RACK & ROLL - a friday party for downtown bike rack sculptures

This Friday, a big step forward will take place in the placement of bike racks in downtown youngstown.


The RACK & POLL party will take place - a party with a $4 cover - and all proceeds from this event will go toward the creation of one-of-a-kind bike racks, designed by local artists, in downtown Youngstown!

time: 9:30pm to 3:00am

With performances by:
Chris Splain
Joe Shelby
The Realtime Digimob

Followed by a dance party with Matt and Richie till late.

4 bikes will be raffled off - by the group Bike Youngstown!

Maps of "Best Bike Routes in Youngstown" will be available from The Outspokin' Wheelmen!

Projection art!
Those tall hand-fabricated bikes!
Photography from urban bike races through downtown by Downforce Imaging!

See some of the participating sculptors' work:
Tony Armeni - link
Daniel Horne - link
Charles Hughes - link

This project brought to you by a (growing) coalition of interested citizens, bike riders, and Youngstown artists.

See what's possible below...
(photo by Tony Nicholas)


THE event to attend in Youngstown Friday night.

tasting results from the 2010 vintage of local cider

In our continuing efforts to bring the highest quality journalistic endeavors to the internet, the staff at this blog recently sponsored a local-cider tasting event with 3 of Youngstown's finest chefs.


Each of those refined palates were given unmarked glasses of three local and prominent apple ciders.

The ciders were from:
White House Fruit Farm - link
Haus Orchards and Cider Mill - link
Hays Orchard - link

In unmarked glasses, the judges captured their thoughts on paper.

Here are some of their comments from all three judges for each sample:

sample A
"slightly buttery, sugar is subtle but not overpowering"
"body: light with a crisp apple finish"
"richness in color"
"slightly acidic, deep hues of color"

sample B
"clean, crisp taste"
"darkest color of all samples"
"long finish of apple remains in mouth"
"slight spice, even peppery"
"distinct apple taste - like biting an apple"

sample C
"translucent compared to others"
"saccharine sweet"
"slight tartness, even onion residues"
"too sweet"
"tastes artificial"
"light in color and body compared to the others"

Two judges picked sample B to be the best.
One judge picked sample A to the the best.
All judges agreed sample C to be a distant third compared to the others.

now, let's put in the names of the ciders into the above sentence...

Two judges picked Haus' Cider to be the best.
One judge picked Hays Cider to the the best.
All judges agreed White House Cider to be a distant third compared to the others.

- - -

Depending on the harvest the apples used from year to year may change, but for the 2010 vintage, the judges found...



Haus' Apple Cider is the best.

metro monthy posts The Flats at Wick ribbon-cutting

from the north side:



www.flatsatwick.com

More housing now up, and more planned on campus/in downtown. discussed further in this great article in the Business-Journal:

Dominic Marchionda, president of US Campus Suites LLC, told guests at a ribbon-cutting event Monday that he plans to begin Phase II of the $24 million Flats at Wick next year, and at the same time start preliminary work on a plan to convert downtown's Erie Terminal into additional student apartments.

Marchionda is performing due diligence on that property, and says a student-housing complex would be a perfect fit there because of its proximity to the new Youngstown State Williamson College of Business Administration.

And he shared his vision of redeveloping this YSU section of the city's North Side. In addition to the parcels bound by Bryson and Elm Streets, Madison Avenue, and the West Bound Service Road, Marchionda has purchased the parking lot and convenience store across the street.

watch the patterns of investment...

UPDATE: first Little Steel Derby Girls home match Saturday!

UPDATE: Youngstown beat Lansing in their first home match, 232 - 41!



from the LSDG's website:

Become a Little Steel Derby Girl:
Fresh Meat Market
November 1st, 6:30pm to 8:30pm
at Youngstown Skate
7080 Tiffany Boulevard
Youngstown, OH 44514-1956

FAQ's



bonus: video from the downtown zombie crawl...



if nothing else, zombies are a courteous folk.

There were a lot of people all dressed up going to the symphony last night and this set of local zombies quickly made it through the intersection right in front of Powers Auditorium.

first Little Steel Derby Girls home match Saturday!

If you need a break from being a zombie all day on Saturday, head on out to Youngstown Skate on Tiffany Blvd. for the first home match of the Little Steel Derby Girls.

The ladies will be looking to knock out those Vixens of the North, from Lansing Michigan. Match starts at 7pm.

More info on the team can be found at their website.

all photos courtesy of DownForce Imaging

hundreds of people to attend 2010 Youngstown zombie crawl this saturday

Who is going to take home the 2010 "Best Zombie Jay Williams" prize?



The 2010 Zombie Crawl will make its way throughout the street of the downtown this Saturday.

Some of the activities include:
- 3pm kick-off at Oak Hill Cemetery, with self-guided historical tours

- 3pm onward, for $5 get painted like a zombie by The Oakland Center for the Arts

- 5pm registration for crawl at Anthony's on the River

- 6:30pm begin mass crawl of zombie across Mr. Peanut Bridge

- 7pm zombies of the world unite at Central Square to being dancing and party

- post 7pm: Mayor Jay Williams, Channel 33 WYTV Reporter Greta Mittereder and Channel 27 WKBN Reporter Jennifer Jefcoat will judge best zombie competition for the categories of:
Best Zombie Bride
Best Zombie YSU Student
Best Zombie Celebrity
Best Zombie Kid
Best Zombie Mayor Jay Williams


buses will then take people all over town to zombie-hop at local watering holes.

AND pumpkin bocce / historical tours at the Burt Building, courtesy of the Mahoning Valley Historical Society.

LAWN-CON 2010 - a new ultra cool Youngstown event launches this Saturday

video recap: (story here)


"Youngstown is my Gotham City."
-- Chris Yambar

This Saturday, October 9 2010, a new free event will take place in the city: LAWN-CON.


Just off Mahoning Avenue in the west side's Rocky Ridge Neighborhood, Lawn-Con will be a comic book convention taking place in local artist Chris Yambar's front lawn.

From the facebook page of the event:

"LAWN-CON 2010 is a mini yard convention designed to build a bridge between the general public who can't find comic books in stores any more, fans who love the hobby, and those who are actually working in the industry. It is "grass roots" in nature and just a whole bunch of fun. A Meet-n-Greet, if you will.

There will be limited-edition t-shirts, an event print, photo opportunities, an art contest, portfolio reviews and awards given for best costumes throughout the day. This event will be captured on film and turned into a documentary.

Fans and pros will be interviewed...and made instantly famous when the final cut is released just in time for the Christmas gift-giving season. Snippets will appear on YouTube.

There is FREE admission to the general public for this event. Fans will have access to all pre-approved comics professionals who "set up their own table" by 10:30 AM. Chairs will be provided. Comics and sketches are available for a fee. There is no charge for autographs!"

More info on the event, including attending artists can be found here.

As an additional bonus, First Book Mahoning Valley will be on hand, passing out FREE BOOKS to every child in attendance.

What a great organization.


Lawn-Con 2010
in the front lawn of Youngstown's Chris Yambar
of "the Simpsons" and "Mr. Beat" fame
23 S. Hartford Avenue
Yo O 44509
October 9 from 11am to 5pm

"kickin grass, and taking names"

Monday's “Youngstown Community Congress” has 700 citizens signed up, and growing

One week ago, I had my first experience within the walls of downtown youngstown's Trinity United Methodist Church.

The beauty of the Trinity United Methodist structure puts the space in the upper echelon of architectural awesomeness for local sacred spaces, such as St. Patrick's Catholic Church on the southside and Sts. Cyril and Methodius Catholic Church downtown. The numerous separate chapels, the wood detail throughout, the stone gothic arches, the ornate baptismal font, the treed courtyard, the tunneling hallways, the people, and the history – all merge together to make the place shine.



The Trinity United Methodist Church complex will also be the site of the upcoming “Youngstown Community Congress” Monday at 6:30pm, where hundreds and hundreds of residents will gather to discuss the urban agenda with local officials.

The event is free and open to the public,
with free parking downtown in parking lots along Front Street.

Topics for mass discussion include policies for vacant properties, access to healthy foods, neighborhood safety, and jobs/economic development.


Citizens will have the opportunity to ask questions to candidates for Congress, for state Senate, to representatives of the Governor's race, and various targeted local elected positions. Depending on to whom the question is asked, candidates will have 2 minutes to respond.

While approximately 80 neighborhood/community organizations from across the Mahoning Valley will be represented at the event, a number of opinions can develop into a single entity with a unified voice to share with local and state officials.

The opportunity then exists to make your voice heard in the upcoming election, but also to create accountability among those officials who currently hold office.

Youngstown Community Congress
Trinity United Methodist Church
30 West Front Street
Yo O 44503

YNDC Youngstown Rising

anyone reading this blog should take a drive or walk through the Idora Neighborhood.



As the video shows, there are many activities taking root.

the band - and the actors - put on a great show at the Youngstown Playhouse

In operation since 1924, the Youngstown Playhouse presents itself as "America's Oldest Ongoing Community Theater".

As it opens its 2010-2011 season, the organization is seeing record sold-out shows based upon their rendition of "Chicago", with refined music sounds of a 14-piece band and young local talent.


(all photos by Leslie Cusano Photography)


Because the performance is such a blockbuster, they've added a Sunday show this weekend.



Performances which were really amazing during the show:

- Donna Huntey's consistent outstanding vocals as Mama Morton, especially in "When You're Good to Mama"

- The choreography of the entire stage, especially Kayla Boye (Roxy) and Brian Palumbo (Billy) during "We Both Reached for the Gun"

- Natalia Lepore Hagan in just about everything she's on stage for






kudos to the band and the actors and the directors who made the show shine.

As the show demonstrates, you have to plan big to get big.

grey to green festival 2010 recap

by the good people at MetroMonthly:



www.greytogreenfestival.org

Blue Ribbon 10K and 2 mile weaves throughout downtown youngstown, ysu, wick park, crandall park, 5th avenue

Last month's Panerathon brought 3,000 participants running/walking in downtown youngstown, and the course snaked around Mill Creek Park.

This Sunday's "Blue Ribbon 10K race - 2mile walk for Prostate Cancer Awareness" weaves through some of the best urban areas of Youngstown, featuring the city's best architectural and planning achievements.


The course starts in Historic Wick Park, up through Fifth Avenue and its mansions to Stambaugh Golf Course, back down and throughout Crandall Park, over to Downtown along Federal Street, and through the YSU campus to get back to Wick Park.



The web site for the race/fun walk is here.

what a deal - $50 for 13 weeks of Polish language classes

With registration currently open for the first classes starting on Tuesday, September 14th, Polish lessons at various levels are coming to downtown Youngstown.

The classes will be held at St. Peter and Paul Church on Covington Street just west of the central business district at various times (depending on the skill level) for 13 weeks.

Taught by instructors fluent in Polish, the classes can even be paid online via PayPal - or checks can be brought in the first week.

More information here, but the classes for the Fall Semester will be...

Polish Basics
Designed for broad base of students with varied knowledge of Polish; provides basic speaking, writing and reading skills that will help the students communicate in fundamental everyday situations. Elements of Polish grammar are introduced.
Class meets on Tuesday, 10 - 11:30 AM, first class meets on September 14th 2010,
Instructor: Stanley Gerchak
Cost: FREE

Children's Polish School
Aimed at students 6-13 yr old students who are learning the Polish language from scratch or who know very little of it from the family home. They will develop communicative competence of children through games, songs, pictorial historian and other forms of which are not too difficult, interesting and fun.
Class meets on Tuesday, 6:00PM - 7.00 PM, first class meets on September 14th 2010,
Instructor: Marta Mazur
Cost: $50 (per semester) plus optional textbooks

Beginners Polish I
Designed for students with no previous knowledge of Polish; provides basic speaking, writing and reading skills that will help the students communicate in fundamental everyday situations. Elements of Polish grammar are introduced.
Class meets on Tuesday, 7:00PM - 8.30 PM, first class meets on September 14th 2010,
Instructor: Marta Mazur
Cost: $50 ( per semester) plus optional textbooks

Beginners Polish II
(prerequisite Beginners Polish I or equivalent) focuses on building vocabulary in order to develop better comprehension and conversation skills. We will continue introducing grammatical concepts and structures. Students will begin developing basic writing skills.
Class meets on Tuesday, 6:00PM - 8.00 PM, first class meets on September 14th 2010,
Instructor: TBA
Cost: $50 ( per semester) plus optional textbooks

online prize contest: Name the Number of Confederate Flag Vendors at this year's Canfield Fair

The blog is sponsoring an online contest this year!

Whoever correctly guesses the total number of vendors selling confederate flag-themed items at the 2010 Canfield Fair will win a prize, to be mailed to you.




All entires must simply leave in the comments section (below) the number of kiosks/people selling "stars and bars" items.

Deadline for entry is midnight of Labor Day.

Happy Hunting!

hup, hup, we got a hub

A Hub of Innovation, that is:



Way to go, Ted Strickland administration and Ohio ODOD.

using 5th order polynomial regression to track the size of the Largest Pumpkin at the Canfield Fair

The 164th Canfield Fair starts today, which will contains some of my favorite happenings of the year:

Children and horses in costume...


The "Baking by Men" competition...


And the largest pumpkin of the year...


The mega-gourd tent is definitely worth checking out.

Interestingly, one can view the quickening rise over the years for the size of the largest pumpkin.

Check out the ballooning sizes over the years:


We can take this data and enter it into a predictive regression model to estimate the size of the pumpkin in 2010, given recent growth trends.


The 5th order polynomial representing the regression is shown by the green line, weaving between the orange data points.

Using this predictive model, given recent trends in the size of the award-winning pumpkins at the Canfield Fair, the weight in 2010 will be ... a shade over 1,114 pounds.



How close will this estimate be to the winning weight in 2010?

Santisi's Foods - downtown youngstown's supermarket?

I've heard many say downtown really needs a good supermarket.

Well, after going to the walk-in space at Santisi's Wholesale Foods for the first time, I can say with confidence that downtown has a place that may fit a large portion of your weekly shopping needs.

Located over the red Mr. Peanut Bridge in the Mahoning Commons (across the street from the Calvin Center Idea Incubator), Santisi's offers a full deli, fresh vegetables, eggs, butter, frozen foods, pasta, sauces, homemade dried sausage, imported european goods, and a plethora of cheese options.

check out the photos:







Nutella and McCann's Irish Oatmeal!

Well, there's about half of my diet right there on one shelf.






I saw beet-pickled eggs, I saw pierogi, I saw mozzarella balls in liquid, I saw olive oils and balsamic vinegars and tomato sauces of all variety and sauces.






If this place had juice and bread, I really think I could do 100% of my grocery shopping there. I was quite surprised with the variety.


Please note northsiders and those working downtown, you do have additional options in life compared to shopping in the suburbs.

It's definitely sad the Union Plaza Sparkle recent closed, but at first glance Santisi's provides the options for you to not go to Wal-Mart for every one of your needs, and not go to the far, far away expensive Eagle which shall not be named.

Santisi's offers shoppers the chance to stop in for lunch, and walk away with a piece of homemade sausage, a wedge of cheese, and a drink - or for shoppers to support local businesses with their grocery needs.

Their signs say open till 6pm on the weekdays, till 2pm on Saturdays.

Remember to shop local, and keep the money in our community.

how gardens stitch together neighborhoods

Youngstown as urban laboratory for the nation...



Youngstown's gardening diaspora returning...



...and he loves broccoli.