Sincerely,
Joe Enderle, Editor In Chief - Hamilton Thrive

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In This Hamilton! Thrive Issue

😎😎17 Strong Grant Recipients😎😎

🌞🌞Lindenwald PROTOCOL meeting Monday Evening🌞🌞

🎭Hello Dolly Coming Up April 25th Thru 28th🎭

😏😏Useless Trivia - Why Not !!😏😏

🏆Check Out The New And Improved Business Directory Page !!🏆

⚾Cincinnati Reds And Girls Varsity Softball Schedule For April⚾

👉Community Billboard👈

🍕🍕Business Spotlight On Confident & True🍕🍕

☃️❄️Daily Weather Report❄️☃️

🧑‍🎨🧑‍🎨Ace Hardware Round Up For Kids Month🧑‍🎨🧑‍🎨

🤪🤪😵‍💫😵‍💫Stupid Dad Jokes😵‍💫😵‍💫🤪🤪

🏅🏅On This Day In Sports History🏅🏅

🤣🤣Humor/ Far Side🤣🤣

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Announcing the 2024 Microgrant recipients!

Microgrants range from $500 - $2,500 and are awarded to any applicant or group of applicants that reside within one of our 17 neighborhoods.

City of Hamilton

Apr 10, 2024

17STRONG is excited to announce the 12 selected recipients for the 2024 Microgrant season, resulting in over $25,000. In total, there were 31 Microgrant applications.

2024 MICROGRANTS

The 17STRONG Microgrant Committee and Advisory Board have chosen the following: 

Believe in Basketball 
A summer basketball camp for girls taking place at various schools throughout the city. 

Christmas in the Village 
A Christmas event held in the German Village neighborhood. 

Hamilton’s Hispanic Festival 
The first ever event in Hamilton to celebrate the Latino/Hispanic community in the city at Marcum Park. 

Hamilton Hollow Earth Festival 
The first ever event in Hamilton to bring awareness to Symmes Park, its history, and the famed resident who is buried there, John Cleves Symmes, Jr. 

Third Annual South Side Youth Kickball Tournament
A kickball tournament over Labor Day weekend that will take place at Booker T. Washington Community Center. There will be food, speakers, and an awards ceremony. 

Jefferson Park Neighborhood Information Board 
A permanent sign board for posting neighborhood information at Jefferson Park. 

Let’s Continue to Beautify Lindenwald
An additional installation of permanent planters and flowers along the Lindenwald Business Corridor. 

Summer Chess Club and Fatherhood Initiative 
An event to engage adults and youth in chess throughout the summer ending in a chess tournament. 

Taco’s Together 
A series of outreach events in Jefferson Park to bring the neighborhood together.

EmPOWERing Art, Celebrating Community 
A project to beautify an electric box at 7th and Dayton streets, which will reflect the history of Dayton Lane. It will be painted by artists from Inspiration Studios. 

Equality for All (Kids) 
A handicap accessible swing set to be installed at Moser Park on Heaton Street. 

North End Summer Bash
A block party for kids in the North End neighborhood to celebrate the end of the school year. There will be food, tie-dye, games, and crafts. 

YOUTH-LED GRANTS WITH ENVISION PARTNERSHIPS
Something new this year that the Microgrant Committee is honored to share is a partnership with Envision Partnerships. The organization has committed to funding $2,500 this year and next year. These funds will cover an additional four Microgrants, all of which are all youth led. 

Cleaning Crawford 
A neighborhood cleanup in the East End. 

German Village Cleanup/Spring into a Better Summer 
A neighborhood cleanup in German Village. 

Eaton Hill Cleanup 
A neighborhood cleanup in Taft Place / Governors Hill. 

Midnight Waltz
A dance for senior citizens and high school students to interact, dance, eat, and have a good time. 

SPONSORSHIP GRANTS
When it comes to Sponsorship grants, there were two recipients awarded with $500 each. Those are the following: 

Back to School Block Party 
A neighborhood block party at Eaton Road Church of God for kids in the community to get Hamilton students excited about going back to school. There will be food, music, haircuts, and school supplies. 

Corn Stand Jam 
Corn Stand Jam is an annual festival in Hamilton raising awareness and funds that support mental health organizations and scholarships. 

How does it work? 

The purpose of the 17STRONG Neighborhoods Microgrant Program is to serve the residents of Hamilton by providing materials or reimbursable financial support for programs, projects, or events that promote citizen engagement, beautify the neighborhood, improve safety, or address neighborhood needs and aspirations. We're all about empowering YOU to bring your brilliant ideas to life.

Microgrants range from $500 - $2,500 and are awarded to any applicant or group of applicants that reside within one of our 17 neighborhoods. Grants are selected by the 17STRONG Microgrant Committee and approved by our 17STRONG Advisory Board. There are also Sponsorship grants, which are previously fully-funded Microgrants that have proven to be successful and a recurring annual event. They are worthwhile opportunities for citizen engagement that have a city-wide impact.

Neighbors and neighborhood groups have had great success hosting events in their local parks or side-lots. From showing movies on the big screen to cultural celebrations, Hamiltonians come up with events for everyone, such as: 

Won’t You Be My Neighbor
A block party to give residents the opportunity to mingle, create, and brainstorm to improve our community. Residents of Prospect Hill tie-dyed t-shirts to show their 17STRONG pride, painted rocks to add some color to the neighborhood, and enjoyed the company of neighbors. Residents were also given the chance to share what they love about Prospect Hill and ways they feel their neighborhood could improve.
We're not just talking about throwing parties here (although those are pretty awesome too!). We're talking about real, tangible improvements that have changed the game for our neighborhoods. A previous example: 

Jefferson Monthly Newsletter
A monthly newsletter for the Jefferson neighborhood, in both English and Spanish, that’s hand-delivered to the residents and businesses in the Jefferson neighborhood.

Creating safe, clean, and engaged neighborhoods sometimes takes some brick and mortar. There have been several microgrant funded structural improvements throughout the city, such as:

Little Free Pantry
A blessing box known as a “Little Free Pantry” was installed in the North End neighborhood, which provides non-perishable foods (including cereal, canned soup/pasta, granola bars) as well as hygiene items (including shampoo, soap, toothbrushes/toothpaste and toilet paper) to local residents when needed.

So, who’s eligible for a Microgrant? Any resident from one of our 17 neighborhoods, who's got a rad idea and wants to make a positive impact. Whether you're an individual, a group of pals, or a neighborhood organization, we welcome all the above. 

We would be remiss not to mention that there are a few things we can't fund. While we understand sprucing up individual yards and homes can have an impact on the overall appearance of the neighborhood, the Microgrants can not be used for individual property, charitable donations, alcohol, faith based activities, operational costs, items that will be donated/raffled/auctioned off, or political campaigning. 

17STRONG is all about bringing neighborhoods together. How about we join forces and make Hamilton even more amazing, one microgrant at a time!

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PROTOCOL

(People Reaching Out To Others;  Celebrate Our Lindenwald)

YOUR Lindenwald Community Council PROTOCOL will meet Monday, April 15th, 6:30pm, The Nature Center, 101 Joe Nuxhall Way.

Agenda items include HPD liaison Officer Corey Nunn, updates from 17 Strong and Department of Neighborhoods, 17 Strong grants issued to Lindenwald groups, the latest on business corridor buildings including the Bowling Alley, Roemer Building, former Shuler Benninghofen Woolen Mill and Sweden Creme, Beautification Committee, a Porchfest possibility, Thrive online Hamilton news, Pleasant Ave. week long lane restrictions and anything else on resident's minds.

Respectfully Submitted

Frank Downie

Chair, PROTOCOL

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Hamilton property owners worry new flood protection assessment will hurt businesses

Property owners residing along the banks of the Great Miami River were taken aback by the recently revealed costs associated with flood protection benefits. The management of levees, floodgates, and related infrastructure falls under the jurisdiction of the Miami Conservancy District (MCD), prompting concerns among Hamilton leaders about potential adverse effects on small businesses, comparable in speed to the floodwaters they aim to mitigate.

Counties situated along the Great Miami River contribute to the funding of this system, with the latest assessment yielding significantly higher costs for some property owners, amounting to thousands of dollars more than previous assessments. David Stark, an advocate for flood protection and organizer of Keep Hamilton Afloat, expressed disbelief at the staggering increase. He initiated Keep Hamilton Afloat, a grassroots movement aimed at challenging the hike in costs and raising awareness among affected individuals.

Stark, who manages properties at Artspace Hamilton Lofts, saw his assessment surge from $1,200 to approximately $11,000. Mary Lynn Loder, General Manager of the Miami Conservancy District, acknowledged the financial strain this imposes on property owners but emphasized the necessity of funding to address aging infrastructure and cope with intensified and more frequent rainfall.

While acknowledging the intangible nature of the investment, Loder stressed the critical role of flood protection in sustaining and fostering the growth of communities over the past century. Failure to invest now, she warned, could lead to escalated cleanup costs in the future. The MCD determines protection benefits based on property values, but a comprehensive reassessment has not occurred since 2012, prompting calls for fairness and equity in the allocation of costs.

Despite assurances that the majority of properties incur fees under $250, concerns linger regarding the disproportionate burden placed on certain businesses. Stark voiced apprehension about the economic ramifications of exorbitant rates, fearing they could not only jeopardize smaller enterprises but also hinder efforts to attract major developers. Property owners have until April 24 to contest their assessments, highlighting the urgency of addressing these disparities in flood protection costs.

Greater Hamilton Civic Theatre Will Be Presenting “Hello Dolly”
April 25-27, 2024 @ 7:30PM
April 28, 2024 @ 2:00PM 

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Ohio city gave out free eclipse glasses — but they were a little too dark !

Oh gosh, this is so embarrassing. Mayor Judson Kline of Orange Village was so excited about the solar eclipse, thinking it would be this amazing event for his city. They even went the extra mile and distributed 1,500 eclipse glasses to make sure everyone could enjoy it safely. But oh, what a disaster it turned out to be.

Mayor Kline was all hyped up, thinking he'd get to witness history, but it ended up being a total nightmare. The glasses they handed out, meant to protect people's eyes, just didn't work. Can you imagine? The mayor himself wore a pair, eagerly anticipating the celestial show, only to be greeted by... darkness. Total darkness. How mortifying!

And it gets worse. People started texting him, saying, "Uh, these things aren't working." Talk about a cringe-worthy moment. Now the city officials are scrambling, trying to figure out why their glasses failed so spectacularly. They're even trying to contact the company, but no luck so far. Can you imagine the awkwardness of explaining this blunder?

Mayor Kline is doing his best to make things right, but honestly, how do you make up for ruining the eclipse experience for an entire city? And to top it off, they're still hoping to get their money back for those useless glasses. Talk about adding insult to injury.

"It's obvious that they can't redo the eclipse," Mayor Kline lamented. Yeah, no kidding. The damage is done, and all they can do is cringe and try to move on from this astronomical embarrassment.

In the market for a new best friend! Get your weekend shopping done and stop by to meet some of our adorable, adoptable animals this today 4/13, at Walmart on 8288 Cincinnati Dayton Road. Our PetMobile will be there from 1:00pm - 4:00pm! We hope you’ll stop by and fall in love!

Want to spoil your own fur baby and give back to animals in need? Animal Friends is putting together a raffle with goodies to spoil your cat or dog! Get entered to win our raffle by purchasing any of the following donation items and helping us fill out our onsite donation bin:
- Bleach
- Dry cat or dog food
- Canned dog & cat food
- Soft treats for dogs
- Paper Towels
- Toilet paper
- Contractor trash bags (55+ gallons)
- Dog collars, leashes, and harnesses (Medium - XXL sizes preferred)

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Support Your Local Businesses
👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇
👉Click HERE to Visit Their Websites👈
👆☝️👆☝️👆☝️👆_☝️👆☝️👆☝️

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The Redlegs Are On The Road In April

⚾Girls Softball Schedules For April⚾

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👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇👇

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Congratulations to Confident And True (408 Main Street) on their Ribbon Cutting and Grand Opening in Hamilton! Stop by and check out their cute boutique and accessories!

Friday-12-7

Saturday 12-8

Sunday 11-3

Having my daughter young I knew I wanted to teach her to be confident & true to herself and that’s exactly how the name developed. We now hope we can do the same for our customers. All women should feel confident within themselves and why not do that in a perfect outfit !

We also have so many items coming in as well!! We can’t wait to see you !

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☀️Time To Break Out The Sunscreen!☀️

On Saturday morning, when the core of the chill will have settled over much of the East, widespread RealFeel® Temperatures will be in the 30s, with a pocket around the Great Lakes and central Appalachians where RealFeel® Temperatures will be in the 20s.

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• 1500 Plaza Drive Hamilton, Hamilton, OH, United States, Ohio

• +1 513-973-1245

ROUND UP your total during the month of April and 100% of the change will be donated to Cincinnati Children's!

The amount raised during this campaign truly blesses the children and families in our local community!

Will you help by rounding up your change?

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Stupid Dad Jokes

How do you stop a bull from charging?
Cancel its credit card!🤣

What do you call a snobbish criminal going down the stairs?
A condescending con descending!🤣🤣

What do you call a man that irons clothes?
Iron Man!🤣🤣

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On This Day in Sports History

• 1858 1st US billiards championship, Michael J Phelan wins in Detroit

• 1877 Catcher's mask 1st used in a baseball game

• 1896 Stamasia Portrisi is 1st woman to win a marathon (5:30 in Athens)

• 1909 Philadelphia's Shibe Park (later Connie Mack Stadium), baseball's first steel and concrete stadium, opens; Athletics win 8-1 against Boston Red Sox

• 1930 4th Test Cricket WI v England ends in a draw after nine days

• 1930 Wilfred Rhodes ends Test Cricket career aged 52 years 165 days

• 1931 Joe McCarthy debuts as New York Yankees manager

• 1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft at Rugby, England.

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