The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 19

SECTION FRIDAY JUNE 12, 2009 CONTACT US CALL THE NEWS DESK AT 33-768-8600 Editors: Joe Fenton, jfentonenquirer.com; Michael Perry, mperryenquirer.com Breaking News CincyMobile.com Get your personalized mobile edition. Text CINCYMOBILE to 513859 i Updates on your cell phone I Text OHNBVS to 44636 (4INF0) for breaking-news headlines, as they happen. (Carrier charges may apply) PROMOTING PEACE A decade after the incidents that inspired its founding, Greater Anderson Promotes Peace is as active as ever trying to spread its message of peace and harmony. Story, B2 FN HOMES i LI Li Hamilton County elections board OKs new map By Gregory Korte gkorteenquirer. com The Hamilton County Board of Elections approved a new precinct map Thursday that reduces the number of precincts in the county from 880 to 680 for the November election.

The consolidation plan" could save the county as much as $125,000 per county-wide election, and in many cases could lead to changes in where voters go to cast their ballots. At the same time, changes in Ohio's election laws have al- judges who make at least $135 a day. The presiding judge makes $155. Renting polling places in church basements, apartment lobbies and sometimes private businesses or residences can cost $100 to $500 for the day. But it also means more voters per precinct and busier precincts on Election Day.

The average precinct will go from having 687 voters to 889 voters and even more in suburban areas. Most affected will be Fairfax, Golf Manor, lowed more voters to cast their ballots by mail or before Election Day at the Board of Elections. In last year's presidential election, 75 percent of voters showecrup to their polling places. While those changes played a part in the board's decision, reducing the number of precincts also reduces costs and makes it easier to run elections, said Board of Elections Director Sally J. Kri-sel.

Each precinct requires four Mariemont, Silverton and Wyoming all of which will double the size of each precinct. Mariemont's two precincts will have about 1,356 voters each just under the state limit of 1,400. Because many of the precincts being consolidated already share the same polling location, it's unclear how many voters may have to move because of the change. The reduction in precincts is part of a longer-term trend that may continue. The coun ty began the decade with 1,025 precincts and has been reducing that number to cut costs, make polling places more handicapped-accessible and phase out precincts voting in private residences.

One proposal by Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brun-ner would eliminate precincts completely in favor of a small number of voting centers, where anyone in the county can vote at any center, regardless of their residence, for 30 days before the election. Check our property transfer database and list of foreclosures, research homes for sale and get the latest decorating tips at Cincinnati. Com. Search: Homes SOMETHING EXTRA AT SPARTA wmuuii 1 nwum, 'm'mawHiaMi ews Briefs 'v- ri .11, ii 1 1 Wtl '-y III v' 'tV' '3 I "I ft 1 CINCINNATI City gets a 'C'for its first logo By Jane Prendergast jprendergastenquirer.com Cincinnati has a logo its first that will soon start showing up on city signs and letterhead. The local firm LPK Leadership Brands came up with Cincinnati's new in shades of blue and green.

Macy's covered the $75,000 cost. The logo won't replace the city's commonly used seal, but will elevate the seal back to its rightful place of importance and give it more "grav-itas," said Meg Olberding, spokeswoman for-City Manager Milton Dohoney. Guidelines will be developed for when the seal can be used. Authorized in 1819, it shows a winged rod, two snakes and a sword and says "Juncta Juvant," which translates to "unity assists." The new "city of in lowercase letters is meant to show the city is inviting, approachable, she said Thursday. The change in colors from dark to light around the shows movement, she said, as in the city is moving forward.

"The branding idea is really about how we serve our customers," Olberding said, "and reflecting that." Macy's was happy to help the city, spokesman Jim Slu-zewski said, because it is "certainly a company that believes very strongly in branding." The EnquirerCarrie Cochran Hamilton firefighters Joe Brotherton of Monroe (left) and Mike Hardewig of Seven Mile relax in the infield at turn two Thursday. Speedway infield open to campers Kentucky racetrack offers a new option 2012 GAMES Choir event could bring thousands Cincinnati will host the 2012 World Choir Games, an event that could bring 20,000 choir members to the city, according to the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau. The games will visit the U.S. for the first time in 2012, the bureau said. The two-week event will be five times larger than the National NAACP Convention last year, said Dan Lincoln, president and CEO of the convention and visitors bureau.

The event will bring choir members from 96 countries as well as their families and supporters. The groups will hold per formances at venues throughout the region, with special focus on the new School for Creative Performing Arts building, under construction in Over-the-Rhine. The convention and visitors bureau will officially announce the news at 10 a.m. June 18 at Fountain Square. FOR POLICE Agencies share drug-abuse fund Seven Greater Cincinnati police agencies are getting slices of Ohio's $2.2 million anti-drug-abuse fund, the Ohio Attorney General's Office announced Thursday.

The money comes from convicted drunken drivers' license-reinstatement fees, and is used to pay for drug-pre- vention programs, officer interactions with schoolchildren, among other purposes. The agencies receiving grants are: Hamilton police, Cincinnati police, Butler County Sheriffs Office, Springdale police, Mason police, Mount Healthy police, and Lockland police, $4,429. READY? Analog TV goes dark today Really, this time we mean it By John Kiesewetter jkiesewetterenqu irer. com By dawn today, area TV viewers will see only one full-power analog TV station, WLWT-TV (Channel 5). Channels 9, 12 and 19 were to have pulled the plug on analog broadcasts very early today, the government-mandated deadline for the national switch to digital TV.

Channel 5 will end analog broadcasts at 11:59 p.m., leaving only low-power analog Channels 25 and 38 on the air. Viewers with analog TVs will need digital TV converter boxes or cable or satellite service. Cable and satellite customers will see no change. Nielsen estimates that 19,684 homes or 2.15 percent of the Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky TV market are not prepared for digital reception with an antenna. All four stations will be staffing phones to answer viewers questions into the weekend.

They're expecting many calls from older adults "who haven't figured this out yet," said Bill Lanesey, WXK-TV (Channel 19) general manager. Today "is when reality truly hits for people. Then we can move forward correcting issues. I'm guessing it will take a good several weeks for everyone to get hooked up," said Kurt Thelen, WKRC-TV (Channel 12) engineering director. Also today, Channel 12 changes from digital Channel 31 to digital Channel 12.

All people with converter boxes or digital TVs must rescan. At 8 a.m. today, 250 converter boxes will be given to people who meet U.S. poverty income guidelines at Freestore Foodbank 112 E. Liberty Over-the-Rhine.

Each will be asked to show identification, proof of address and proof of income. Help is also available from the Federal Communications Commission (888-225-5322; www.dtv.gov), and from the Council on Aging for Southwestern Ohio (513-345-8643; www.help4seniors.org) By Kevin Kelly kkellynky.com SPARTA An up-close encounter with stock cars barreling into Turn 1 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway raised the hair on Jayna Wilson's arms and brought tears to her eyes. Her husband, Charles Wilson, describes the sensation as thunder pounding on your chest. And he knew that if his wife experienced it then she would be hooked on NASCAR just like him. "Being right next to the track, nothing beats that," Jayna Wilson said.

"You smell it. You see it. You hear it. And you do feel it." On Thursday, the couple from Madeira parked their Fleetwood 36d Pace Arrow motor home at trackside Wilson said. "We wanted the option to go to the grandstand if that's what we like better than being in the infield." The infield campground opened at noon Thursday with about 250 of the 450 planned sites ready for weekend habitation.

The sites range in price from $200 to $300 depending on location for an individual race weekend. A 1989 Tioga Arrow driven by Joe Brotherton of Monroe backed into track-side campsite No. 23 about campsite No. 59 in the infield at Kentucky Speedway where the Meijer 300 for NASCAR's Nationwide Series will be held Saturday night. Until now, fans didn't have the option of camping in the track's infield like at many other auto racing venues.

The Wilsons bought one of the 30-by-50 foot graveled plots that look out onto the backstretch, as well as grandstand tickets, for their first race at Kentucky Speedway. "We wanted to find out what the track was like, what the infield is like," Charles CINCINNATI Provided Macy's paid $75,000 for Cincinnati's logo design. See SPEEDWAY, Page B7 ENDANGERED SPECIES Zoo once again can show a black rhino to visitors Provided breeding age. There are no immediate plans to match him with a female, said zoo spokesman Chad Yelton. Once minor modifications are made to the African Veldt exhibit and Klyde gets to know the animal care staff, he will be introduced to the public, probably early next week, Yelton said.

Klyde's mother, Kulinda Kifaru, was born in Cincinnati in 1988 and later moved to Columbus. Klyde is the to boost the captive population of endangered species. Cincinnati has not had a black rhino since Marshall died on Oct. 10, 2008. The black rhino is critically endangered.

In 1970, about 65,000 roamed sub-Saharan Africa, but today fewer than 3,000 remain. There are 59 such rhinos in North American zoos. The Species Survival Plan manages 118 black rhinos. Wyde is just coming into By John Johnston jjohnstonenquirer.com When it comes to rhinos, black is back at the Cincinnati Zoo Botanical Garden. A 7-year-old, black rhinoceros named Klyde was moved Wednesday evening to Cincinnati from the Columbus Zoo as part of a recommendation from the Special Survival Plan, developed by the Association of Zoos Aquariums Klyde, a 7-year-old male, has a mother and grandfather who once lived at the zoo in Cincinnati.

grandson of Ralph, who died in 2002 after residing at the local zoo for 30 years. "Black rhinos have always been a huge part of the zoo's history," Yelton said. CINCINNATI.COfil.: Get the latest news on the region's TV and media. SEARCH: TV 4lf.