It's Great 'n Dayton

Dayton Crime

When I began this blog I did so with the intent to try to put a positive spin on all-things-Dayton. Every once in a while I'd have something to say about the economy or the loss of jobs from closing factories just because they are part of our reality. Well, crime is also part of that reality.

Dayton has a bad image because of crime and how it is reported. People hear Dayton and they automatically assume "downtown." Quite frankly, most of the crimes we read about in the paper or hear on the news are in neighborhoods. Yet downtown gets a bad rap and people don't want to come down to one of the safest places in the city!

It would be nice to think your neighborhood was a safe place too. I mean who wants constant yelling, disruptive neighbors, drug deals, and gunfire. Unfortunately it's all too commonplace in certain parts of the city.

In today's Dayton Daily News, several stories about crime appeared. According to one article violent crime is up in Dayton. That was a tough pill to swallow because I thought we were finally turning around. On the flip side, the same article said gun crime was down. Ironically, in the same paper was the report of a gun crime 4 blocks from my house.

Getting back to perceptions, not just of downtown, but of crime in general I wish there was more investigative reporting - besides just showing charts of year-year comparisons. Do crimes involve people who know each other? Are they between family/friends or do they involve strangers? Are the crimes in public places like parks, on sidewalks, and parking lots or are they happening at certain residences? Are they crimes involving drugs? Caused by desperation or socio-economic factors? Unless it's a super violent crime we never hear all the details.

Dayton Honors MLK Jr, Celebrates First Black President, and Dayton Professor/Poet Herbert Woordward Martin

All kinds of activities will be taking place over the coming weekend to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. There's even an inaugural ball in honor of the presidency of Barack Obama.

Click here for a list of events.The banner of that site also includes links/buttons about racism, the Emancipation Proclamation, and other civil rights information.

While it's not part of the MLK celebrations it's probably no coincidence that UD is featuring the world premier on Friday January 16th of a documentary of the works of UD professor and Poet Laureate Herbert Woodward Martin, who is especially known for his performances as Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dr. Martin was honored earlier this year with an artist fellowship from the Montgomery County Arts & Cultural District.

Reduce, don't re-use, but recycle the container!

I think in this case, city workers perhaps reduced their work-load by making sure I can't use my recycling container for recycling! Looks like it's time to recycle the recycling container! How difficult is it empty trash into a truck and set a container back on the ground. I've noticed in my neighborhood that I'm not the only one with a broken container. Additionally, some regular green trash bins have lids broken, etc. We do our part to be responsible citizens, we pay for containers (added on to our water bills), and city employees get away with treating our trash like...trash. Fortunately this busted container was in my front lawn. Half the time I get home from work to find our street littered with various trash and recycling containers scattered in the street and usually on their sides (which admittedly could be done by kids...but not with enough force to break them).

Anyone up for an adventure? Geocaching in the Miami Valley

Do you have a little bit of Indiana Jones in you?

I was wondering when this adventure would catch on here. I've always loved a good scavenger hunt and I've followed this new trend for a couple years. I've even been witness to caches being discovered though I wasn't playing the game. The game is internet-based and is known as Geocaching.

It's a scavenger hunt using GPS equipment to track coordinates, locate hidden containers (called caches), retrieve the contents or sign a log, leave a trinket for others to find, etc.

It's a craze all over the world and it's finally catching on locally. The Centerville Washington Township Park District is sponsoring a geocache event on January 10 from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Registration is required at http://cwpd.recware.com.

I can't participate in the event but it would be interesting to know more about it. I wonder how much is based in Centerville-Washington Township and how much it includes the rest of the Miami Valley. This would be a great activity involving the Metroparks, Downtown Dayton Partnership, Oregon District, Boonshoft, Carillon Park, etc.. What a cool way to promote downtown and the greater Dayton area...not just to Daytonians but to people from all over the world playing this game!

For more information about local geocaching check out: Dayton Area Caches and Gem City Geocachers.

Apparently Metroparks is already involved. Check it out!

Dayton City Paper also Promotes Local Buying

So I had several posts before the holidays promoting the purchasing of gifts at locally operated gift shops and the 2nd Street Market. As a matter of practicing what one preaches, I purchased from vendors at the Market enough quantities of various items to make several gift baskets to send across the country to various family members. Family members with kids especially enjoyed letting the kids help make delicious dips and pancakes. Everyone was impressed with the quality and taste of everything in their baskets. I was proud to support local businesses.

I was happy to see the Dayton City Paper also promoting local buying. The following ad has appeared in several recent additions. Even though it's intended for the holidays, the message rings true all year round! Thanks DCP for supporting and promoting the locals! 

 

Here's the text:

Dayton City Paper Readers,

by pledging to spend $100 for your shopping budget at locally-owned stores, you will have a potential $12,770,000 impact on your community, an estimated $1,779,400 more than if it was spent at a non-local big box retailer.

You could help the local economy this Holiday Season. Make the pledge!

(Estimate based on numbers from Civic Economics that .68 of every dollar spent at locally owned businessed stays in the community while only .43 stated when spent at a chain.)

Text at the bottom of the tag: Thoughtfully purchased from a local, independent business or artist.

It's nice to see such an ad (and figures) in print. Just in case anyone wonders, it also makes a difference whether you shop in Montgomery or Greene County! Not that there's anything wrong with stores in Greene County but Montgomery County can use all the sales it can get!

Tom Hissong, A Dayton Original, Goes Green and Draws National Attention

Together Green and the Aullwood Audubon Center are happy to recognize a Fellow who will shape tomorrow, creating a positive environmental change. A Dayton, Ohio man is the recipient of a new national fellowship designed to advance the work of individuals with outstanding potential to help shape a brighter environmental future. Tom Hissong, who has been involved in conservation efforts for 32 years, is one of only 40 people selected from competitors nationwide for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program, part of a new conservation initiative of the National Audubon Society with support from Toyota.

Fellows receive specialized training in conservation planning and execution, the chance to work and share best practices with gifted conservation professionals, and assistance with project outreach and evaluation. Each Fellow will also receive $10,000 towards a community-focused project to engage local residents in conserving land, water and energy, and contributing to greater environmental health. For his fellowship, Hissong will focus his efforts on piloting a new project named Plan-it Green that will engage students, teachers, and parents from Kiser Elementary School in Dayton, Ohio with challenging educational experiences focused on the planet. Students will participate in multiple field trips, conservation actions and scientific investigations at the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm north of Dayton. Through simple action projects like monitoring use of paper towels in classrooms / restrooms and investigating ways to reduce waste during lunch, students will become environmental stewards creating measurable conservation change and help lead their teachers, families, friends and communities in becoming more environmentally aware.  

The efforts of the Fellows will aid people and wildlife around 39 cities in 24 different states—a full list can be found at http://www.togethergreen.org/fellows.

You can join TogetherGreen on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/TogetherGreen/41852210819

Congratulations to Tom Hissong, Kiser School, and the Aullwood Audubon Center. What a terrific opporturtunity for young people in our community! And worthy of national attention too!