BY The Cincinnati Enquirer
The group pushing to build a new Reds ballpark at Broadway Commons will sponsor a contest to encourage children and adults to think about a riverfront without baseball.
Busken Bakeries in Hamilton County will have forms for children and adults to write, in 100 words or less, what kind of parks they want on the riverfront, said Broadway campaign manager Melisa Rottinghaus.
Entrants will be encouraged to draw the parks, too. Each will get a free cookie when they turn in a form at any Hamilton County Busken location, said Steve Snowden, Busken's chief operating officer. Prizes will be offered to two winners in each age division -- 8 and under, 9 to 12 and 13 to adult, Mrs. Rottinghaus said.
The Broadway group will kick off the contest at an event Tuesday for Kids Voting.
The group is urging Hamilton County voters to vote yes on Issue 11, which aims to create a county charter to build a Reds ballpark at Broadway and Reading Road instead of the riverfront site known as Baseball on Main or the "Wedge."
GOP salutes Glenn: The Ohio Republican Party's Executive and Central Committees paid tribute Friday to a Democrat: U.S. Sen. John Glenn of Ohio, who is retiring and heading back into space. "Anybody who fights us off for that long deserves to be commended," quipped GOP spokesman Gary Abernathy.
Mental health levy backed: The Most Rev. Daniel E. Pilarczyk, archbishop of Cincinnati, has endorsed the Hamilton County Community Mental Health Board's property tax levy on the Nov. 3 ballot.
The archbishop said: "I believe (the levy) represents an important cause. Every society needs to take care of its most vulnerable, and I believe that this levy addresses some of the most vulnerable persons in our society. I plan to vote for the levy, and I encourage others to do likewise."
The levy replaces one that expires this year and represents a 35 percent increase, collecting $27.1 million annually. The board distributes the money to more than 30 agencies which serve about 18,000 adults and children each year who could not otherwise afford the care.
If it passes, taxes on a $100,000 home will rise from $32 a year to $46.
The Campaign Notebook is compiled by staff of The Cincinnati Enquirer and runs Tuesday-Saturday.
