BY JANET C. WETZEL
The Cincinnati Enquirer
MIDDLETOWN -- City officials think the opening of the Breiel Boulevard extension is cause for celebration -- so they're bringing out dessert.
The centerpiece of the celebration is "Dessert on the Driveway," where people will be eating cake, cookies and other desserts. There also will be a parade and the cutting of a 31-yard ribbon for the $5 million extension linking the eastern portion of Middletown Ohio 73 near Franklin.
And after the eating on the driveway, there will be a concert and dancing in the street.
Festivities will begin 5:45 p.m. Thursday when the Riverboat Rascals, a Dixieland band, begins playing, and end at 8 p.m. The rain date is Sept. 22.
Local historians say there's not such been such a public party to celebrate the opening of a street in the Middletown area since the Nelbar Street underpass opened in the 1940s, said Ann Mort, event manager.
"Tom Blake, who served on city commission at three different times when the Breiel extension was a major issue, will be master of ceremonies for the opening festivities," Ms. Mort said. "How fitting that will be."
Plans for the highway began 35 years ago. The four-lane, divided road, a nearly one-mile extension of the city's thoroughfare system, begins where Breiel ended near Riverview Avenue. It travels across previously undeveloped land to Ohio 73, which leads to Interstate 75 and to several northern Warren County communities, including Franklin and Springboro.
City Engineer Andy Braun said the grand opening is a "historic event." As a summer engineering intern in the city about 11 years ago, one of his first jobs was helping design the Breiel extension. The parade starts at 6 p.m. and will travel from Riverview Avenue to the new Miller Road intersection. Parade units will assemble in the Breiel Boulevard Church of God parking lot, on the corner of Breiel Boulevard and Riverview Avenue.
The parade will include Middletown and Fenwick high school bands, police and fire department units, a local family of clowns, area Cub Scouts and Brownies, people in antique cars and senior citizen groups.
The celebration is open to the public. Children on bicycles, skates and skateboards are welcome, along with political candidates, floats or other parade units.
To reserve a spot call Ms.Mort at 424-2038.
A shuttle bus will transport people back to the church parking lot until 8:30 p.m.
