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One of the art pieces included in Liberty Township resident Don Schuster’s Beckett Ponds Series now on display at Gallery 42 in Mason. Provided photo

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

The work of a Liberty Township artist will be on display through April 13 at Mason’s Gallery 42.

Artist Don Schuster’s Beckett Ponds Series along with a selection of other landscape paintings are part of his exhibit at the gallery, 117 W. Main St.

He has adopted a contemporary realistic style. His work is showcased through his theater design, oil painting, drawing, photography, antique restoration and stained glass projects.

Admirers may meet Schuster during a public closing reception, set for 5-9 p.m. April 13 at the gallery. Wine, d’oeuvres and live music will be offered at the reception.

Schuster attended the University of Cincinnati’s Design, Art, Architecture and Planning program, graduating with a bachelor’s of fine arts degree in printmaking.

The gallery is open from noon to 6 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. It is also open other times by appointment.

Information/appointment: 513-234-7874

Posted in: Events |

Tags: Tags: artist, beckett ponds series, Don Schuster, exhibition, gallery 42, Mason, reception

Rachel Richardson reports:

Joshua Donahue / Warren County Jail

A Warren County grand jury has indicted a West Chester man who police say attempted to stab another man in a Mason bar brawl.

Joshua Donahue, 35, has been charged with two counts of second-degree felonious assault, three counts carrying a concealed weapon and two counts improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, fourth-degree felonies, and tampering with evidence, a third-degree felony.

According to police reports, the incident occurred in the late night hours of Dec. 13 at the Lucky Dog Grille on Reading Road in Mason. Police say an altercation erupted outside the bar between Donahue and the alleged victim when Donahue allegedly attempted to stab the man.

Donahue left the scene with his girlfriend and brandished a weapon at the alleged victim from his car before being apprehended by police, according to police reports.

Police say they found two knives on Donahue’s person in addition to a loaded gun found in the purse of a passenger in the vehicle belonging to Donahue and a butterfly knife and gun magazine in the vehicle.

Donahue faces 28 years in prison if convicted of the charges. He is out of jail on a $250,000 bond.

Posted in: Crime, News |

Tags: Tags: attempted stabbing, bar brawl, crime, joshua donahue, lucky dog grille, Mason, weapons

Director: People in Mason and West Chester asked for a site

This planned development concept submitted to the city of Mason by Crossroads shows site and landscaping renovations to be done to the property at 990 Reading Road. The Oakley-based church plans to open its Mason branch in August 2014. Photo provided

Rachel Richardson reports:

Crossroads is one step closer to opening a new church in Mason to serve its rapidly growing congregation in Butler and Warren counties.

The newest location of the interdenominational mega-church is scheduled to open in August 2014 at 990 Reading Road, said Chuck Moore, Crossroads’ director of multi-site.

On Monday night, Mason City Council unanimously approved rezoning the nearly 25-acre property at the corner of Reading Road and Tri-Way Drive, a largely industrial area. The zoning vote changed the property from industrial and road service use to business planned unit development to accommodate Crossroads’ planned development.

Moore said the church expects to spend about $16 million renovating the 129,000-square foot building and site formerly occupied by International Paper, which owns the property but closed in 2008.

Details of the purchase are still being finalized, said Craig Dockery, the church’s communications director. He expects to the purchase to be completed in the spring, with construction to follow.

“There was no one standing in line for that building,’’ said Mason Vice Mayor Victor Kidd. “It’s an excellent use of that property.”

Crossroads held its first public service in a rented room at Peoples Middle School in Oakley in 1996. Since then, the church moved into its current location on Madison Road in Oakley, expanded that building to 262,000 square feet and opened another facility in Florence in 2012. The congregation averages nearly 15,000 each weekend at the two locations.

The church began conducting Sunday services four years ago at Mason Middle School. It now has about 1,200 members, Moore said. That number is expected to grow to 2,500 to 2,800 members with the opening of the new building.

“We really responded to the people in Mason and West Chester who asked for a site,” Moore said. “People will move to Mason to be closer to church.”

Moore said Crossroads, which bills itself as “a church for people who don’t like church,” has flourished because it delivers a traditional Christian message in an unconventional format.

“We have a very creative way of experiencing God, learning about God and being in the community,” he said. “Our whole idea is literally having a beer with somebody on our back deck. That’s the way we want to talk about what’s it like to seek God, struggle in life and seek answers.”

Moore said he envisions the Mason branch to be more than just a place to come for Sunday worship. The church offers ministries for people from a variety of lifestyles and is “very proactive” in encouraging community involvement, he said.

“Part of what makes our calling a little different is that we tend to attract leaders who have lots of ideas and want to give back to the community,” said Moore. “We believe faith is action. We believe people have the opportunity to serve and all should serve.”

Mason city council members praised the church’s “stellar reputation” and noted the potential economic boon to the corridor, which is bordered by retail and residential communities to the west and south and manufacturing to the east.

“This is a good reminder that there are things much more important to a community than financial return,” said Kidd. “We admire the ability of Crossroads to do some amazing things. It’s phenomenal and we’re glad to be a part of it.”

ABOUT CROSSROADS

Crossroads ranked 21st on Outreach Magazine’s 2011 list of the nation’s largest churches and sixth on the magazine’s fastest-growing list in 2010. The church began services in Oakley in 1996 and opened its 262,000 square foot facility at 3500 Madison Road in Oakley in 2006. In August 2012, the church opened a Florence branch in the building formerly occupied by Old Time Pottery, off of Mall Road.

Crossroads’s new facility at 990 Reading Road in Mason is set to open in August 2014.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: chuck moore, church, community, crossroads, international paper, Mason, mason city council, oakley, religion, renovations, rezoning, West Chester

Rachel Richardson reports:

Marion’s Piazza manager John Davis knew the restaurant would be a hit when he opened the doors for lunch and was greeted by a party of 30 hungry guests.

The Dayton-based chain celebrated the grand opening of its newest restaurant — its ninth overall — Tuesday at the corner of Tylersville and Snider roads in Mason.

The Mason opening marks the company’s first Greater Cincinnati location.

“We were real busy,” said Davis of the lunch crowd. “Everybody said, ‘We can’t wait until you get here.’”

• Photos: Marion’s Piazza opens in Mason

The 11,000-square-foot Mason location employs about 50 people and seats 520, including 70 in an outdoor patio and 100 in a private banquet room. Carry out service is also offered.

Marion’s is one of the first developments to break ground on the 9-acre site owned by Everybody’s Farm Inc. A dermatologist office is slated for another lot, according to Jeff Eichhom of Henkle, Schueler & Associates, whose sister company, Bunnell Hill Development Co. Inc., is the project’s developer.

The chain’s success lies in its pizza, known as Dayton-style pizza, said Roger Glass, company president. The crust is thin and pies are cut in bite-size squares instead of slices, he said.

Eighty-five percent of the company’s sales are pizza; other fare includes salads, sandwiches, lasagna and spaghetti.

“We must be doing something right. We keep setting records for business every year,” said Glass. “If you come to Marion’s, you’ve got to be hungry for pizza.”

Mason proved an attractive area for expansion because it is a populous area with a solid base of industry and other development, said Glass. Mason is also close to the company’s Dayton-based commissary, which ships out fresh dough daily.

Linda Bonnell of Loveland got hooked on Marion’s in the 1990s after her child’s basketball team played in the area. She was at the restaurant on opening day for dinner.

“We couldn’t wait until this one opened,” she said. “The pizza is wonderful, absolutely the best.

Restaurant hours are 10:30 a.m. -11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10:30 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

The restaurant is at 6176 Soundwave Blvd. and can be reached at 513-398-9998.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, Dayton, everybody's farm, expansion, marion's piazza, Mason, opening, pizza, restaurant, roger glass

Michael Stainbrook reports:

Lakota East is one of four teams to qualify for the district tournament Monday at the Division I girls’ golf Indian Springs sectional tournament held at Walden Ponds Golf Club.

The Thunderhawks finished in fourth place with a team score of 359, trailing Mason, St. Ursula and Seton. Those four squads were the only teams to have every individual finish with a score of less than 100.

Ohio Division I girls’ golf sectional
(Top four teams plus four individuals qualify for district tournament)

Walden Ponds Golf Club

1. Mason 312, 2. St. Ursula 345, 3. Seton 355, 4. Lakota East 359, 5. Mercy 394, 6. Kings 395, 7. Loveland 444, 8. Turpin 451, 9. Anderson 473, 10. Little Miami 476, 11. Harrison 476 12. Middletown 508.

Medalist: Carolyn Markley (St. Ursula) with a 4-under-par 68. Others: Liebert (Mason) 74, Dubler (Mason) 75. Qualifiers: Adams (Kings) 93, House (Mercy) 93, Buck (Turpin) 94, Mooney (Winton Woods) 95.

Posted in: Fall sports, Sports |

Tags: Tags: div i, girls' golf, indian springs sectional, Lakota East, Mason, Seton, St. Ursula, Thunderhawks, walden ponds golf club

Damon Hamblin with Long-Stanton Group in West Chester makes a part used under gas stations to help protect ground water from contamination. Long-Stanton employs about 75 – 10 more than last year. / The Enquirer/Liz Dufour

Alexander Coolidge reports:

This is what happens when manufacturing regains its stride:

• Intelligrated in Mason hires 300 new workers to design and build conveyer systems, and Mazak in Elsmere hires 75 new workers to make industrial cutting machines.

• Total Quality Logistics in Union Township, Clermont County, adds 200 jobs to move truckloads of manufacturing supplies and finished products.

• The University of Cincinnati Clermont College gets a $250,000 grant to train 100 new workers in advanced manufacturing skills.

Manufacturing employment in Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky hasn’t been this robust since December 2008 – before the recession whacked 13,300 jobs from the sector. Today, manufacturing is leading the jobs recovery in Ohio, Kentucky and the region.

Latest state data show that 114,700 people are employed in manufacturing in the 15-county region. That’s one of every nine workers directly employed at companies making everything from airplane parts to electrical connectors to specialty trailers.

Add in the ripple effect, and the local impact grows. Economists estimate that every new manufacturing job creates roughly two more in trucking, banking, sales and other businesses – all needed to support the manufacturing surge.

“The multiplier effect is huge – the input is so great and so diverse that it reaches other sectors,” says LaVaughn Henry, vice president of the Cincinnati branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. “Those dollars roll over because as the sector grows, it touches other parts of the economy.”

A combination of factors is driving manufacturing’s rebound: The rising cost of making goods overseas is sending American jobs back home. U.S. labor is less costly and more productive than ever. And the quality of American-made goods has never been higher.

But the need for more workers also is exposing a manufacturing talent gap. Technology is doing the stamping, bolt-tightening and assembly-line work that manufacturing workers used to do. Today, employers need workers who can tell the high-tech machinery exactly what to do.

Until more workers are trained in those skills, the recovery won’t be as strong as it could be.

“Doing the same, repetitive task over and over is on its way out,” says Dennis Ulrich, director of Cincinnati State Technical and Community College’s Workforce Development Center in Evendale. “There are still machine operators, but those require more skills.”

(more…)

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: business, chris cole, cincinnati state and technial community college, dennis ulrich, economy, intelligrated, jobs, labor, LaVaughn Henry, manufacturing, Mason, mazakm long-stanton manufacturing, multiplier effect, rebound, technology, West Chester

Rachel Richardson reports

Hoxworth Blood Center and Kings Island are teaming up to offer free park admission to blood donors this week in an effort to encourage blood donations and prevent summer blood shortages.

Donors will receive a free one-day pass to the Mason amusement park when they donate blood at one of the blood donor centers on the following specified dates (see schedule, below).

Hoxworth operates eight neighborhood donor centers in Anderson, Blue Ash, Central at the University of Cincinnati, Downtown, Ft. Mitchell, Tri-County, Western Hills and Mason. Additional donation centers have also been set up this week.

Here’s the donation schedule for this week:

Tuesday
Hoxworth Anderson, 10:30 a.m.—6 p.m.
Hoxworth Blue Ash, Noon—7:30 p.m.
Hoxworth Central, 8:30 a.m.—4 p.m.
Hoxworth Downtown, 7:30 a.m.—4:45 p.m.
Hoxworth Ft. Mitchell, 10:30 a.m.—6 p.m.
Hoxworth Mason, 10:30 a.m.—6 p.m.
Hoxworth Tri-County, Noon—7:30 p.m.
Hoxworth Western Hills, Noon—7:30 p.m.

Thursday
Southwest Regional Medical Center, 1—6:30 p.m.
American Legion Sunman (Ind.), 1—6:30 p.m.

Friday
West Chester Activity Center, 1—7 p.m.
Hillsboro High School, 1—7 p.m.

Saturday
Kenton County Library, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

Donation site addresses are listed at www.hoxworth.org. Donors are encouraged to bring in a non-perishable food item to donate to the Freestore Foodbank.

The center anticipates a strong response to this campaign, so they’re encouraging donors make appointments by calling 513-451-0910. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Posted in: Events |

Tags: Tags: blood, donation, donor, food donations, free tickets, Freestore Foodbank, Hoxworth Blood Center, kings island, Mason, neighborhood donor centers

John Kiesewetter reports:

Three episodes into “Masterchef,” and we never saw Krystal Eggerding Mandap of West Chester Township identified on the show.

And now we know why: Producers didn’t feature her story in the preliminary round, as one of the lucky 100 contestants this season, because she didn’t make make the top 36 revealed last night.

Krystal, 31, says she saw herself several times last night, and she’s proud to make it as far as she did. Her email today:

“I only made the top 36, which isn’t too bad out of 30,000 hopefuls, but yes very disappointing. I did see myself a lot last night. They did not do a feature on me, but I was in the front row and the camera was on my face when I was told I had to leave. Of course it was a fun experience and I would do it again if they asked.”

She’s rooting for:

Christine Ha, 32, the blind grad student from Houston.

Anna Rossi, 28 from the husband-wife duo (he was eliminated last night). She’s a pharmaceutical sales rep from Boston.

Frank Mirando, 28, a stockbroker from NY

Scott Little, 38, an interactive producer from Virginia. (Read more about the contestants here. The show airs 9 p.m. Monday-Tuesday on Fox/Channel 19.)

“I got know those contestants fairly well and were all passionate and good people! Thanks for your support. I have a lot going on since the show, so hopefully this is only the beginning of my journey!” she says.

Krystal, a 1999 Kings High School graduate, quit her food sales job in February to tape the show. She’s working part-time at La Poste Eatery in Clifton.

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: 3 boys and a chef, fox, kings high school, Krystal Eggerding, krystalcakes, Mason, Masterchef, reality tv

An artist’s rendering of the planned office expansion for Intelligrated Inc. The building is expected to be completed in the fall of 2012. Photo provided

Rachel Richardson reports:

Intelligrated Inc., the fast-growing supplier of material handling systems to retailers and other companies, has been acquired by a European private equity firm for more than $500 million.

The acquisition of the Mason-based business by Permira, the private-equity owner of companies from Hugo Boss to Birds Eye food brands, was announced Friday.

Intelligrated, which broke ground earlier this year on a new facility, will remain headquartered in Mason. The company’s management, led by founders Chris Cole and Jim McCarthy, will continue to lead the company.

The Permira funds’ investment will support the company’s global growth opportunities and allow it to increase product offerings and services, said Cole.

“We are thrilled that a world-class investment firm such as Permira has recognized the growth potential in our business,” he said. “This is a strong endorsement for Intelligrated and our highly talented workforce.”

“We are pleased that they recognize our ability and commitment to providing mission-critical, high-speed automated material handling systems, software and service, and believe they are the ideal partners to help us to continue on our strong growth trajectory,” said Cole of Permira.

Intelligrated broke ground in January on a new 60,000-90,000-square-foot facility next to its Mason headquarters on Innovation Way. The expansion, which is scheduled to be completed in the fall, is expected to bring 200 new jobs to the region over the next three years.

Intelligrated, one of Greater Cincinnati’s largest privately held companies, saw growth of more than 38 percent in 2011, said Cole.

The company employs about 2,000 nationally, including 800 in Ohio. Besides its Mason headquarters and engineering facility, which employs 200, Intelligrated employs about 400 at a nearly 300,000 square-foot plant in West Chester.

Intelligrated has operations in several states, Canada and Mexico.

The company, which produces conveyor systems and other material handling equipment, was launched in 2001 by Cole, and president and COO Jim McCarthy. Intelligrated’s ownership has included Gryphon Investments in San Francisco and Tudor Capital of Boston.

The deal is expected to close in the third quarter of this year, London-based Permira said today in a statement.

Posted in: Business, News |

Tags: Tags: chris cole, intelligrated, jim mccarthy, manufacturing, Mason, permira, permira funds, private equity, West Chester

Rachel Richardson of The Cincinnati Enquirer and MasonBuzz.com reports:

His ear is slightly singed and he needed a good bath, but a stowaway kitten has a new chance at life after being found on board a fuel tanker this week.

Deb Donley, of Mason, was filling her tank at the West Chester Kroger gas station last Tuesday when she heard a plaintive mewing.

Deb Donley, an animal rescue volunteer from Mason, rescued a six-month-old kitten trapped on board a fuel tanker on Friday. The kitten, now named "Tanker," is available for adoption from Friends of Noah, a nonprofit animal shelter in Amelia. Photo provided by Bonnie Morrison

“When you hear the cry of any animal, the first thing you do is investigate,” she said. “I’m looking through everybody’s car windows like a fool asking if they hear this cat.”

Donley pinpointed the cries to a fuel tanker refilling the gas tanks. The driver told her he didn’t have a cat, but had heard the faint cries of one all day.

“I got underneath the tanker and climbed up to where it meets the semi and saw this furry head peek out of the hold there. It was screaming,” said Donley. “I climbed up in and grabbed a hold of the poor thing and wedged it out. After that it never left me.”

Donley named the six-month-old tabby kitten — what else? — Tanker.

It’s believed that Tanker survived at least 10 hours clinging to the fuel truck on a ride that took him hundreds of miles across three states, from Kentucky to Indianapolis to West Chester.

“He went for the ride of his life,” said Donley. “He was covered in grease and we couldn’t feed him enough.”

With the help of another Mason animal rescuer, Evelyn Black, the wayward tabby found placement at Friends of Noah, a private, nonprofit animal shelter in Amelia.

Despite his wild ride, Tanker was determined to be healthy and needed only a good scrub-down. He’s now available for adoption, said Bonnie Morrison, the shelter’s director.

“This kitten went on what I call a long haul,” said Morrison, with a laugh. “He’s extremely friendly and mellow and happy to be held. I couldn’t believe his great attitude after being covered in grease and tossed and turned. He’s a happy little guy right now.”

Donley says she only did what any animal-lover would do by coming to the aid of an animal in need.

“Just looking at him and getting hugs from him is the biggest ‘thank you’ in the world,” she said.

For more information on Tanker, call Friends of Noah at 513-797-7387, ext. 112 or visit them on Facebook.

Posted in: News |

Tags: Tags: animal rescue, animal rescue Mason, animal rescue West Chester, bonnie morrison, deb donley, evelyn black, friends of noah, Kroger, Mason, pet rescue Mason, pet rescue West Chester