polishing the gem city with a old t-shirt

Thru Dec. 31 . Exhibit: I Can Only Speak in Silence

2011-12-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Thru Dec. 31 . Exhibit: I Can Only Speak in Silence Blue Sky Project Gallery, 33 N. Main St.; Mon.-Fri., 11 a.m.-4 p.m. I Can Only Speak in Silence, a new multimedia exhibition by artist Michael Casselli featuring images of a group of young people he worked with during his 2010 Blue Sky Project residency in Dayton, will be open until 8 p.m. Free admission. 732-5123.

Proposals For Fairborn 9/11 Monument Wanted

2011-12-15T20:00:00.000-05:00

The city of Fairborn has received a steel artifact from the New York City Port Authority that was retrieved from one of the Twin Towers following the tragic events of September 11, 2001. The Fairborn 9/11 Monument Committee is seeking proposals from the community for a design to incorporate the artifact into a monument memorializing the events of that day. The monument will be located on the front lawn of the Wright State University National Center for Medical Readiness Tactical Laboratory at Calamityville in Fairborn. The deadline for submissions is January 16, 2012. For more information on the memorial or how to submit a proposal, visit http://www.med.wright.edu/medicalreadiness/911monument

Dec. 15 . Santa Visits the Market

2011-12-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

Dec. 15 . Santa Visits the Market PNC 2nd Street Market, 600 E. Second St.; 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Santa will distribute candy canes to all good boys, girls, men and women. Bring your camera to get a photo with Santa. Free. 228-2088.

Dec. 14 . Noonday Carol Sing

2011-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Dec. 14 . Noonday Carol Sing Westminster Presbyterian Church, 125 N. Wilkinson St.; 12:10-12:40 p.m. Get into the holiday spirit with carol singing. Lunch will follow. Call for cost. 223-7285.

Dec. 17 . Urban Nutcracker

2011-12-12T19:52:00.001-05:00

SMAG Dance Collective; Stivers School for the Arts, 1313 E. Fifth St.; 4 & 8 p.m. Contemporary fusion dance company SMAG Dance Collective will present two performances of Urban Nutcracker, a modern version of the traditional holiday favorite, The Nutcracker. The contemporary dance show takes place in an urban environment and will feature a wide variety of dance forms, including capoeira, samba, African, hip hop, house and Chicago stepping. The performance also features music by the likes of Eartha Kitt and Earth, Wind and Fire. The show is appropriate for all ages and will feature guest artists from various arts organizations in Dayton. Tickets are $25 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for children 6 and younger. Tickets are available at the door or by contacting smag@smagdance.org. For more information, call 329-6948.

Natalie MacMaster: Christmas in Cape Breton

2011-12-01T13:32:00.000-05:00

Natalie MacMaster: Christmas in Cape Breton Sunday, December 4 at 7:00 PM Dayton Masonic Center Reserved single seats: $35, 28, 20 Cityfolk favorite Natalie MacMaster returns to Dayton with her band for Christmas in Cape Breton, a very special holiday celebration that joyfully recreates the Christmas traditions and customs of her family home in Cape Breton Island off the east coast of Nova Scotia. The award-winning fiddler and step-dancer, called "the most dynamic performer in Celtic music today" (Boston Herald), presents a tuneful new program for the whole family blending familiar Christmas carols and songs with traditional Cape Breton fiddle tunes, lively step-dancing and audience favorites. The band will be joined for a few songs by the Kettering Children's Choir. Contact the Citifolk Box Office at 937-496-3863 to learn more.

Talk: Afghanistan and America’s Global Role

2011-11-30T13:33:00.000-05:00

Dr. Sean Kay will speak at Wittenberg University, Springfield OH on Thursday, December 1st at 7 pm, The Kuss Science Bldg - Bayley Auditorium. Afghanistan and America’s Global Role 10+ Years of War—What’s Next? What Afghanistan means for the U.S. Costs & Consequences of War Pakistan & India, 2 nuclear neighbors The Road to Regional Stability Wittenberg University The Kuss Science Bldg.—Bayley Auditorium Thursday, December 1, 2011 at 7 p.m. Speaker: Sean Kay, PhD Dr. Sean Kay is Full Professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Ohio Wesleyan University specializing in international politics, international security, international organizations, and U.S. foreign and defense policy. He is also the Chair of the International Studies Program. Sean Kay is a Mershon Associate at the Mershon Center for International Security Studies at Ohio State University and a Non-Resident Fellow at the Eisenhower Institute in Washington, D.C. specializing in international security. SPONSORED BY: Wittenberg University’s International Studies Program, Sociology, Languages, Geography & Political Science Depts Champaign County Peace Alliance The Kuss Science Bldg is located on Bill Edwards Dr. off Plum Street

Personal Stories of the Civil War: Letters from the Patterson Brothers

2011-11-29T16:28:00.001-05:00

The Wright State University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives in collaboration with The Patterson Memorial Center present “Personal Stories of the Civil War: Letters from the Patterson Brothers” on exhibit now through July 25, 2012, at the Patterson Homestead, 1815 Brown Street, Dayton. Admission is free and open to the public during operating hours. A special lecture, free and open to the public, on the Patterson brothers and their Civil War experiences will begin at 7:00 pm Wednesday, Nov. 30, at the Patterson Homestead Meeting Room, by WSU Archivist John Armstrong. The story of the Patterson brothers is special as their mother, Juliana, saved nearly every letter she received from her four sons. These letters give four unique perspectives on the Civil War and are preserved in the Wright State University Libraries’ Special Collections and Archives. Following the fall of Fort Sumter on April 13, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 men to fight against the South. Within four days, 450 men from Dayton and Montgomery County enlisted, including two brothers from a farm family living just south of Dayton. Their grandfather, Colonel Robert Patterson, was a Revolutionary War hero and early Dayton settler, while their father, Jefferson Patterson, was a farmer, businessman, and local politician. The two oldest sons, Robert and William, were 28 and 22 and enlisted in Ohio volunteer units as soon as possible. When their brother Stephen turned 20 in 1862, he joined an Ohio volunteer unit; John did the same when he turned 20 in 1864. Many American families made the sacrifice of sending their men off to war. A second lecture will take place 7 pm Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012, also at the Patterson Homestead. The entire exhibit will move to Wright State’s Paul Laurence Dunbar Library August 1 through November 30, 2012. Lectures will be held to accompany the exhibit while at WSU. For additional information, please contact PattersonBrothers4@yahoo.com or (937) 222-9724 (The Patterson Homestead).

Learn Pysanky - Fri & Sat (4 & 5 March)

2011-03-03T06:31:00.000-05:00

What: Pysanky: The Art of Ukrainian Easter Egg Decorating
Where: St. Paul Orthodox Church

When: Friday March 4, 10 AM - 2 PM, 6-9 PM; Saturday March 5, 9 AM - 3 PM
What: A workshop presented so that you can learn how to make these eggs at your own pace. Plan to spend 2-3 hours during one of the session times.
Cost: $10 per person donation to the church, ($25 per family), includes all supplies

For more information, email eggworkshop@aol.com.

Great World Religions, (begins) 1 Mar @ 7pm

2011-02-28T13:59:00.000-05:00

Event: Great World Religions: Hinduism

Date/Time: 3/1/2011, 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Location: Centerville Library

Learn the tenets of different major religions in this six-week series, showcasing a different faith each Tuesday night. The final session will be a panel discussion of the different faiths, featuring all presenters of the series.

Future Sessions: Buddhism Mar 8; Judaism Mar 15; Christianity Mar 22; Islam March 29; All-presenter panel Apr 5

Check the library Web site at http://www.wclibrary.info/events for more information and to register online for this event.

Einstein & Mysticism - 1 Mar @ 1pm

2011-02-25T16:58:00.001-05:00

Please come and interact with promising
quantum physicist Gary Bowman on:

“Einstein and Mysticism”
Prof. Gary E. Bowman

March 1 (Tue), 2011, 1:00-2:30 pm
At Whitney Hall of United Theological Seminary

Gary E. Bowman is Associate Professor of Physics, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, (Ph.D., Physics, University of Notre Dame).

His publication includes Essential Quantum Mechanics, Oxford University Press (2008), Solutions Manual for Essential Quantum Mechanics, (mostly handwritten), “If I Were a Christian,” Notre Dame Magazine, Winter, 2005-2006, Einstein: In His Own Time, one-hour documentary film project currently under development; under consideration by Towers Productions, Chicago, IL.

Le Vent Du Nord - 22 Feb 11

2011-02-21T16:11:00.001-05:00

Le Vent Du Nord

Tuesday, February 22
Boll Theatre at the University of Dayton
General Admission seats: $18
Celtic Series Price: $15

Student , military and senior discounts also available

The Juno Award-winning French-Canadian quartet Le Vent du Nord (The North Wind)-with its unusual instrumental front line of hurdy-gurdy, accordion and fiddle and vocals in French-has a world music sound all its own. The band plays traditional Québécois dance music with influences from both Ireland and Brittany, helping to preserve the fascinating music and dance traditions of the French-Canadian people of Quebec, each concert "a high-octane joy ride from beginning to end" (FolkWorld).

There's some videos at the Cityfolk blog as well - they definitely do sound like fun!

Contact the Cityfolk Box Office at 937-496-3863 or their website to purchase your tickets.

DDN Annual Short Story Contest Opens

2011-02-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

Attention, local writers! We’ve opened the call for entries for the newspaper’s 15th annual writing contest, held in partnership with the Antioch Writers’ Workshop.

The AWW is providing scholarships to this summer’s workshop as prizes for the contest’s top writers. The “best of show” writer will receive a full scholarship to the July 9-15 workshop. First place winners in the adult and teen categories will receive a scholarship to the workshop’s Saturday Seminar, July 9. First place winner of the youth category will receive a gift certificate to Books & Co.

Winning stories will be published in the Dayton Daily News. Other top stories will be published at DaytonDailyNews.com and on the workshop’s site. You can view details at the DDN website.

Creole for Kidz - Feb 26 & 27

2011-02-12T08:28:00.000-05:00

CREOLE FOR KIDZ & THE HISTORY OF ZYDECO with TERRANCE SIMIEN

February 26 & 27 at 1:00 & 3:30 p.m. both days
Victoria Theatre
Adults: $18 Children: $16
Cityfolk discount 25%
(Plus Service Fees. Prices Subject to Change.)

Get ready to dance in the aisles and celebrate Mardi Gras at the Victoria! This highly interactive, show-stopping performance will have you wanting to learn more about this upbeat, inspiring style of Creole music: zydeco! Grammy Award®-winning artist Terrance Simien has been spreading his love of music to audiences all over the world for over two decades. An eighth generation native Louisiana Creole, Simien created Creole for Kidz so he could teach young people all about the unique style of zydeco. Simien's music was recently featured in Disney's The Princess and the Frog, a strong testament to his musical genius and wide appeal.

Use the coupon code 'CITYFOLK' at the top of the payment page and it will apply the 25% off coupon to the order.

Here with Me: Christian Duhamel Live 8 Feb @ 9:30pm

2011-02-08T08:52:00.000-05:00

Feb. 8 • Here with Me: Christian Duhamel Live in Concert
The Neon, 130 E. Fifth St.; 9:30 p.m.
Grab a drink at The Neon Bar and join singer/composer Christian Duhamel for an evening of live song and story. Guest artists will contribute their voices to his original music as they bring a new kind of 'show time' to The Neon. One night only!
222-7469.

Green Markets & Jobs expo - 11 & 12 Feb

2011-02-07T20:51:00.000-05:00

Feb. 11 & 12 • Ohio Leads the Way: Green Markets and Green Jobs Expo
Dayton Convention Center, 22 E. Fifth St.;
Friday 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.,
Saturday 8:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Join business leaders from throughout Ohio at the 'Ohio Leads the Way: Green Markets and Green Jobs' Expo. A trade show and business-to-business workshops on topics including green building, green jobs and financial incentives will be held on Friday, February 11. On Saturday, February 12, there will be a green energy expo and consumer-oriented workshops. There is a fee for admission on Friday, with a discount for Green Energy Ohio and Dayton Development Coalition members. The Saturday schedule of events is open to the public at no charge. For more information, including registration, see the Green Energy Ohio website.

This Machine Brings Friendship

2011-02-04T12:47:00.000-05:00

Okay, look. Joe Anderl on his off-days is better than 90% of the musicians out there at the top of their game. Limit your set to singer/songwriter/folk/alt-rock people, and he's better than 95% of them. Dayton is so freaking lucky to have musicians like him around. And now he has a blog:

The purpose of this blog is to have online documentation of all of the releases from projects related to Joe Anderl. I hope you appreciate it and enjoy.

His music also has that kind of quiet understatement that manages to get me damn near every time. Check out the video for Heart-shaped Handgrenades below, then check out his blog where there's links to audio for most of the rest of his discography.

Kathy Anderson with the Coffee Zombies - 4 Feb @ 630

2011-02-03T20:23:00.000-05:00

Kathy Anderson with the Coffee Zombies

Friday, February 4
Michael Solomon Pavilion in Kettering, OH
$7 at the door, kids under 12 free
Students $5 with valid ID

We've got the cure for cabin fever: swinging, allemanding and do-si-do-ing to the lively tunes of the Coffee Zombies. Caller Kathy Anderson will step in for the ailing Susan Moffett and provide the calls.

Come experience the fun that drives these dances year after year. Dance, socialize, or just sit and listen to some of the best bands and callers in the region. No experience is necessary, all ages are welcome and you don't need to bring a partner. Just wear cool, comfortable clothing and shoes with non-marking soles. The caller teaches all dances before they start.

SCC: Annual Creative Writing Contest

2011-02-03T15:43:00.002-05:00

http://www.sinclair.edu/academics/lcs/departments/eng/Contests/

Categories are: Adult Fiction, Adult Non-fiction, Adult Poetry, and High School fiction, non-fiction, and poetry. Only non-published manuscripts will be accepted.
Open to those Southwestern Ohio writers who have received no "payment" for published manuscripts in the category they are entering; "payment" includes free copies of journals in which their work has appeared. Previous first and second place winners are ineligible to enter categories in which they have won; they may enter other categories. The contest is not open to Sinclair part- and full-time faculty and staff.

Fee for adult entries is $5.00 per entry; fee for high school entries is $3.00 per entry.

Entries are due by 1 March; check the website above for more details.

Rock Your Ribbon 2011 - SATURDAY

2011-01-28T19:06:00.000-05:00

Longtime readers will know that I have a massive crush on the music of Jasper the Colossal. It's the kind of pop-power-punk that I absolutely love (think Tilt and Visiqueen), along with a totally kick-ass attitude.

Which makes it so freaking awesome that you can get the teaser single from the new album in progress to support The Noble Circle (a community of female cancer survivors in Dayton). And even better, they're part of the Rock Your Ribbon show at Blind Bob's SATURDAY, 29 Jan. (DDN article, Facebook page). $5 cover, with The Give-Ups, Northwest Ordinance, Jasper the Colossal, and Dirty Socialites! All proceeds are being donated to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition and the Noble Circle Project.

Be there.

A Bear Country Musical - 28 Jan to 13 Feb

2011-01-15T13:29:00.000-05:00

The Berenstain Bears Onstage
A Bear Country Musical!

A Bear Country Musical! January 28 - February 13, 2011
Take a trip down to Bear Country as Brother and Sister Bear encounter life’s little challenges. Whether it’s Sister’s messy room or Brother’s case of stage fright, Mama and Papa Bear are always there to steer their offspring down the right path! Even when they steal a watermelon!

Or, tell a meandering tall tale when they should have told the truth. Growing up isn’t always easy for these cubs. But with a little help from Mama and some well-intended, bungling guidance from Papa, this family always seems to find a happy ending!

GEOFFREY CANADA IN DAYTON 18 JAN

2011-01-14T13:13:00.002-05:00

[Steve's note: Yes, that's all caps, and yes, Geoffrey Canada deserves them. You owe it to yourself to go see this amazing man.]

Geoffrey Canada works tirelessly to increase high school and college graduation rates among students in a nearly 100-block area of Harlem. A nationally recognized trailblazer in education reform, he is prominently featured in the new documentary, Waiting for Superman, and has been named one of "America's Best Leaders" by U.S. News & World Report.

Canada will address "WAITING FOR SUPERMAN: The Crisis Facing Youth - What Adults and Communities Can Do to Save Our Children" at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 18, in the RecPlex at the University of Dayton

A booksigning will follow. The evening will include a special tribute to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Free and open to the public, the event is part of the Diversity Lecture Series and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. holiday celebration at the University of Dayton. Free parking is available in S1 (east of RecPlex off Irving Avenue), C and P lots.

Poetry contest for grades 2-12,

2011-01-13T13:11:00.000-05:00

Dayton History is hosting a poetry contest in honor of the Dayton poet, Paul Laurence Dunbar. Students in grades 2-12 are invited to submit their original poetry for consideration. There are two categories, grades 2-7 and grades 8-12. The top three submissions in each category will be recognized at a graveside tribute in honor of Dunbar. The tribute will take place on February 9, 2011 at Woodland Cemetary at 10:00am. Winners will be invited to read their poetry at the reception following the tribute and to have their poems placed on display at the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial for the month of February. In addition, winners will receive a Dayton History prize pack, including free admission passes to Carillon Historical Park. First place winners will win a workshop at Carillon Historical Park for their entire class.

Please mail submissions to Brandi Picek at 1000 Carillon Boulevard, Dayton, Ohio, 45409 by January 26, 2011.

Update to Downtown Plan

2011-01-10T15:50:00.000-05:00

It's good to see progress being made. You can read it as a website or snag a PDF of the whole thing (or if you've not seen me mention it before, take care of that) at http://www.downtown-dayton.com/plan/

New Original Exhibit at the Peace Museum - 11 Jan

2011-01-07T13:33:00.000-05:00

On National Human Trafficking Awareness Day, Tuesday, January 11, 2011, the Dayton International Peace Museum will open an original multi-media exhibit: Under Our Noses: Modern Day Slavery and What You Can Do About It. The exhibit examines the complex and sobering facts of human trafficking as it is conducted not only globally, but within the United States and in the State of Ohio . Visitors will receive an eye-opening introduction to the wide-spread practice of human trafficking, and learn of opportunities to personally combat trafficking on the local, state and national levels.

For most Americans, the word “slavery” conjures up only a shameful distant past, and the devastating civil war that put an end to that shame. “Many Ohioans, if they are aware at all of the global trade in human beings, have no idea how extensive, thriving and profitable an industry it is, and they are completely unaware that it happens right here in the cities and suburbs of Ohio,” said University of Dayton Political Science and Human Rights Studies Professor Anthony Talbott, whose students had the opportunity to earn credit in his Fall, 2010 Human Trafficking course by contributing to the research and design of the exhibit. “We hope this exhibit will increase local awareness of a very serious problem that affects us right here in Dayton .”

The public is invited to the exhibit opening, including light refreshments, at 5.30 P.M on the 11th. The program will feature galvanizing talks by Professor Talbott and visiting activist Sharla Musabih, an American-United Arab Emirates citizen, who is now exiled from the UAE, where her husband and six children still live, for her outspoken work sheltering and advocating for victims of domestic violence, rape and international human trafficking in Dubai .

Under Our Noses: Modern Day Slavery and What You Can Do About It will be on display at the Dayton International Peace Museum through February.

Admission is free and free off-street parking is available at the rear of the building. For more information, visit the Museum’s website at http://www.daytonpeacemuseum.org/ or call 937-227-3223.