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2:56 PM Friday, June 24, 2011

This week’s “thumbs up” and “thumbs down” selections:

You may not be able to see it because the lights are out, but we’re giving a thumbs down to the city’s utilities problems. About 20,000 people — or two out of every three residents — were without power Wednesday as the city experienced yet another outage. This time, the city’s electric grid was disconnected from the national grid. Hamilton, which has one of the few municipally owned electric utilities in Ohio, reported 10 outages throughout the city in May. More than 15,000 customers were affected and without power for 740,175 minutes.

A thumbs up to the second-year Beautify Hamilton Program, which seeks to recognize residents taking pride in their city by keeping their homes and gardens in top shape. Jack Armstrong, image committee member, told staff reporter Hannah Poturalski that walkers canvass the community and choose homes that “merit recognition for positive appearance, beauty, and aesthetics in the community.” Ironically, the program started after volunteers helping the Health Department identify homes with health-code violations realized there were real gems within the city. After homes are identified, a letter from Mayor Pat Moeller is sent out inviting the resident to a City Council meeting for public recognition. Sixty homes were recognized in 2010, and about 50 have been identified so far this year.

A solemn thumbs up to State Rep. Courtney Combs, the driving force behind renaming a portion of Ohio 4 after Lance Cpl. Taylor Prazynski, who was killed in action on May 9, 2005. House Bill 65, signed last week by Gov. John Kasich, makes Ohio 4 from South Gilmore to Symmes roads in Fairfield also known as Lance Cpl. Taylor Prazynski Memorial Highway. The bill was amended to honor 31 fallen Ohioans, including Prazynski, a 2004 Fairfield High School graduate. John Prazynski said the honor for his son was “bittersweet” and he said he was “very appreciative.”

A thumbs up to the Small Business Development Center in Hamilton, which is assisting companies in launching new ventures. The center helps new businesses develop a marketing plan and offers them space for training. Hamilton has come up with a five-year strategic plan, and one of the goals is to create economic opportunity, which City Manager Joshua Smith said is his No. 1 priority. In the last 15 years, the city has lost about 4,000 jobs, according to a recent strategic plan. Smith said small business is the “backbone of the community” and it’s his goal to make Hamilton “a more desirable location to draw people.”

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