syndicated – Cincy Link

These experts offer advice on their top Kentucky Derby picks, long shots & horses to avoid

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:44 +0000

Handicappers Ed DeRosa, Sara Elbadwi, and David Levitch offer their tips for Kentucky Derby 2022 betting at the annual Better Derby Betting event.

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When is the Kentucky Derby 2022? Dates, times, betting, tickets, more

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:40 +0000

Horses, bourbon and hats: this year's Run for the Roses is almost here. The 2022 Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve, which will be the 148th run of the annual race, takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, on May 7.

If you're planning on watching, attending or celebrating "the most exciting two minutes in sports," read on below for dates, events, ticket information and more.

What is the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby is a top rank, Grade l stakes race for 3-year-old thoroughbred horses and the first leg of the American Triple Crown. A total of 20 horses, all of which qualified by earning points in the 2021/2022 Road to the Kentucky Derby worldwide race series, will compete.

The 1¼ mile race runs on the dirt track at Churchill Downs, where it has been held every year since its inception in 1875. According to the Kentucky Derby website, an estimated 155,000 people typically attend the race each year. The winning purse for 2022 is $3 million.

When is the Kentucky Derby?

The 2022 Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 7, in Louisville, Kentucky, with a post time scheduled for 6:57 p.m.

The race is typically scheduled for the first Saturday of each May. However, in 2020, it was postponed to September due to the pandemic.

Kentucky Derby Week, which includes traditions like Dawn at the Downs (May 1-2), starts Saturday, April 30, with Opening Night and continues through May 5.

The Kentucky Oaks, the race for female horses, is held one day before the Kentucky Derby on May 6.

Find the hour-by-hour Derby Day schedule at kentuckyderby.com/visit/derby-week/derby-day-schedule.

Where can I buy tickets for the Kentucky Derby?

Tickets for the Kentucky Derby 2022 and other celebratory events leading up to the race can be purchased online at kentuckyderby.com/tickets.

Why do people wear hats to the Kentucky Derby?

Fashion has been as much a part of the Kentucky Derby as the race itself since its inception. According to the Kentucky Derby website, Col. Meriwether Lewis Clark Jr., who founded the Louisville Jockey Club and organized the building of Churchill Downs, envisioned the Kentucky Derby as a high-end affair after attending racing events in Europe. Women's hats became the focal point of their outfits in the 1960s and extravagant fashion for both men and women at the Derby has only grown from there.

How can I watch the Kentucky Derby?

The Kentucky Derby 2022 coverage will air on May 7 from noon to 2:30 p.m. on USA Network and from 2:30 to 7:30 p.m. on NBC. You can also stream the race live on NBCSports.com, the NBC Sports app and Peacock.

How can I place bets on horses at the Kentucky Derby?

Even if you're not going to attend the Kentucky Derby, there are still a few ways to make wagers.

For a local option, Belterra Park on Kellogg Road is offering drive-thru wagering this year. Bets can be placed with cash only for the Kentucky Oaks on Friday, May 6, between noon and 6 p.m., and for the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, May 7 between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Bets can also be placed at Miami Valley Gaming in Lebanon. Find the casino's step-by-step instructions on wagering at miamivalleygaming.com/racing/wagering-101/.

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GALLERY: San Diego Padres at Cincinnati Reds, April 28

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:31 +0000

The Cincinnati Reds hosted the San Diego Padres at Great American Ball Park on Thursday, April 28.

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Marathon community honors friend who died in March

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:24 +0000

Friends of Denny Rahtz who run the Flying Pig Marathon Sunday will have a special moment when they run through the intersection of Fourth and Scott streets in Covington.

Rahtz died at that intersection March 10 when he was struck by a vehicle during a run. Rahtz, 38, had run the Flying Pig five times and was training to run in the Boston Marathon April 18 for the first time.

The Boston Marathon is very difficult to qualify for and a bucket-list goal for any serious marathon runner. Runners need to meet a fast time standard but that doesn’t guarantee they will get an open spot.

More:Everything you need to know to get ready for the Flying Pig Marathon, Paycor Half Marathon

More:What will the weather be like for the Flying Pig this weekend? See forecasts here.

“It was really important,” said Rob Byrd, a close friend of Rahtz’s. “He was really proud of it. It’s an accomplishment no one can really take away from you. This was the first time he was able to get in. He was super excited.”

Rahtz and Byrd were friends and both lived in College Hill, where they would run a lot together.

“The day before the accident, he was fighting a couple of injuries,” Byrd said. “I asked him about his injuries. He said ‘It magically healed today.’ Forty days until Boston and he was super excited.”

Rahtz was a decorated marathon runner. His best time was 2 hours, 58.35 seconds in Carmel, Indiana, in 2021. He ran 3:08.22 at the 2021 Flying Pig in October.

Rahtz was likely not going to run the Pig after going to Boston, but Flying Pig day was one of his favorites.

He worked at General Electric, where there is a large running community. A couple of employees did run in Boston.

“Anytime you talked to him, he asked about you,” said Alex Gold, a coworker at GE. “He never liked to talk about himself. I don’t think anyone could make a better impact on the people around him than he did.”

More:'It just hooked me in': David Miller eyes first full marathon at 2022 Flying Pig

More:'It's been inspiring to see the doors open.' Black runners group to convene at Flying Pig

Byrd said Denny was always super positive

“He was passionate about running. He was always a good friend to talk to. Super positive, upbeat. He never complained much. He was always a good friend and a good listener. We had kids the same age, the same school. The main thing is we both loved running and it was good to have a good friend,” he said.

Byrd said he doesn’t have the strength to go to the accident site yet. The Fourth and Scott intersection is a busy thoroughfare and dangerous for any pedestrian.

“He was running on the sidewalk,” Gold said. “When something like this happens, there’s a tendency for people to think ‘He was doing this or that. This won’t happen to me.’ But with this situation, there’s no way you could say that. He couldn’t prevent it.”

Gold said the fear of being struck by a vehicle is always on runners’ minds.

“It’s really horrible,” he said. “We all had the mentality that it could have been anyone. He was just out for a run on the sidewalk. It was a horrible thing for him and his family. Sometimes you forget that this could just happen.”

Rahtz’s friends are trying to set up a memorial for him during the Pig, at or near the site of the accident. Those plans had not been finalized as of Thursday morning.

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Why Cincinnati’s MadTree Brewing jumped into hard seltzer game

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:22 +0000

It's been a busy few months for MadTree Brewing.

One of Cincinnati's most successful craft beer breweries has taken on challenges like never before – opening its first full-service restaurant and jumping into the hard seltzer game.

MadTree marketing manager Trevor Self joined The Enquirer's "That's So Cincinnati" podcast to offer a behind-the-scenes look at why the Oakley-based company decided to open Alcove restaurant in Over-the-Rhine and launch a line of vodka soda called "Sway."

MadTree, founded in 2013, held off on branching out beyond beer making, even as competitors started making seltzers and hard lemonades. Find out how MadTree expects "Sway" to expand its popular brand.

Listen to "That's So Cincinnati" for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Media and other podcast platforms.

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Ohio election 2022: Voter guide

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:18:20 +0000

Are you ready to vote in Ohio's May 3 primary?

Use our statewide voter guide to help you make your choices.

Ohioans will be choosing party nominees for governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, and a host of other state and county offices. Primaries for state legislative races will be held later.

Just type in your address and let the guide do the rest.

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Dora proposed for Fairfield’s Village Green

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:15:51 +0000

FAIRFIELD – A designated outdoor refreshment area could be coming to Fairfield’s Village Green this summer.

It would be the city’s first foray into the popular venue that suspends the open container laws for adult beverages in a specified area during certain hours that would be set by the city.

“They’re all over … very prevalent throughout the state of Ohio,’’ said Scott Timmer, Fairfield’s city manager.

In Butler County, Doras are in place in Hamilton, Middletown, Oxford and at Liberty Center in Liberty Township.

Where would the Fairfield Dora be?

In Fairfield, the proposed Dora would be 27 acres in the city core that includes the Village Green, nearby commercial, and at the request of council members, the Applebee’s restaurant.

More:Be a Dora explorer with this map of outdoor drinking districts Depending on the response of the public, it could be expanded at a later date to include Riegart Square, Kroger, or other areas, Timmer said.

Based on Fairfield’s size it would be allowed up to three separate Dora’s, Timmer said.

To establish a Dora in Fairfield, there must be at least two establishments with liquor permits in the Dora, Timmer said. Beverages would have to be sold in a marked cup.

Individual businesses could decide whether or not to allow the beverages in their establishments.

Within the proposed boundaries there are several permit holders, including Applebee’s, Berd’s Grill and Bar, the Community Arts Center, Richard’s Pizza and LaPinata.

Dora plan has support from council and law enforcement

Of the businesses contacted so far in the proposed area, none have opposed the idea, said Greg Kathman, the city’s director of development services.

The city has received positive feedback from Nick Grammas, owner of the Village Green shopping center and three other businesses on the proposed Dora, Kathman said.

Benefits to having a Dora could include increased attendance at city events, programming, or festivals and increased use of Village Green Park as well as increased visitors to nearby restaurants and other businesses, Timmer and Kathman said.

Police Chief Stephen Maynard said he has talked with other police chiefs in communities with Doras and said he doesn’t think a Dora would encourage drunk or disorderly behavior.

“I don’t believe this going to be problematic,’’ the chief said. “If it becomes a big problem, all we do is pull the plug.”

Neighbors of the proposed Dora will have a chance to weigh in

Councilman Tim Abbott suggested the city contact residents in the neighborhood surrounding the green for their input but was in favor of the move.

“I think we should test the waters and see if it will work.”

As required by law, Timmer will prepare the required paperwork, including maps along with plans for public safety and health.

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Cincinnati Bengals pick up Jonah Williams’ 5th-year option

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:15:45 +0000

The Cincinnati Bengals picked up starting left tackle Jonah Williams’ fifth-year option, the team announced Friday afternoon.

The Bengals drafted Williams, 24, in the 2019 first round. The deadline to pick up the fifth-year option on players drafted in the first round in his draft class is May 2. Every player selected in the first round of the NFL draft automatically gets a fifth year added to his contract and the team has the option to exercise that fifth year.

A team picking up the fifth-year option is often viewed as the barometer for draft success.

Bengals:Doc's Morning Line: Cincinnati Bengals are sitting pretty in tonight's NFL Draft

NFL Draft:Here are the best players the Cincinnati Bengals can get in round two of the NFL Draft

Williams has started 26 regular-season games for the Bengals and four postseason games since arriving in Cincinnati. The Bengals selected Williams with the No. 11 overall pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of the University of Alabama. He was expected to start in his first season but suffered a torn labrum during organized team activities (OTAs) in his rookie season and missed his first season in the NFL.

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Announcing the 2021-22 Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky High School Winter All-Stars

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:15:40 +0000

Greater Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky/Southeast Indiana winter high school sports all-stars are announced.

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UC Graduates over 7,000 over two days

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:15:38 +0000

UC graduated a record 7,080 graduates for 2022 over two days.

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Ohio U.S. Rep. Steve Chabot wins primary before polls open. Republican opponent drops out.

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:10:34 +0000

His opponent in the Republican Primary, Indian Hill resident Jenn Giroux, dropped out of the race April 25.

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Jason Williams: Why J.D. Vance will win Ohio's GOP U.S. Senate primary. One hint: Trump

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:10:32 +0000

Cincinnati.com columnist Jason Williams makes his prediction on Ohio's GOP U.S. Senate primary ahead of Tuesday's election.

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Why the Bengals took Cam Taylor-Britt and Zach Carter in NFL Draft

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:10:16 +0000

After the Cincinnati Bengals built a young and well-rounded roster, they had the luxury to adjust their strategy for the 2022 NFL Draft.

In 2019, the Cincinnati Bengals needed a starting left tackle and a starting linebacker, so they added Jonah Williams and Germaine Pratt. In 2020, the Bengals drafted Joe Burrow, Tee Higgins and Logan Wilson to start. In 2021, the Bengals did the same thing with Ja’Marr Chase.

Since the Bengals addressed the offensive line so aggressively in free agency, they entered the 2022 NFL Draft without a critical need at any of their starting positions. As a result, the Bengals were able to draft with a different approach.

More:Bengals have 'a vision' for versatile safety Daxton Hill

“Maybe you go into the draft sometimes feeling that pressure to find a starter,” Bengals head coach Zac Taylor said. “We feel like now we can get the right players at the right positions who can come in here and compete to start, compete to play a solid role, compete for the future.”

Bengals trade up for Cam Taylor-Britt and Zach Carter

On Friday, the Bengals traded up in the second round for Nebraska cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt and then selected Florida defensive tackle Zach Carter in the third round. One day after drafting safety Dax Hill –– who will play a versatile hybrid role in 2022 before stepping into a long-term starting role -– the Bengals added two more defensive players who support their vision for the present and the future.

The Bengals now have two distinct waves of players on their defense. There’s the veteran core of starters, including Trey Hendrickson, Sam Hubbard, Chidobe Awuzie, Mike Hilton and Jessie Bates III. And there’s the new core of young players, including defensive end Joseph Ossai, linebacker Logan Wilson and the Bengals’ three new rookies.

With Hill, Taylor-Britt and Carter, the Bengals added three players who are positioned to contribute in 2022 alongside the Bengals’ veterans and then compete for featured roles for the future.

More:Here's why Bengals first round pick Daxton Hill adds brand new possibilities to the defense

“A coach’s best friend is competition,” Bengals defensive coordinator Lou Anarumo said. “We’ve got some guys that are slotted that played a lot of good football for us. These (rookies) will come in and support those guys, and we’ll see how it goes from there. They’re going to provide good depth for us for sure.”

The Bengals have prioritized depth in the secondary since Taylor and Anarumo joined the coaching staff. Trae Waynes was the Bengals No. 2 cornerback behind William Jackson III when he signed in 2020.

In 2021, the Bengals spread money between Awuzie and Hilton in free agency to add even more depth, and they brought in a former starter in Eli Apple to come off the bench.

Before Friday, though, the Bengals had only used one seventh-round pick since 2019 on the defensive backfield. In 2022, they built for the present and the future in the secondary by drafting Hill and then Taylor-Britt on Friday. Behind Awuzie and Hilton, the Bengals now have developmental pieces with the experience to contribute as role players from Week 1 of the 2022 season.

More:2022 NFL Draft: Cincinnati Bengals draft cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt in second round

Taylor-Britt’s speed, length and man-to-man skills make him an NFL-ready prospect in the eyes of the Bengals’ coaching staff. The Bengals entered the draft needing another cornerback who could compete for a starting role, and they traded up to be a player who fits that vision.

“We want guys who are able to play man-to-man, because when it comes right down to it, when the rubber hits the road, they have to be able to guard a receiver and stop them from catching the ball,” Anarumo said. “He has proven he can do that.”

If Apple beats Taylor-Britt in the training camp competition, Taylor said he would still expect Taylor-Britt to have a role in 2022. The Bengals played against multiple secondaries last season that were decimated with injuries and had to call up players from the bench and even from the practice squad.

Coming off the bench, the Bengals would have a second-round pick in Taylor-Britt as well as Tre Flowers, who was a four-year starter at the position with the Seattle Seahawks.

“As a 17-game season goes on, and you go into the playoffs, that depth is critical,” Taylor said. “We play so many different things where there’s going to be six — sometimes seven (defensive backs) — out on the field at one time,” Anarumo added. “No other position on the field, offense or defense, is going to do that. It’s just so critical to have depth there, for sure in today’s NFL.”

Beyond this season, Awuzie and Hilton are the only cornerbacks that the Bengals have under contract. The Bengals made a more aggressive move than they usually do in the draft by trading up for Taylor-Britt, which demonstrated their confidence in him becoming a long-term starter.

Bengals looking for Carter to strike a balance

“What we didn’t want to do is say that we were going to take a corner, and then take one that we don’t feel good about and cross our fingers that he pans out,” Taylor said. “We felt good about this one, and he fit a need for us as well.”

The Bengals are looking for Carter to strike a similar balance between short-term production and long-term opportunity.

Anarumo stressed Carter’s production level as a pass rusher playing in the SEC in Florida. Carter has experience pressuring the quarterback at a high level, and the Bengals have snaps up for grabs for a player who can do that.

The Bengals often use five defensive lineman fronts, and Anarumo also looks for pure pass rushers who can slide to the interior and rush past an offensive guard on passing downs.

Carter played that role at Florida, and he could do the same for the 2022 Bengals.

“It’s the way he got to the quarterback,” Anarumo said. “We value that over everything when you’re looking at guys like that. Again, when you’re doing it in the SEC, you’re doing it at the highest level. He has shown he can do it.”

More:2022 NFL Draft: Bengals draft defensive end Zach Carter in third round

The Bengals recently signed defensive tackle B.J. Hill to a contract extension, but the Bengals didn’t have another interior pass rush specialist on the roster. Carter has an opportunity to fill that role and continue to earn more snaps with his production.

“We feel very good, especially with this last pick,” Taylor said. “We walked out of there feeling like, ‘OK, we accomplished not only value with the right players.’ They hit some spots that we knew we needed some depth. We weren’t going to reach for guys, so some guys that we felt good about were there and (we) took them. And so, you walk away feeling like you’ve hit some needs and found the right value. I think it has been a successful two days for us.”

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Police identify 22-year-old killed in wrong-way crash on I-71 South

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:10:07 +0000

A woman was killed early Saturday morning in a wrong-way crash on I-71, according to Cincinnati Police.

The crash happened around 2:00 a.m. near the Martin Luther King Drive Exit.

Police said Shyanne Dale, 22, was driving a 2015 Kia Optima headed north on the southbound lanes of I-71 when she crashed into a semi-truck.

The 22-year-old sustained fatal injuries in the crash and was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.

A front-seat passenger in the Kida Optima, a 23-year-old male, sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the crash and was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he is listed in stable condition.

The driver of the semi-truck was not injured, police said.

Investigators said Dale was not wearing a seatbelt in the crash. The passenger in the Kia and the semi-truck driver were wearing seatbelts.

Excessive speed does not appear to be a factor in this crash. Investigators have not yet determined if Impairment was a factor in the crash.

Any witnesses to this crash are asked to contact the Cincinnati Police Department’s Traffic Unit at 513-352-2514.

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JD Vance speaks at the West Chester Meet & Greet at Lori's Roadhouse

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:10:05 +0000

Trump endorsed US Senate candidate JD Vance speaks at the West Chester Meet & Greet at LoriÕs Roadhouse with Marjorie Taylor Greene and Matt Gaetz on Saturday, April 30, 2022.

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Ohio school district won’t allow Diversity Day during school hours

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:00:39 +0000

The Forest Hills School District board of education voted to ban Turpin High School's Diversity Day from occurring during school hours or through school or taxpayer resources during a special meeting Sunday afternoon.

The voluntary event was originally scheduled for early April but postponed on short notice to allow for further "parent review," district officials said. After some adjustments, administrators announced last week that the event would be rescheduled for May 18.

Turpin, located in Anderson Township, serves more than 1,000 students in the Forest Hills School District. According to U.S. News & World Report, more than 90% of Turpin students are white.

Sunday's motion to postpone Diversity Day again, made by newly elected board member Bob Bibb, passed 4-0. Board member Leslie Rasmussen refused to vote.

During the meeting, Rasmussen said the board's previous postponement for Diversity Day was made because other board members said they were concerned about the "process" by which the event was formed. The event has been held for more than five years at the suburban Cincinnati high school.

"You all lied," Rasmussen said during the meeting. It wasn't a matter of "process," she said, but content.

Diversity Day is 'political and indoctrination'

Racial Diversity Awareness Day at Turpin traditionally includes a series of activities, discussions, video clips and breakout sessions with guest speakers that focus on history, the criminal justice system and empathy, according to the event's permission slip.

This year the event was scheduled to included guest speakers from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, Back2Back Ministries Cincinnati and Cincinnati's Citizen Complaint Authority.

School board president Linda Hausfeld read from parent emails during Sunday's board meeting. Community members were upset about Diversity Day, she said, because some teachers were offering students extra credit for attendance. Others wrote they did not want taxpayer dollars to support curriculums related to critical race theory, which four of the newly elected board members ran against in November.

"Voters made it very clear in the November election that we do not want to fund social justice and political programming that is inherently divisive," Hausfeld read from one community member's message.

Another letter, which Hausfeld said came from a Black parent in the school district, reads: "Maybe their hearts are in the right place, and I respect that, but the implementation is completely off-base, biased and offensive.

"If my multicultural children were eligible for this event, I would opt out," Hausfeld read from the parent's email.

One of the activities planned for Diversity Day, entitled Step to the Line, included asking students to answer anonymously to questions such as:

Have you ever been embarrassed or ashamed of your clothes, your house, or your family when growing up?
Was your grade school made up of people you felt were like yourself?
When you go to the doctor, is the doctor the same race as you?
Have you ever felt uncomfortable or angry about a remark or joke because of your race, ethnicity, age or class?

"To me, I don't understand how this is the business of students, staff or leaders in this exercise," board member Sara Jonas said. "How is this not political and indoctrination to the students?"

Katie Stewart, another new board member, said she called Sunday's meeting because she wanted to discuss a way to include Anderson High School students in Diversity Day. She suggested having the event after school or over the weekend.

"It is May," superintendent Scot Prebles said.

At this point, he said, it might be difficult for the high schools to come together to plan an event that works with both of their schedules before the end of the school year.

According to the district calendar, Forest Hills students' last day is May 27.

Superintendent 'let all of us down today'

After the meeting, Forest Hills parent Jessica Cunningham was emotional. Her oldest child is in sixth grade, she said, and will go to Turpin High School eventually.

Cunningham said she was "very disappointed" with superintendent Prebles during Sunday's meeting. Prebles is leaving the district for another superintendent position in the Cleveland area next school year.

"I feel like he let all of us down today," she said. "And I have seen him fight. I have seen him try so hard and to see him, like(...) back down like this. He's leaving. He doesn't care."

"But we're staying and our kids are staying and our kids have to grow up in this culture," another parent, Lindy DeMaria, said.

DeMaria said her children will funnel into Turpin High School. She's also an educator at Archbishop Moeller High School.

Once these kind of events go away or are limited, DeMaria said, they are difficult to bring back. She also said switching the event to an after-school or weekend activity will limit its reach. Some kids work, have extracurriculars or can't get transportation, she said.

"Diversity is not a controversial word," DeMaria said. "And learning about somebody else's experience is not controversial."

The motion passed by the board Sunday states Turpin's Diversity Day "shall not proceed during school hours" and "shall not be conducted or further organized during school hours or through the use of school or taxpayer resources." It is unclear if the event will be rescheduled for another time outside of the school day.

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GALLERY: 101-loss 1982 Cincinnati Reds

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:00:37 +0000

A look back at the 1982 Cincinnati Reds, who lost a franchise-record 101 games.

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Could this be where a new Cincinnati arena goes?

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:00:22 +0000

Talk of a new Cincinnati arena is growing, but where it would be and who would pay for it is still up in the air.

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Empty toy box paid off big time for Kenner

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:00:13 +0000

In honor of Star Wars Day on May 4, we're republishing this story from 2017.

He had one thing on his Christmas wish list.

Star Wars. Star Wars "anything," to be exact.

And on the morning of Dec. 25, 1977, Matthew Fox unwrapped more than what he wanted. He got Star Wars everything.

Forty years ago, a Star Wars Christmas mostly meant jigsaw puzzles and a board game. But there was one other thing under Matthew's tree that year. Something the world had never quite seen before and would never quite see again.

But it had to do with Star Wars, so it was there, for 6-year-old Matthew to open in his Dearborn, Michigan, home that morning.

It was an envelope, the size of a typical board game, emblazoned with these words in technicolor: "Early Bird Certificate Package."

It was an IOU from Kenner's headquarters in Cincinnati – printed half a million times over or so – that once the company's Star Wars toys were ready, a tiny, plastic Chewbacca, Luke, Princess Leia and a robot called "Artoo-Detoo" would arrive in your mailbox, before anybody else on the block.

It was something. But what?

For Matthew, the early bird certificate was just a piece of paper. A piece of paper he couldn't play with. At least he could do something with the puzzles, he thought.

For the top brass at Kenner, however, that early bird certificate was the only thing they could conceive in time for Christmas '77, which fell – to the day – seven months after some space opera called "Star Wars" debuted.

Christmas '77 also came just about eight months after Kenner president Bernie Loomis shook hands with an up-and-coming director named George Lucas and bought the rights to make what would soon – and still – be one of the most successful toy lines of all time.

That success, however, came way too soon and almost no one, not even Lucas, saw it coming. Even today, a few months is not enough time to design and manufacturer new toys.

So Kenner folks did something daring. Unheard of. Now, it almost seems unthinkable.

It sold a promise.

Here's the strangest thing of all: The certificate, that gutsy gamble, paid off big time, elevating Kenner, the people who worked there and the city they all called home.

Maybe it was luck. Maybe it was moxie. Maybe it was the right place, right people, right time. Maybe it was that Cincinnati toymakers knew people and how they play better than anybody else on the planet back then.

But one thing is certain. Forty years and eight "Star Wars" films later, that idea is still working.

Risky business

This early bird certificate was actually just a gamble within a gamble, one little risk within the great big risk that was Star Wars. But the Kenner people saw something that no one else in their industry did.

They almost didn't get the chance. See, there is a reason they didn't secure the licensing rights for Star Wars until the month before the sci-fi flick hit the silver screen. They were the very last company director George Lucas and distributor 20th Century Fox approached.

Top toymakers like Mattel passed. Politely. "It was greeted with a seated ovation," joked Pete Kelly, head of sales for Kenner at the time.

It's said that the Mego representative literally pushed the Star Wars folks out the door at Toy Fair in New York City that February. This Star Wars idea was that crazy.

Still determined – or just plain desperate for extra financing – the filmmakers tracked down Kenner's Craig Stokely at that NYC industry showcase.

Stokely agreed to catch an across-town cab to check out a trailer for a new movie coming out that might have a toy potential. Even though no movie as of that date had proven real toy potential.

Companies much bigger than Kenner had tried products inspired by the "Dr. Doolittle" and "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" movies. The films did fine, the toys not so much.

Most movies came and went pretty quickly, with typical theater runs of 10 weeks for only the big hits, which in 1976 were "Rocky," "All the Presidents Men" and "A Star Is Born." Home entertainment systems were years away from appearing in most people's homes. Betamax hadn't even come out in the United States yet.

Television, however, meant almost guaranteed money. With products imitating the shows and cartoons that played every week, year after year, in America's living rooms, these TV toys advertised themselves.

Kenner knew that better than most. Its line based on the hit action TV series "The Six Million Dollar Man" was pretty much paying the bills.

But in February 1977, it took Stokely just a couple of minutes in that NYC office to believe that Star Wars could break the mold.

This could reinvent the rules.

He only watched the trailer, but that was enough time to see the robots and the vehicles. He didn't know the plot or the point. But he saw toys in every scene, in every second.

His boss, Bernie Loomis, coined a term for this: Toyetic.

Stokley's first stop when he returned to Cincinnati would have to be Loomis' office.

The Wizard

Loomis was a forceful man, confident and clear. He boasted he was the only person who subscribed to The Hollywood Reporter in all of the Queen City.

Jim Kipling, Kenner's longtime lead lawyer, calls him "lightning in a bottle." Others today just go with genius.

In the early 1970s, Loomis led the business, then a subsidiary of General Mills, to double its gross sales.

Before Kenner made the mold for C-3PO, the company had already produced 150 different toys and employed as many as 4,000 Cincinnatians.

And the ideas those thousands created often hinged on hunches. People literally operated on goosebumps there. If they got that reaction to an idea then that idea would move on to the next step. And Star Wars, even just the trailer shared around that office, gave them chills they couldn't shake.

Loomis had them, too. He knew what he wanted: That when the Star Wars toys appeared on the shelves, the box had to say "Made in Cincinnati."

The right stuff

Loomis next had to go to California to secure that partnership with Lucas.

Pete Kelly later heard that meeting went something like this: Lucas only shared the story. No script. It was basically Cowboys and Indians in space, Kelly said. Big block drawings hung in the California office. There was Darth Vader. There was R2D2.

Loomis and company talked it over. The design lines of the characters and vehicles were right, meaning they easily could be manufactured as toys. The names were right. This whole thing could be right.

The group eventually negotiated the terms. The advance against all the royalties was $25,000. The royalty guarantee was $125,000 and the royalty rate was 5 percent. (When these terms were re-negotiated in the early 2000s, toymakers had to pay more than $300 million upfront. And today, Star Wars toys and merchandise are valued at $17 billion.)

In a couple months, after Star Wars hit the theater, that agreement became also the deal of the century for Kenner.

Star Wars wasn't a movie. It was a phenomenon.

We didn't ask each other if we'd seen "Star Wars." We asked how many times we had seen it.

That summer, we wore bellbottoms with our Star Wars tees, grooved to the Star Wars disco 8-track. We bought every Star Wars poster, which replaced that Farrah Fawcett glamour shot as the top seller of the day.

We bought up all those Kenner puzzles. A Kenner board game called Escape from Death Star for $6.49 at Shillito's.

The Awakening

Steve Sansweet thinks he knows why the movie "awakened something" in millions. He's the chairman and president of Rancho Obi-Wan, a museum of the world's largest collection of Star Wars memorabilia.

"This was the era of Vietnam," he said. "It was a dark era. The movies were dark. George Lucas wanted to do a movie for kids that had heroes in it. There hadn't been many movies for kids or pitched to kids with heroes since the westerns of the '50s."

Cincinnati was one of the first 32 cities to see the first film on its release May 25, 1977. Unlike in the other cities, Cincinnati actually screened the saga before the rest of the world. And only the Kenner employees were invited.

Mark Boudreaux was there. A Cincinnati kid, he was then an intern at Kenner. And from the moment the star destroyer flew over his head on that big screen, his life was changed. The University of Cincinnati student just didn't know it yet.

The next year, he would be one of the lead designers on the Millennium Falcon, the "piece of junk" ship that still soars in "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." Today, a decade and a half after Hasbro acquired Kenner, Boudreaux is the senior principal designer at Hasbro, still making Millennium Falcons.

Toy Story

Forty years ago, Boudreaux and his Kenner coworkers left that early "Star Wars" preview buzzing with a jumbled up mix of excitement and anxiety.

Why would their company even license a movie that was just months away from Christmas, the biggest sales time of the year?

Kenner could pull off those puzzles and that game, the easier to produce two-dimensional stuff.

But kids wanted what Kenner does. They wanted toys.

Designer Ed Schifman says he first mentioned the early bird idea to Loomis in a passing hallway conversation.

"Why not offer the right to purchase the product when it becomes available?" Schifman said to his boss. Loomis smiled back, as Schifman tells it. "I'll get back to you," Loomis replied.

Loomis announced the Kenner Early Bird Certificate Package to the rest of the world in September.

Each included a certificate good for four Star Wars action figures, a display stand, a Star Wars Club Membership Card signed by Luke Skywalker and some stickers.

All the customer had to do was mail in that postage paid certificate. And then wait. And wait for 3.75-inch versions of their favorite characters.

The package said the toys would arrive sometime between Feb. 1 and June 1, before the pose-able toys were available in stores. And the certificate was only available to retailers to sell before Dec. 31.

That limiting purchasing period was one of Loomis' compromises with retailers. Because he struggled to sell just the possibility of a product to stores.

The big box retailers like Sears and J.C. Penney's downright refused to stock the certificate.

The force awakens

Pete Kelly, the vice president of sales, didn't think much of the early bird certificate either.

"But Bernie (Loomis) was a force … he thought it was a great idea so that meant that we at least had to present it like it was a great idea," he said. "Which we did."

And Kelly did get the regional retailers to bite. A Children’s Palace toy store around here sold 24 certificates in two weeks. Acme-Click had 20 dozen certificates on the shelves before Christmas.

It all added up to a few hundred thousand kits sold. (Kelly's not sure of the number now and even 40 years ago, the reported sales total varied.)

But Kelly still saw it as a success because it kept Kenner's name in the same sentence with the massively popular film. ("Star Wars," by the way, was still playing in Cincinnati on Christmas Day at the Showcase Cinemas in Springdale and Erlanger.)

Matthew Fox received his Christmas gift, fulfilled, March 3, 1978. It's easy for him to remember the day the four toys arrived because it was also his seventh birthday.

He got them as soon as he came home from school. And the next day, he took the toys to school that morning. Later, so did his friends.

Kenner sold 22 million Star Wars toys annually during the run of the first three films.

Supplies would sell out in hours. The average kid owned 11 Star Wars toys, and Kenner enjoyed an 80, 85 percent market penetration.

That's unheard of.

"I think the toys were essential to making Star Wars the phenomenon that it is today ... There were toys there in the three-year period between movies that would keep the movies alive," Steve Sansweet said.

Fox and his friends couldn't put a movie projector in their pockets. So to remember the movie, you had to be the movie. Act it out with your Kenner toys in the backyard, the basement, on the bedroom floor.

The saga continues

Some 4,000 miles away in England, a 9-year-old named Steve was playing with Star Wars toys in backyards and bedrooms.

He asked for figures and ships each and every birthday and Christmas. He learned to recognize the Kenner company logo on the box.

"As the Star Wars story grew, I grew with it," Steve Evans says today. "The journey of Luke Skywalker resonated with me as a kid trying to work out life, family, friends, school, and knowing right from wrong. It was – like all the best tales – incredible but relatable."

Since 2014, Evans has been on Hasbro's Star Wars team.

Today, the early bird certificate feels like "it really represents the psyche of all of us Star Wars fans," he said. "If it's Star Wars, we want it. No matter how crazy it sounds."

That includes the early bird certificate today, 40 Christmases later. Now, as a coveted collector's item.

"I would imagine the amount made was limited, which conjures this 'holy grail’ type mystique to it," Evans said. "Also, the fact that it was virtually all paper products adds to its lore. It’s very unlikely that someone will find one undamaged today."

Bill Wills was one of those average kids, owning handfuls of Star Wars toys. He was 7 when "Star Wars" played in the theater on Main Street in Hamilton, not far from his hometown of Trenton.

Wills doesn't remember the early bird certificate package from those early years. But he has one now.

"Well, if you're into the Kenner action figures, this is where it all started," he said, holding an unopened early bird package he picked up for $300 about 20 years ago. "This is what started everything.'"

He expects this early bird package is worth about $7,500. If he had bought at Shillito's in 1977, it would have cost him $11.99.

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Mother’s Day brunch: Make-ahead French toast casserole

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 05:00:11 +0000

There are two camps of Mother’s Day celebrators: those who like nothing more than a lavish brunch/lunch/dinner at a restaurant, and those who hope for a homey celebration enjoyed while wearing a pair of fuzzy slippers.

I wouldn’t be sad with either option, but if I woke up to the smell of a French Toast Casserole (made by any member of my family except me) baking away in the oven, I would be a happy mom indeed.

This French Toast Casserole is basically a strata, which is a layered dish of eggs, milk and bread, plus whatever else you are flavoring it with. Stratas can be sweet, enhanced with chopped dried fruit, nuts, chocolate or booze, or savory, layered up with cheese, ham, etc. This one is on the sweeter side, and so much easier to make for a group than individual slices of French toast.

It’s a great brunch for a lazy weekend morning because all the work (and there isn't much) is done the night before. In the morning, just transfer the dish from fridge to oven and slice up some fresh fruit, or do whatever it is you want to do while a hearty and luxurious breakfast cooks itself.

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It's the ultimate make-ahead dish, which actually must be made at least 8 hours ahead, so the bread has time to soak up all of the sweet, eggy batter. You could also bake it the night before, then refrigerate the cooked casserole and reheat it in the morning. However, reheating the cooked casserole will take about 20 to 25 minutes; cooking the whole thing takes only about half an hour, so you’re not saving a ton of time. Still, it’s good to know that leftovers reheat nicely in the microwave or oven.

And kids, even little kids, can help! They can put together pretty much the whole casserole, though an adult will have to decide it they are old enough to help slice the bread. The kiddos can also pick and choose the dried fruits or nuts they'd like to go in the casserole.

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Try to use slightly stale challah bread, which, because it is dry, will absorb the milk-and-egg custard better. If your bread is fresh, slice it and let it sit out for a few hours to dry slightly, or even toast it lightly in a 350-degree Fahrenheit oven for about 5 minutes.

Add a drink: Orange champagne mule

If you are going for the whole indulgent Mother’s Day brunch vibe, why not add a cocktail into the mix? An orange champagne “mule” fits the bill.

Simply combine the juice of 1 orange and 1 lime with 2 ounces (1/4 cup) chilled vodka and 4 ounces (½ cup) chilled ginger beer in a small pitcher or measuring cup. Split the liquid between two champagne glasses. Top each with about 2 ounces (1/4 cup) chilled champagne, prosecco or other sparkling wine. Garnish with orange slices and fresh mint sprigs and serve chilled.

Good morning, and cheers to all of the moms out there! (And to mine: Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!)

Mother's Day French Toast Casserole

Serves 8

Butter or nonstick spray, for greasing the baking dish

4 cups milk, preferably whole or 2%

6 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon kosher salt

½ cup raisins, chopped dried fruit or chopped nuts (optional)

1 large loaf challah bread, preferably 1-or-2-day-old, sliced ¾- to 1-inch thick

To serve: Maple syrup; fresh fruit such as berries, or sliced peaches or pears; and/or confectioners’ sugar

1. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, or spray it with cooking spray.

2. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs, sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Stir in any fruit or nuts, if using.

3. Arrange half the bread in a single layer in the pan, cutting the bread so it makes a solid layer. Pour half of the milk mixture over the bread, making sure to also evenly distribute at least half of any fruit or nuts that you’ve added in.

4. Repeat, creating a second layer of bread, then pouring over the rest of the milk mixture, again evenly distributing any fruit or nuts. Lightly press the bread into the liquid.

4. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The bread will absorb almost all of the milk mixture. Uncover the baking dish, and if there are dryer looking pieces on top, carefully tuck them underneath the bread on the bottom, so the more soaked pieces are now on top (a little messy, but it all works out in the baking). Note that any dried fruit sitting on the top of the casserole will get pretty chewy, and the fruit that is tucked into the casserole will be softer, so disperse the fruit as you see fit.

5. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bake the French toast, uncovered, until puffed and golden, for 30 to 35 minutes. Let it sit for 5 minutes to firm up a bit. Cut into squares and serve with your choice of maple syrup, fresh fruit and/or confectioners’ sugar.

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Students protest school board’s vote to again postpone Diversity Day

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:16:24 +0000

Members of the Forest Hills Local Schools Board of Education were met with criticism from students and parents Monday night over their decision to again postpone Turpin High School's Diversity Day.

A crowd of protesters gathered outside the district's central office shortly before a 6:30 p.m. special board meeting to request the return of the voluntary event and express their frustration with the board's decisions.

Diversity Day was originally scheduled for early April but postponed on short notice to allow for further "parent review," district officials said. After some adjustments, administrators announced that the event would be rescheduled for May 18, but the school board voted to postpone it again in a vote on Sunday.

The purpose of Monday night's meeting was for the school board to enter an executive session to discuss personnel matters, according to a meeting notice. But that was quickly overshadowed by protesters who jeered the school board and sang "This Land Is Your Land" just before the meeting's start.

As the board left the meeting room for the executive session, some of those in the crowd called them "spineless," "cowards" and "ignorant."

Board member Leslie Rasmussen, who refused to vote on Sunday's motion, was absent from the meeting.

Protesters were calling on the school board to reinstate the event for May 18. Students have said they are planning a walkout for that day as well.

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5 area nursing facilities added to federal candidate list of most troubled centers

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:16:13 +0000

Five local nursing homes have been added to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service's special focus facility candidate list, records show.

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May 3 Ohio Senate, governor primary election, how to vote

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:16:04 +0000

Ohioans are voting today in a nationally watched primary election, picking party candidates in races that could test the influence of former President Trump.

Seven Republicans faced off Tuesday for the chance to replace retiring Sen. Rob Portman: former state treasurer Josh Mandel, Trump-endorsed "Hillbilly Elegy" author J.D. Vance, investment banker Mike Gibbons, former Ohio Republican Party chair Jane Timken, state Sen. Matt Dolan, and businessmen Mark Pukita and Neil Patel.

The winner will take on one of three candidates seeking the Democratic nomination: U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, attorney Morgan Harper and tech executive Traci Johnson.

Ohioans are also picking candidates for governor. The Democratic primary features former Cincinnati mayor John Cranley and former Dayton mayor Nan Whaley. Gov. Mike DeWine is facing off against several Republican challengers: former U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, Canal Winchester farmer Joe Blystone and state Rep. Ron Hood.

Here's what to know:

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Kentucky Derby Day parties, events in Cincinnati, NKY

cincylink — Mon, 17 Jul 2023 03:16:02 +0000

The country's most celebrated horse race takes place 100 miles down I-71 in Louisville, but we know that not everyone will be making that journey, but you can still dress up in your finery, don a wild, wonderful hat, sip some mint juleps and enjoy the race.

The 2022 Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 7, at Churchill Downs with a post time scheduled for 6:57 p.m.

Not feeling like making the trek to the track? Here's a look at some Cincinnati-area spots celebrating Derby Day with parties, soirees and other shenanigans. We're betting it will be a good time.

Cincinnati-area Derby parties

Queen City Derby Party, 3-10:30 p.m., Savannah Center, 5533 Chappell Crossing Blvd., West Chester. Fundraiser for Delta Gamma Lambda Foundation. Contests for best dressed and best hat, live performances, open bar and more. $70-$160. queencityderbyparty.com. SOLD OUT.

Kentucky Derby Party, noon-11 p.m., Higher Gravity at Summit Park, 4335 Glendale Milford Road, Blue Ash. Drink specials. Wear your patterns and fancy hats. Best dressed wins prize.

Get Down & Derby, 4 p.m., The Roosevelt Room, 7500 Bales St., West Chester Township. Watch party with drink specials, prizes and giveaways for best dressed.

Derby Party, The Banks, Downtown. Live music 2-5 p.m. by Heather Roush & the Heartstrings, followed by viewing party and cocktail specials.

Run for the Roses, 2-8 p.m., Fueled Collective, 3825 Edwards Road, Norwood. Catered food, special derby cocktails, live music and race on 15 TVs. $30-$75. eventbrite.com.

Esoteric Kentucky Derby Garden Party, 5 p.m., Esoteric Brewery, 918 E. McMillan St., Walnut Hills. DJ spins tunes on the patio, food, cocktails and beer. Watch the fastest two minutes in sports and wear your derby best.

2022 NBYC Derby Party, 4:30-8 p.m., Clovernook Country Club, 2035 W. Galbraith Road, North College Hill. Door prizes, 19 bottle bourbon collection raffle, women's best hat contest. Catered dinner. $35. Reservations due by May 4. northbendyachtclub.org.

Brunch & Brims Derby Day Party, 2-6 p.m., Artologe Studio, 1010 Race St., Downtown. Catered brunch, bottomless mimosas, 90s throwback soundtrack, cash bar and Derby Day vibes. $60. artologe.com.

Northern Kentucky Derby parties

Derby Day Party, 3:30 p.m. Dinsmore Homestead, 5656 Burlington Pike, Burlington. Celebrate the running of the roses on the front lawn of this historic homestead. Derby-inspired buffet, ladies hat contest, house tours, silent auction, music, cash bar and the race broadcast live. $65 per person. Advance registration required: dinsmorefarm.org.

Run for the Roses on the Levee, 4-8 p.m., Newport on the Levee, 1 Levee Way, Newport. Pre-race fun includes dance party, inflatable games and activities, live music, contests for best hat, raffles and race watching on jumbo screens. Free. newportonthelevee.com.

10th Anniversary Derby Party, 3 p.m., Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar, 629 Main St., Covington. Barrel release, new merchandise, derby viewing, drink specials, BBQ while it lasts, cornhole and more. facebook.com.

Derby Day Party, 11 a.m., Braxton Brewing Co., 27 W. Seventh St., Covington. Featuring Braxton's Kentucky Home Mint Julep Style Ale, bourbon specials, prizes for best dressed, photo booth, bouncy horses and a DJ.

Kentucky Derby Party, 2-8 p.m., Zazou Grill & Pub, 502 W. Sixth St., Covington. Benefits Jordan McFaull Memorial Scholarship Fund. Ticket includes 2 drink tickets, southern food and race shown on multiple TVs. Raffles. $50-up. eventbrite.com.

Derby Party, 4 p.m., Crazy Fox Saloon, 901 Washington St., Newport. Mint juleps, prizes for best derby hats.

Rich's Derby Day Soiree, 4 p.m., Rich's Proper Food & Drink, 701 Madison Ave., Covington. Derby-inspired food menu, drink specials, prizes for best dressed and best hat, door prizes, live music after the race. Reservations recommended. exploretock.com/richsproper/event/337577/derby-day-soiree.

Derby Watch Party, 4-9 p.m., American Legion Post 11, 22 E. Sixth St., Newport. Bourbon raffle, drinks specials and watch party for the race.

Kentucky Derby Party, 6 p.m., Mac's Pizza Pub Mainstrasse, 604 Main St., Covington. Mint juleps, food and derby race. Live music afterward.

Derby Party, 4 p.m., Keystone Bar & Grill, 313 Greenup St., Covington. Wear your derby hats and seersucker attire and join the fun. $6 mint juleps and chance to watch the race.

Derby Day at Covington Yard, 11 a.m., Covington Yard, 401 Greenup St., Covington. Break out your finest hats, dresses and bow ties and celebrate the race. Games, photo booth and drink specials. Kids and dogs welcome.

American Legion Post 203 Derby Party, 3 p.m., 3801 Winston Ave., Covington. Hat contests, split the pot, appetizers and more.

Kentucky Derby Party at The Legion, noon-10 p.m., American Legion Post 4, 8385 US 42, Florence. Watch the race on the big screen, food and drink specials.

7th Annual Kentucky Derby Party, 4-9 p.m., Pride Park, 5614 Taylor Mill Road, Taylor Mill. Fundraiser for the Jill & Denny Coleman Scholarship Fund.

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