CLEVELAND -- Declining attendance and revenue were the main reasons the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum lost $1.37 million last year, according to its first annual report.
The report shows revenues totaling $16.8 million in 1997, down 17 percent from the $20.3 million generated in 1996. Total expenses for the year were $18.2 million, compared with $16.4 million for 1996, said Don Tomoff, finance director for the hall.
"1996 was simply a huge year because the museum had just opened in 1995 and everyone wanted to see it," said Mr. Tomoff. "So some dropoff is expected."
The report said attendance fell from 867,000 in 1996 to 615,000 last year.
Development expert is keynote speaker
Gary Lawrence, an expert on sustainable development policies, will be the keynote speaker at a workshop from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday at Thomas More College, 333 Thomas More Parkway, Crestview Hills, Ky.
The workshop will focus on how the Greater Cincinnati region plans to balance its economic development, natural resources and quality of life. Citizens for Civic Renewal, the Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Regional Council of Governments and the Greater Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce are sponsoring the event.
Cost: $25. For more information, call the Hamilton County Environmental Priorities Project (HCEPP) at 221-8853.
Woman indicted in death of her 2-month-old son
A Winton Hills woman was indicted on charges of involuntary manslaughter Wednesday for allegedly suffocating her 2-month-old son.
April Parson, 20, is accused of smothering one of her twin boys Oct. 4 because the child would not stop crying. She also faces two counts of endangering children.
Her son, Donovan Parson, was found dead after police responded to a 911 call from Ms. Parson.
Her attorney has said she has a history of mental illness.
Northside street closed after peroxide spill
A truck dropped two, one-gallon drums of organic peroxide Wednesday afternoon on Elmore Street in Northside, spilling the chemical and blocking traffic for two hours.
Firefighters described the accident as minor -- about a gallon spilled after a car rolled over one of the drums -- and said it posed no serious threat to the public.
But the organic peroxide, which is combustible and harmful when inhaled or exposed to the skin, kept the Cincinnati Fire Division's firefighters and hazardous-materials unit busy for most of the afternoon.
"Luckily it was a small amount that was spilled so it caused very little problem," Cincinnati District Fire Chief Glenn Coleman said. "But if it would have been a larger spill we may have been looking at evacuating a pretty large area."
The accident happened at about 11:40 a.m., Chief Coleman said. Firefighters used a special emulsifying agent to break down the chemical.
The driver of the truck left the scene before firefighters arrived. No injuries were reported.
Some streets closed for weekend events
On Saturday and Sunday, several downtown streets will be closed for special events:
From 7 a.m. Saturday to 1 a.m. Sunday, 12th Street between Walnut and Main streets, and Clay Street between 13th Street and Central Parkway will be closed for the Over-the-Rhine Microbrewery Extravaganza.
On Sunday from 7 to 11 a.m., Fifth Street between Vine Street and Columbia Parkway, Columbia Parkway between Fifth Street and William Howard Taft Road, and Kemper Lane between Francis and Eastern avenues will be closed for the Avon Running Cincinnati Race.
