Engagement_______________________________

Youra - Polk

Dr. and Mrs. Gary Youra are delighted to announce the engagement of their daughter, Kathryn Rose, to Mr. Brian Matthew Polk, son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Polk of Huntington Woods, Michigan.  Better known as Cadi, Kathryn is the granddaughter of the Honorable William Clark and Mrs. Clark of Oakwood, and Mr. and Mrs. Albert Youra of Boca Raton, Florida. Brian is the grandson of  Mrs. James Klain of Southfield, Michigan, and the late Mr. Klain, and the late Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Polk of Huntington Woods, Michigan.

A  2001 graduate of Oakwood High School, Cadi graduated from the University of
Michigan with a Bachelors degree in Communications and a minor in Global Change. She is currently pursuing Masters degrees in Geographic Information Systems and Urban Planning.

Brian graduated from Berkley High School in Berkley, Michigan. He holds a Bachelors degree in Mathematics and a teaching certificate from the University of Michigan. Brian teaches mathematics at Detroit’s Louis Cass Technical High School, one of three academic examination high schools in Detroit, specializing in college preparatory curricula.

A May wedding is planned in Dayton. Following the wedding, the couple will live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Cook and Blumensheid to serve on nat’l committees

Mayor Judy Cook and Councilmember Roger Blumensheid were recently appointed to serve on committees for the National League of Cities.  The National League of Cities (“NLC”) is the oldest and largest organization representing municipal governments throughout the US.  Its mission is to strengthen and promote cities as centers of opportunity, leadership, and governance.

Mayor Cook will serve on the 2007 Finance, Administration and Intergovernmental Relations and Policy Advocacy Committee (“FAIR”).  This committee deals with national economic policy, general financial assistance programs, liability insurance, intergovernmental relations, Census, municipal bonds and capital finance, municipal management antitrust issues, citizen participation and civil rights, labor relations, Native American sovereignty and municipal authority.

Mr. Blumensheid is serving on the Information Technology and Communications Committee (“ITC”).  This committee has jurisdiction over issues related to telecommunications and information systems and provides access to these systems, including privacy issues, cable TV, phone services, spectrum issues, communications tower siting, universal service, broadcasting, and defense of city rights-of-way from degradation caused by installation of communication facilities.  “Serving on the ITC will provide Oakwood the opportunity to shape legislation that will effect how programs at the state and federal level directly benefit our citizens”, said Mr. Blumensheid.

Serving on these committees will provide our two local government officials with an opportunity to interact closely with colleagues from around the country and to address many specific issues challenging local governments.

Mendelson announces retirement

After 42 years, downtown Dayton retailer Sandy Mendelson, partner in and spokesman for Mendelsons Liquidation Outlet, has announced his intention to retire from the family business. Mendelsons Liquidation Outlet was founded by Sandy’s father, Harry Mendelson, in 1960, as an electronics surplus outlet. The store expanded over the years to include not only industrial buy outs, but also a wide array of merchandise from retail store closings, business liquidations, and in keeping with the times, internet close outs.

Mendelson, a staunch longtime Downtown Dayton booster, is looking to the future of his business, and to the future success of the downtown area.  Concerning the importance of the properties, he said, “I want to help pave the way for the new developments downtown.  The historic buildings that we occupy will be part of the reinvigorating of downtown.  I want to see them preserved and I want to keep the history of Dayton and the Kettering family alive.”

Mendelson expects to consolidate and relocate the retail store to a much smaller location, where Harlan Mendelson and Heather Mendelson-Goodrich will take over the operation.

As for his own future plans, Mendelson said, “This move will give me a chance to spend more time with my grandchildren and in my spare time pursue other real estate ventures and opportunities.”

Preen Apothecary ‘all about women having fun’

Nicole Gianuglou, owner of Preen and customer.

Spring is here. Birds can be heard chirping in the early morning as runners, whose shoes haven’t hit pavement in months, return to the streets. Women of all ages, in every town in America begin to look back with regret over the indulgences of winter and devise their game plans for spring’s fresh start.

What better time to introduce “Preen Apothecary”? Located at 2800 Far Hills Avenue in the Shops of Oakwood, between “The Pink Daisy” and “From Inside Out,” “Preen” is a specialty cosmetics and skin care store whose owner and staff are dedicated to helping women look their best, for the spring and every other season. Having just opened its immaculate doors last week, I decided to step inside and get inspired.

At first appearance, the store itself is enough to make a woman feel happy, at least this woman. Upon entering the ornate ivory and glass doors, I experienced sensory overload in the best possible way. Large glass candy jars filled with bubble-creating bath balls sit atop center tables while colorful bottles containing everything from shampoo to body lotion line the walls. Huge paper lanterns sparkle as they hang from the ceiling and catch the store’s lights. Aromatic perfumes in exquisite bottles rest on shelves as pillar candles and delicate hair accessories fill artisan bowls. Pots and jars of lip gloss, eyes shadow, and formulas made to enhance every female feature pepper the outer walls, truly creating a “candy store for women.” Everything is arranged with both precise care and aesthetic consideration, creating a sense of balance before shopping even begins. I am ready to buy everything in the store when I catch a glimpse of sunshine walking toward me. I quickly learn that the beautiful, mile-wide smile belongs to an unpretentious, welcoming woman named Nicole. It took a bit longer, however, to realize just who this friendly lady was.

Her philosophy is simple, her mission clear. A Centerville native and graduate of NYU, Nicole Gianuglou, owner of Preen, has created a safe haven where women can enter feeling “blah” and leave refreshed and rejuvenated. If the name sounds familiar, it may be because it is. “Preen” was formerly located on Main Street in Centerville, just around the corner from the chic store, “Ashley and Hilary.” Nicole is excited about her recent move to Oakwood as she applauds the town for its welcoming sense of community. Remarking on her new neighbors she adds, “My store is all about women having fun and that’s why I know that I’ve picked the right spot here in Oakwood.”

After having spent many years in the cosmetics and skin care industry, Nicole is aware of the negative stereotypes associated with a business of this nature: “ I know how pushy some ‘makeup ladies’ can be. My goal is to create an environment where women can come and play, have fun, and chat with other women without the hovering saleswoman who is pressuring them to buy products.”

Preen specializes in unique, hard to find lines, like Korres which is made with natural, homeopathic ingredients, as well as mainstream brands such as Frederick Fekkai hair care and NARS cosmetics.

NARS, the founder of his namesake line of beauty products, Nicole praises the line for its ability to appeal to every woman, regardless of her style. Nicole also debunks a few misconceptions regarding a store such as Preen.

“A store like mine can seem overwhelming upon first impression. I know this. My mission is to set women at ease, while letting them experiment and play without the pressure to buy. In fact,” she adds, “I am a huge advocate of samples. I don’t want a woman to leave here with a full product before she has tried it for a couple of days, on me. I’ve been the buyer in those shoes too many times to let that happen.”

Nicole also emphasizes her approach to beauty, as it pertains to a store such as “Preen” by explaining, “This industry is full of people who feed on women’s insecurities in order to sell products. I will never do this. My store is about taking an already beautiful canvas and making it sparkle a little bit more, whether on the inside or out. If I end the day having made a new friend with on of my customers, it has been a good day.”

Preen is open six days a week. Visitors will be greeted on any one of those days with a full staff that is always ready to assist. Whether that means by advising - or simply playing too - is up to you.

Dominic’s marks 50 years March 17

Annie Mantia and Jeanie

Dominic’s, the iconic Italian restaurant located just north of Oakwood on Far Hills Avenue, is going Irish…at least for the week of St. Patrick’s Day.  Dominic’s, one of Dayton’s oldest restaurants, celebrates its 50th Anniversary on March 17. Guiding it thorough the anniversary is Annie Mantia, today’s owner and widow of Dick Mantia, son of the original owner.

Dominic’s was opened by Dominic Mantia on March 17, 1957 at the corner of Main and Frank Streets, in a house that still is part of the restaurant today. The food served was southern Italian fare, and was prepared by Sue Mantia, Dominic’s  young Irish wife who had learned all the traditional Italian recipes from Dominic’s mother. Today as second-generation owner, Annie Mantia has continued the tradition set by the founding family.

“When the restaurant first opened,” Annie Mantia said, “my former mother-in-law was the cook, Dominic was the bartender. As a matter of fact, it was she who came up with the house salad.” The trademark salad, once called the Cerian Salad, now the “house,” is loaded with garlic. (Once you taste it, you don’t forget it.) “There are lots of stories about the house salad,” Annie said. “One mother of four swears that it induces labor. Another claims it’s ‘the greatest diet in the world;’ she had eaten the salad as her main food for a year, and successfully lost weight.” Stories aside, the garlic says it all. During the anniversary week, on March 13, 14, and 15, Annie is giving an anniversary memento - garlic in a small mesh bag.

In addition to the dining rooms, Mantia has set aside one room dedicated to the University of Dayton where the UD Basketball team is served all their pre-game meals. In UD colors of red and blue, it has a big screen TV along with portraits of noted UD sports figures painted by Elizabeth Martin, a retired Oakwood art teacher.

With Dominic’s celebrating its “50th” this St. Patrick’s Day, celebrating the “Luck O’ the Irish” in an old, established southern Italian restaurant might just offer a lucky twist. And don’t forget to pick up your garlic.

‘Big Box’ restaurant influx vexing locals

The influx of national franchise restaurants in the Dayton area is just one factor that has many local restaurant owners feeling concerned. The increase of 5,000 new restaurant seats, most of them chains, coupled with a sharp decrease in the Dayton-area population, has left many locally-owned restaurants barely hanging on, according the Gary Wiegele, owner of the Peerless Mill in Miamisburg.  

To discuss their mutual problems, over 20 independent restaurant owners met recently at a special meeting organized by Amy Haverstick of Jay’s Restaurant in the Oregon District. The consensus looked bleak. “It’s bad” said Wiegele. “There’s a whole series of independents that are on the verge of going out of business; some are the old ones that have been around for years,” he said.  Both the Peerless Mill, which was destroyed by a fire in 2002 and reopened in 2004, and Bullwinkle’s, another long-time Miamisburg restaurant have seen a significant business decline.

“We thought at first it was just Miamisburg, but that’s not the case. The whole area is being hit hard - high-end, low-end, mama/papa type places, old restaurants and new,” he said.  “The Blue Moon in the Oregon District closed, and its sister restaurant, Eclipse, in Centerville, has also shut its doors. Our business, since November, for example, has been off 45 to 50 percent,” Wiegele said.

Though it coincides with the opening of the Greene, other factors contribute to the problem. Wiegele believes that the turnover from Republican to Democrat administrations has had an effect since, with any political change, people traditionally, spend more cautiously. The economy in Dayton is not as robust as it has been in the past. And he feels also that the smoking laws have had an adverse effect on business, though mostly on bars and sports bars.

Future meetings of more than 35 restaurant owners are being planned as the culture of the small independent home-owned restaurants face the challenge of competing with the national franchises that have proliferated in the past ten years. “Is there anything we can do to get people back to the independents? That’s our challenge,” said Wiegele.

Paying It Forward

Pictured  above is Mrs. Gilbert’s eighth grade class at Oakwood Junior High School. The class raised over $7,000 for Daybreak, a shelter for troubled and runaway youth. The contribution was part of the OakPrah Pay It Forward campaign at the school.

Youth Council taking applications

The City of Dayton is now accepting applications from local middle school students to join the “Dayton Youth Council” for the 2007-2008 year.

The Dayton Youth Council is made up of sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders throughout Mont-gomery County.  The Dayton Youth Council is a vehicle for young people to learn about government, participate in the process and to represent and articulate the needs of youth in the community.

“For applicants of the Dayton Youth Council, we are especially targeting those students who are communicators as well as needing intervention and support in developing their leadership potential,” said Dr. Donnell Gregory, Youth Development Coordinator for the City of Dayton.

Applications are available from the City of Dayton’s website www.cityofdayton.org; from the City Commission Office at Dayton City Hall, 101 W. Third Street; or by calling 333-4021.

Applications must be returned by Monday, March 26, 2007 to: Dr. Donnell E. Gregory, Youth Development Coordinator, City of Dayton, 101 W. Third St., Dayton, Ohio 45402

Former teacher donates piano to church Central Christian Church will unveil its recently received gift of a 7-ft. Baldwin grand piano Sunday, March 18, thanks to the generosity of Madonna Goss who died Dec. 18, 2006.  Mrs. Goss, a well-known music teacher, choir director and organist in the Dayton area for over 50 years, had taught in the Dayton, Oakwood and Kettering school systems before retiring from the Kettering school system in 1983. Following dedication of the Goss Grand Piano by Rev. David Turner, Central Christian’s Senior Pastor, the first person to play will be Lois Sutherland, Central’s organist who will be celebrating her own 50th anniversary as the church’s organist September 9, 2007.  

According to Rev. Turner, “ Madonna Goss often told me over the years that she wished to make a special gift to our music program. Her goal now has been reached. We loved her, and know what a huge impact she made upon the Dayton music community throughout the years. We are honored and blessed by her rare gift.”  

Over the years,  Mrs. Goss had played the organ and/or directed the choirs at College Street Church of the Brethren, Ohmer Park UMC Church, Memorial Baptist Church, South Park UMC Church, Dayton First Baptist Church and Fairmont Presbyterian Church. She had been attending  Central Christian Church for the past decade, and filled in several times as guest pianist. Mrs. Goss was a member of the American Guild of Organists and past dean of the Dayton Chapter. She was secretary and historian of the Ohio Choral Directors Assn. for 12 years. She was named the Dayton Music Club’s “Person of the Year” in 2006, and was choral director of the first three Muse Machine musical productions.

The Goss Grand Piano will be unveiled at Central Christian’s 10:30 a.m. service on Sunday, March 18. The public is invited. There is no charge, parking is free, and the buildings are handicapped accessible.

Oakwood mother among Top 20 for ‘Boundless Playground’

Boundless Playgrounds (www.boundlessplaygrounds.org), Hasbro Inc.’s PLAYSKOOL brand and GameTime, a playground equipment manufacturer, today announced the twenty communities chosen as finalists to win a Boundless™ playground worth up to $300,000 in the “PLAYSKOOL Win a Boundless™ Playground Essay Contest.” The playground is specially designed for children with disabilities.

Among the 20 finalists is Oakwood mother Sheila Eifert, whose child has no disability but who has a friend who has spina bifida and wants to be able to play with her friend on the playground.

In addition to advancing into the next round to win the playground, finalists will receive a $125 gift card to be used at HasbroToyShop.com.

With 930 entries received from 44 states plus the District of Columbia, sites including parks, schools, Indian reservations, hospitals, military bases and churches were nominated by children, parents, teachers and friends, who submitted essays detailing why their community deserves a playground accessible to children of all abilities.  The goal of the contest is to raise awareness that playgrounds should not exclude children with disabilities – instead, playgrounds can and should be places where everyone is included in the fun.

Each finalist will be contacted as part of the contest’s required “due diligence process” to see if their community and proposed site meet the specified criteria for a Boundless™ playground.

“As a longtime supporter of Boundless Playgrounds, we at PLAYSKOOL have long believed in the importance of free play and its role in childhood development and learning,” said Lorrie K. Browning, General Manager, PLAYSKOOL.  “We are thrilled that our contest has raised awareness about the issue of universal accessibility for children, and we look forward to awarding the Boundless™ playground to one very deserving community.”

New children’s book celebrates Dayton’s history

The Wright Brothers, Paul Lawrence Dunbar, Charles F. Kettering and John H. Patterson are examples of some of America’s most prominent historical figures who are from our own backyard.

These notable people who were major contributors to Dayton and the world are featured in the illustrated educational book Dayton – People, Plaees & Things by Brian Reid. The book is illustrated by Leonard Williams and has Montgomery County Historical Society historian Curt Dalton has historical consultant.

Newly-appointed Executive Director of Home Based Arts, Joyce Reid Kasprzak of Oakwood says “Dayton’s citizens and landmarks have such a rich and significant history that many chidren and adults are not aware of. That’s why we created this book to showcase some of the cultural jewels of the Miami Valley.”

The Miami Valley learning-activity book features historical sights like Newcom Tavern, The Masonic Temple, Dayton Engineers Club to contemporary places such as the Schuster Center and the Boonshoft Museum.

“This book serves to highlight our past and present cultural institutions and will encourage teachers, parents and their children to visit some of the most interesting and fun places throughout the Miami Valley,”said Kasprzak. The book is suggested for grades one through five.

Local news anchor Carl Day wrote the dedication for the volume. “As you read through the book, you’ll learn a lot about the very special community you live in. and
you’ll find out about some very special people who made Dayton their home too,” Day said.

For more information regarding this book contact the publisher at 643-0502 or www.homebasedarts.org.

Oakwood scouts food drive underway

On Saturday, March 10, the cub scouts and boy scouts of Oakwood delivered bags to area homes for the annual Scouting for Food drive.  This is an important service project for the scouts to
help feed the hungry in the Miami Valley.  Non-perishable food items that you donate will be delivered to area food pantries.

 This marks the 20th year that our local scouts have participated in this project.  Please consider donating to this worthy cause.  Filled bags can be left on your porch, and the scouts will be back to collect your donations on Saturday, March 17.

Headrests for the Homeless

The Edwin D. Smith Elementary fifth grade Girl Scout troop 149 made pillows to donate to an area homeless shelter. Pictured are: front row, left to right: Erin, Kristen, Sarah, Janie, Maggie, Rachel; back row, standing: Sami, Caroline, Kathleen, Georgie, Abby and Megan (not pictured are Emily and Kaja.)

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