December Miscellany

Some thoughts on a snow delay day...

A slow start to the Friday here as area schools were under a 2 hour snow delay. Which got me thinking about how the city has handled snow since we’ve moved here.

So before you take umbrage with my #coldtake here, I’m judging based on this August 2024 to today: The City of Cincinnati does snow removal pretty well!

Today’s snow was nothing. This is a low bar for a functioning Big-C City. Their tracking software is great… on a computer, but not a phone.

An earlier December snowfall depicting the treatment of roads.

I remain impressed with the 311 app. I’ve reported potholes and partially downed signs, kicked over trash cans on corners (by unwell people), and red light outages. All quickly fixed, some within less than 24 hours.

Sure, you’ll see videos like this and go “huh?” but based on what I see, which is limited, I give the city good marks… so far. We’ll see about this weekend!

PIZZA UPDATE:

We’re not going to talk about Dave Portnoy, who discovered St. Francis Apizza is good. But we are going to talk about two pizza-related developments in Mt. Washington:

1.) Angilo’s is back open again. After its owner died in 2024, it briefly reopened under new ownership but that failed. It has new ownership under Munish Sood (it appears) and in addition to the regular menu, some Indian flavors! Haven’t checked it out yet, but plan to.

2.) LaRosa’s and Big Ash Brewing got married… Sorta… I noticed a “COMING SOON” sign advertising LaRosa’s Tap House and was curious: what’s gonna happen to Big Ash Brewing?

And here’s the explanation from Big Ash: Their building got bought out from under them by LaRosa’s, and rather than push them out, they struck up a partnership.

I think that’s a good outcome. LaRosa’s pizza is not such that, unless you grew up with a certain location, you’re gonna be driving across town for the atmospherics of a different LaRosa’s. I am curious if/how it will impact the Mt. Washington LaRosa’s, given that some stores are franchised. I don’t think that one is.

The water tower lighting remains magnificent.

The Mad Magazine Exhibit at the Cincinnati Art Museum is Great.

Go see it. It’s $12 if you’re not a member, and it’s there until March. I’m a former reader and a sucker for print. Where else can you see a Norman Rockwell next to an historic parody?

It was also neat to see work from the great Tom Richmond, who drew a caricature of me at the 2012 DNC Convention CNN Grill.

Speaking of self-serving references, I did write an op-ed in The Cincinnati Enquirer replying to what I thought was a dumb letter from a local Republican about the city’s elections and Democratic blowout.

And I also joined my friend Phil Heimlich for a Sanity Check. We talk a little bit about the Queen City.

Lastly: The Kosho School of Karate modernized its sign panels. I don’t like it. The old one was fine, but I guess there are reasons and I’m not here to doubt. I am glad they kept the diamond-panel marquee style. It’s classic.