Local union workers will get a chance in June to cheer a politician who has championed their cause when presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich visits downtown.

Kucinich, the former Cleveland mayor who attracted a populist following - but not many votes - during the Democratic primary campaign, will speak at the Cincinnati AFL-CIO's annual political dinner June 19 at the Westin Hotel. "He'll be among friends," executive secretary-treasurer Dan Radford said.

Past speakers at the dinner include former Democratic Senators John Glenn and Howard Metzenbaum, and former Cincinnati Mayor Jerry Springer.

The bigger battle

Construction already has started on the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Eastgate. But a different battle over the store is playing out not there, but in the Clermont County Courthouse.

That's where Supervalu, owner of the neighboring Bigg's store, is suing Wal-Mart Stores and Union Township for allegedly skirting zoning rules in planning the new store. The complaints charge, among other things, that Wal-Mart met in secret with Union Township officials to change its plan to meet zoning rules.

"If Wal-Mart had followed the law, they should have tried to obtain a variance," said Jane Garfinkel, lawyer for Supervalu. "The crux of the case is a property owner's right to a public hearing before decisions are made."

Union Township Law Director Larry Barbiere disagreed.

"There was no conspiracy, and there were no secret meetings," he said.

And this from Wal-Mart's lawyer Joe Trauth: "It's almost as if Supervalu will do anything to prevent competition."

The proposed Wal-Mart Supercenter is one of more than half a dozen the retail goliath is planning to ring the region.

Get the info

After printing one edition of its Cincy Business magazine, Great Lakes Publishing is replicating another of its programs elsewhere in Ohio with Cincy Entrepreneur.

The program will try to tie together local small-business and economic-development groups, and to provide better access to their services through a new Web site. The program will include events and networking as part of a marketing package.

The company isn't counting on it for profits, said Eric Harmon, publisher of Cincy Business and director of Cincy Entrepreneur.

"What we've done is fill the need for a source of information," he said.

E-mail cpeale@enquirer.com