NEWS ROUND-UP -- FRIDAY LUNCH 16 DEC

by Michael Monks 

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SURVEY: COVINGTON'S HEALTH IS GOOD (OR AT LEAST NOT BAD)

A new survey from the Greater Cincinnati Health Foundation which profiled three urban neighborhoods (their words, not mine -- while Avondale and Price Hill are neighborhoods in Cincinnati, Covington happens to be a bonafide city) including Covington, shows some results that turn out to be unalarming. Of course, perfect health is desired, but considering the cloud of cigarette smoke that tends to hover above our beautiful city in addition to the high concentration of poverty, it would be a safe bet to consider Covington to be a heart attack waiting to happen. Turns out, it's not that bad:

HIGHLIGHTS:

4 out of 10 think they are in good or excellent health

3 out of 10 had 2 or more weeks of unhealthy days in past month

4 out of 10 are obese

7 out of 10 say their mouth and teeth are in good condition

3 out of 10 eat enough fruits & veggies every day

4 out of 10 get enough exercise

4 out of 10 have never smoked a cigarette

Here's some promising stats from the survey:

7 out of 10 believe the community will help when they're troubled

6 out of 10 say Covington gives them a secure feeling

6 out of 10 think Covingtonians can depend on each other

There is more with analysis at the link.

Greater Cincinnati Health Foundation via Cincinnati Enquirer.

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TREY GRAYSON WILL NOT SEEK DAVIS'S SEAT

The former Kentucky Secretary of State who now leads the Institute of Politics at Harvard Kennedy School is not planning to run for the newly open 4th District Congressional seat:

Congressman Geoff Davis has served as a strong and dedicated voice for the constituents in Kentucky's Fourth District over the past six years.  His leadership and convictions will be sorely missed in the U.S. House of Representatives when he retires. On a personal note, I appreciated all the advice and counsel he gave me over the years.  Nancy and I wish Geoff and his wife, Pat, many years of health and happiness to come with their family. Although many people have reached out to me tonight to inquire about my future plans, I am extremely fulfilled in my current position as the Director of the Institute of Politics at Harvard University, and more importantly, spending time with my family. At some point, I will return to my Kentucky home, but for now, I plan to remain in Boston and continue to serve in my position as Director.

So he's out.
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BUT A FORMER MCCONNELL STAFFER MAY BE IN
Ever heard of Hunter Bates? He's the former chief of staff to Senator Mitch McConnell and says he will pray on it:

“The most important thing in my life is my wife and three children,” Bates wrote in an e-mail response to a Roll Call inquiry about his potential candidacy. “We will prayerfully consider whether this is the right moment to re-enter the political arena.” Republicans expect a crowded and competitive primary for the likely GOP seat in northern Kentucky.
(snip)
Bluegrass State Republicans mentioned several other potential candidates in the wake of Davis’ announcement, including state Rep. Adam Koenig, state Sen. Damon Thayer, Campbell County businessman Kevin Sell, state Rep. Alecia Webb-Edgington, state Senate President Pro Tem Katie Kratz Stine and conservative blogger Marcus Carey.

Roll Call 

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HISTORIC ART TRAIL PROPOSED BY UK FOR NKY'S RIVERFRONT

Students at the University of Kentucky Department of Historic Preservation appeared in Ludlow to unveil plans for "Northern Kentucky Historic Art Spaces Trail". Fascinating stuff:

The studio is part of the UK/CoD ‘River Cities’ project, which has partnered with the development corporation Catalytic Development Funding Corporation; Vision 2015, a Northern Kentucky nonprofit; and Culture Now, a Suprastudio project organized by Thom Mayne at UCLA. Culture Now is an effort to understand the role of culture as an agent of change in America’s mid-sized struggling cities
The studio identified 47 historic buildings that are currently being used as art spaces in the necklace of historic river cities located south of Cincinnati on the Ohio River, including: Ludlow, Covington, Newport, Bellevue, Dayton and Fort Thomas.
After evaluating this information the students proposed a “Northern Kentucky Historic Art Spaces Trail.” Douglas Appler explains how this proposal would benefit the Northern Kentucky region: "The objective of the project is to change the way people think about Northern Kentucky, its arts community and its historic building stock. Viewed in isolation from each other, no single city featured in the proposal carries quite enough weight to make people think of Northern Kentucky as an arts hub, or as a center for creative activity. But when the cities are framed together as a group, it becomes clear that the region actually presents an unusually wide range of opportunities to experience the arts, and to do so in some fascinating historic spaces. But you only see that if you look at the region as a whole, rather than at its component parts."

The complex mix of social forces that allowed parts of these cities to retain so much of their historic fabric throughout the 20th century also left the region with commercial and residential building stock that is of high quality, that is affordable, and that is well suited to the needs of the growing segment of the population that is choosing to commit to an urban lifestyle.

Kentucky State Route 8 runs roughly parallel to the Ohio River, linking the cities and passing through some of their most historic neighborhoods. Current plans for the region continue this historical trend of connecting along the river in the form of the Riverfront Commons proposal, being developed by Southbank Partners and the Vision 2015 Catalytic Fund. This proposal would create a traffic-free cycling and pedestrian route along the banks of the Ohio, thereby improving connectivity among the region’s cities.The complex mix of social forces that allowed parts of these cities to retain so much of their historic fabric throughout the 20th century also left the region with commercial and residential building stock that is of high quality, that is affordable, and that is well suited to the needs of the growing segment of the population that is choosing to commit to an urban lifestyle.This region also has a surprisingly high number of organizations and businesses dedicated to the fine and performing arts. These run the gamut from large organizations and businesses with deep historical roots, such as the Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and the Madison Theater, to smaller, newer, businesses and organizations such as Sigra Gallery, The BLDG, or the Monmouth Theater. They also include instructional spaces such as Circus Mojo, the Baker Hunt Art Center and the Children’s Art Academy.To date UK College of Design has already initiated projects in two "river cities." In Henderson, the college has worked with the nonprofit, River City Renaissance, and with the city and county to redevelop HMPL#1 (Henderson Municipal Power and Light Plant No. 1), a retired coal fired power plant built in the late 1950s. And in Paducah, the college is currently working with the city, the city port authority, and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to speculate about future uses for the DOE's uranium enrichment facility in Paducah (the only one in the U.S.), which plans to halt operation in the next 10 years.

University of Kentucky (Read the whole thing)
Major hat-tip to Building Cincinnati

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GIVE TO THE ARTS AND THE CARNEGIE WILL MATCH

If you donate some money to help in-school arts studios, Covington's leading performing arts venue will match the donation:

Through power2give.org, The Carnegie is working to raise funding for its in-school arts workshops. Thanks to the generosity of the Kentucky Arts Council (KAC), donations made in support of The Carngie's in-school arts workshops will be eligible for a dollar for dollar matching gift from the KAC! 

Power 2 Give 
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BANGARANG'S TO OPEN IN OLD MAD HATTER SPACE THIS WEEKEND
I got a sneak peak of the new Bangarang's music venue -- and these guys have big plans for the space. It won't just be music -- wait till you taste these tacos and salsa!
The RC News: Tunes & Tacos: New Music Venue to Open With Bang

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TIME TO SHOOT SANDHILL CRANES THIS WEEKEND!
Get your guns out, folks!

Doesn't this look like fun to kill?

After being restricted from hunting lists, the birds are now fair game:

The hunting season lasts for 30 days, or until the 400 bird quota is reached. Rocky Pritchert is the migratory bird coordinator for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife. He says the sandhill crane population has drastically recovered in recent years.“The eastern population has done so well; its numbers have recovered tremendously over the years,” he said. “Our most recent population count, which was just conducted last November, came up with a population of 72,000. It’s just a tremendous wildlife success story.”

WFPL  
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WHAT PRESIDENT OBAMA WATCHES ON TELEVISION
As far as I'm concerned, the man has great taste in shows:

One of his top picks, he says, is the HBO Prohibition-era drama, “Boardwalk Empire.” The often uber violent series stars Steve Buscemi as the embattled and corrupt treasurer of Atlantic City, N.J.(snip)Obama also says he’s a fan of the Showtime’s “Homeland,” about a CIA officer investigating a U.S. Marine held captive by Al-Qaeda who could be a threat to national security.

If you think I was shill for President Obama before, you've seen nothing yet. Now that I know that we have the same favorite shows... it's on! He also likes to watch some shows with his family. Charming story at the link.
The Hill