The Enquirer

Jim Voyles, president of Team IP Events, is helping build sports tourism into big business for Owensboro, benefiting hotels and restaurants.

"This summer, we've booked 6,000 room-nights (for sporting events) at the Executive Inn alone, and it may go to 7,000 by the end of September," he said. "We're estimating 12,000 room-nights citywide. We're going to be well over $20 million."

Last year, sports tourism pumped an estimated $23 million into the local economy. All the activity is rekindling the debate about whether cities such as Owensboro should be allowed to levy a restaurant tax for tourism. The idea has been floated several times in the Kentucky General Assembly without success.

Hat wearers won't be ousted

The general manager of the new Cincinnati Mills straddling Forest Park and Fairfield apologized Sunday for any misunderstanding over the mall's code of conduct and said guards will enforce the code on behavior, not appearance. "We want to apologize that some members of the community felt singled out - that certainly wasn't our intent," said Jim Childress, general manager of the former Forest Fair Mall that reopened Aug. 19. A black Miami University student accused the mall of racism last week after guards confronted him for wearing a baseball cap tilted to the side. Childress said the mall's guards will focus on disruptive behavior or clothing with obscenities. He said patrons will be allowed to wear caps any way they want.

Vine St. rehab to be assessed

There will be a public meeting on the status of the Street Rehabilitation Program on Vine Street by City Council's Neighborhoods and Public Services Committee at 3 p.m. Tuesday at Cincinnati City Hall. The program was intended to improve several streets indowntown and Over-the-Rhine in 2004. Vine Street, from Central Parkway to McMicken Avenue, is on the list. Another topic will be a study that evaluated traffic flow before and after the 1999 conversion of Vine to a two-way street. Some concerns are increased travel time, increased congestion along Metro bus routes and drainage problems on some sidewalks.

Seven Hills receives $2M

Seven Hills School recently received $2 million from the Robert C. and Adele R. Schiff Foundation and from James and Elizabeth Schiff. The gift represents the largest donation ever made to the independent school, according to Head of School Sandra J. Theunick. James and Elizabeth Schiff are the parents of three sons at Seven Hills, and James is chairman of the board and president of the Corporation of The Seven Hills School. Seven Hills is an independent, nonsectarian, nonprofit, co-educational college preparatory school with 1,070 students on two campuses in Cincinnati.