless. But even Cincinnati was never as mean as the mayor oflndianapolis makes us out to be. The lndianapolis Star last month reported on a proposal byMayor Greg Ballard for "ending" panhandling. The article quoted a mayoral aidesaying,'"Cincimiati requires panhandlers to have a Iicense that costs$400. lt seems to be effi:ctive in decreasing the numbers." That's nonsense. In 2003 city council passed a law requiring panhandlers to register-I ike criminals checking in with thesheriffor lepers made to carrysigns saying''Unclean"-but it was free to register. Facinga lawsuit in tederal court, city council repealed the registration law last year. But even more disturbing than the inaccuracy ofthe Indyofllcials· comprehension oflhe details is the falsity oftheir conclusion. In a letter to .The Star. Georgine Getty, execativedirector of theGreater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. refuted Ballard's theory. ''·Rcgistrntion j ust did not wor k," Getty wrote. "Over 190 people were rurested the first year ofthe ordinruice. The majority spenteight hours in our over­ crowdedjail (at a cost of$65/day) mid were immediately released,,just as pooras ever mid still needing in panhandle. City council. as well as Cincinnati's dowiitown improvementdistrict, wereforced to admit lliat.tbis was simply not rui effectiveuse ofpolicetimeorjail space. "What did work in Cincinnati was the introduction ofa downtown outreach workerwho focuses his time on panhmidlers. Since2003,dozens ofpanhandlers have been moved offthe streets and into pemument housing. This has been the only approach that has reduced our number ofpanhandlers ruid met the humane standards of those ofus con~med with civil liberties mid the preservation ofthe First Amendment,. I But the Supreme Court ls The three-poison recipe used to kill prisoners in Ohio, Kenrucky and many otherstates isn'tfit for putting down mangy dogs. That's not hyperbole; it's the literal truth. Veterinarians havetestifiedthat they wouldn't use pru1curonium bromide to euthani7,.e animals because it's inhumane.1l1edrugparalyzesan inmate, rendering him or her unable to cry out if the anestheticisn't working. TI1e result is thatsome inmates arc conscious while being suffocated by the paralyz.ing drug and experience the pain ofthe third drug, potassium chloride, which stops tlie heart Even so, the U.S. SupremeCourt ruled last month that using th is devil's brew doesn't constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Now Ohio and otherstates will resume poisoning prisoners. The polite tenn, ofcourse, is "lethal injection": the poison is injected via intravenous tubes. Octthis: Some doctors actuallyparticipate in this process, pronouncing prisoners dead on behalf of the state. Here's an idea: What if they gave an execution and no doctorsshowed up? Would they go through with the killing? 13 In The News Ed,vardsville, lllinois Teens P.lead Guilty to Murder in Seer-can Beating Two miil6isteens, l 7-year-old Jos~ph Lee Rafoes.aod 18-year-oldBran­ -don Carql J3ouck, fac.e up to 20 years in prisen fo~ the futal beating ofa home­ less moo over acan ofooer. They have pleaded guilty seeond-dl(gree murder, ·and io exchange, preseeutora dropped'first-i:legree murder charges. The teens told a friend they panelled and kic.kedThomas Muffler IastOetober when Mu f­ iler, who was experiencing homelessness, refused tp buy the teell§ beer. 1\fter beating.him, which resulted inMuffler suffering.broken ribs and,a pllll.ctured Iung, they stole hiS'24-ounce can.of beer. A sentencing date has notyet been schedule.ct. GAP, Boston Reraid, 4i4') San Diego, California Homeless Man 8 eaten to Dea th with Own Cru tch Around midnight intlieCore-{/olumbia neighborhood; an ru:gume.nt between 4J-year-oldGregaryWillis and zqcyear-qld:Ross Ivy escalated, resulting in·tlie death ofWillis. Police said Willis, who ~uttered disabilities and was experiencing homelessness; was beatto deatlrwith his ownerutiih. Paramedics attemptedt.o revive hi m, but he died ata trauma center about one hour later. Ivy has bee11 ·arrcsteda11d will be booked on one count ofmurder. (KTLA,4/.16) Philadelphill, Pennsylvania Women Starts Running Group for ttom·eless Aveteran mari1thon runner, Anne Mahlum deci'ded to n111 \vith- rat[Jer1l1an pas~-the men living in Philadelphia's homeless.sbeI.ters, She.began the "Back On MY17eef'running clu~ i.n 2007with ni11emernber$ on a mile-Ieng nm; tooay, there are throe teams with atotal of54 homeless members andover2SO volun­ teers who have.Joggetl more than 5,000 mi.les. In order tojoin, individualsm·ust livein affilffiliatedfaci!ltyand beclean andsoberfodO days. Membersreceive' ne\\is))o~ and running clothes, and tean1s run together three time..~a week be­ tween 5:30 and 6·a.m. The groupof n111ne.rs is diverse, ineluding doctors,jani­ t9rs, studei1tsand shelter reSidenfli; bm1hese distincti(.lns aren' t appatent "All you crurtell is who'sthe fa<>t'est,".says Mal1lun1. "Yotican'tte.11 who's homeless ·and who' s not." Baek On My Feet is more than a running:club; they a:re "a comm1:111ity oHuppo.rt:; love, respect." (CNN, 4/3>) By the Numbers - In Cineinnati, the Fair MarketRent (FMR) for a two bedroom apartinent is $726, in Oh io $680. - Ln Cincinnati, 34°/o of households are r enters as compared to 31 % in Ohi0. - A unit is considered affordabJe if it costs no more Weitd Memos than 30o/o ofthe renter's incolile. Sometimes press releas.es are deliberately vague and incomplete. especially the kind that.oomeftorn governmentofficials. Last month Cincinnati Police District One. the department's headquarters. underwent more renovation. The department issued astatemenl sayingthatfront desk ru1d lob.by fonctions had temporarily moved to a "mobi le command van" - cop talk for "trailer" - parked in front of the building. But what we want to know is whether the police were installjnga hottub for ChiefThomas Streicher Jr.. who recently had his pri vate oft.ice bathroom renovated. The statement released by the police department gave no details about the work beingdone inside. But it closed with this useful observation: "This temporal)' relocation atfo.cts only the lobby and front desk functions ofDis1rictOne. Al Iother District One and pol iL>e depar1ment administrative oltices loc.ated al 3 10 Ezzard Charles Drive are operating as usual." That, ofcourse. is the problem. Then there are memos that tell you in concise language al lyou need 10 know about an organization. Consider this embarrassing announcement by the Greater Cincinnati Professional Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists: "Tt's been unusual! ycrazy in recent weeks.so we' ve extended the contest deadline by one week. ·nie new deadIine for entries is April 22. Please see attachments for categories and entrance fomis." Aren't ''professional journalists" supposed to be able to make deadl ines'/ - In Ohio,. tbe1uinimum wage is $7.00 an h.our. - In Cincinnati, the annual inco1ne needed to afford a two bedr9om FMR apartment is $29,040. -An individual who works a 1n.inimtnn wage job1nt.1st \.\'Ork 80 hours a week, 52 weeks a year in order to afford a nv·0 bedroom FMR apartment. -2 fulJ ti me jobs at mini.intun wage are needed tQ afford a FMR ap&rtm.ent in Cincinnati. *li<All infonnati.on from 2007-2008 National Low lnsome Housing Coalition annual report, Out o]Reczch. �Guest Column 14 STREETVIBES May 2008 Jimmy-Magic Seeing angels in Over-the-Rhine, ofall places Bv K ATHY Ho1,wA oE1. CoNTRmUTING WRITER events. Or he'd come lo Rubbish, Jnk:Tank's perpetual yard sale and support the cause with purchases JimmyHeathdied in December. and recent he probably didn't really need. issuesofStreervibes have explored his legacy Sometimes,after I' cl left voicemails through the heans of people who knew him atal l h.is phone numbers and tried for b<:tter than l did. Butwhen Mike Henson e-mail, I' d end up chasing l1im asked me to writea column about poverty in down the street to comer him in a Over"the-Rhine and how itintersects with my doorway and ask for help or lite, I kept going back to the story ofJinuny advice. The last time l sawhim. he and what1leamed from him. wassitlingon abench in Covington Jimmy was famous in Over-the-Rhine. 1 with Brenda. l11e sun wasshining, started to hear about him almost as soon as 1 it was warm, and the two ofthem arrived. fresh from asuccessful20-yearcareer looked so happy. I Ii.kc that in corporate America. I was trying to start memory best 1.nkTank, a writing center to connect people Anyway. after I'd been in the through their stories, and I didn' t know neighborhood for a.couple years, anything about anything then, sol spent most and after we'd closed Rubbish. 1 oftl1oseearly days listening. didn't see Jimmy as much anymore. ·'You·ve got to meet Jimmy Heath." Besides..1had my ownexperiences everybody said, and maybe they'd tell me by then, thrceyears ofMain Street about the pictures he made or the Literacy neighbors askingfor bus fare. did 1. ThroughPhotography program hi:. started. need any help or want my car The first time ImetJimmy; 1was very mde. was hed. could they use the On the way to the room he used for meetings, liathroom or the phoneor would I vve passed through his reception area. set up take them to the hospital to sectheir as a gallery of recent work. 1 couldn' t mother, did 1haveanything t0cat'I concentrate on him or our conversation. I I came to understand how the couldn't stop looking attheimages. l cotildn't privileged could get crabby and talk. Thesimple black and white ofLines and tired in Over-the-Rhine. Some shadows was more compelling than anything days the bollomless pitofneed was exhausting. Heasked like he'd been savingup the question we could ptrt into words. Besides. Jimmy's viewpoint seemed alittle for a long time. And the only answer Icould Eventually wedid make itto the table in naive somehow. The 37th time Mr. English come up with wasn't an answer. "l have no idea," r told him then. And laughed. We botJ1 laughed. "...poverty, like the people who are a part of it, is such a f Still don't know exactlywhat I was doing tricky, complicated issue. I do know you have to be in Over-the-Rhine, why 1look for ex.cuses to come back even aner I've le'f:t InkTank and very careful with it, keep looking even after you think Jimmy Heal11 is gone. 1still don't know much you've seen everything ..." about anything else. But poverty. like the people who are a part of it, is such a tricky, complicated issue. Ido know you have to be the back room. messy with stacksofs1uffand showed me lhe check stub from his disability piles. My guess is we sat down and he told check and asked for another loan for art very careful with it, keep looking even after me the same stOI)' he lold everybody else, the supplies he'd never repay, I remembered how you think you've seen everything there is to one aboul tl1e years when he was drinkingand Jimmy called him aS<lim-"an angel on earth," see. You have to pay close allention to the how he came to the Drop Inn Cemer where he'd said more than once. Mr. English is qualityofthe light and how it falls, what to put buddy gray told him lOgo document the Iives probably a bit confused and periodically he'd in lhe frame, what to crop. 11's so easy to of people in Over-lhe~R11ine and how that lose another toe lo his diabetes. But he was foeus on the wrong pieces,just the pretty or saved his life. It's a very serious story, tUll of no saiat. Even Tknew he drank. LlioughJimmy ugly facts in a composition. But if! have to choose-and in the end tragedy and heartbreak, but there are two assured me 01herwis.e. On Final Fridays Mr. things lhal stand out to me now: His quiet. English Sal in the back of our shop on the we all do, ifwe're going to gelourmind around mind-blowing patience-and how much we pretense ofart. dowaing our supply ofbeers lhe big things-I choose to look at poverty through Ll1e richness ofJimmy's eyes,eyes that laughed. UllliJ J' told him he had tO leave. What could we have been laughing alxlut Jinuny was arecovering alcoholic who had saw the magic in me and everybody else in exceptthe total and complete ignoranceofyet lived on the stre.ets. He had to know better Over-the-Rhine. To him 1was jus1 one more anoiher wel l-intentioned white woman in his lhan I did that drugs and alcohol were partof mysterious angel, yetanother saint on earth, a ne ighborhood? When he laughed hard ­ the problem, and yet he still forked over a bold little dandelion struggling through the cracks of the sidewalk like everybody else. and he did ilquiteollen-he' d pu1hishand couple ofsingles whenever hesaw him. up to hide bis smile. self-conscious about how Fairly well into my knowing Jimmy,one On my good days, that's what I was doing in his teeth looked. but he never once made me day he asked out ofthe blue. "What are you the neighborhood we both adopted. On good fe.el anythiog butcompletely comfortableabout doing down here?" By"down here,"he meant days, when lhe light was just right, Jimmy whoJwas. Over-the-Rhine. Re meant poverty and race Heath was leaching me how lo see. After that, we met at we ird lnkTank and all theotlier big proble.nis witli.outsolutions. Photo by Jimmy Heath. Kathy Ho/wade/. this months g uest columnist. is the founder of lnkTank. the worldft1mous inner-city writing program. and an unindictedco" inspirator of many other projects. In Memory of Jimmy Heath, dedicated activist and artist, who served as a Mickey Leland National Hunger Fellow with the Congressional Hunger Center in 1999-2000. Thank you for sharing your passion and wisdom with us. You will be greatly missed. The 6th Class of Hunger Fellows �STREETVIBES May 2008 Opinion 15 Take the Whole Mess with You, Jackson middle- and upper-income households guard changes, howeve.r, we have an tothctuncof$122 billion. Since 1981. opportunity to restore HUD to its former cax benefits for homebuycrs have been intended glory, ifwe compel it to do so. ure, Alphonso Jackson gets to greater than HUD's entire budget as The next head of housing in th is leave. He walks away from the federal Department ofHousing There was a time when the federal and Urban Development(HUD) wich a government's role in building communities by fat wallet and fatter cronies, a portrait on the wall and the seemingly requis ite supporting housing for the poor was cloud offuture indictments overhead. respected and supported. It would be nic.e ifhc could rake the department's po.licies with hi.rn. But at least for the time being, it appears we' re low-income housing programs have country could actuall y rcframe the stuckwith thesame institution ofexploit­ been whittled away. Since l996. HUD nation 's housing agenda around the idea ing housing as a commodity for devel­ fundingfornew public housing bas been that housi ng is a human right and that opers and speculators. zero, even as more than I00.000 public poverty and homelessnessweseeon our Thal'swbalHlJDhas become dur­ housing units were lost to demolition or streets didt1 't always exist and doesn 't ing the pa~t 25 years. What was in­ sale. As a result of HUD's tennination have to anymore. There is an opportu­ tended as a departmentfor supporting ofcommunity builder, we have ll:ie docu­ nity here to restore a balanc.e in com­ housing a~ a foundation to strong com­ mented rise of modern-day munities that U1e housing market has munities and economicdevelopment has homelessness. raken toex1remes, leadingall tbewayto Alphonso Jackson wasjust the lat­ U1e current subprime-mortgage crisis become a facilitator to snbsidi7.e an in­ dusll)', not ourcommunities.h's Ille dif­ est authority figure administering bad that, again, is beatingdown hardest on ference between funding low-income pol icy and perpetuating homelessness, minorities and low-income homeowners. There was a time when the federal housing at about$30 billionand fimding and we can expect his replacemem to mortgage deductions and tax credits for be cut from the same cloth. When the government's role in buildingcommuni­ By Sh·eet Roots Editorial Sta IT Street News Service S NYCHAY "'~( ties by supporting housing for the poor was respected and supported. It can be that way again with leadership that is prepared to. look frankly at the conse­ quences of the government's abandon­ ment ofatfordablc housing. That will also mean destroyingthe stereotype that providing public housingfor people wilh physical or mental disabilicies is a bur­ densome handout but subsidies for people buying $500,000 homes is the taxpayers' obligation. HUD, nccdsto be stipped ofits ul­ terior motives, along with the deception that progress is being made by shifting the demographics ofhomelessness or targeting the extremes,while ll:iesyslemic problems are left to coutinue unchal­ lenged. Itwil l lake leadership, and ad­ vocacy. to make the changes needed. and thesupportofa wiU ingadministrn­ tion. a far difforent administration then we've seen for past25 years. l?t!pri11b!tl.fru111 .~·1ret.~f I~oOJ!l~...1 .'i1ree1 /Veu~s ,\'i.~r•1icc.·: \11\vu1.,''"trec1-11apers. org Letters to the Editor My daughter gave me a copy of a recent issue ofStreetvibes because she knew I would be interested in 1he article about the DeafSocce.r te.am from Iraq. J me.ntioned yesterday another article impacted me in that issue as well. but could not remember which one. After going backtothe office ofCommunity Services ofll1e Deaf and finding 1hcir copy pinned to the bulletin board, l immediately remembered the other articlclhatstruck me. Itwas your editorial regarding the "Bodies" exhibitat the Museum center. After just reading the headlines, I was surprised at your opposition to the exhib.it because I knew you were a Professor at tlie University ofCincinnati. JalwaystheughtoflJCas an instinrtion in ll1eforcfronrofmedical research and knowledge and Iassumed anyone associate.cl with the University would support the exhibit. Alter reading the.article, however, your reasoning for wanting ro suspend the exhi.bit unti l "evidence is shown ofhow the bodies were obtained and whether pen11ission was given from the individuals and their families" was convincing. You changed my opinion on 1he matter as well. In February, my son;s parochial grade school scheduled a field trip to seethe "Bodies'· exhibit. The day before the outing was scheduled, .it was canceled due to the objection ofthe ArchdioceseofCincinnati ro the exhibit. My reaction at the time was "Oh brother. the archdiocese is always making a big deal over noth ing, rguess l'll have to take my son mysel fto see ll1e exhibit., Fortunately, l read your article before we made our journey and now am going10 waitand see ifthe Museum Ccmer is able10 come up with proper verification ofhow the bodies were obtain~. Ialways try to think the bestofsituatio11s, but I also know die facts aboutthe Chinese government. TI1is became very evident ro my husband on a recelll business 1rip to Shanghai in January. One morning, my husband watched in horror as an elderly man crossing the street was hitby a car and kil led. For the next three days, the dead body lay in the streets as pedestrians continuedto step over ir. Obviously, rhe Chinese governmelll does not have the same rcspecl for human Iife as we do in the United States. Once again, it was a pleasure meeting you and thank youfor all your contributionsto our community. Kacey Schmitt Sign language interpreter and Sfreetvibes fan "h 's a mu/ti,racial neighborhqod. but only until the help goes home." � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource May 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Children’s Creative Corner ‘At Ease’ for the Homeless Pg 2: About Us Pg 3: Reserving the Banks for the Wealthy Pg 4: ‘At Ease’ for the Homeless No Wonder the Jail is Overcrowded Pg 5: This Thing We Do Pg 6: Crazy Justice Pg 7: Attacking the Weakest Pg 8: Arts & Poetry Pg 9: Arts & Poetry Continued Pg 10: The Poverty of Culture Pg 11: Peace Village Pg 12: National News Pg 13: Columns Pg 14: Columns Continued Pg 15: Take the Whole Mess with You, Jackson Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource May 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Greg Olkhovsky Michael Henson Steve Sunderland Andy Freeze Ardella Woolens Alyssa Konermann Kathy Holwadel Lynne Ausman Patricia Garry Bill Gallagher Larry Gross Brian Garry Georgine Getty Joan Tiffany Thompson Angela Pancella Carolyn Cosmos Elizabeth Brown Andrew Anderson Berta Lambert Ben L. Kaufman Antonio Hodge Anthony Williams Orlando Craig Joe Wesels Steve Novotni Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alyssa Konermann Andrew Anderson Andy Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Antonio Hodge Ardella Woolens Arts & Poetry Ben L. Kaufman Berta Lambert Bill Gallagher Brian Garry Carolyn Cosmos children Columns Elizabeth Brown Fair Housing Act and Home Georgine Getty Greg Olkhovsky Gregory Flannery Hate Crime Jails Joan Tiffany Thompson Joe Wesels Kathy Holwadel Larry Gross Letters Lynne Ausman Michael Henson National News Orlando Craig Over-the-Rhine Patricia Garry Peace Village Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland https://streetvibesarchive.net/files/original/0bc96324e4bd7779ae1cc665871404ab.pdf 81bffc9c214787afbbf914bb5bff8ce5 PDF Text Text NAACP Renaissance ~ p.12 Respecting one another ~ p.5 Interview with Peter Block ~ p.9 STREETVIBES $1 N o v e m b e r 2 0 0 8 • I s s u e 1 4 8 • C i n c i n n a t i ’s A l t e r n a t i v e N e w s S o u r c e Tarnished Grandeur The life and times of an SRO By Larry Gross Contributing Writer he sign on the side of the Dennison Hotel at 716 Main St. advertises “105 rooms, 60 baths.” Directly below the sign, a man and a woman sit in the alley. Dewayne and Irene appear to be middle-aged. She’s white, he’s black. They didn’t give their last names. Dewayne has lived at the Dennison for almost a year. Irene used to, but moved to a place in English Woods. She still visits her friend. “I got $70 behind on my rent and they put me out,” Irene says. “The owner got aggressive with me and we got into an altercation.” That altercation led to her being charged with disorderly conduct. That’s why she and Dewayne have to meet in the alley. But even if your not barred, visiting tenants at the Dennison can be tricky. “You can get only one guest, and they only have two hours that they can sit with you,” Dewayne says. “If you got three kids that you need to see – like you ain’t seen them in five months – you want all three of your kids to come, but T you can’t do that.” If tenants want visitors after 6 p.m., it’s going to cost them. “After 6 o’clock, you can’t have no visitors,” Dewayne says, “unless you want to pay $9.40.” Dewayne pays $85 a week for his room with no bathroom. He gets a bed, sheets, a sink and toilet paper. He shares a bathroom with other tenants. He knows it’s risky to get behind in his rent. The management, he says, doesn’t understand what poor people have to go through. “I would have got put out this week if I didn’t come up with $170,” Dewayne says. “I couldn’t find work last week, so I was a week behind, so I found a job and worked three days. I made more money than I thought I would and she (Irene) helped me out. That made me able to stay here. That $170 made be beautiful.” On the third floor of the Dennison, overnight guests are welcome. On this floor, the Dennison is what one would expect from a hotel – a bed, a See DENNISON p.6 Council Orders Plan for Single Homeless People Sudden action, but will council pay to make it work? By Andrew Freeze Staff Writer C incinnati City Council unanimously passed an ordinance Oct. 8 directing the Cincinnati/ Hamilton County Continuum of Care for the Homeless to “immediately address the inadequacies of the current provision of services for single homeless individuals” in the city and develop a comprehensive plan for services. The ordinance wasn’t on the published agenda for the Oct. 8 meeting, and council passed it without taking public comment. But private conversations about the ordinance had taken place for months, according to a source who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The draft ordinance read that someone would be hired to come in and completely redo the way our services are in Cincinnati/Hamilton County,” the source says. “If that version of the ordinance had passed, it would have completely thrown out the current Continuum of Care and dangerously risk all Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funding.” The Continuum of Care has partnered with the City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County since 1996 to plan and implement services and shelter for the homeless. This year the organization received a HUD grant for services to homeless individuals totaling $12.4 million. The Continuum of Care (CoC) must present its plan to the city by March 31, 2009. The ordinance makes no mention of increased funding in return but the subject has been discussed. “The city has said, not in the ordinance, that if the CoC comes up with a plan, they (the city) are willing to bring other resources to the table,” the source says. ‘Highest standards’ The goal is a major overhaul, according to Councilwoman Roxanne Qualls. “The recommended plan must not For a copy of look like the City Council the current ordinance, shelter and check out the service de- Streetvibes blog livery sysat streetvibes. tem,” she wordpress.com says. “We are not seeking to achieve minor reform. Rather, the Continuum of Care should use this opportunity to plan for homeless individuals by starting with a ‘blank slate’ and designing from the ground up See PLAN p.4 �2 News Briefs Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Killing Homeless Man Fort Lauderdale, Fla. — Thomas Daugherty, a 19year-old Floridian, has been sentenced to life in prison for using a baseball bat to beat to death Norris Gaynor, a homeless man sleeping on a park bench in 2006. Daugherty and 21-year-old Brian Hooks, after drinking vodka and smoking marijuana, hid the baseball bats in their pants before sneaking up on a group of homeless men. They broke Gaynor’s nose, five ribs, and crushed his skull. Daugherty apologized to Gaynor’s family, saying, “I wasted a human life. I treated him as less than a human, and I’m sorry.” The attack was one of three the pair committed that night; the first was caught on video, and homeless advocates have expressed shock at the ferocity of the assaults. (Associated Press, Oct. 23, 2008) Middle School Students Charged with Killing Homeless Man Pontiac, Mich. — Thomas McCloud Jr. and Dontez Tillman, both 14 years old, have been charged as adults with first-degree murder for beating 61-year-old Wilford Hamilton to death. McCloud and Tillman are also suspected in the beating and killing of another homeless man, 65-year-old Lee Hoffman, with the help of a 15year-old classmate. If they are convicted as adults, the sentence will be life in prison without parole. (Associated Press, Oct. 16, 2008) Number of Homeless Families Rising at Alarming Rate With increasing economic pressures and extensive mortgage foreclosures, more families with children are becoming homeless. In cities across the country, there has been an increase in the number of families seeking aid, especially for housing. The main causes of this rise are job losses and foreclosures — as well as higher food and fuel prices, which are quite problematic for families with no financial cushion. Foreclosures are expected to continue to cause a large increase in the number of homeless families. (Wendy Koch, USA Today, Oct. 21, 2008) The Vibe Streetwise By Gregory Flannery Just One Candle The bad news is the 21st annual vigil, “She Screams Without Sound,” was necessary. The good news is that this time only one candle was needed to represent the year’s death toll from domestic violence. In some years, more than two dozen candles were lit, one for each dead victim. This year the candle was for Tawyna Barnes of Springfield Township, who died of injuries sustained when her husband allegedly ran over her with a car in July. But the Oct. 15 vigil at the Hamilton County Courthouse also remembered the many victims, known and unknown, of years past. Sponsored by Women Helping Women and the YWCA of Greater Cincinnati, the vigil included remarks by surviving family members and a march around the courthouse and jail. “It is also important that all of us gathered tonight lend our support to women and families caught in the cycle of domestic violence -- today, tomorrow and always,” said Margo Pierce, CityBeat staff writer who served as MC at the vigil. “Victims and survivors must know that they can count on our unconditional support and our steadfast belief that no one deserves, asks for or should endure any form of domestic violence. They should never have accept responsibility and blame for the abuser's behavior.” Top 10 Reasons Living in a Pickup Truck Sucks Homeless Awareness Week is Nov. 16-22. Posited here for your consideration during that week are these observations: * A homeless man who works several part-time jobs says he’s going to go to jail rather than try to pay a $200 fine for pissing in an alley in Over-the-Rhine one night. The library was closed. Bars don’t want homeless people using their bathrooms. What is a person forced to live on the street supposed to do? In what way does fining him constitute justice? * A woman who lives in Over-the-Rhine recently left her house one morning and saw, across the street, a man sitting on a stoop, hands covering his face, crying. Above him was a sign from a political campaign, saying, “Hope.” * An oft-quoted Web page called “Famous People Who Have Been Homeless” lists the bouts of homeless struggle endured by three dozen celebrities, from Charlie Chaplin to David Letterman. Also worth noting is Jesus of Nazareth, itinerant preacher in the early first century. Ron English is a celebrity to those who know him. Formerly homeless, he sometimes sells Streetvibes. He likes to draw hyper-colorful, complex self-portraits on cardboard and other found media. Thanks to Angela Pancella’s generosity and appreciation for art, you now have the opportunity to obtain one of English’s works. Pancella, director of development at Our Daily Bread, purchased the drawing, which will go up for auction Dec. 4 at the annual dinner of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Close Call: Illegal Kindness Averted STREETVIBES November 2008 Streetvibes is a newspaper that provides relevant discussions of homelessness, poverty and other related social justice issues. It is published monthly by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless. Address: 117 East 12th Street Cincinnati, OH 45202 Phone: 513.421.7803 x 12 Fax: 513.421.7813 Email: streetvibes2@ yahoo.com Website: www. cincihomeless.org Blog: streetvibes. wordpress.com Streetvibes Staff Editor Gregory Flannery Contributing Writers Margo Pierce, Angela Pancella, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Larry Gross, Steve Sunderland, Georgine Getty, Alyssa Konermann, Lew Moores, Elizabeth Scheper, Dede Stoops, Meera Basu Photography/Artwork Andrew Anderson, Andrew Freeze, Anthony Williams, Angela Pancella, Legal Aid Society, Ben L. Kaufman, Peter Block, Wyoming HS, St. Ursula HS Advisory Committee Joe Wessels, Steve Novotni, Andrew Freeze, Georgine Getty, Michael Henson, Stephanie Dunlap, Steve Gibbs Students from Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati had a generous impulse. They were going to go to Washington Park, where poor and homeless people often gather, and give them food. The two schools’ student governments planned College Cookout for a Cause for Oct. 18. “A goal for both student government organizations is to help serve those in need in Overthe-Rhine,” said Laurel Bauer, spokeswoman for XU. “Student government officials from the University of Cincinnati contacted executives at Xavier to partner in this event to make it most effective.” The students and the universities overlooked one salient point, however. The city of Cincinnati has enacted a rule forbidding certain kinds of generosity, in particular the distribution of free food to hungry persons in Washington Park. It has been deemed untidy. The students didn’t give up, however. They held College Cookout for a Cause in the parking lot of Lord’s Pantry. So far, that appears to be legal; city council’s broad attack on social-service agencies in Over-the-Rhine is still tied up in court. “The location was changed because there is a law I was not aware of that you are not allowed to hand out food for free in Cincinnati parks,” Bauer says. “It would have been a little bit of a downer if they had been asked to move.” Yes, a downer. That’s the kind of country we’ve become: We officially discourage kindness and human decency. And God help you if you nature calls when you’re stuck outside. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization. Programs include Streetvibes, “Voice of the Homeless” Speaker’s Bureau, Cincinnati Urban Experience (CUE), Homeless Curriculum, and Homeless Civil Rights Organizing Project. All donations support these programs and are taxdeductible to the full extent of the law. U.S. House Approves Housing Bill We are members of: The U.S. House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Oct. 6 to approve the HEARTH Act, which reauthorizes the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grant program. The measure won by a vote of 355-61. The National Alliance to End Homelessness says the measure provides new resources for rapid re-housing programs, funding to permanently house families and funding for homeless prevention of at-risk individuals and individuals living in insecure housing situations. The bill also expands the definition of homelessness to include people who will be losing their housing within 14 days and also lack the resources to find housing immediately. The expanded definition will also include families and youth who regularly do not have access to stable housing. �STREETVIBES November 2008 Community News Eight Minutes 3 with Myself “Objectivity” keeps people uniformed and stupid By Margo Pierce Contributing Writer bjectivity is a myth, a bedtime story people want to believe long after the harsh reality of life enters their worldview. This is something I’ve known for a long time, but it wasn’t until I started working as a reporter that whatever lingering shreds of belief I had in that particular story were obliterated. The issue of word-count could explain it: how does anyone present a complicated issue in an “objective” way in the space of 250–500 words? A longer piece, 2,500-5,000 words, would seem plenty, but it’s not enough to touch on all the competing arguments about the industrial prison complex, death penalty, war on poverty or any of the biggest social issues of our time. After interviewing dozens of people, reading an obscene number of scientific studies and reviewing more legislation than a politician reads before casting a vote, I have enough information for a novella. But who wants to read, let alone publish, over 100 pages on the issues related to the war on poverty? For the general public, it’s just too depressing. The challenge is how to inform and educate readers in an age of short attention spans and info-tainment presented in colorful snippets on television “news.” Setting aside the discussion about what people want to consume, what advertisers want to be associated with and what media outlets deliver, there are people who want to learn and understand more about the challenges we face. Those people are where I begin. Making some assumptions about their willingness to sit and read a newspaper – they did have the motivation to pick it up -- and their willingness to be thoughtful about a topic, I want to cram as much information into the available word count as I can. So I’m O on the lookout for the interesting and engaging parts of any story. Objectivity is lost right there – boring elements are important, too. Anyone believing objectivity survives that test must give up any hope of that possibility surviving once the research begins. Talking to people about their life experiences, from the dramatic through the mundane, inspires responses ranging from total disbelief and possibly disdain to surprise and happiness. Human beings respond emotionally. Don’t believe me? Think about what happens when the garbage isn’t taken out or a cop wants to talk for a moment. Not even the most cynical human being can avoid emotional responses. Then there’s the challenge of not making judgments based on personal beliefs. How can someone who believes it is possible to have a “drug-free America” objectively consider the actions of the cops I can, given the constraints arresting physicians who dis- of deadlines and my ability pense powerful medication to comprehend. Taking a position only comes when the for chronic pain? She can’t. But she can be fair if she argument for doing so is comis willing to be open-minded. pelling. Popular opinion supports It’s possible to suspend perthe death sonal emotions and beliefs The standard version penalty, and the reasons long enough to of “objectivity” given for evaluate inforkeeps people state execumation in a fair manner. Con- mollified and under- tions are a mile deep. sider the faminformed. If that isn’t ily of a murder compelling, victim who forgives the killer. There can’t what is? For me, it’s a powerbe a much stronger emotional ful combination of an unfair reaction than the death of a criminal justice system comparent, daughter or son. What bined with what it means to it takes to move past that and truly value life – it’s imposconsider a murder against the sible to walk that talk when value of all human life means picking and choosing those a human being is capable of who are “worthy” of living making a fair evaluation to get based on arbitrary criteria. to forgiveness. That’s the most The most persuasive argureasonable thing to expect of ment and the one that rings most true doesn’t have to be anyone, even reporters. Even though I take posi- the one with the most scientions on some of the topics I tific studies. There are so many people address – that’s called advocacy journalism – I only get writing in support of executo the point after considering tions, sex-offender registraas many sides of an issue as tion and the drug war that the unfair nature of all these efforts is lost in the avalanche of support. Important information about the failures of these efforts and their horrible consequences never reaches the general public because popular sentiment and hype, not fairness, rule a lot of news coverage. The myth of objectivity allows writers and readers to view three or four sentences of the “opposing” viewpoint in a 200-line article to serve as “objective” reporting. Objectivity is presented as two sides of an argument, usually the extremes of each. But very few issues involve only two sides. The standard version of “objectivity” keeps people mollified and under-informed. The idea that a single perspective can be fair seems to be at odds with the notion of fairness itself. But consider this: There are hundreds of articles written on a specific aspect of a topic presenting a specific viewpoint. Consider those that focus on the death penalty and include statements from people supporting execu- tions, feature the loss experienced by victims’ families and how prosecutors avidly pursue death penalty cases with little to no effort made to give equal time to opposing views. When a handful of articles focus only on the opposition to the death penalty without giving time to the supporters, the test of “fairness” is met by balancing the sheer volume of one against the other. There is an equally complicated answer that I can’t provide in my given word count; it has to do with my experience of being the exception to just about every rule I’ve ever encountered. Being lumped into categories that didn’t fit me, by people unwilling to take time to consider anything beyond “either/or,” left an indelible impression. It’s a driving force in why and what I write. Many people work hard to make a difference for the less privileged in Greater Cincinnati. “Eight Minutes” is an effort to learn who they are and what motivates them. Check for more stories between issues at streetvibes.wordpress.com �4 STREETVIBES November 2008 Community News Council Orders Plan, continued from p.1 a new system that would substantially decrease the number of homeless persons requiring shelter services each night.” Nineteen community leaders are to create the plan. There will be slots for two city representatives, two county representatives, four executive directors of social-service agencies, four business leaders picked by the Cincinnati Business Committee, four seats for funders of services and three area religious leaders. A facilitator will lead the group. The source - who is not one of the 19 picked to create the plan - believes the plan could include “a safe haven, more shelter for single women, additional substance-abuse services including housing, “Obviously, we do not have enough resources to handle (the current homeless situation). We have to do the plan, and it is refreshing to hear that they are willing to bring more resources to the table, but we will have to wait and see if they will follow through with the promised resources.” housing that would target specific sub-populations, a de-concentration of the Drop Inn Center and a statement of need for more permanent supportive housing.” The goals are ambitious, at least so far as Qualls envision the plan. “The plan should result in a national model that guarantees the highest standards of care for the homeless … so that the homeless can successfully move from homeless to homes and become productive members of society once again,” she says. But what about the money? “Obviously, we do not have enough resources to handle (the current homeless situation),” the source says. “We have to do the plan, and it is refreshing to hear that they are willing to bring more resources to the table, but we will have to wait and see if they will follow through with the promised resources.” The need to plan Since 2000 the National Alliance to End Homelessness has advocated for the creation of 10-year plans to end homelessness, and more than 390 cities and counties across the country have completed or are developing plans. Nan Roman, president of the National Alliance to End Homelessness, says 10-year plans are valuable for several reasons. “We realized there were more programs but the numbers (of homeless individuals) was still going up,” she says. “We needed improved data about sub-populations, and there was a merging connection between homelessness and jail, welfare and foster care.” The approach seems to work. “Many communities have been very successful in reducing homelessness,” Roman says. “Portland has reduced chronic homelessness by 70 percent. Columbus has reduced family homelessness by 48 percent, and both have 10 year plans to end homelessness. “It is very reasonable to end homelessness. I’m old enough to remember when there was not widespread homelessness. It is very possible, and many communities are well on their way. It is very important to look at strategies around the country that are successful and to implement those in other communities.” Welcome House of Northern Kentucky has been working on a plan in response to a statewide initiative. “We are focusing on four areas -- the unbanked or those that cannot get a bank account; employment and the gap between wages and what is needed for housing; housing and the costs associated; and finally education, looking at the difficulties of learning when basic needs are not being met,” says Linda Young executive director of Welcome House. “It is very reasonable to end homelessness. I’m old enough to remember when there was not widespread homelessness. It is very possible, and many communities are well on their way.” “We are working to present the ideas as community issues and not just homelessness, because then it becomes someone else’s problem. The city’s job is to work on economic development, and that is how we are addressing our plan in order to get city leaders’ buy-in.” Cincinnati doesn’t have a plan to specifically end homelessness in 10 years but rather the section on homeless services in the city’s consolidated plan already works to address homelessness. Creating a 10 year plan would be creating another plan to end homelessness when there already is one. The city’s consolidated plan refers to all levels or services and shelter, including emergency shelter, transitional shelter and permanent shelter. “Homelessness is a big problem but not so big we can’t solve it,” Roman says. “Remember: Homelessness is a housing problem.” Cincinnati/Hamilton County Continuum of Care The Continuum of Care is: *a single, coordinated and inclusive process for the planning and management of the local (City of Cincinnati and Hamilton County) Continuum. The CoC works with all programs which serve homeless persons including: *outreach programs, *emergency shelter programs for singles and families *transitional housing programs *service-enriched permanent supportive housing programs including Shelter Plus Care *specialized services-only programs The Continuum of Care process: *involves all agencies and programs that receive funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) *facilitates the allocation of funding to these agencies *serves as an inclusive ve- hicle to promote best practices *facilitates access to mainstream resources and services for the homeless *works to develop policies and procedures to assist homeless persons directly *aims to ultimately end homelessness. National Alliance to End Homelessness There are four elements that are key to to creating a 10-year plan according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness’s Web site. Plan for Outcomes Localities can begin to develop plans to end, rather than to manage, homelessness. There are two components. Every jurisdiction can collect data that allows it to identify the most effective strategy for each sub-group of the homeless population. Second, jurisdictions can bring to the planning table those responsible for mainstream as well as homelesstargeted resources. Close the Front Door Homelessness can be prevented by making mainstream poverty programs more accountable for the outcomes of their most vulnerable clients and wards. Open the Back Door Where homeless people are already accommodating the shortage of affordable housing, this should be facilitated and accelerated. Where there is no housing, particularly for those who are chronically homeless, an adequate supply of appropriate housing should be developed and subsidized. Build the Infrastructure Ending homelessness can be a first step in addressing the systemic problems that lead to crisis poverty: • shortage of affordable housing • incomes that do not pay for basic needs • lack of appropriate services for those who need them. Only purchase Streetvibes from BADGED vendors. Vendors wear their WHITE badges while they sell the paper. �STREETVIBES November 2008 News Briefs Neighbors Hold Vigil for Homeless Man Intentionally Burned to Death Los Angeles, Cal. ¬ A well known homeless man from a mid-Wilshire neighborhood was doused with gasoline and burned to death on a local sidewalk. One witness said he saw several young men cover the victim with the contents of a red plastic gasoline container. The victim, John, had lived in the area for 20 years. After the attack, neighbors responded with flowers, candles and letters and held a vigil in his memory. Many neighbors described John as thoughtful, kind, and friendly and are vocal about the need for the crime to be solved. (Bob Pool, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 12, 2008) Violence Against the Homeless a Hate Crime? Los Angeles, Cal. — Last year Florida and California were ranked the states with the most lethal and non-lethal attacks against homeless people. California was cited as having 22, but Maria Foscarinis, the executive director of the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty, believes the number is actually much higher because most incidents are never reported. She attributes this to the fact that homeless people are outside and can be attacked by anyone, for any reason, as well as the increasingly punitive action of cities against the homeless. In classes protected by hate-crime legislation, 0.1 percent of attacks result in death, while over 25 percent of attacks against the homeless result in death. Because of this, there is a movement to have the homeless covered by hate-crime legislation; two bills are being considered by the House of Representatives. Advocates are meanwhile working for other solutions, but believe hate crime legislation will send the message that the lives of the homeless are as valuable as the lives of anyone else. (Alison Stateman, Time with CNN, Oct. 22, 2008) News briefs compiled by Alyssa Konermann. Local News 5 Buddha Walks into a Bar The difficult matter of respecting one another By Gregory Flannery Editor Racism isn’t always black and white. Sometimes it is, of course, as in the neo-Nazi flier posted on car windshields downtown last month. Bearing the name of the National Socialist Movement, the flier contains a racial slur and a photo of an African warrior in tribal regalia. Then there’s the flier distributed in a Sharonville campaign for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives, featuring a chihuahua in a sombrero asking, “Can you speak Spanish? Ay Caramba!’ ” The flier dehumanizes Latinos, according to Rosa Rosales, national president of the League of United Latin American Citizens. “What’s worse, the advertisement blatantly distorts the truth by implying that Ohio voters will have to learn Spanish if they don't pass an English-only bill in their state,” she says. In Fairfield last month, a resident hanged a ghost made of a sheet bearing the name of Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, unapologetically telling a reporter he didn’t want an African-American in the White House. Crudity makes racism easier to recognize. A Christian conspiracy? Whether blatant or masked as humor or political warning flag, racism is both a product and a perpetrator of fear. So are cultural and religious hatred. But these can be harder to identify, because they involve matters of belief -- and therefore choice -- rather than physical characteristics alone. Some bigotry contains just enough fact that it can pass for information. Consider Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West, sent in a mass mailing to voters in Ohio and other swing states in the presidential campaign last month. The film warns that a complacent West is under imminent threat from a global Muslim jihad, or holy war. The film incites hatred against Muslims, according to Karen Dabdoub, executive director of the Cincinnati chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. “There’s been a lot of talk about it in the Muslim community,” she says. “People are indicating they are afraid of backlash. One of the things that the movie tries to convey is that there is a worldwide conspiracy among Muslims to take over the world, and Muslims know that is not the case.” Other groups joined in condemning Obsession. The Cincinnati Human Relations Commission (CHRC) organized a rally CHRC rally Oct. 8 at City Hall. “We understand and sympathize with their concern that the impact of this video will be to spread fear and hatred within our community and to further marginalize the Muslim community, which is already victimized by false characterizations and misunderstanding,” a CHRC statement said. The Metropolitan Area Religious Council of Cincinnati likewise criticized the video. “The distribution of the DVD Obsession in Ohio and other swing states in the upcoming presidential election is spreading miscommunication, innuendo and fear among residents in metropolitan Cincinnati and beyond,” a statement by MARCC said. Obsession includes a lengthy comparison of what it calls “radical Islam” to Nazi Germany. One wag even helpfully points out that “jihad” means “struggle.” “So does Mein Kampf (the title of Hitler’s autobiography),” he says. That just about proves the case, doesn’t it? Left unsaid in Obsession is that nearly all of the Nazi murderers were Christians. So was Timothy McVeigh, who blew up the federal building in Oklahoma City. So was Lee Harvey Oswald, who assassinated President Kennedy. Does it follow that a radical Christian attack on humanity is underway? Yet that is the central message of Obsession: “There is a particular strand of Islam that has challenged what is the central pillar of civilization itself, and that is the sacredness of life.” Spare the goat Substitute the word “Christianity” for “Islam” in that sentence, and the absurdity might be easier to see. Or try this exercise: If someone opened the Jesus Christ Saloon, what kind of outrage would follow? Saturdays could include the Resurrection Happy Hour – guaran- teed to raise the dead. Hatred isn’t the only force that can separate people by race, religion or culture. So can an innocent lack of consideration. Thus downtown is home to Buddakhan, a restaurant and bar that calls itself “Home of the Big Fat Buddha Burger” and “Burger Nirvana.” Buddakhan is graced by beautiful statues of Buddha – including one behind the bar. What’s the problem? Even people who train others in cultural sensitivity can have who had taken vows of nonviolence and celibacy. One day a beautiful woman came to his cave leading a goat. She said she would kill the goat unless the hermit either slept with her or had a drink. “The hermit reviewed his vows. According to the vow of nonviolence, he could not do anything that would lead to the death of the goat, and according to the vow of celibacy, he couldn’t sleep with the woman. So he agreed to have a drink. One drink led to What if this were an image of Jesus at the Jesus Christ Tavern? Photo by Gregory Flannery. to think twice. “I’ve been there before, and I can’t say it jumped out at me,” says George Ellis, president, Equality Cincinnati. “But it’s an interesting question. The first thought that came to me is the necessity of trying to get to the source before we go about making value judgments. I would be interested in what Buddhists think.” One Cincinnati Buddhist found the presence of Buddha in a bar a matter requiring more than a snap judgment. “I have never been to Buddhakhan and I have not met the owners, but I seriously doubt that they intend to offend Buddhists,” she says. “I don’t think most Americans know that one of the five basic ethical rules of Buddhism is to avoid drinking and intoxication. As a beginning Buddhist, I knew about the rule, but in my world, social drinking was considered quite acceptable, so I asked a monk for an explanation. What’s the big deal about drinking? His reply was a story: “Once there was a hermit another, and pretty soon the hermit found himself sleeping with the beautiful woman. Early the next morning, while he was trying to sleep it off, the goat began bleating so loudly that the hermit woke up. His head was pounding, his stomach was upset, and he became so angry that he killed the goat. “The moral of the story is not that drinkers are inherently bad people or can never be Buddhists. It’s that even exceptionally upstanding people can find it difficult to behave ethically when they are intoxicated. “The Buddha made the rule against intoxication himself, so, yes, it looks a bit jarring to a practicing Buddhist to see statues of the Buddha in a bar. Out of compassion for the owners, I have to say that it might be better to put the statue somewhere more appropriate. But as long as the statue is there, then as a Buddhist, I hope that it will inspire all who see it to understand the dangers of intoxication and to behave ethically.” �STREETVIBES November 2008 Cover Story 6 Dennison continued, from page 1 ‘Trash unmerciful’ Larry Gross attempts to get an interview with the owners of the Dennison Hotel. He and Andrew Anderson were not allowed up to take photos of any of the rooms. Photo by Andrew Anderson. private bathroom and a television set. On the rest of the floors, with the exception of a few private rooms, the Dennison has turned into an SRO – single room occupancy. It’s a boarding house for the poor. You can pay by the month or by the week. ‘A price on everything’ Beginning in June 1994 when the Milner Hotel was leveled to make room for Greenwich on the Park, lowcost housing for the poor has been in short supply downtown. The Dennison on Main Street and Metropole Apartments on Walnut Street are the only two buildings left for low income housing downtown. Shan Pierce, a Vietnam War veteran and a former P.O.W., has been staying at the Dennison Hotel on and off since 1971. It’s the first place he stayed after getting out of the service. He pays $320 a month for his room, along with a $50 security deposit. On his off days from working for a food manufacturer in Dry Ridge, Ky., Pierce likes to sit on the sidewalk, drink coffee and say hello to women walking by. His mostly white hair almost matches his sleeveless white T-shirt that shows off the tattoos on his arms. “I’ve seen various owners through the years,” Pierce says. “Actually I’ve seen the place change over five or six times.” He doesn’t understand the current management. “I’ve never seen any hotel run like this one,” he says. “Basically they set the rules as they go. Everything you do, whether it’s eating in your room, cooking in your room or whatever – it’s all gonna cost you something. They got a price on everything in here now.” Pierce’s favorite entertainment at the Dennison Hotel is the “trained roaches.” “When you turn on the light, they scatter,” he says. This is the story of the life and times of the Dennison Hotel – of its past and current tenants and of its history. Built in 1887, that advertisement on the side of the building – 105 rooms, 60 baths “These guys have to live somewhere. They’re good people that slipped. They can’t live on the street.” -Fred Cianciolo, business owner – was once a point of pride. More than 120 years ago, according to records found at the Cincinnati Historical Society, the hotel was known for its excellent accommodations and service. Now, over a century later, the residents at the Dennison Hotel are poor. For many, it’s a slippery one step away from being homeless. In warmer weather, you’ll find some of the tenants, mostly men, sitting or standing outside the Dennison, smoking and talking. The men are a mixture – young and old, black and white. When you pass, some will make small talk with you before asking for a little change or a cigarette. Most simply leave you alone. When you walk into the hotel, the first thing you notice is the smell. It’s a stale smell – a dirty one, similar to the odor of urine. The reservation desk is behind glass windows. It’s not very inviting. Before you reach it, there are a couple of old benches where some of the tenants sit and talk. You still see elements of grandeur, such as the craftsmanship of the woodwork as you enter the lobby and the beautiful antique hall tree where some visitors hang their coats to the left of the entryway. A homemade sign lists visiting hours as 9 a.m.-6 p.m. After that, visitors or tenants must pay a fee. Sometimes that rule isn’t enforced. One night some months ago after 8 p.m. I wandered in and started asking questions. An elevator man was more than happy to give me a quick tour. The elevator is to the right as you walk into the building. It’s an old hand elevator painted white. A blowing fan sits on a small ledge next to the shaft handle. “I’ll take you to the second floor first,” the elevator man said. “That’s where the nicer rooms are.” “We have to have control. If they don’t like it, they don’t have to rent here. This isn’t a government property.” -Art Tatel, owner of Dennision hotel While the carpet in the hallway was worn, it was clean. The paint on the walls was decent and the hallways were wide. Every door was closed. That wasn’t the case on the fifth floor. There the hallways were wide but dirty. The floor was tile instead of carpet. It had that same stale smell of the lobby. Many doors were open. To the right was a room with a heavyset man with a long beard. He was standing naked with a large box fan blowing on him. He didn’t look my way. As we turned to walk back to the elevator, I saw a woman sitting on a bed, wearing a nightgown, looking at me. Her hair was brown and long and she looked hard and rough. She was skinny. She was smiling at me. As she started to part her legs with no panties on, I hurried my pace to the elevator. The elevator man laughed. “You see a little bit of everything in here,” he said. Records at the Cincinnati Historical Society show there once were two Dennison Hotels downtown, both owned by the same party. The older building, which opened in 1822, was at Fifth and Main streets. It had a bar, the Old Dennison Saloon. The first Dennison Hotel was owned by William Dennison and named after his son. William Dennison Jr. was the 24th governor of Ohio (18601862) as well as the U.S. Postmaster General and was in the cabinet of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War. The older Dennison was famous for its fireplaces, marble mantelpieces and hand-decorated washstands. Rooms went from $2 to $2.50 a night. Both the saloon and hotel were considered successful businesses in downtown Cincinnati. William Dennison continued to operate the hotel until 1840, after which, it had a series of different owners. In 1887, a New Yorker by the name of John Frey took control of the operation. It was Frey’s decision to build a more “ornamental” Dennison. That’s the one still standing at 716 Main St. Frey operated both Dennisons for several years. After he retired, the hotels changed ownership again several times. By May 1932, only one the hotels was left. The first hotel was torn down to make way for the widening of Fifth Street. The bar in the saloon was auctioned for $16. The contents of the hotel rooms were also brought $1 to $15 per room. This included antique mirrors, old-fashioned water pitchers and washbowls. While the first hotel was torn down, the newer building continued to be a first-class hotel. Fred Cianciolo, who owns Cianciolo’s Grocery at 720 Main St., right next door to the Dennison, has been a downtown business man since 1948. He remembers the 1970s and the splendor of the hotel. “It used to be a really nice place,” he says. “I remember on the second or third floor there were a mother and daughter who lived there for 30 years. They were highclass people – wonderful and nice, always dressed nicely.” Asked what had changed at the Dennison, Cianciolo shakes his head. See Dennison p.7 �STREETVIBES November 2008 Cover Story 7 Dennison continued from p.6 “Money and different owners,” he says. Cianciolo tries to take the good with the bad with his store being so close to the Dennison. “These guys have to live somewhere,” he says. “They’re good people that slipped. They can’t live on the street.” He lets some of the Dennison tenants have an open account in his store. “Some of them are good customers,” he says. “We feel sorry for them. You know, they try. After 6 o’clock, many of them sit on my fruit tables. The police ask me if I want the men off of them. I say if they’re sitting there, no one is going to try and break into my store.” Cianciolo wants to be supportive of the tenants, but he does have some concerns. “We get the postcards,” he says. “I’m not exaggerating. 15 to 20 percent are sex offenders.” And then there’s the matter of his roof. “Above us here, there’s trash unmerciful,” he says. “Beer cans, rubbers, the trash and the garbage – they just throw it out the window. We have a new landlord here and he’s been trying to fix the roof. The last man who went up there had six bags of garbage – and that’s not over a period of a year or so; it’s maybe a month.” Included in that trash are crack pipes and other drug paraphernalia. “Oh gosh, that’s always up there,” Cianciolo says. “Many living there (the Dennison) are drug addicts.” Cianciolo also says to be careful when walking in the back alley. “Every once in a while you’ll find a plastic bag,” he says. “If you do, please don’t walk on it because inside is human waste. The tenants throw it out the back window. The owners have been trying to stop it.” ‘Nowhere else to go’ Art and Sandy Tatel own the Dennison Hotel. Reaching them wasn’t easy. “They’re hard to get a hold Quintion Williams lives at the Dennison, but isn’t allowed to have visitors. Photo by Andrew Anderson. of,” one of the hotel clerks tells me. “They’re usually somewhere in the building doing maintenance.” On most afternoons I found a Tatel working there, but not one of the owners. Sonny Tatel appears to be the one operating the hotel on most days. He tells me he’s not related to the owners. I inform him I’m writing a story. He’s the first to comment on some of the issues tenants are raising, for example, the roaches that room with some of the tenants. “Right now I can tell you we have people who come here and we have no idea what they do in their rooms,” Tatel says. “It’s the way people live. They make the problem.” Tatel confirmed the $9.40 charge for visitors after 6 p.m. “That’s a law,” he says, “for single-capacity rooms. They aren’t paying for two people.” Quintion Williams gets on the elevator holding copies of Streetvibes. He’s a vendor for the paper. He asks me to buy two copies. I agree on condition he takes photographer Andrew Anderson and me upstairs. Williams agrees. Proper identification is required for visitors. As the three of us start to approach the glassed-in front desk, I reach for my wallet to pull out my license. Tatel starts to become agitated. “No, no, no,” he loudly says, looking at Williams. “You went to jail for fighting. The cops called me.” “I wasn’t fighting nobody, man,” Williams says, looking confused. “My boss told me if you are to stay here, no visitors,” Tatel replies. Records at the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts show Williams was convicted of “obscene gesture or noise” and obstructing official business earlier this year. Tatel wouldn’t let the photographer and me go to Williams’ room. When I got hold of Art Tatel, one of the owners of the Dennison Hotel, by phone, he seemed to be in a hurry. I asked about some of the rules and restrictions that his ten- ants dislike, the fee for visitors being limited to one guest at a time. “We have to have control,” Art Tatel says. “If they don’t like it, they don’t have to rent here. This isn’t a government property.” I ask Tatel if there are restrictions as to the type of people he rents to – i.e. sex offenders. “There are no restrictions,” he says. Tatel’s answers are short and crisp. Are there any frustrations with owning this kind of property? “No frustration,” he says. “Everything’s fine.” “How long have you owned the building?” “25 years.” I start to tell Tatel the grand history of the building and how there used to be two Dennison hotels. He quickly interrupts. “I know nothing about any of that,” he says. “Is the building for sale?” I ask. “Everything’s for sale if the price is right,” he replies. “Do you want to buy it?” Perhaps developers will tear down the Dennison and put up a modern hotel. Perhaps some organization will buy and restore it to its proper grandeur, making it a firstclass hotel again. I can’t help but wonder: If this comes about, will people like Mike Lee be able to stay? He, like others, sits on the sidewalk in front of the Dennison Hotel. He’s lived there for over five years. He’s an older gentleman who doesn’t have any teeth. His hair is gray and his clothes are worn. I wanted to interview him, but he didn’t have much to say. I wanted to know about his background – where he’s from and if he has family here. In a weak voice, he told me instead that he was hungry. He hadn’t eaten in days. I gave him a couple dollars and he thanked me. I sat with him on the sidewalk for awhile in silence. When I get up and said goodbye, I told Lee I’d be back sometime the next day. “I’ll be here,” he says without looking up. “I have nowhere else to go.” Save the date. December 4 at 6:00 pm the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless will hold their Annual Dinner. Tickets are $40 ($30 for social service providers). To reserve your seat call Lynne Ausman at 513-421-7803 x 11. �8 STREETVIBES November 2008 Photographs/Artwork Berta’s Art Corner Street Fantasy, Liberty Street West End, Cincinnati, Ohio Sign of the times? This tattered U.S. flag, flying over Hughes High School, perhaps symbolizes more than is intended. Photo by Ben L. Kaufman. �STREETVIBES November 2008 Interview 9 Changing the Conversation Peter Block on homelessness By Stephanie Dunlap Contributing Writer SD: So you’re the keynote speaker for the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Annual Dinner on Dec. 4…what are you going to talk about? PB: I’m going to talk about what it means to live without possibility. Bob Moore told me when I asked him to teach me something about homeless, he said they’re no different than we are, they just lack a support system. In some sense, we’ve all sacrificed a sense of home and place on the altar of mobility and consumerism. The financial crisis and obesity confront us with our excesses. I think the homeless in some ways carry that burden for us -- carry the extreme of what’s really a cultural deficit, a cultural addiction. So that’s one theme. The other is “homeless” is not who they are. It doesn’t define them, and every time we use that term we’re speaking to one aspect of who they are, any more than others are defined by their sexuality or defined by their profession. Using the term “homeless” keeps us from knowing who they are. We’re much closer to being homeless because of the mortgage crisis than we ever were before, which is kind of interesting. And if you look middle class, you can kind of pass and get support from the government and culture for your plight. If you don’t look middle class, then what you get is contempt. Our task is to help people be known, be seen. This is what Streetvibes does. It gives face to people who are permanently transient, diaspora, exiles, refugees. If you think around the world of the number of people who can’t return to their own home -- why can’t they return? Because it’s a place of conflict and violence. The people who don’t have a place now are carrying the weight for the rest of us, because we don’t want to look at the violence and unrest of our own culture. What is the violence in our culture? People’s indifference to And that somehow manifest destiny could be used to support gentrification seems wrong to me. I also think there’s a part of developing Over-the-Rhine that has to be done, so I kind of understand what’s driving it. What has been happening in recent years has not been working. It’s just that the conversation is not based on relatedness; it’s a conversation designed for both sides to feel frustrated and angry. 3CDC’s problem is not their goal; it’s their devaluing of relationships with people in the neighborhood. I think the neighborhood has been at an impasse for so long that to leave it as it is makes no sense. But I don’t know of any large, prosperous, vital city that doesn’t have space for mixed income all throughout it. It’s the idea that the two forms of who we are -- are incompatible -- is a form of blindness. Peter Block will be the keynote speaker at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless’ annual dinner on Dec. 4. Photo provided by Peter Block. each other, their isolation, people’s isolating narcissism, willingness to consume the resources of the earth. The choice is for us to look at the gifts and talents of the homeless. They are not just their vulnerabilities. I will bet that homeless people have a smaller fossil fuel imprint than all the rest of us. Why don’t we celebrate them for that? Maybe they’re a role model for us how to live gently with the earth. They spend more time outdoors than the rest of us. The fact that we blame them for crimes they don’t commit -- it’s on us. They’re not dangerous to us. They’re just discomforting. And maybe when they come to us with a request, all they want is to be seen. they find out who the professionals are and who needs the money. How does your model of civic engagement address homelessness? I guess it would say we need to find out who they are and stop treating them as the other, as if they’re a problem to be solved. They’re a community to be known and to be received. They are the test of the hospitality of our culture. There is a quote from Bible that is on the wall in the Half Day Café in Wyoming: Don’t forget to entertain strangers. For by so doing, some have entertained angels without knowing it. Do you give money to panhandlers? I give money to women panhandlers. Have you gotten close to a homeless person? Only in my family. My sister was homeless. For several years, without me, she would have been homeless. Why not men? I don’t know. I think if I was responsible I would carry food with me. In the Philippines, that’s what they do; they carry fruit and food in the car. Then What’s your opinion of the Drop Inn Center versus 3CDC controversy? I think it would be a crime against the community to move (the Drop Inn Center). How could the city of Cincinnati better address its homeless citizens? One thing we’ve done is we’ve delegated to the private sector the common ground. You mean 3CDC. Yes. I think the city needs a voice in this. There’s got to be some way to be together that’s not always an argument. I think the park commission is right in the center of this, and they should be a convening agent. At some point, peace is going to be declared, so why wait 20 years? My favorite quote is the prime minister of Israel, Rabin. When he made peace with Arafat, people complained to him, and he said, “Who do you want me to make peace with -- my friends?” We need to look for a larger, transcendent way to heal that wounded neighborhood. You just can’t leave it as it is. It’s wounded. Otherwise it becomes a battle between colonialist and anti-colonialist powers, and I don’t have faith in either one knowing what’s best for the whole. What cities have better approaches to working with the homeless? New York has areas. San Francisco. It’s not simple, but there are spaces where, before the move to the suburbs, people of mixed incomes lived next to each other. Why have we segregated that? You go to other countries and they all live in the same neighborhood. Not without their problems. Wealthy people have problems with their neighbors, too. Maybe that’s what’s appealing about their lifestyle … the simplicity. They have not bought consumerism. Maybe that’s what bothers us about them; they’ve indicted our indulgence. The other theme would be to ask the question, what gifts do they have to offer? The gifts are: A low-carbon footprint. Approachability – if you want someone to talk to, they’re not going to run away from you. They create an economy around them. They give us somebody who, in context, makes us feel better about ourselves: There but for the grace of God go I. We can get a different worldview without going on an airplane. What they show us is what freedom looks like -- freedom from the burden of 9 to 5. They don’t’ complain about 9 to 5. I don’t want to romanticize them. What needs to change so that homelessness wouldn’t be such an issue? The context in which we engage the issue. We need to lift the contempt off the conversation and create space for compassion and concern and create space for people to know each other and to know the people who are advocates for the homeless as well as the homeless themselves. The other thing is to stop marketing fear for those neighborhoods. The media is engaged in a large master narrative that where people are congregated are dangerous. That’s not the story of those places. Crime does happen but it happens in lots of places. It should be a human-interest story in the middle section of the paper. There’s such a reporting bias against people on the margin. Peter Block will be the keynote speaker at the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless Annual Dinner on December 4 at Xavier University starting at 6pm. �10 STREETVIBES November 2008 Column Short Goliath Dodges the Deadly Purse Michael Henson is author of Ransack, A Small Room with Trouble on My Mind, The Tao of Longing and Crow Call. This column is part of a monthly series on poverty and addiction. You can’t treat the addiction until you fix the hunger I first met Marie -- that’s not her name, but that’s what I’ll call her-- in the parking lot outside the East End office where I worked at the time. She and her thenhusband were waiting for me under the big maple tree that erupted from the asphalt. I pulled in and introduced myself and within minutes had to settle a fight. He said something and she took offense and around came the purse like David’s sling. She never did connect with the purse, but she did with her curses, which were enough to slay a Goliath or two. The then-husband wasn’t a Goliath. He was even smaller than I am, and he was the one quiet member of an East End family noted for its rowdies and lawbreakers. Marie didn’t have much local family at all. So later, when she had broken off with Short Goliath, she was pretty much on her own, without a soul in the world to stand alongside her. ***** Marie came to me on a referral from Children’s Services. She had a chance to regain custody of her children if she could stay sober long enough and complete all the programs demanded of her. It was pretty overwhelming to her at the start, but we worked on it and made progress. The children were with Short Goliath’s mother down Eastern Avenue, in an arrangement I never understood, for this particular grandmother, a short, feisty woman, was raising the children of two and children on a hill so steep it seemed a wonder that one or more of them didn’t roll off the hill and into the path of one of the big rigs that weren’t allowed on Columbia Parkway. Which leads me to another question - I know I’m meandering fearfully. If the big 18-wheelers were considered unsafe on Columbia Parkway, where there were no children, why did we send them down childintensive Eastern, where, every few years, it seemed, By Michael Henson we’d hear of a semi rolling over one of these exother of her children. The pendable East End kids? ones she wasn’t raising chilBut it’s not for me to quesdren for were in and out of tion either Children’s Services jail on a regular basis, and the or Traffic Engineering. grandchildren she was raising ***** looked pretty much the same. Back to Marie. So my question was: If she I recall one session in parcouldn’t raise her own chil- ticular when she seemed redren right, what made them ally depressed. She had a lot think she could do any better to be depressed about, and with the grandchildren? she often showed it. She was But there the children were, raised in poverty in East Kenin a house on the hillside be- tucky in a home so abusive she tween Eastern Avenue and and her sisters had to nail their Columbia Parkway. It remind- bedroom shut. She and short ed me of Mother Hubbard’s, Goliath broke up. He raped all a tumble with bicycles and her. When he was convicted, Hot Wheels and swing sets she was harassed by his fam- ammered H If she couldn’t raise her own children right, what made them think she could do any better with the grandchildren? ily. And there was the issue of the children. So if anyone had a reason to feel down, it was Marie. But she usually had fight in her and she showed that, too. (That purse should have been registered as a weapon.) But she showed no fight on this particular day. She looked pale; she acted listless. She could barely raise her voice. I later found out she had a wonderful country-style voice. Usually, she could talk her way out of her depressions. We did a lot of work with action plans and such. None of the usual ways worked, but as we talked, I found out what was really going on. She had been sleeping in the woods, out of fear of Short Goliath, and she had not eaten in three days. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual does not list hunger as a symptom. The training for most counselors does not include what to do when someone is sleeping in the woods. Most of what you learn is working further up the scale from basic survival. It would not make sense for me to talk with her about her family-of-origin issues when she was starving in front of me. In this case, the solution was simple enough. We marched down the hall to the social services agency where they gave her food and hooked her up with temporary housing. After that, we worked on very specific objectives. Week after week, she showed up at my office. Bit by bit, she repaired one or another aspect of her life. I don’t remember anyone who worked so hard and methodically to build up a wrecked life. I wish I could tell you this story had a happy ending. I lost track of her for until I was called in to testify in a long, grueling court battle that went on for days before and for days after my appearance. At the end, the county took the children after all. She was pregnant again by then, so maybe she saw some hope. Poetry I, Too Have a Voice by Holly Parker I have the voice of a Native American I have the voice of a white woman I have the voice of a mother of black men and women I, too, have a voice My native ancestors call out from the earth My white woman cries out from the pain My motherhood cries out from the injustice I, too, have a voice As my native ancestors felt the fear, the rapes, the destruction of their homes and their families I feel it, As my white ancestors did horrible crimes I scream of the cries I still hear in the middle of the night As my black men and women that suckled from my breast are still turned down for jobs and housing I feel the pain I, too, have a voice As a Native American white woman, mother of six black men and women I can feel all sides I am turned away from some jobs and housing because though I am qualified I do not have the right skin tone Watching as my children have to struggle for food, clothing, the right to walk down the street I to have a voice As the mother, native and white though I maybe Rise up to make a stand For what you say how can I understand because I, too, have a voice Hatred, greed, prejudice, murder, rape, disease, poverty, division Have all had a voice in our nation Now it is my turn for I, too, have a voice As I Got Up Off the Floor As I got up off the floor Brushed myself off again I thought to myself This cannot happen again To myself I must be true Why do I allow Hit after hit to knock me down Letting it make me look like some clown Whether its with a fist A word or deed Why, why, why Do I allow this to happen to me Trap after trap I seem to fall in Stumbling right into it It's like I'm blind to it Sweet words I hear and then there Bam I find myself doing it all over again Brushing myself off and picking myself up off Picking myself up off the floor again Am I a sucker for every line Or do I just see something deep inside them They don't even see How in the world can I Warn others, but my own I am truly blind Questions I kept asking myself as I just Brushed myself off once again As I got up off the floor �STREETVIBES November 2008 Column 11 The New Powell Doctrine Muslims, homeless people and other real Americans By Steve Sunderland Contributing Writer I was so positively stunned by Colin Powell's recent statements about supporting Sen. Barack Obama that I immediately sent it to my peace network. Here's the part of his comment that grabbed me: “I’m also troubled by not what Sen. McCain says but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said such things as, ‘Well, you know that Mr. Obama is a Muslim.’ “Well, the correct answer is, he is not a Muslim; he's a Christian. He's always been a Christian. “But the really right answer is, what if he is? Is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer's no, that’s not America.” Powell is the first national leader of either party to take on the ugly aspects of American society since 9/11. He signals to the country that we can no longer consider ourselves good Americans if we lump all Muslims or all Christians and Jews into the same negative frames of reference. The open acknowledgement that an American Muslim can be president strengthens efforts to make our country an inclusive one. By emphasizing the most unfairly demonized group, Powell asks us to wake up to the ways that national opinion can manipulate the hearts of Americans. "Inclusion" has been a dirty word for too long in the American vocabulary. As we have increased our separation from each other based on race, gender, sexual orientation and ability, we have created a foundation for widespread hatred, ignorance and fear. Who knows a Muslim? I was struck by a rabbi writing about interfaith work noting that he has more books about Islam than friends who are Muslim. I was saddened to hear of the lack of attendance at a mosque of one of our leading educators be- cause he “just never thought of going.” And I was continually amazed at the reluctance to engage in religious discussions with Muslims in synagogues, churches and educational institutions. The fear of the "Muslim" is but a temporary replacement for the fear of the Hispanic or the poor or the black family, or the disabled or the person with a different sexual orientation. Now, with widespread and growing economic crisis, the chances of people creating relationships that are based on common pain are lessened. Instead, we read of the rise of “white racist groups” to spread the hatred of immigrants and Obama. Are we surprised by this turn of events? Powell's sentiments of Students from St. Ursula participated in a Shantytown event to raise awareness of homelessness in our communities. Photo provided by Mayerson Foundation. compassion struck a deep chord with hundreds of Cincinnati public, private and parochial high school students and teachers as they lived in "shanty towns" at their high schools throughout the city. On some of the coldest nights, students gathered around fires to listen to former homeless people, now advocates, to talk about abolishing homelessness and to share the "rules of survival" for the homeless. “Guard your valuables and your friend's bag as well,” one speaker told a freezing group. “Everything in your world is in this bag; and if it is lost, you have to start over at the very beginning.” He spoke with the authority of someone who had too many bags stolen. The students listened deeply to the stories and heard that most homeless do not spend their nights in cardboard boxes. Instead, they live in abandoned cars, empty and destroyed buildings or “just on the street: I just put my head down and go to sleep.” The new “Powell Doctrine,” as I suspect it will be known, opens a long-closed door for discussion and action about the importance of inclusion as an indispensable aspect of peace. The agenda of justice, which has been put on hold might now come forward and be taken up as a part of executive leadership at all levels. Surely, the war will be brought to a close and reconstruction begun. Equally certain, there will be a return to civil-rights law, both at local, state and federal levels and new appointments to the Supreme Court. The discussion of justice will take a position at the center of reviews of policies about ending hunger and homelessness, enforcing new and old laws that affirm the involvement of people with disabilities in all aspects of life and, finally, with the end of racism toward people who are American blacks, American Muslims, Americans with intellectual and physical gifts and challenges, American children who need schools that honor their uniqueness -and the list goes on. Powell signals that there are many people, including Republicans, who want to return to the values that make America both free and just. As America awakens, so the definition of “being an American” can be refreshed, and any American, even 8-year-old Muslims, can be proud of our country. Thank you, General Powell. The Law as an Aid to the Poor Legal Aid Society now in its second century By Elizabeth Scheper Contributing Writer When the Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati was founded, it was part of a new concept in American law. Now the agency is 100 years old. “At the time of our incorporation, Cincinnati was one of only seven cities in the nation with a society of this type, so our founders were really on the forefront of the national legal aid movement,” says Mary Asbury, executive director of Legal Aid. “That commitment and tradition continues today, as we are now southwest Ohio ’s largest and most effective nonprofit law firm, serving approximately 30,000 lowincome clients annually.” The organization’s mission has changed over the decades. For 50 years it provided criminal defense for the indigent but since 1979 has specialized representing poor people in civil cases. Legal Aid puts special em- phasis on victims of domestic violence, according to Asbury. "In a recent study of homelessness, Legal Aid was surprised to see the high percentage of homeless people whose cause of homelessness was domestic violence," she says. Attorneys help individuals who are leaving shelters obtain restraining orders, protect their child-custody rights and enforce visitation orders. Another area of focus is home foreclosures and evictions. Many times home buyers can be tricked into seemingly enticing loans but then are unable to maintain payment. Legal Aid lawyers try to get lenders to put a hold on payments while homeowners work to stabilize their incomes. “Last year we helped 440 families save their homes from going to foreclosure,” says Mark Lawson, an attorney in Legal Aid’s housing division. The agency also represents tenants in public housing who face eviction or encounter housing discrimination. Legal Aid also helps military veterans obtain the benefits they’ve earned. "Too often veterans are not receiving the veteran affairs income that they deserve, or people with disabilities are not receiving social security income that they need," Asbury says. "In those situations, we work with Veteran Affairs and the social security office to ensure that those individuals receive the income that they deserve and therefore the stability they need to maintain a better standard of living." Legal Aid doesn’t handle routine divorce cases that don’t involve custody issues, evictions from private housing or consumer problems such as dissatisfaction with a car or other purchase. The Legal Aid society employs 48 full-time lawyers and coordinates a group of Mary Asbury, executive director of Legal Aid Society, says the organization serves approximately 30,000 low-ncome clinets annnually. Photo provided by Legal Aid. attorneys who work in the Volunteer Lawyers Program. Legal Aid provides service in Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Hamilton, Highland and Warren counties. A non-profit agency, Legal Aid receives funding from United Way and other organi- zations. The state of Ohio provides funds from certain court fees. Butler County provides funding for children's legal aid in areas such as obtaining health care. For more information, call 513-241-9400 or visit www. lascinti.org. �Local News 12 Renaissance at the NAACP STREETVIBES November 2008 Christopher Smitherman reinvigorates civil-rights group By Lew Moores Contributing Writer lot initiatives on the November ballot. arian Spencer was born in 1920, the year women in the United States were granted the right to vote. Her grandfather had been a slave until he was 13 years old. When she became president of the local chapter of the NAACP in the early 1980s, she faced some of the same hurdles that Christopher Smitherman faced in 2007 when he became the civil rights organization’s president – a lethargy that had set in and left the organization with just several hundred members. “Our membership was down to 500,” says Spencer, now 88, a long-time civil rights activist and former Cincinnati vice mayor. “But my husband (Donald) worked hard with me, and we brought it up to 2,000. And now Christopher’s efforts have been miraculous. He’s a good organizer and has been able to reinvigorate the branch.” They are separated by a couple of generations, and both are former Cincinnati council members, but they both brought to the role a fiery mettle that paid off in a resurgence, even renaissance. Smitherman, 41, is so far pleased with the results. Membership in the local NAACP, founded in 1915, stands at 2,400, and the goal is to reach 3,000 by the end of the year. Twenty percent of its members are white. Last year the NAACP successfully fought a sales tax hike to build a new jail in Hamilton County. Last summer the national convention of the NAACP took place in Cincinnati, and the local chapter has again partnered with other groups in two other bal- Unlikely friends M Much of its recruitment success, observers have said in the past year, can be attributed to both the organization’s and Smitherman’s higher profiles. That has come not just from radio talk and visibility, but from three ballot initiatives in the past year -- overturning the jail tax last year, opposing red-light cameras and backing proportional representation this year -- and programs such as court monitoring and voter registration. Next year, with Cincinnati City Council and mayoral elections, the NAACP plans again to be in the thick of the campaign. “My goal is to have at least two ballot initiatives next year,” Smitherman says. “I’m not ready to say what they are. I think people are seeing our efforts to do substantive civil rights work. The work of the NAACP is grassroots civilrights work. We’re involved with court watch, where we see disparities in the Hamilton County justice system (discrepancies in pursuing justice for whites and minorities). We’re addressing that head on. There have been three ballot initiatives.” Juanita Adams is first vice president of the local NAACP. She said part of the success comes from Smitherman not shrinking from controversy. “He has been really outspoken on the problems and issues,” Adams says. “He has taken on what I consider some tough issues. He has been out front. He does not mind speaking out. I think people want to get involved (in an organization) when they see something happening. I think that’s the reason our membership has increased -- people want to be part of it.” And, she adds, “We have collaboration with other groups, reaching across to other groups. That’s speaking truth to power.” Essential to the organization’s effectiveness, Smitherman says, are coalition-building and dismissing a common belief that the NAACP and the Democratic Party are in each other’s hip pockets. Indeed, on talk radio in the past few weeks, Smitherman has been equally dismissive of Democratic and Republican positions. He reminds people, for instance, that Democrats (Hamilton County commissioners Todd Portune and David Pepper) came up with the idea of a jail tax last year and that Democrats on city council have voted to cut human services; and he has been critical of the party for choosing not to run any Democrats in several county races, such as someone to oppose County Prosecutor Joe Deters, a Republican. “Some have viewed the local NAACP as the same as the Democratic Party,” Smitherman says. “I’ve been working to be clear that we’re an independent, non-partisan organization and not the arm of the Democratic Party.” Collaboration has meant finding allies on some issues with whom there might be little agreement on other issues. Such was the case with the NAACP and the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes (COAST), an essentially conservative activist group. While they would disagree on a tax levy for Cincinnati Public Schools, they joined in the fight – along with the Green Party of Ohio, Cincinnati Progressive Action Missed an Issue? Check out the Streetvibes archive at www.cincihomeless.org/ content/streetvibes and the Libertarian Party – in opposing the jail tax last year. Christopher Finney, a conservative anti-tax activist, is a founder of COAST. In May, the Cincinnati Business Courier called Smitherman’s relationship with Finney a “friendship,” adding, “The two finish each other’s sentences, each at time interrupting to give the other credit for visionary leadership or being a man of integrity.” Smitherman furthered the description, calling it a “fabulous relationship. He just assisted us legally. We’ve been working around issues where we have common ground. We went out and tried to find partners, identified those partners and brought everybody together. It was a very unlikely partnership. The politics are very sophisticated. We have no permanent enemies in politics. We are issue-driven. Where we can find partnerships around issues, we do that.” Power struggle Marian Spencer disagreed with the NAACP on the jail issue, mostly because it included measures for rehabilitation and recovery. But she has supported Smitherman on other issues, especially when it comes to politically empowering people. “The NAACP has to be there for people who are less well represented in other areas,” she says. “They had to fight for voting and open areas that were closed, they fought to outlaw lynching. Legal Aid was there, but not in the streets. The role of the NAACP has always been to keep that door open. “I keep thinking about my slave grandfather in heaven and how he must be shout- ing at this point where he sees Obama running for president.” Smitherman doesn’t mince words about his goal of seeking power for the NAACP. “It is my goal to make the NAACP in Cincinnati the most powerful organization in the region,” he says. “My end game is that, when we come in and say we’re going to do something, is that we be taken incredibly serious. We need to use that power in a very responsible way. It’s absurd to think the NAACP would be positioning itself to be powerless. How can we protect people if we have no power? Our goal is to be powerful.” Smitherman rejects any suggestions of cult of personality, that he’s become a lightning rod or center of controversy to the detriment of the organization or a cause. “Martin Luther King Jr. was defined as being the center of controversy,” Smitherman says. “Ted Berry was at the center of controversy, Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, Rosa Parks. As a ‘lightning rod,’ I take it as an ultimate compliment. The bottom line is I’m not interested in what anybody thinks about the work we do today. I’m interested in what you think about it 30 years from now.” He carries it a step further. “I don’t care what some people think about me,” he says. “I care about the guy who doesn’t have a job, doesn’t have health care, just got laid off. I care about the homeless person who’s living on the street, the unemployed and jobless. That number is growing. I care more about what they think about my work. As long as they think I’m doing a good job, then it’s a thumbs-up.” Interested in volunteering with Streetvibes? Contact Greg Flannery at 513-421-7803 x 12 or by e-mail at streetvibes2@ yahoo.com �STREETVIBES November 2008 Local News Who’s Helping Whom? Disabled volunteers serve the needy, learn job skills By Angela Pancella Contributing Writer What types of disabilities do your clients have? It’s a range. Most come through MRDD (the Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities), so they go from mild mental retardation to severe autism. … This place is so good for a range (of abilities). I can have someone who, all they can pull off is picking up silverware and handing it to someone, to somebody who wants to be the first person in the serving line. Our Daily Bread, a food and hospitality ministry at 1730 Race St., Over-the-Rhine, offers a mid-day meal, serving more than 500 every weekday. To volunteer or to donate food, call Joan or Kathy at 513-621-6364. went out and did it. Several groups volunteer at Our Daily Bread for training in job skills. I spoke with Chris Miday, workforce development coordinator at the Easter Seals Work Resource Center. How do your clients benefit from helping out at a soup kitchen? We work with people with disabilities. … My goal is to come up with training opportunities for them to work on work skills before they get into the workplace. I’d say about half have had other jobs. Sometimes they quit, sometimes they just get tired of (them), and some have been with us since high school and are still with us. 13 Volunteers from the Easter Seals Work Resource Center: Kim Hoskins, Laura Grubbs, and Chris Miday. Photo by Angela Pancella. How long have you been coming to Our Daily Bread? I’ve been coming down here probably two and a half years. Our vice president started the whole idea of doing volunteer work as work training. I knew about that model of taking people, and I just randomly called down here. I came down, volunteered and loved it. I asked Kathy (Our Daily Bread’s kitchen manager) if I could bring a couple of clients with me. It worked great from the very beginning. The clients absolutely loved it. They’d come down here every day of the week if they could. I would get tired of doing the same thing for two hours, but I’ve got people who are just begging me to come down, stand for two hours and put coleslaw on a plate. They just can’t wait to do it. I’ve got like 50 different people who, every time I walk by them (say), “When am I going to the soup kitchen? This Friday, next Monday?” The jobs that we get people usually are janitorial or restaurant. So it’s great training. One lady I brought down here -- she wanted to try to bus some tables, so I let her. She got a job at Don Pablo’s busing tables. It sparked her interest, she practiced it here and Cleo’s Joke Corner A duck walks into a bar and asks the bartender for a drink. The bartender says, “We don’t serve ducks.” The duck asks him three times for a drink. The bartender says, “We don’t serve ducks. If you ask me one more time, I’m going to nail your feet to the floor.” The duck comes in for five more days and asks the same thing. The bartender keeps telling him, “We don’t serve ducks. I’m going to nail your feet to the floor.” The last day the duck came in and asks for nails. The bartender says he doesn’t have any more nails, so the duck says, “Then can I have a drink?” There was a lady working at the M&Ms candy factory. She was told that if there were anything wrong with the M&M bags to throw them away. The manager saw her throw away every bag and said, “What are you doing? I only told you to throw away the bad bags. What’s wrong with these?” The lady said, “All I see are Ws.” How do your clients react to being at Our Daily Bread? It seems like they usually understand the concept well. Some, they get it on a different level. One woman I have with me today fully understands that she is helping people in need, and that’s why she loves it. Every time we drive home, she says, “Man, I love being down there. I just love helping those people out.” And other ones, I think, they just want to get out of the factory, get out into society and interact with different people. With some, it keeps them busy and they like the work aspect of it. Others sometimes, I think, just want to come to eat the food after they work; but if they work, I think that’s a good tradeoff. They all have their own motives. Usually they just ask me when they’re coming again. I ask them, especially if it’s their first time, “What do you think about it? Did you like it? Do you want to go back?” And I’m pretty sure that no one’s ever said they didn’t like coming down here. It’s interesting because it’s not the easiest work — not everyone’s appreciative, and people can snap at you and things like that. But that doesn’t faze them at all. I think because 80 percent of the time people are very thankful, I think that just overrides the negative. Sometimes when they are having issues, different (clients) take it harder than others. I have a girl I bring down who’ll break down and cry sometimes if someone snaps at her, like, “I didn’t want coleslaw!” or something like that. And I say, “Look, if you go work at a restaurant, this is what it’s like all the time.” It’s very realistic. The biggest part of restaurant work is customer service; you always have to smile and say, “Thank you” no matter what people say to you. I think it’s good training for that. Shy people that I bring here, some have said nothing and then slowly start saying, “Hi.” I’ve had some that have gone to saying “Hi” to every single person. I think that’s the most valuable thing in what I do — helping people socially and helping them feel better about themselves. I think that trumps training them for work and getting them working. Most of them get Social Security checks and other benefits. Really, a lot of our guys, they don’t have to work at all but they want to work. That’s why they come. I think that’s great, and to give them meaningful work that makes them feel good about themselves — I think that’s the best thing. And it works really well because they’re helping other people while they’re helping themselves. A man goes into a bar with a mouse in his pocket. He orders two shots of whiskey. He drinks one and pours the other in his pocket. He does this about seven times. The barmaid says, “That is disgusting.” The bouncer says, “You have to leave, sir.” The customer says, “I ought to knock you out.” The mouse jumps out of the pocket, hiccups and says, “That goes for the barmaid, too.” How many seconds are there in a year? My granddaughter said there were 12. I said, “How is that?” She said, “Because there is Jan. 12, Feb. 2, all the way to Dec. 2. That makes 12 seconds.” There were two friends. One was a pitcher, and one was a catcher. They played baseball for 20 years. One day the catcher died. The pitcher was praying about a year later and wondering how his friend was. All of a sudden his friend showed up out of nowhere and said he had great news: “They play baseball in heaven. You’re pitching tonight.” �14 Street Smarts STREETVIBES November 2008 Local News A night in a shanty teaches students about homelessness By Alyssa Konermann Staff Writer C ardboard boxes, constructed into makeshift homes with the help of plastic sheeting and duct tape, crowded the grassy space near the sidewalk. This wasn’t a scene from postKatrina New Orleans or from beneath an urban overpass. It was the temporary landscape of 19 high schools in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky the weekend of Oct. 1719. Shantytown is an annual educational experience coordinated by the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless in cooperation with local high schools and universities. Students construct shanties in which they spend one or more evenings while simultaneously engaging in activities that allow them to learn more about homelessness. The aim of this immersion is to foster a greater understanding of the complexities of the issue, as well as providing a level of firsthand experience that will encourage them to become active in the fight to end homelessness. Students from Bishop Brossart High School of Alexandria, Ky., kept busy with the construction of their shanties, education and reflection activities and hearing from Riccardo Taylor on behalf of the coalition’s speakers bureau. A mixture of first-time and returning participants filled the campus’ short-term shantytown, all eager to learn as well as anxious about the ex- pected temperature drop that evening. “I wanted to learn more what it’s said [to be homeless said freshman Elizabeth Ward. “Friends who participated last year said it was fun and encouraged me to join.” Kearria South, a junior at Bishop Brossart, had more personal reasons for taking part in Shantytown for the second time. “My family has had handson experience with homelessness,” she said. “For a while “They learned a lot and experienced the freezing temperatures in cozy sleeping bags and thermal clothes, realizing that not all homeless people could be as well prepared as (they) were.” -Karen Hordinski, outeach director at CHCA both of my parents were jobless, and we were staying in a house with no power, water, or heat. My brother was also homeless for six months.” Through the experience of Shantytown, South hoped her classmates would “know that (homelessness) is not just the stereotype of people with addictions and who are lazy. People need to see that anyone can become homeless.” In a special twist on the Shantytown experience, Bishop Brossart students were re- Students from Wyoming High School build their shanties in front of their school. They were rudely awakened at 1 in the morning by the police and told to move. Photo courtesy of Jeff Seibert. quired to sell Streetvibes to classmates in order to earn money with which they to buy lunch. The purpose was to help them further understand the daily struggles that homeless people face, though they were repeatedly reminded by the leaders of the event that this was an extremely mild version of the actual experience of homelessness. Karen Hordinski, outreach director at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy (CHCA), worked with a group of students to host Shantytown for the second year. “The students loved (the small Shantytown of 2007) and wanted to do it again so that more of their peers could learn about homelessness,” she said. Thirty-six students and five adults at CHCA participated on Sunday evening, which was chosen so that on Monday morning “the students would feel what it would be like to go to school when you are exhausted, hungry and not feeling well prepared for the day,” Hordinski said. It was powerful for them.” The group heard Sam Jackson and Georgine Getty speak from the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless, as well as Karen Fessler from Project Connect. “Students were shocked to find out how many ways homeless people get tickets from the police, such as sitting, standing, urinating and jaywalking,” Hordinski said. “They learned a lot and experienced the freezing temperatures in cozy sleeping bags and thermal clothes, realizing that not all homeless people could be as well prepared as (they) were.” At Xavier University, Shantytown tackles a specific aspect of homelessness each year. This fall the student-con- structed shanties on the academic mall spoke to the issue of homeless veterans. Graffiti covers the shanties with statistics, including the assertion that one in three homeless men are veterans, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. Suzanne Buzek, a sophomore at Xavier who is active with Habitat for Humanity, describes her goal as having “less people out on the streets and more people under roofs.” “It's a harsh wake-up call, seeing the shanties on the academic mall,” she says. Buzek recognizes the need to make the issue personal. “When I sleep in our shanty tonight, experiencing the cold and harsh elements will only further ignite my compassion for those who don't have a warm bed to sleep in at night and my will to do what I can to change that.” in scars and nightmares. I’m damaged goods, and no one wants me. What do all them have in common? We are all looked down at by society and rejected by them, too. People judge us but they do not know us or our situations. People put us down and laugh at us, thinking we don’t hear, but we do. During the day we show no feelings and fight to survive. Yet at night many of us cry ourselves to sleep and wonder if anyone cares. Has God or our higher power forsaken us? No matter what we do or whom we call, we go unanswered. The main thing we all have in common is we are or were homeless in our lives. The pain and scorn of those words and time still live deep in our hearts and affect us today. We end up having little trust for others and have few friends and trust for God, Christians and those who claim to care. That is because we have been badly hurt by those same people. When others find out our past, they scorn us and look down at us by saying we did something to deserve what we got. So when do the dirty looks and scorn go away? Never. So think before you put that person down or look away, or even treat them like they are trash. That could be you. Look Down at Me But be ready for what you’ll see By Dede Stoops Contributing Writer Who am I that you look down at me? I’m the everyday person who goes unnoticed. I’m a young person who has no home and family, whose friends got tired of my couch surfing or staying there, so I’m out on the streets. I’m the kid with no safe home or parents who care. Yet you look down at me and call us “thugs.” I’m the kid of foster care who was not prepared for life and is now on the streets stealing to survive. Yet you call me “trash” and “lazy” not want- ing to work or succeed. I’m a survivor of a terrible act of nature or man. Yet you say I did something to deserve my plight. I’m an out-of-work man with no income and home so I can’t get a job or home, yet you call me lazy. I have a mental illness and can’t get help or I get lost in the system, yet you call me a “freak” and say, “Get lost.” I’m a soldier who got lost in the system, and my country wants nothing to do with me now that I’m damaged goods, yet you say my training should have trained me to stay away from this life of the streets. I’m an a alcoholic and/or drug addict who has or will hit bottom and crawled out of the streets so the bottle is my comforter, yet you say I deserve it for being what I am and hurting my family. I’m a young mother with several kids, and no man will accept their children as a responsibility; or I’m running from violence, yet you look down on me and call me a “whore” or “irresponsible.” I’m a single woman who was abused in the past and has no friend or family who cares to help; and jobs are hard to find or get when you're homeless, yet you say I can overcome by forgetting the past. But I can’t forget the memories; they are �STREETVIBES November 2008 Editorial Generosity is Just the Start 15 A little thought makes holiday charity more effective By Georgine Getty Contributing Writer A s the weather turns colder and the winter holidays approach, many people’s thoughts turn to charity. This is one of the best parts of the season, the thing that drives us as human beings to truly recognize our good fortune and share it with others who might not have as much. The question is how to best channel this energy so that it does the most good. The Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless is comprised of over 45 member agencies dedicated to serving homeless men, women and children. Every year, starting in mid-November and lasting until the end of December, Cincinnati’s shelters find themselves flooded with goodwill. People who want to serve dinner on Thanksgiving or Christmas. People who want to donate toys and clothing, shoes and gloves. People who want to help decorate or take people to their places of worship. Generous, kind people. But overwhelming nonetheless. There are two main ways to give: You can give your time and/or you can give monetarily. Here are some tips for holiday giving. First, remember that it feels good to give. That warm feeling that you get when you help someone homeless is the same warm feeling that a homeless mother feels when she gives a present to her child or when a homeless person “re-gifts” a donation to one of his or her friends or loved ones. Simply put, if you feel inclined to make sure that a homeless family has presents on Christmas morning, the kindest way to do this is by giving the serve food or hold a party, call mother or the father a gift cer- around to various agencies and tificate and allowing them the ask if they have a need. Don’t freedom and choice to pick the be discouraged if they already present they know their child have their volunteer needs met will love the best. This “giv- on key days like Thanksgiving from afar” might not be ing or Christmas Eve. There are holiday as satisfying as seapicking it out The love that you put and sonal events and wrapping in the community, year-round it yourself, but even if it’s just by that you can the gift it gives cleaning a storage channel this to the parent is even more im- room, will come back energy into. portant that the to you many fold and Ask if you plan gift it gives the last well into the new can child. a Mothers year. Day brunch Second, our or a Fourth agencies depend on volunteers to organize of July picnic. Maybe a Suand provide for holiday parties per bowl party or an Opening and food service. However, Day Bar-b-que. Carry over the many times the volunteers and feeling of charity to last the staff who contribute to that whole year. Third, remember homeless agency year round and have a special bond with the clients agencies as you make out your have already taken care of holiday shopping list. Does this need. If you would like to Uncle Bill really need a new tie, or would he prefer a donation in his honor to help homeless veterans? Talk to your kids. Forego stocking stuffers and instead put the money in an envelope and let them give it to the director of a soup kitchen. Ask your friends and family to make donations to your favorite charity instead of getting you presents. Create a new tradition of giving. Finally, keep an open mind and ask your favorite agency what it needs. Be a willing pair of hands. The love that you put in the community, even if it’s just by cleaning a storage room, will come back to you many fold and last well into the new year. For a list of many fine shelters, soup kitchens and agencies in our community, please visit www.cincihomeless.org and click on “member agencies.” A Night in Shantytown Students learn what they’re not missing By Meera Basu Guest Columnist vices and support for homeless that so many homeless young varied difficulties they have What if your mom kicked you out of the house? I mean literally looked you straight in the eyes and shouted, "Get out!" Now imagine this in 30oF weather, and you're only wearing a tank top, perhaps if you're lucky some sweatpants and socks. You may be thinking as you read this, "Good joke …" Unfortunately, for thousands of children even in our Cincinnati area, this is the harsh reality that hits them even before they turn 18 years old. 1 a.m. Oct. 19, 2008: For many, this date and time has no significance. For 18 Wyoming High School students, this was about the time they were waking up sleeplessly for probably the hundredth Wyoming High School students prepare for a chilly night. Photo courtesy of Jeff Seibert. time at 35oF. Earlier that day these students rode the Metro kids. Five of SUFK's teenag- people have faced. Sweet encountered. The future can to Over-the-Rhine to deliver ers gave up their afternoons to 16th birthday? Not for many look very bleak to someone more than 160 pairs of jeans share their stories. homeless children -- they are who has not acquired a high and hundreds of T-shirts and The opening question of this so alienated from their fami- school diploma. tops that our community so article references the situation lies that such benchmarks in Shantytown participants collected for that some of their lives are frequently ig- took a brief tour of Over-theStand Up for these young nored. While many students Rhine. Each of the participants Can you imagine Kids (SUFK). people en- in Wyoming spend their time had been provided a bright yelwhat life would be They began dured, but and effort preparing for the fu- low and black T-shirt. As they their service- like if each meal were the answer ture by taking rigorous cours- walked through the area, evsuch a struggle? learning activto the ques- es and are involved in activi- ery person who passed the stuWhat if you were ity at the local tions don’t ties that enhance their college dents struck up a conversation headquarters of begin to resumes, many of the home- to find out what was going on. alone, trying to SUFK, an ord e s c r i b e less students’ academic skills Individuals in Over-the-Rhine survive as a single ganization that the level of are at the third- to fifth-grade thanked them for representing person? provides serh a r d s h i p level, due to the many and an invisible population in the United States. The walk ended with a visit to the small local Kroger store. Students were each given $1.04 to spend at the store and challenged to provide a filling evening meal for that amount of money – the amount of money allocated per meal per person under the federal food stamp program. Combining money together in groups seemed to be the only way of acquiring enough food for all. Can you imagine what life would be like if each meal were such a struggle? What if you were alone, trying to survive as a single person? There is only so much to buy with such a small voucher. Thirteen local high schools held Shantytowns the weekend of Oct. 18-19. Hundreds of students gave up a night or two to sleep in boxes and raise awareness. The next time you wake up in bed, take a few minutes to be thankful. Take some time to be grateful that you have the opportunity to participate in an extracurricular activity, get your high school diploma or even just to know you have dinner waiting for you at home. High school might seem hard, stressful and too much work, but it’s your outlet to success that some children in Cincinnati are not being provided. �16 Vendors Resource Guide STREETVIBES November 2008 Streetvibes vendors buy the paper for 25 cents and sell the paper for $1, keeping the money they have earned. The vendors can be identified with a white badge and can be found selling the paper in downtown Cincinnati, Clifton, Northern Kentucky and area churches. The money they earn helps them meet basic housing, food and health care needs. Not all vendors pictured. Josephine Baskerville Doris Binion Terry Ranson Anthony Williams Nell Williams Grady Cook Cleo Wombles James Davis Jon Darby Darryl Bennett Julie Walker Kenneth Stonitsch Antonio Hodge Leonard Jackson Samuel Jackson Riccardo Taylor Alfred Woolfolk Berta Lambert Mary Mueller Brandon Nelson Mark Shears Charles Cole Terrence Williams Raynard Jones Richard Tyree Need Help or Want to Help? Shelter: Women and Children Central Access Point...381-SAFE Cincinnati Union Bethel...768-6907 Bethany House...557-2873 Grace Place Catholic Worker House...681-2365 Salvation Army...762-5660 YWCA Battered Women’s Shelter...872-9259 Talbert House...684-7965 PATH Outreach...977-4489 Treatment: Women Resources First Step Home ...961-4663 Catholic Social Services...241-7745 Center for Independent Living Options...241-2600 Churches Active in Northside...591-2246 Emmanuel Community Center...241-2563 FreeStore/FoodBank...241-1064 Franciscan Haircuts from the Heart...381-0111 Goodwill industries...771-4800 Healing Connections...751-0600 Madisonville Education & Assistance Center...2715501 Mary Magdalen House...721-4811 People Working Cooperatively...351-7921 St. Vincent de Paul...562-8841 The Caring Place...631-1114 United Way...721-7900 Women Helping Women...977-5541 Treatment: Both City Gospel Mission...241-5525 Justice Watch...241-0490 St. Fran/St. Joe Catholic Worker House...381-4941 Mt. Airy Shelter...661-4620 AA Hotline...351-0422 CCAT ...381-6672 Joseph House ...241-2965 Hamilton County ADAS Board ...946-4888 Recovery Health Access Center ...281-7422 Sober Living ...681-0324 Talbert House...641-4300 Shelter: Both Advocacy Anthony House (Youth)...961-4080 Caracole (HIV/AIDS)...761-1480 Drop Inn Center...721-0643 Interfaith Hospitality Network...471-1100 Lighthouse Youth Center...221-3350 St. John’s Housing...651-6446 Appalachian Identity Center ...621-5991 Catholic Social Action ...421-3131 Community Action Agency ...569-1840 Contact Center...381-4242 Franciscan JPIC ...721-4700 Greater Cinci Coalition for the Homeless..421-7803 Intercommunity Justice and Peace Center...5798547 Legal Aid Society ...241-9400 Ohio Justice & Policy Center ...421-1108 Peaslee Neighborhood Center ...621-5514 Project Connect Homeless Kids ...363-3300 Stop AIDS...421-2437 Shelter: Men Housing: CMHA...721-4580 Excel Development...632-7149 OTR Community Housing...381-1171 Tender Mercies...721-8666 Tom Geiger House...961-4555 Dana Transitional Bridge Services Inc. ...751-0643 Volunteers of America...381-1954 Food Lord’s Pantry...621-5300 OTR/Walnut Hills Soup Kitchen & Pantry..961-1983 Our Daily Bread...621-6364 St. Francis Soup Kitchen...535-2719 Treatment: Men Charlie’s 3/4 House...784-1853 DIC Live In Program...721-0643 Prospect House...921-1613 Starting Over...961-2256 Health Center for Respite Care ...621-1868 Cincinnati Health Network ...961-0600 Crossroad Health Center ...381-2247 Hamilton county Mental Health Board...946-8600 Hamilton County TB Control ...946-7628 Health Resource Center ...357-4602 Homeless Mobile Health Van...352-2902 McMicken Dental Clinic...352-6363 Mental Health Access Point...558-8888 Mercy Franciscan at St. John...981-5800 NAMI of Hamilton County..458-6670 Oral Health Council...621-0248 Northern Kentucky Brighton Center...859-491-8303 ECHO/Hosea House...859-261-5857 Fairhaven Resuce Mission...859-491-1027 Homeward Bound Youth...859-581-1111 Mathews House...859-261-8009 NKY Homeless & Housing Coalition...859-727-0926 Parish Kitchen...859-581-7745 Pike St. Clinic...859-291-9321 Transitions, Inc...859-491-4435 Welcome House of NKY...859-431-8717 Women’s Crisis Center...859-491-3335 VA Domiciliary...859-559-5011 VA Homeless...859-572-6226 Hamilton/Middletown St. Raephaels...863-3184 Salvation Army...863-1445 Serenity House Day Center...422-8555 Open Door Pantry...868-3276 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource 2008 Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Original Format The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data Newspaper Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource November 2008 Subject The topic of the resource Homelessness Description An account of the resource Pg 1: Tarnished Grandeur Council Orders Plan for Single Homeless People Pg 2: The Vibe Pg 3: Eight Minutes with Myself Pg 4: Council Orders Continued Pg 5: Buddha Walks into a Bar Pg 6: Dennison Continued Pg 7: Dennison Continued Pg 8: Photographs and Artwork Pg 9: Changing the Conversation Pg 10: Short Goliath Dodges the Deadly Purse Arts & Poetry Pg 11: The New Powell Doctrine Pg 12: Renaissance at the NAACP Pg 13: Who’s Helping Whom? Pg 14: Street Smarts Pg 15: Generosity is Just the Start Pg 16: Resource Guide Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Streetvibes Archive Project Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Streetvibes Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource November 2008 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Gregory Flannery Margo Pierce Angela Pancella Michael Henson Stephanie Dunlap Larry Gross Steve Sunderland Alyssa Konermann Lew Moores Elizabeth Scheper Dede Stoops Meera Basu Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Anthony Williams Legal Aid Society Georgine Getty Lynne Ausman Joe Wessels Steve Novotni Steve Gibbs Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource PDF Alyssa Konermann Andrew Anderson Andrew Freeze Angela Pancella Anthony Williams Arts & Poetry Charity Christopher Smitherman Cincinnati city council civil rights Dede Stoops Dennison Hotel Elizabeth Scheper Georgine Getty Gregory Flannery Joe Wessels Larry Gross Legal Aid Society Lew Moores Lynne Ausman Margo Pierce Meera Basu Michael Henson Muslims NAACP Photography Powell Doctrine Shantytown SRO Stephanie Dunlap Steve Gibbs Steve Novotni Steve Sunderland Students