Ghost Hunters in Dayton

There are actually two ghost hunting societies in the Dayton, Ohio area. There is D.O.G.S. (Dayton Ohio Ghost hunters Society) and "the original" Dayton Ghost Hunters Society (DGHS). Each of their web pages highlights the investigators, the equipment they use, and some upcoming events. One big difference? DOGS is no longer accepting new members, while DHGS is. The second difference is that DOGS has a lot more "case files" info on their site. Check them both out!

Ghost Hunters in Dayton

Dayton Literary Peace Prize - 8 Nov

The 2009 Awards ceremony will be at 5:00 pm, November 8th, 2009
Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center, One West Second Street
Dayton, OH 45402. Find out more about the Dayton Literary Peace Prize at http://www.daytonliterarypeaceprize.org/

Dayton Literary Peace Prize - 8 Nov

The Dixie Swim Club - through 1 Nov

The Dixie Swim Club is playing at the Beavercreek Community Theatre through the first of November! Tickets are $12 for the remaining three showings, and going fast. Go buy yours today!

Five Southern women, whose friendships began many years ago on their college swim team, set aside a long weekend every August to recharge those relationships. When fate throws a wrench into one of their lives, these friends rally around their own with strength and love. The Dixie Swim Club is a touching yet hilarious comedy about friendships that last forever.

The Dixie Swim Club - through 1 Nov

Concierto De Cuatro 6 Nov @ 1930

This event, featuring the 2008 Grammy Nominee Edwin Colón Zayas, is limited to the first 150 ticket holders! Get yours today!

Concierto De Cuatro 6 Nov @ 1930

Lower Salem Avenue Clean-up Event, Saturday, October 24

Join in building community pride by removing litter, weeds, etc., from the sidewalks and properties fronting Salem between Grand and Riverview

Presented by the Salem Avenue Business Association

Volunteers should meet at the North River Coffee House, 323 Salem, at 10:00 a.m.

Plastic bags and some tools will be provided, but if possible bring work gloves, rakes, brooms and hoes. Free coffee fill-ups will be provided.

Info: 277-9551

Lower Salem Avenue Clean-up Event, Saturday, October 24

PhilharMonster Halloween Concert

Pre-concert fun at 2:00 pm:
Costume Contest with three categories for ages 0-6, 7-12, 13 and up. There are three prizes for each category: cutest, scariest & most creative. Prizes will be awarded. Questions about the contest? Call (937) 224-3521 ext. 136.
Also Instrument Petting Zoo, photos with the Headless Horseman and more!

Concert program at 3:00 pm:
You are there when a musical version of the infamous Headless Horseman traps Ichabod Crane under the bridge at Sleepy Hollow! This spine-tingling program is filled with treats; even a narrated version of Stravinsky’s The Firebird Suite. Neal and Orchestra appear in their costumed finery for this Dayton Halloween classic. Single tickets prices are Adults $17 / Seniors $15 / Students and Children $10.

PhilharMonster Halloween Concert

Mandolin Madness - 30 & 31 October

I had to drill down a bit to find this - ticket prices are $20 for adults, $15 for students (25 and under), and $10 for children 12 and under.

The Dayton Mandolin Orchestra and the Classical Mandolin Society of America invite you to their two concerts October 30 & 31. The concerts will feature classical, choro, and jazz pieces where the mandolin is accompanied by the guitar, piano and bass. The Friday, October 30 concert takes place at 7:30 p.m. at the Crown Plaza Hotel and the Saturday, October 31 concert is at 7:30 p.m. at the Dayton Masonic Center. For more information and/or to purchase tickets, call (937) 767-7655 or (866) 611-6285 or go online to www.daytonmandolin.net .

Mandolin Madness - 30 & 31 October

Multicultural Halloween - 28 Oct @ WSU

MULTICULTURAL HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION
Wednesday, October 28
Student Union Apollo Room
5-9:30 p.m.

The Multicultural Halloween Celebration (MHC) is a huge annual cultural program that is hosted by all student organizations at Wright State University. It is a Fall collective celebration of the many ways that Autumn, Harvest, or Halloween is celebrated in the many cultures throughout the world.

This is an annual event - our 10th this year - and we annually have an audience of 1500 students, staff, faculty, and members of the Dayton community who attend this evening of fun, foods, and entertainments around the world.

Admission is free to students, faculty, and staff with WSU ID, $10.00 for the general public, and $7.00 for kids ages 5-12.

Multicultural Halloween - 28 Oct @ WSU

TONIGHT: Nazi Medicine (Film/Discussion) 6pm @ Sinclair

The recent furor over health care reform in the United States has produced some outrageous accusations, not the least of which has been the comparison of President Obama's proposals to "Nazi medicine." Come to this event on Monday, October 19 and learn what Nazi "medicine" was really all about. Dr. Rhoda Mahran, an expert on the Nazi medical experiments conducted before and during the Holocaust, has taught medical ethics in Chicago. She now lives in Dayton. We have invited her to make a presentation in the Forum, Building 14, at 6 PM on October 19. The event is free and open to the public.

We will be screening the 60-minute film In the Shadow of the Reich: Nazi Medicine following which Dr Mahran will facilitate discussion and answer questions about the film. The topic is not just a matter of Third Reich history; it has implications for medical ethics today. Contact committee chair Sean Frost () for more information.

*This event is sponsored by the Holocaust Remembrance Committee and is made possible by the generous support of the College-wide Diversity Committee.

TONIGHT: Nazi Medicine (Film/Discussion) 6pm @ Sinclair

Dayton Mayoral Campaign, Race, and Yes, My Opinion

Mayor Rhine McLin and challenger Gary Leitzell met Oct. 14 at the Cox Ohio Publishing Media Center for the only public debate of the race that will be decided on Election Day, Nov. 3, 2009. Full hour long video at http://www.ohiochannel.org/multimedia/media.cfm?file_id=122536 (via @SSBohio)

One opinion I heard from someone who saw them all at C{space a while back can be paraphrased as this: Leitzell said privatize everything and let the free market sort it out. McLin said more of the same without any real data to back it up. Whaley and Williams could both be summed up as replying "What McLin said." And Esrati... well, he had some good ideas, but started sounding like a conspiracy theorist pretty fast.

Which pretty much sums up my opinion too. The free market's not done us much good over the last few years (largely because it's not truly free, but that's another rant). And the way things are is not really the fault of the sitting councilpeople. The current state of things would have happened anyway, no matter what they did.

Honestly, idea-wise I like a lot of Esrati's ideas. But I don't think he'd be a good councilperson. I don't think I would be either, and for exactly the same reason. We are both abrasive and not politicians. I think he, again like myself, would be great as a behind-the-scenes person. His ideas - when he's not busy espousing conspiracies - are usually pretty good. But I don't think he'd manage to get a one of them actually in place.

Leitzell has ties to the developer industry, and when a developer starts saying "free market", I start saying "conflict of interest".

McLin, Williams, and Whaley are not the most visionary politicians around. They've made decisions I disagreed with, strongly. But, they're competent. They're personable - and I mean that as in "they can work with people they disagree with", a talent Mr. Esrati has not yet learned [1]. And they've also shown they are able to change. (I'm referring, most explicitly here, to the adoption of a program like Buffalo's ReUse program to remove blighted houses and use the raw materials to make a profit.)

I do want to leave with two notes, though.

1. Dayton does not have a strong mayoral position. McLin is a councilperson, with not a lot more authority than any other. The real power-person here is the City Manager. Two points if you know his name, and two more if you know why that doesn't matter too much.


2. I wonder what role race plays in this... well, race. I can't help but notice that as I drive around, the Leitzell and McLin signs both follow rough racial demographics in this area. It'd be fascinating to be able to do a blind "taste test", wouldn't it?

[1] And yes, I have this problem too.

Dayton Mayoral Campaign, Race, and Yes, My Opinion

Halloween Frenzy! - 17 October @ 5pm

The Dayton Woman's Club
Halloween Frenzy - Sat. Oct 17

An evening filled with mystery and high spirits as you are entertained with stories of how people were buried in the 1800's, what the symbols on tombstones represented. Learn about the new gravestones that talk to you with message from those that have passed way. Stores by Sherry Pesut, from Woodland Cemetery. Followed by Gregory Sanderson, famed Psychic and Spiritual Intuitive who will give readings
5:30pm Hospitality and full course dinner $23.00 all inclusive - for reservations 228-1124

Halloween Frenzy! - 17 October @ 5pm

Zoot Theatre's Hanzel & Gretel - 15-17 October

I really enjoyed Zoot's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream; The masks and puppets were fantabulous! I'm glad to see they've priced this production of Hanzel and Gretel at not much more than a movie ticket as well!



Tickets are available at TicketCenterStage

Zoot Theatre's Hanzel & Gretel - 15-17 October

FREE Fiction Writing Advice - 14 Oct @ 1830

Oct. 14 • Fiction Writing Advice from Brady Allen
Main Library Meeting Room, Dayton Metro Library, 215 E. Third St.;
6:30-8 p.m.

Get ready for National Novel Writing Month or just for Halloween. Brady Allen, horror and crime author and lecturer at Wright State University, shares writing tips in this hour and a half program. Free.

FREE Fiction Writing Advice - 14 Oct @ 1830

Dynamics of Family Violence within Minority Communities - 16 October @ 1230

Obviously, this is cut-and-pasted from a forwarded e-mail. I can't find any more details online; if you have more information, please point me at it so I can update this appropriately.

On behalf of the Hispanic Law Students Association, I would like to extend an invitation for you to join us on October 16, 2009 at 12:30 PM at the University of Dayton School of Law Courtroom for a presentation on the Dynamics of Family Violence in the Hispanic Community by our guest speaker Michael J. Alvarez, Esq.

Mr. Alvarez is the Trial Team Chief of the Family Violence Division of the El Paso County Attorney’s Office in El Paso, Texas. During the time that Mr. Alvarez has been an advocate against violence against women, he has spoken extensively on protective order law and the dynamics of domestic violence.

We will be working in conjunction with the Asian Law Students Association, Black Law Students Association, and other student organizations to host this event. We anticipate having several members of our legal community present, as well as students, faculty and staff of the University of Dayton School of Law.

I hope you are able to join us explore this interesting aspect to the practice of law.

Dynamics of Family Violence within Minority Communities - 16 October @ 1230

Garlic Festival - 10 & 11 October

No vampires (sparkling or otherwise) allowed!

Enjoy a stinkin' good time at the Garlic Festival featuring great garlic food, live music, children's activities, artisan vendors and hayrides at the Cox Arboretum. Festival is free and open to the public. Check out the webpage for a full schedule of events and music.

Garlic Festival
Saturday, October 10 12pm– 10pm
Sunday, October 11 12pm– 6pm

Garlic Festival - 10 & 11 October

Interfaith Perspectives on Immigration

Greater Dayton Christian Connections, in cooperation with our interfaith partners, cordially invites you to our annual
Interfaith Prayer Breakfast
Interfaith Perspectives on Immigration

Thursday, October 29, 2009
7:30 – 9:15 am
Sinclair Community College
Charity Earley Auditorium, Building 12


Come and hear personal stories from our neighbors and reflect together with people of many faiths in a worshipful atmosphere



Special music provided by Jeff Olmsted and the Dayton Peace Choir
$15 in advance/ $20 at the door
Complimentary parking under Building 12


Tickets may be obtained from any GDCC Board Member or by contacting the GDCC Office at 937-222-4322 or

Interfaith Perspectives on Immigration

Supporting the 5 Rivers Metroparks

[This is forwarded pretty much wholesale from Charlie Campbell, who wrote this well enough that I pretty much agree with everything he says.]

Since we now are getting all the info about this levy and that levy, I wondered how much of my real estate taxes are going to Five Rivers Metro Park levy. And it turns out to be $179.21. This is such a BARGAIN for the most wonderful park in the USA. And the "renewal" will be pretty close to my current tax.

IF you want to know how much you are paying for the Five Rivers, then do this:

Go to FAQ Why is Five Rivers on the Ballot In the second paragraph it says "For more specific information you can go to the county auditor's website..." Then you click onto that or you can do that here Montgomery County Real Estate

Under the SEARCH BY PROPERTY ADDRESS you put in your NUMBER and your STREET NAME and then hit the SEARCH.

It now will show the Parcel ID, Owner etc.

Click on your name and it will then click into all about your property. On the LEFT sidebar it says LEVY DISTRIBUTION and click on that.

Now you can see where your real estate taxes are going. See the one titled "Park -Montgomery"? That's the one you are paying for Five Rivers Metro Park.

My $180 is less than 2% of my real estate taxes.

To find out more about the levy, you can check out the MetroParks for 4 website.

Supporting the 5 Rivers Metroparks

Learning from 10 Living Cities - Deconstruction

This is freaking awesome news.

There were few presentations at the 10 Living Cities conference that impressed me as much as the Buffalo ReUse project. They're actively taking a liability - empty and abandoned houses - and turning that into a resource for jobs and raw materials.

Frequently I find the BizBites newsletter to be, well, PR fluff. But this - not yet mirrored on the website - just makes me happy. (It is, however, covered in the DDN).

(Quoted extensively because, well, it's not on the website yet.)

Deconstruction Will Create Jobs, Reuse Materials
A recently launched partnership designed to employ hard-to-place workers while salvaging building materials is receiving a boost from the Dayton City Commission.

The Commission has approved a $500,000 contract with Dayton Works Plus for a pilot program that will deconstruct at least 42 blighted houses and sell salvaged materials such as fixtures, woodwork, stonework, windows and more. The approved funds were awarded to the City by the federal Neighborhood Stabilization Program.

Dayton Works Plus (DWP) is a collaboration of East End Community Services, Architectural Reclamation Company and PowerNet of Dayton. DWP has recently hired 18 employees, including screened ex-offenders, with a goal of preparing the workers for apprenticeships or jobs in construction industries.

The City of Dayton is assisting DWP in identifying houses to be deconstructed throughout the city. Funds raised from selling salvaged materials will be used to further support the program.

"The deconstruction initiative is a partnership that should benefit the community in several ways," Commissioner Nan Whaley said. "Neighborhoods will be improved through removal of blighted buildings, people will be put to work, and less demolition waste will go to landfills."

Learning from 10 Living Cities - Deconstruction

ScreenPeace 2009, starting 4 Oct

Since the Greater Dayton, Ohio Area has proudly become a national locus for peace activity, in 2007 the Dayton International Peace Museum inaugurated the first annual ScreenPeace series of films that each offered a special perspective on “peace,” motion pictures that literally came to life on the big screen theaters!

ScreenPeace 2009, starting 4 Oct