Growth Opportunity

The Contemporary Arts Center (CAC) in Cincinnati presents an exhibition of new sculptural works and ink drawings by multimedia artist Sreshta Rit Premnath, organized in partnership with the MIT List Visual Arts Center.

If You Go

The Contemporary Arts Center, 44 E. Sixth St.
www.contemporaryartscenter.org

Open
Wednesday:  10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Thursday - Friday:  12 – 7 p.m.
Saturday:  10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Closed Sunday – Tuesday

Grave/Grove examines the ways in which natural, political, and human time are interconnected. The exhibition reflects the artist’s interest in how shared spaces of growth and care, such as community gardens or nurseries, can be embedded within dehumanizing spaces of collective discipline and confinement, such as detention centers or refugee camps. Curated by Amara Antilla, Senior Curator at the CAC, and Natalie Bell, Curator at the List Center, the exhibition opens at the CAC on September 17, 2021, and remains on view through February 27, 2022. The List Center will present a related exhibition from October 22, 2021, through February 13, 2022.

Cover image: Detail view: Sreshta Rit Premnath (b. 1979, Bangalore; lives and works in Brooklyn), Fold  2, 2021. Aluminum, weeds, plastic, IV tube, galvanized steel wire, dimensions variable. Cour tesy of the artist. Photo: Wes Battoclette. 

Course of Action

The LPGA announced today many of the best golfers in the world will be returning to Cincinnati for the next three years. The inaugural Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G will be played September 5-11, 2022, at Kenwood Country Club featuring a purse of $1.75 million dollars and over 12 hours of live Golf Channel coverage distributed around the globe.

Building on long-standing commitments to empower diverse women leaders both within their organizations and in the broader community, Kroger, P&G and the LPGA will host a unique opportunity for more than 100 local women to enhance their leadership skills and expand their networks through multiple workshops. The organizations look forward to bringing these women together to build new connections, access targeted resources, and learn from each other and from inspirational corporate executives and sports icons. Kroger, P&G and the LPGA are committed to using their collective resources and connections to create a long-term impact for women throughout the community. Details about the program will be announced in the coming months.

At the announcement LPGA Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan was joined by Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez and Lexi Thompson, 11-time LPGA tour champion, along with executives from The Kroger Co., The Procter & Gamble Company and members of The First Tee of Cincinnati.

Nancy Lopez, LPGA Champion in 1978, 1985 and 1989. Cincinnati’s history with women’s professional golf dates back to 1963 when Kenwood Country Club hosted the U.S. Women’s Open. From 1978 to 1989, Cincinnati hosted the LPGA Championship at the Golf Center at Kings Island where Lopez won three times on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

“The LPGA is thrilled to return to Cincinnati, or the Queen City as we are fondly referring to it in our tournament name,” said LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan. “Cincinnati has a long connection to the LPGA and its players. We know this tournament will be a favorite stop on Tour and serve as an important example of the power of sports to inspire leaders and build community. We are truly grateful to Kroger and P&G for supporting the LPGA in such an impactful and meaningful way.”

“Kroger is excited to bring the opportunity for the LPGA and its golfers to compete on this national stage to our hometown,” said Stuart Aitken, chief merchant and marketing officer and executive sponsor of the Women’s EDGE Associate Resource Group for The Kroger Co. “As a passionate supporter of the empowerment of women, I am personally inspired by the collaboration between Kroger, P&G and the LPGA to further their mission of empowering girls and women on and off the golf course.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the world-class athletes of the LPGA back to Cincinnati, and to inspire hundreds of local girls – and all youth – to play golf and other sports, realizing the lifetime benefits of the lessons and skills learned through sports,” said Debbie Majoras, chief legal officer for P&G and member of the US Golf Association Executive Committee. “At P&G, we work to eliminate gender bias and create equal opportunity for all individuals, and so we also are excited to partner with Kroger and the LPGA to engage and empower more than 100 local women leaders from across our community.”

The Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G is owned and operated by Excel Sports Management, a marketing and management agency that has operated all four versions of Capital One’s The Match.

“The Cincinnati community shows an unmatched passion for its hometown teams and sporting events,” said Kevin Hopkins, executive director of the event for Excel Sports Management. “Our goal is to create a really special experience for this fan base and make this world-class golf tournament a must-attend event on the Cincinnati calendar.”

The LPGA’s developmental tour, the Symetra Tour, has called the Queen City its home for the better part of the last 15 years, most recently hosting the Prasco Charity Championship since 2018.

Kenwood Country Club recently celebrated its 90-year anniversary by renovating its 36-hole layout. Kenwood officials say welcoming the LPGA’s finest will only help to further establish the course as one of the premier Championship golf courses in the state.

“We take a tremendous amount of pride in hosting the LPGA here at Kenwood Country Club and can’t wait to showcase our beautiful golf course to the world,” said Denise Kuprionis, the first female president of the Kenwood Country Club Board of Trustees, who was recently acknowledged as the Top Club President in the Nation as presented by BoardRoom Magazine.

History Lesson

This year marks the 200th anniversary of Jewish community life in the city of Cincinnati, which formally began with the founding of Chestnut Street Cemetery in the historic West End. The Jewish community and the City of Cincinnati along with dozens of community partners will commemorate this significant milestone through celebrations, multi-generational programs and interactive experiences.

Some 50 exhibitions, programs, concerts and festivals will mark the Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial from September 2021 through October 2022. Additional events will be added throughout the celebration.

Under One Roof Art Exhibit
Sept. 20–30, 2021, Mayerson Jewish Community Center, 8485 Ridge Avenue, Free

Celebrate the festival of Sukkot, the Jewish festival of giving thanks for the fall harvest, with this community art exhibit. The exhibit features artwork designed by groups and individuals around their interpretation of this year’s central theme, “Resilience and Renewal.” The exhibit will be on display in a temporary sukkah (hut) in the courtyard.

Under One Roof Art Opening
Sept. 20, 5:30–7 p.m., Mayerson Jewish Community Center, 8485 Ridge Avenue, Free with RSVP

Enjoy an evening of art, music, and light appetizers inside our sukkah, highlighting works of art created by individuals and organizations across the community. View the multimedia panels exploring this year’s theme, “Resilience and Renewal,” on display to celebrate the festival of Sukkot. Under One Roof is made possible by Presenting Sponsor The Rockwern Charitable Foundation. This program is funded in part by the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati and The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati.

ish Festival
Sept. 25–26, Washington Park, Over-the-Rhine, Free

ish opens with a night market and concert featuring Matisyahu on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m. and continues on Sunday, Sept. 26 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. This arts and culture event will kick off the year-long Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial.

Rededication: Chestnut Street Cemetery
Sept. 26, 10 a.m., Chestnut Street Cemetery, 400 Chestnut Street in the West End

Celebrate the restoration of the Chestnut Street Cemetery, the oldest Jewish Cemetery west of the Alleghenies. This event is the formal kick-off of Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial.

Jewish Cincinnati Historic Tours with Miles Wolf Photo Commission
September 2021 – Oct. 2022, West End and Central Business District

“A Walk Through History” will offer guided and self-guided tours of Jewish Cincinnati through the 19th and 20th centuries in the West End and Cincinnati Central Business District. Augmented reality and photographs by Cincinnati photographer J. Miles Wolf bring to life architectural remnants no longer standing. This program is supported by the Duke Energy Foundation.

CSO Celebration of Jewish Music
Friday, Oct. 1, 2021, CSO Concert at Music Hall
Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, Chamber Performance at Plum Street Temple, 720 Plum St.

The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra’s Creative Partner, Matthias Pintscher has curated two programs, Oct 1 & 3 which highlight music of Jewish composers and musicians, including his own work. The CSO’s Oct. 1 program in Cincinnati Music Hall includes Olga Neuwirth’s Aello featuring CSO flutist Henrik Heide and Pintscher’s Nur explores the transformative power of fire with piano soloist Inon Barnatan. On Oct. 3, CSO musicians continue the weekend’s exploration of Jewish music with a chamber music program at Cincinnati’s inspiring and historic Plum Street Temple, featuring works by Pintscher and Olga Neuwirth’s Laki. From Oct. 1 through Oct. 3, Jay Schwartz’ Music for Autosonic Gongs, an installation for 8 electro-acoustically controlled tam-tams will be free and open to the public in the Music Hall Foyer.

Laurel Park Dedication
Oct. 6, 2021, 9 a.m., Laurel Park, 500 Ezzard Charles Drive

Cincinnati Parks and community partners are beautifying Laurel Park in the West End with more than 100 newly planted trees, benches, shelters, walking paths, and a commemorative sculpture of West End resident, business owner and community advocate, Ezzard Charles. Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial is a proud sponsor of this community project in the West End.

Upstander Tour
Sunday, Oct. 17, 11 a.m., Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Avenue

On this special guided tour of the Nancy and David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, learn about upstanders who decided to speak out against injustice and unfairness and use their character strengths to become the best of humanity.

Tom Schaumberg's Story of Survival
Sunday, Oct. 17, 1 p.m., Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal, 1301 Western Avenue

Tom Schaumberg will share his story of survival. Tom was born in 1938 in Amsterdam, Netherlands and he and his parents were deported to Westerbork transit camp in the Netherlands and then to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Hear about the journey that brought him to the United States.

Tree of Life Cantata Debut
Oct. 24, 2021, Time and location to be announced.

Concert Nova Chamber Ensemble will debut the world premiere of Jacob Lindy’s Tree of Life Cantata, a collection of movements composed in memory of those who lost their lives during the Tree of Life Synagogue massacre in Pittsburgh, PA in 2018.

Presented by Congregation Beth Adam, the Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center, ish, the Jacob Rader Marcus Center of the American Jewish Archives, and Cincinnati Skirball Museum.

A Portrait of Jewish Cincinnati: A Bicentennial Celebration
Nov. 4, 2021–Jan. 30, 2022
Opening reception: Thursday, November 4, 5:30–8 p.m.
Skirball Museum, Mayerson Hall, HUC–JIR, 3101 Clifton Avenue

The Skirball Museum exhibition will feature portraits of Cincinnati's movers and shakers from the early 19th century to the present day, from its own rich collections as well as those of the Cincinnati Art Museum and Mercantile Library, along with private collections, both local and national. Visitors will engage with portraits of the merchants, entrepreneurs, philanthropists, politicians, scholars, and community leaders who helped make Cincinnati the Queen City of the West, with paintings and sculptures by such renowned artists as Sir Jacob Epstein, Raphael Strauss, Henry Mosler, Moses Ezekiel, John Aubery, David Holleman, and Isaac Brynjegard–Bialik.

A full list of events for the rest of the year and more information can be found at www.jewishcincy200.org.

Ace in the Hole

Get to know Frank Geers, the CEO of the American Cornhole Organization and new ACO World Champion and “King of Corhnhole” Gary Ferguson.

Made in Japan

As the Olympics wind down in Tokyo, Aaron Mohr gives us a local take on covering – and attending – the international competition.

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Jewels in the Crown

Cincinnati Museum Center (CMC) is partnering with the Taft Museum of Art to care for nearly 50 artworks during the restoration of the Taft’s 200-year-old historic house. These works will be showcased at CMC in the featured exhibition Borrowed Gems from the Taft Museum of Art. Borrowed Gems opens Friday.

Borrowed Gems showcases the collection of Charles Phelps Taft and Anna Sinton Taft, displaying work from masters including Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Charles François Daubigny, J. M. W. Turner and Thomas Gainsborough, in addition to decorative arts featuring Qing dynasty Chinese ceramics and 18th-century watches. The exhibition continues the reinterpretation of the Taft’s permanent collection, covering a broad range of eras, cultures and art forms and the Taft’s More to the Story interpretive texts, providing audiences a more diverse understanding of history. Select works are also highlighted with Closer Look labels to engage families and children with self-guided learning prompts.

Organized by subject matter, Borrowed Gems shows the full range of paintings collected by the Tafts. The couple enjoyed collecting portraits, scenes from daily life and landscapes that could also serve as educational models for artists working in Cincinnati who would look at, and even copy, works by masters of the past. Highlighted portraits in the exhibition include British works such as Thomas Gainsborough’s portrait of Maria, Duchess of Gloucester and Edinburgh and Joshua Reynolds’ Mrs. Stephen Payne-Gallwey and Her Son Charles. These works continue to offer insights today, providing context into the stories behind the faces seen in the paintings. The portraits are accompanied by 18th-century European watches made of gold and precious gems, bought by the Tafts to inspire Cincinnati’s watchmaking industry. Rather than precision timepieces, these watches are miniature works of art that demonstrated their owners’ fascination with technology. Each watch in Borrowed Gems required the hand of many skilled artisans, from goldsmiths to enamelers to the makers of the movement.

Borrowed Gems also features paintings and porcelains made by Chinese, Dutch, English and French artists of the 18th and 19th centuries portraying people, illustrating narratives and depicting scenes from daily life. The varied cultures and time periods represented in the collection point to the universal impulse to examine relationships and tell stories. Exhibition features include Jean-Francois Millet’s Mother and Child, Anton Mauve’s Cattle Grazing and Adriaen van Ostade’s Interior of an Inn with Three Men and a Boy, which share scenes of people at work, tender family moments and playful vignettes of childhood. Works from the Taft’s collection featured in Borrowed Gems also showcase Chinese vases that illustrate action-filled narratives from Chinese history and literature such as the Vase with the Battle of Kunyang.

Landscapes in the exhibition feature vistas of the French, Dutch and English countryside by painters including J. M. W. Turner’s The Trout Stream and multiple works by Camille Corot. These paintings likely provided respite to the Tafts as they lived in the heart of downtown surrounded by newly built factories. A selection of landscape-inspired Chinese porcelains with designs derived by nature such as the Vase with Lotus Flowers is also on display in the exhibition. During their lifetimes, the Tafts invited artists to see the works from their collections in their home, hoping to encourage creativity in the arts and even inspiring Rookwood Pottery artists with their more than 200 pieces of Chinese ceramics.

Borrowed Gems from the Taft Museum of Art is open through February 21, 2022 in the John A. Ruthven Gallery and the William L. Mallory Sr. Gallery at Cincinnati Museum Center. Admission is free.

International Friendly

Vanessa Gilles was the 2017 AAC Defensive Player of the Year for the Bearcats in soccer and a four-time postseason honoree, helping U.C. to the 2015 AAC conference title. She's now on the Canadian National Team in Tokyo.

Meanwhile, Annette Echikunwoke is preparing to compete in the hammer throw event for the Nigerian Olympic Track and Field Team. She is the first ever National Champion for the Bearcats in track and field, winning the weight throw event in 2017.

Both athletes spent some time with the media this past week talking about their U.C. experience and their thoughts on making the Olympics.

Gold Standard

A native of Edina, Minnesota, Jordan Thompson is one of the younger members of Team USA at 24, but she’s already helped the U.S. win gold medals at the 2019 FIVB Volleyball Nations League and the Tokyo Qualification Tournament.

A 6-foot-4 opposite, Thompson played college volleyball at Cincinnati, where she set the school record for kills in a season with 827 in 2018. Her average of 6.27 kills per set established a new NCAA record. The 2019 AVCA Player of the Year, Thompson began playing professionally in Turkey in 2020.

By the way, her dad was a Harlem Globetrotter.

–Team USA

Monumental Achievement

The 2014 George Clooney explored a group of American and British men and women – museum curators, art historians, librarians, architects, even artists – responsible for preserving the artistic and cultural achievements of western civilization from the destruction of war and theft by the Nazis.

A number of those works are now on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum in the exhibition Politics and the Monuments Men: The Berlin Masterpieces in America. Peter Jonathan Bell, the Musuem’s curator of European paintings, sculpture and drawings, offers us an inside look at the exhibition and the stories behind preserving these masterpieces.

Opera Reaches New Heights

You never know where a road trip will lead you. For Evans Mirageas, the Harry T. Wilks Artistic Director at Cincinnati Opera, a visit to Cincinnati instilled a lifelong passion for summer opera.

Safety First

Have you noticed that your veterinarian is busier than ever? The days of calling in the morning and seeing a vet in the afternoon have been replaced by a two-week (or longer) wait for an appointment. The reason? Blame it on the pandemic.

According to research published in the recent Packaged Facts market research report Pet Population and Ownership Trends in the U.S.: Dogs, Cats, and Other Pets, 4th Edition, more than half (54%) of American households have pets, representing a total of almost 68 million households. And while pet ownership was projected to grow about 4% over the last year, that number probably is higher because pet ownership jumped during the first few months of the pandemic as we looked for someone (or something) to keep us company.

Dr. Denise Chase of Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital is one of those vets who has seen a strong surge in office visits. She says that’s why it’s more important than ever for pet parents to be front-line advocates for their pets’ health, especially during the summer months. It starts with flea and tick prevention as our animals spend more time outside.

“Fleas and ticks are generally preventable with the same 2-in-1 product,” she says. “There are a lot of good topicals and the monthly topicals work very well. The problem with them is the effectiveness does get reduced with bathing or swimming. So if you take your dog to the pool or the lake on a regular basis or if you bathe them often, those products are going to be a lot less effective.

“The new oral chewable products, it doesn’t matter if your dog gets wet. The chewables are wonderful, they last up to three months depending on the product you pick, and there are no worries with bathing. The only downside is they shouldn’t be given to dogs who have a seizure history. But otherwise, they are very safe and effective.”

She also mentioned flea and tick collars, specifically the Seresto brand which, through reports to the Environmental Protection Agency, has been linked to seizures in dogs. “What the veterinary industry believes at this point is that a lot of those reports of illnesses in dogs are because of knockoff, fake products. The original collar is safe and effective but if you’re buying them from a third-party website for super cheap, beware. You might not be getting the real thing. Make sure you get it from your veterinarian or a trusted online partner.”

If you suspect your dog or cat may have fleas, Dr. Chase says take a good look at your pet’s coat. “Hair loss on the rump is usually the first telltale sign,” she says, “it’s usually right over the tail to start with. And you can do a quick flea combing and find flea dirt, which is that little black residue that they leave behind. That’s easier to find than the fleas themselves.

“If you have any concerns about it, buy a flea comb which is a little fine-tooth comb you can buy at the pet store, run it through your dog’s coat and if you find that black debris, then you know you need to do something about the fleas. But all the newer products are very effective against flea prevention, there’s really no reason to have flea infestations anymore.”

Ticks now are becoming an even bigger threat to your pet, Dr. Chase says. “Ticks are a big problem this year. We always have ticks of course, but they are spreading Lyme disease in this area now, which is relatively new. We didn’t used to have Lyme disease in Ohio, but now we do and, in my practice, we’ve diagnosed three cases this season already.

“Ticks can spread disease very early in the season but it becomes more likely as you get later into the summer so it’s super important to prevent ticks as well as fleas.”

Another summertime caution for your pets is heartworm, which is transmitted by mosquitoes. “Heartworm doesn’t produce any clinical signs early on. It’s not until the disease is fairly advanced that they will begin to show signs,” she says.  “Coughing is usually the first sign, followed pretty quickly by labored breathing, not feeling well and generally declining in condition.

“Ideally, we’d be diagnosing heartworm long before they’re coughing, and that’s why we do the annual tests. If we can catch it before they get to that point, then it’s a very treatable disease with minimal damage to the heart. If they’re already coughing, they’re going to be compromised for life.”

And just like 2-in-1 flea and tick protection, there are combination medicines that can protect your pet from heartworm as well as other issues. “Some of the oral products that are combination products like Trifexis are great for heartworm protection but it doesn’t kill ticks. There’s a new one called Simparica Trio which does do fleas and ticks and heartworm.”

Another danger to your pet during the summer? Being in a hot car. “And just cracking a window is not enough to prevent that car from getting really hot,” Dr. Chase says. “On a hot sunny day, that car can heat up to 120 degrees in 10 minutes or less. It is definitely not OK to leave the dog in the car.”

And while our cicada friends are starting to diminish in numbers, your dog still might find enough for a tasty treat during a walk. Dr. Chase says cicadas in moderation shouldn’t be a problem. “A little cicada snack here and there can be extra crunchy protein, but for dogs who eat a lot of them, it is possible it could cause issues. If the dog goes out and gorges on 100 cicadas, they could have a bloated stomach, they could have some abdominal pain, they could feel bad for a day or two if they eat a lot, just like eating a lot of anything.

“My suggestion is if your dog, like mine, likes to snatch up one here and there on a walk, that’s fine, but if they’re really going out and gorging on them, it’s probably better not to allow them to do that. You might even have to do a basket muzzle, a soft rubber muzzle they can wear. It doesn’t prevent them from opening their mouths or panting or getting a drink of water, but it will keep them away from cicadas on the ground.”

Dr. Chase has other summertime warnings for your pets, starting with water safety. “When people go to a lakehouse or have a summertime beach vacation with their dogs, I would recommend that if you’re taking your dog out on a boat on a lake, have your dog wear a life jacket. You don’t know what might happen. Dogs do unexpected things, they jump out of boats, or if the boat were to capsize, the dog should be protected with a life jacket.

“Also, there’s one vaccination that not every dog normally receives, the leptospirosis vaccine, which I recommend for dogs that are going to be swimming a lot in the summer. It’s a disease that is spread by wild animals, such as deer and raccoons. If they are near water and they are urinating around that water source, they are excreting this organism which lives in the kidneys and is excreted in the urine. And then dogs can, when they drink that water, ingest that organism and it’s a very deadly illness.

“It’s not a very common disease, thankfully, but we do see three or four cases a year in my practice and lake and water exposure is the primary way it’s transmitted. It’s worth asking your vet, if you’re going to be doing some hiking or fishing or camping or going to a lake where your dog is going to be drinking out of streams and lakes, if it’s worth getting that vaccine.”

And, with all these new dogs and pet owners outside in warmer weather, Dr. Chase says be especially careful at dog parks. “Dog parks are great, except that they’re very crowded in the summer and we do see a lot of injuries from dog parks when dogs get into a fight. It’s not that I don’t think you should take your dog to a dog park, but do so cautiously. It’s best to go to a place that’s not so crowded because if there’s 50 dogs running around it’s probably best to skip it that day.”

One more caution—you might think it’s fun to let your dog run free in the woods or along the water, but Dr. Chase says make sure your dog is well trained. “Off-leash activity, of course, is lovely and wonderful, but if your dog isn’t trained to recall, don’t let them go on the beach. A lot of people want to believe their dogs will always come back to them, but if they’re not really trained to do that, you can’t predict what they’re going to do.

“Dogs are instinctive, they’re going to chase their noses, they’re going to see something and run. If you’re in a strange place, it’s really going to ruin your vacation if you can’t get your dog to come back to you.”

Dr. Denise Chase is a 1994 graduate of The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine. She opened Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital in August of 2000. Find out more at www.pleasantridgepet.com.

–Betsy Ross

Dog Tales

Sisters Maureen Murphy Mello and Constance Murphy Nies teamed up to write and illustrate If You Just Imagine, to make hospital visits a little less scary for kids (and their parents!)

Find out what inspired them to write the book and the real animals behind the characters.

Teaming Up

For Bob Huggins, it’s personal.

Next weekend, as friends and colleagues gather in Cincinnati to honor Bob Huggins, they’ll also be raising money for a cause close to his heart, a cancer hospital to be built on the campus of West Virginia University. In interviews with the media last week, Coach Huggins said it’s a way to honor his mother, who died of the disease.

“Losing my mother in 2003, watching the struggle she went through, it’s a terrible, terrible disease,” he said. “We’ve raised money for cancer research since 2003, but we need a hospital. So, we’re going to raise money and build a hospital that will carry my mother’s name.”

While we may be more familiar with Coach Huggins’ time in Cincinnati, it’s West Virginia that has always been home. “My mom grew up just down the bottom of the hill from campus,” he said. “I’ve got aunts and uncles and cousins here. I was born here, so this state and the people in this state are very near and dear. But I love the people in Cincinnati, the people are fantastic, so nice, so cordial every time I’ve gone back.” 

Coach Huggins is still celebrating a coaching milestone that only six NCAA Division 1 men’s coaches have reached—900 career wins. But reaching that milestone last season, with quarantine interruptions and canceled games, wasn’t easy. Add the new transfer portal that allows players to change schools much easier, and he says it’s a different landscape for college basketball.

“It’s a tough time right now,” he said, “the COVID issues, portal situation, this is different than any of us have ever experienced, and I’ve been doing this for 40 years. 

“You look around and (Duke head coach) Mike Krzyzewski decided to retire, it’s not going to be long before (Syracuse head coach) Coach Boeheim retires, (North Carolina head coach) Roy Williams laid it down last year, it’s really a tough time right now for basketball. Hopefully we’ll start playing again soon and move on.”

Just don’t put Coach Huggins in that retirement category quite  yet.  “I’ve said from the beginning, when I lose my enthusiasm for it, when I lose my energy and say, ‘God, I don’t want to do this today,’ then I’ll quit,” he said. “Because I’m not going to cheat our players. That’s something I’d never do. 

“I’m around people I’ve known for such a long time, they give me energy and we’ve been blessed with terrific guys. All those people who (griped) that people didn’t graduate, they need to come over here, we’re graduating our players. But you know why? Because they care. You need support, and we have great support.”

The inaugural Huggins Homecoming will benefit the Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Endowment, a fund established by Coach Huggins in his mother’s name to provide cancer care and research. The weekend features a 5K run/walk on Sunday, June 13, and dinner on Monday, June 14. Limited tickets are available at wvucancer.org/hugginshomecoming.  

Fair Enough

What started as a small art fair’s salute to the opening of Cincinnati’s Playhouse in the Park has grown into one of the oldest continuous art fairs in the country. Summerfair returns to Coney Island for its 54th year June 4, 5 and 6 with 274 juried artists set to exhibit.

Jayne Utter talks with Betsy Ross about all of the great art visitors will experience.

Raising the Stakes

From the Big Apple to the Queen City, George Goldhoff has won rave reviews throughout the hospitality industry. Learn a bit more about him, as he leads the rebranding, and grand opening, of Hard Rock Cincinnati.

Hip Hippo Hooray

For Mother’s Day 2021, we went behind the scenes to learn more about the most famous mom in Cincinnati, Bibi the hippo.

Since the interview, Bibi has a new partner, Tucker, and is now a mother of two.

Our Mother’s Day gift to you is a look back at the interview, which features a cameo by the always adorable Fiona.

Very Swarm for May

Internationally renowned cicada expert, and admitted “frustrated historian,” Dr. Gene Kritsky shares the when, where, and how of the upcoming Brood X emergence. He also hints that though cicadas may not always be great for trees they could be a bit of a good luck charm for the Reds.

Want to hear more from Dr. Kritsky? Check out his new podcast with WVXU, Brood X.

Holding the Line

Bengals legend Will Anderson sat down with Betsy Ross to share his NFL Draft memories ahead of next week’s draft. He offers his thoughts on the Bengals’ draft options this year, building around Joe Burrow, and how good people help to make a great player.

Royal Observer

With all the upheaval in the British royal family, we talked to a British ex-pat about the monarchy.

A Little Romance

Chris Cicchinelli is the CEO of the Cincinnati-based Pure Romance, LLC, where he leads business development, operations, sales, and marketing. He is also the founder, along with his wife, Jessica, of the Living with Change Foundation—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting transgender youth and their families.

What inspired you to write The Secret is You?

I have been kicking around the idea of writing a book for at least five years. But I didn’t want to do it unless I knew I had something important to contribute to the conversation as someone who overcame a lot–having graduated at the bottom of my high school class–to thrive in the business world. I also didn’t want to put out just another book that deals in all kinds of theory but fails to specify actionable steps you can take to succeed beyond your wildest dreams. I was determined to lay out a series of what-to-dos rather than talk concepts and case studies. And I have. I’ve written the book I wish someone had written for me when I was just starting out. This book is for the person who wants to start a business, anyone involved in a family business, a budding entrepreneur, or anyone who is determined to find the motivation inside themselves to make it happen. If you want to start living comfortably, you need to understand that you’ll actually need to live uncomfortably to start moving forward in the business world. You are going to have to push yourself to extremes that are deep inside and not yet unlocked.

“For one, commit and commit fully, not halfway. Don’t run at the first sign of trouble or the first challenge. Also, be patient...Nothing worth achieving happens overnight. ”

What do you hope is the biggest takeaway from the book?

I hope readers are left understanding that each of them has the ability and the opportunity to determine their own destiny. I want them to be empowered to go out and supercharge their reality and turn their dreams into action. It’s all about supplying people with the tools necessary to become successful entrepreneurs while at the same time recognizing that great career achievement isn’t beyond their grasp. I want readers to walk away with the confidence and understanding that they can design their own life. They don’t have to live with the labels that others give them. They don’t have to sit back and take second place. They can design their own life, whether they’re looking to advance in their organization or start their own business. They should read the secret is YOU and take to heart the message that it really is all up to them, because it’s true. They can be as successful as they allow themselves to be. It’s all about believing in their ability and knowing they have the power to overcome any obstacle tossed in their path.

What has been the most fulfilling part of the tremendous success of Pure Romance?

Being able to help my mom see her dream through by scaling the company and touching so many lives. I see women who get here feeling like failures, like they’ll never amount to anything, and within months watch them thrive. The coolest part is how many dream-come-true moments I have helped to happen over the years, from paying off a credit card bill, to leaving a bad relationship, to building a retirement account. It’s helping to fulfill these dreams that are my proudest accomplishments. It’s been an amazing privilege to assist so many women who started without the confidence in their skillsets and witness their evolution as business owners. They invariably grasp that there’s no glass ceiling when they surround themselves with positive thoughts and intentions, and that the only limitations are those they place on themselves.

What is the best piece of advice anyone has ever given you?

It came from a guy who I respect a lot. He said, “Be the last person at the table. Don’t fold. Don’t show your cards. Stay in the game as long as you possibly can, because everybody will give up eventually. Either they can’t take the pressure or can’t handle the uncertainty.” That suggestion has stayed with me. Can you outlast the pain and the doubt to thrive while you’re in the middle of doing a deal? It’s become my maxim. In essence, don’t give up before you get going! Stick around and let the process play out.

Can you talk a little bit about the experience working with your mother to launch and rebrand Pure Romance?

Well, I can now say that after my five years in therapy from spending three years in a U-Haul driving from town to town with my mother back when I was starting out in the business that things are great! (I’m joking, but we really probably should have sought therapy after that). If you want to learn true patience, go into business with your family or close friends. You learn a bundle about yourself and those closest to you. The truth is that when you’re working with them, you need to create boundaries to protect those relationships. My mom and I have a deep respect for one another and what each of us brings to the table, but at the same time we’re both very headstrong people who know what we want and what does and doesn’t work. She is a passionate perfectionist. I’m the hard-driving marketing builder. The yin and the yang. So it’s been challenging. But at the same time, we make a heck of a team. And when all else fails, bring on the wine!

The book talks a lot about female empowerment in business. What advice would you give to a woman who is looking to branch out as an entrepreneur?

I would say a couple of things. For one, commit and commit fully, not halfway. Don’t run at the first sign of trouble or the first challenge. Also, be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is any viable business. Nothing worth achieving happens overnight. Staying on top of tech, trends, and the influences of the modern landscape is integral. And she should be prepared to pivot and change up the dynamic when needed. Women in business, in my opinion, are too often asking for the opinions of others when what they really need to do is trust their gut and stay the course. I am not opposed to crowdsourcing ideas, but over the years working with thousands of women I have watched them grow and succeed primarily on their own intuition.

Tell us one thing that readers would be surprised to learn about you?

That I didn’t go to school to sell sex toys and I am typically the only man in the room! Seriously, when you meet me, you would probably never think I run a relationship enhancement company with a community of 40,000 women. I was told that I shouldn’t bother applying to college by my high school advisor, who stressed that trade school would be a better fit for me. As if! My dyslexia did not make taking the SAT easy, and I had to work really hard to score high enough to get into Mount Union College in the nineties. But it’s the things that I learned from my football coaches in high school and college that still motivate me today. We all have the secret to our own success residing inside of us. We just have to step up and decide it’s our time and then never stop pushing toward our goal.