The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 86

EXTRA 12 THE CINCINNATI ENQUIRERTuesdav, August 1 1989 III SPORTS Recreation is big business in Blue Ash parks Comparing cities C'ry parks aid recreation operating 1 Use of facilities has doubled since '81 BY STEVE HOFFMAN The Cincinnati Enquirer budgets for 1988: $779,237 $625,225 $485,594 $148,152 $110,230 74,000 Blue Ash Sharonville Springdale Delhi Township Forest Park North College Hill anticipation in the City of Blue Ash parks and recreation program has more than doubled in the past eight -1 The Cincinnati EnquirerFred Straub George "Buddy" Acus credits everyone else for the upsurge, but since 1981 when he began running Blue Ash parks and recreation, use of the facilities has more than doubled. years. In 1981, a total of 171,980 adults and children were served by the program. In 1988, year-around Blue Ash recreation served 367,629, a shade under 1987's record 412,080. Call it a coincidence or an irony, but 1981 was also the year George "Buddy" Acus took over as Blue Ash recreation director after 30 years in the Sycamore Schools system, including principalships at two schools.

Acus, 60, former all-sports star at Lock-land High, standout football halfback at Miami University and successful Sycamore High football coach, was named to Buddy LaRosa's Sports Hall of Fame in 1979. This summer, he is directing a staff of 147 employees, including 17 full-time workers. At the same time in 1981, there were 60 staffers, nine of them full-time. Acus, a Sharonville resident for 34 years, won't take credit for growth. He gives the bouquets to City Manager Marvin Thompson.

"This has been a vision of Marvin's," he said. "He comes up with the ideas, council comes up with the money and it's up to us to make it happen." He also credits other city departments: "We couldn't do all these things without the cooperation of the police, fire and service departments. It's unbelievable what they do for us." Thompson called Acus "a stabilizing force, well-liked and well-respected by peo- the crowd. The entire Grooms Road complex this year will host the Greater Cincinnati knothole championships. All numbers are big in Blue Ash recreation.

The golf course, opened in 1979, has been nationally recognized in Golf Magazine and Golf Digest. More than 50,000 are expected to use it this year, just under 1987's record 52,000. Weather permitting, the city expects more than 100,000 at its fourth annual Taste of Blue Ash in its downtown Towne Square Sept. 23-24. An estimated 50,000 folks attended the first Memorial Day weekend Springfest events.

This year's Blue Ash Bike Dash drew more than 700 cyclists for the $13,000 in prizes as 2,000 looked on. An average 1,500 will attend 18 free Tuesday night amphitheater summer pop concerts and another 1,700 younger folks will flock to each of the 15 contemporary concerts Fridays in Towne Square. Many spectators come from outside Blue Ash. More than 1,000 children will take swim lessons this year, twice as many as 10 years ago. A first-year summer day camp is currently attracting an impressive 148 children.

Acus said 1988's 497 baseball games, 234 Softball and 201 soccer games were "at least twice as many as we had in 1981." and exercise room for $40 a year at the recreation center. Non-residents who work in Blue Ash can sign up their families for $80. Crosley Field re-created To accommodate the growing participation, the 34-acre Blue Ash Sports Center opened in 1985 with its baseball, Softball and soccer fields. One field is a re-creation of the Reds' old Crosley Field, complete with the Crosley scoreboard and other memorabilia. When Crosley, a tourist attraction, hosts an Oldtimers' game with more than 30 former major leaguers Aug.

13, 300 iron-and-wood seats from the former stadium in Queensgate will be ready to seat some of pie here, a good programmer and a top public relations person for all our parks and recreation." One of Hamilton County's fastest-growing commercial and residential cities, it's no secret that Blue Ash can afford to provide first-class city services for its 13,000 residents and 65,000 daytime workers. It will spend more than $1 million this year on golf course operations and another $498,000 on park maintenance. An estimated $839,000 will go into a new seven-acre nature park behind the Blue Ash Recreation Center. Recreation costs are met through the city's 1 income tax, general operating funds and fees. Blue Ash families can use the gym, pool Progress pleases Dillonvale Shopping Center developer i -id 1 1 oma -11 hi i f.

-m It BY STEVE HOFFMAN The Cincinnati Enquirer A year ago, Paul Bussey of Fairborn walked onto the 33-year-old Dillonvale Shopping Center parking lot to oversee a $6 million redevelopment of the strip. "This center was quite dead when I came here," said Bussey, construction coordinator for Paran Management Corp. of Cleveland; the corporation is a managing partner with owner Hamilton Properties Inc. of Cleveland. Meijer's discount department store left a vacancy in the center at Galbraith and Plainfield Road 2'2 years ago.

In there were several empty small storefronts in the 10.5-acre strip. Most of the shopping center is in Sycamore Township, although a small strip of the land is in Deer Park. Amberley Village is west of the center and Rossmoyne is east of it. Since the start of the Dillonvale moving from its 3-year-old Dillonvale location this fall to a nearby, larger space, according to manager Mary Jo Krummen. The center has retained the Central Trust Bank branch, Hader Hardware, Phelps Co.

beauty salon, Kammerer Jewelry, Hill-man's Shoe Shoppe, Jarnot Optical, Perry Derrick Paints and Jan's Hallmark Cards. The center, built in 1956 by Dillons featured Kroger's, Ar-len's, Woolworth's and Southern Ohio Bank as anchor tenants in the early 1970s. Gary Sullivan, Hader Hardware vice president, said the Dillonvale face lifting "takes the center out of the '60s and into the '90s, has increased our visibility and makes it a shopping option for Blue Ash." Hader has been in Dillonvale since 1980. The store has enjoyed double-digit sales increases the past three years; the rehabilitation is "a big, big asset for the community," Sullivan said. zen Yogurt.

The Video Store opens this month. By Jan. 1, Bussey said Radio Shack will occupy the present library branch space, and two women's dress shops Hit or Miss and Dress Barn will move into the center. In recent months there has been some movement of veteran tenants and plans announced for more changes: Walgreen's moved June 26 into the new east end of the strip from the nearby corner building, now undergoing demolition. The owner of Dillonvale IGA, Mark Assage, this year plans a $400,000 "upscale" expansion-remodeling, taking over the former Wine Rack space next door.

Two years ago, it took over space left by a shoe store. The Deer Park branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, in Dillonvale since 1972, will soon move into a larger space nearby, said librarian Peggy Stuhlreyer. Best Fabric is considering The Cincinnati EnquirerFred Straub Dillonvale Shopping Center has gotten new vigor in the past year. renovation, there have been positive results. Bussey is confident there will be no empty stores in the center by 1990.

Last October, half of the Meijer's space was taken by T. J. Maxx, a major retailer of discounted clothing. It's a key attraction of the strip, Bussey said. In the last year, the former 800-foot Dillonvale strip has grown to 1,250 feet with an east addition toward Plainfield Road.

It totals 146,000 square feet of retail space. The entire strip is getting cream-colored, split-face block storefronts, a stucco canopy made of metal, fiberglass and concrete and new glass and bronze framing. New tenants to the center are Dot's Women Shop, Eyeglass Factory, Shoe World and Yummy Fro.