Suzanne Mehl is convinced: “We all know what we want and we all know it will work. Absolutely no question.”

        “We” are the women of Crazy Ladies, a 22-year-old Northside bookstore specializing in literature on feminist and lesbian issues.

Mehl

        The store closed last week, unable to compete with the chains and the Internet, but will reopen this spring as the not-for-profit Greater Cincinnati Women's Resource Center (GCWRC).

        “It's going to work,” says Ms. Mehl, a 42-year-old Northside paralegal and a determined member of the steering committee that's overseeing the change. “It will work because people count on Crazy Ladies, whether they visit one day a week, one day a month or even one day a year. It's an atmosphere, a safe haven where you can sit alone in peace and quiet, or talk to like-minded people and be totally yourself.

        “It's the kind of place where you can walk in and even if you don't know a soul there, you will when you leave. But only if you want to.”

        When GCWRC opening day rolls around, Ms. Mehl says, it will be multi-use all the way.

        • There will be a small retail area selling books, gifts, cards and art.

        • Meeting rooms will be available to the entire community, women and men alike. “We're doing some of that already,” Ms. Mehl says. “This will be an expansion.”

        • Apartments on the top two floors of the four-story building. “We already have people asking when they can move in, even though renovation hasn't begun,” Ms. Mehl says.

        • A bank of computers and an instructor. “What I like about this aspect,” Ms. Mehl says, “is no matter how much you know, you can learn more. As much as I use it for work, I'll go to learn more. Knowledge for women means more independence for women.”

        • It will also house the Ohio Lesbian Archives, an extensive collection of books, papers and personal journals about and by women who have traveled the same path.

        Ms. Mehl knows that path. The mother of two and grandmother of one will soon celebrate her second anniversary with partner and WAIF talk show host Debra Randall.

        “Something I'm very committed to with GCWRC,” she says, “is getting young women involved. They're traveling a path paved by those who went before, and whether they know it or not, they could use our resources and benefit from our experiences.”

        Experiences like surviving harassment? “We've been lucky at the bookstore because it hasn't happened. Neighbor businesses, residents, they all want very much for us to stay.

        “But we had it at home after Debra and I bought our house. Notes on our cars, catcalls, that sort of thing. We were determined to ride it out and we did. The neighbors moved.”

        There goes the determination again.

        “I love Northside and I'm planning on staying forever. It's such a wonderfully diverse neighborhood — black, white, straight, gay, lesbian, rich, poor and just a few troublemakers. I never want to leave.”

        And that's a good thing, because the nine-member steering group has quite a job ahead.

        The first phase will require a $75,000 chunk of change they're trying to raise through benefits and direct mailings.

        So far, about 250 contributors have anted up $10,000 and there's another mailer going out soon. A January auction of “Not Needed Christmas Gifts” pulled in $2,000.

        “I know these are tough times for charities, but GCWRC is something that's needed. And so many people know that. We're finding that often, people who can't afford it are sending money anyway. Some just $10, but we're grateful for it.”

        The overall goal is $500,000 to endow and fund the operation, but no one expects it all to come from the Crazy Ladies constituency.

        “The rest of it we expect to come from grants. There are a lot of foundations out there that deal with feminist and lesbian issues.

        “The beauty of the steering committee is we have all kinds of specialists on it, including a grant writer. It's that kind of input that's going to put us over the top.”

        Ms. Mehl isn't sure of all the directions GCWRC will take once it's up and running. Definitely the computers, meeting facilities and all the rest, but she's pretty sure there'll be some surprises, too.

        “It depends on what the community wants. We had one meeting awhile back and asked people what they wanted. They said activities. In response to that, we started our First Fridays with singers, poets, tarot readers, that sort of thing.

        “But beyond that, who knows where we'll branch? We are open to new programs and to playing it by ear. If someone requests a class on self-protection, for example, we'll try to do it. The way we figure, if one person asks, there are probably 10 who are interested but didn't ask. That's who we want to serve. And will serve.”

        There goes that determination again.

        “What it comes down to is, when there's something you believe in, you just gotta do it. This is what I believe in.”

       For more information or to join the GCWRC mailing list, go to www.gcwrc.org.

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