The Journal's 28 people, places and events to watch in '08

Monday, December 31, 2007

MIDDLETOWN — Some are well-known names, while others are not.

But they all have the potential to help shape their communities and make headlines.

Extras

Few people, events or organizations will have as much influence locally or across the region as the 28 newsmakers listed inside.

Keep your eyes open because we think they are ones to watch in the coming 12 months.

Cris Carter – One of Middletown's all-time great athletes could make it into the National Football League Hall of Fame this year. Carter, an All-Pro wide receiver with the Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings and Miami Dolphins, retired from the NFL with the second-most touchdown receptions in league history. This will be his first time on the Hall of Fame ballot and some thing he's a shoo-in to make it. If he does, how will his hometown acknowledge the accomplishment? Middletown City Council took steps a year ago to honor one of Middletown's great athletes, the late Todd Bell, by naming a street after him. Will there be a similar push for Carter in 2008?

Judith Gilleland – She's the first woman to be appointed as Middletown city manager. Her plate is almost clear to start off the year, however, she will have plenty to do to keep the momentum of economic development going and the positive energy flowing within council and with the community. Gilleland will have to appoint a permanent finance director and get a permanent 0.25 percent income tax increase for street and road improvements passed by voters within her first 60 days on the job. Gilleland's past history working in Warren County should be a plus in building a relationship with Warren County Commission, something few, if any, other city officials have had much success with.

Greg Schwarber — Middletown's next police chief will have his hands full trying to stabilize a division riddled by a large number of retirements. He also will have to work to clean up the division's image which was tarnish somewhat in 2007 by controversial incidents involving officers. There was Officer David Kirsch who struck and killed a pedestrian with his police cruiser while speeding to assist another officer in trouble. Then Officer Chris Winters resigned amid a criminal investigation that he sent inappropriate text message to a 15-year-old. He was later indicted by a Butler County grand jury. A public safety levy passed in November will keep the new chief from having to make major cuts, but additional revenues will need to come from somewhere so that the division can get back to proactive policing that will help curb the city's rising crime rate.

Bill Murphy – This year could be crunch time for Murphy. The city's well-respected economic development director will be expected to come through on some major projects such as the Towne Mall redevelopment and the continued development of the East End. But much of his success could be dependent on whether City Council and the administration can provide him with a staff to support him in his efforts. Don't be surprised either if some other city tries to woo Murphy away.

Jay Moorman, Linda Moorman, Sue Rogers, Adriane Scherer – This group of downtown boosters continues to push to get downtown Middletown moving again through the Main Street revitalization program. Now they need to get downtown property owners to commit to the program. This could be a make or break year for the downtown revitalization effort, which has seen some successes but not enough.

Middletown Community Foundation – With former executive director Kay Wright's retirement, there are a lot of unanswered questions about how the Foundation will fare under new leadership. Wright, who put her stamp on the organization during her eight-year tenure, made some strong statements about the Foundation's role, or lack thereof, in the planning of the city's future. Wright said that the Foundation, with its financial resources and connections, should be at the table in discussions about Middletown's development. However, she said the organization was often excluded by those more interested in protecting their turf than actually growing Middletown. Will the new head of the Foundation be able to get the organization a seat at that table, and will other community leaders heed Wright's parting words?

Kelly Cowan – Miami University Middletown's dean of students continues to build programs and community partnerships that make MUM not only a valuable institution of higher learning, but an economic catalyst for the city. Under Cowan's stewardship, MUM continues to invest in downtown Middletown. Many wonder of she will be able to get the MUM Promise program moving in 2008.

Atrium Medical Center – Middletown's new $195 million hospital opened at the end of 2007 with much fanfare. Hospital officials plan to open the remainder of the medical facilities on the Premier Health Campus-Middletown in 2008 and close down the old Middletown Regional Hospital. With so much hype surrounding the opening of the hospital, expectations from residents for the 250-bed are understandably high. Many will be looking in 2008 to see if the hospital bears all the economic fruit that was promised by hospital and city officials.

Nancy Nix – Will she get elected to a full term as Butler County's treasurer and give Middletown at least one voice in county politics? Nix could catch a break and not have to face any competition in the Republican primary election early in 2008.

Paul Nenni – Didn't win the GOP endorsement, but Nenni may still have a shot to win the Republican primary in March for a seat in the Ohio House. It's been a long time since Middletown had a representative in the Statehouse. The question is whether Nenni's reputation of being a maverick hurt or help his chances of obtaining that seat.

Steve Hightower – Hightower isn't just one of the most successful black businessmen in Middletown, he's probably one of the most successful businessmen, period. He took his companies, Hi-Mark Construction and Hightower Petroleum, to new heights in 2007, even getting a mention from the Deloitte 100 as one of the top, up-and-coming, privately owned businesses in the region. In addition to his business exploits, Hightower is active behind the scenes in a number of projects. He is a top member of the local and Cincinnati chambers of commerce and has been instrumental in helping to get Louella Thompson's Dream Center back on track financially.

A.J. Smith – This 18-year-old won over a lot of residents during his unsuccessful bid for Middletown Board of Education in November. But instead of sulking about his defeat, Smith took off for Iowa and a job campaigning for Sen. Barrack Obama's presidential bid. Experience is a great teacher and it will be interesting to see where Smith future leads. Will he stay engaged and involved in issues surrounding the school district in preparation for another run at public office?

Steve Price – The Middletown City Schools superintendent probably has one of the toughest jobs in the city – one in which it is impossible to please everyone. At times in 2007, it seemed he was able to please no one. Price took a lot of heat over the district's two levy defeats and the subsequent budget cuts that resulted. But Price's biggest task remains improving student test scores and showing voters that they are truly getting their money's worth.

Middletown City Schools tax issue — Although the Middletown City Schools Board of Education will not go back to voters in March, there are no guarantees on what could happen in August or November. Voters rejected combined requests and a separate increased funding request in 2007 and the district currently has budget cuts of about $1.2 million annually in place, which included administrative and support positions and supplies and capital outlay spending cuts. District officials also have what Treasurer Eric Sotzing refers to as "the perfect storm" coming in 2010 — renewals of the 2005 $14 million tax levy and November's $4 million tax issue at the same time. Will the district go back before voters on a later ballot in 2008 or go forward with the cuts currently in place?

School bond issues — Several local districts will embark on construction projects in the near future and at least a few are expected to be on the ballot in 2008 for bond issues. Monroe Local Schools will ask voters to approve a bond issue in March to build a new school to contend with its growth and Edgewood board members have already begun discussions about how to deal with the district's expanding population; Carlisle and Valley View Schools will likely receive Ohio School Facilities Commission money soon and will have to convince voters to approve the local share for these projects.

Middletown-Franklin land transfer — The two-year battle over 1,600 acres in the Franklin school district Middletown board members seek to transfer into the district's boundaries should come to a close this year. A hearing officer recommended against the transfer in November but the final decision is expected to go to the state board in February. Both districts have the right to appeal the decision following the state board vote if it chooses.

Middletown Board of Education – The school board has been almost entirely overhauled after the November election and the resignation of board member David Kabithe. John Sauter, Chris Fiora and the Rev. Gregory Tyus should bring a fresh perspective to the board and it will be interesting to see who emerges as the body's true leader, or at least its loudest voice. It should be interesting to watch the dynamic between board members and how the board interacts with Superintendent Steve Price. Can the new members work with Katie McNeill and Marcia Andrew to restore the board's credibility with the community? Can they also improve the district's communications with the public, something that many of the new board members saw as an issue?

Middletown City Council – A new majority of council was elected in November including former city manager, Bill Becker, NAACP president and vice president, Anita Scott Jones and Leslie Ford and new mayor Larry Mulligan. The question is how will this group of diverse personalities mesh and can they finally restore council's credibility and trust with residents? They'll have to gel quickly in order to present a unified front to get a 0.25 percent income tax increase passed in March. They also face the challenge of balancing a tight budget and bringing in more economic development to the city.

Larry Mulligan – From the back of the room to the center seat on City Council, Mulligan, the city's first directly elected mayor, has become a quick-study politician. He has demonstrated his ability to raise plenty of cash from Middletown's top movers and shakers and win a lot of votes. Now he has to become the leader of council and maintain the fragile peace that exists on the board. Mulligan will have to champion Middletown both inside and outside the city limits and help the city continue to tighten its purse strings. Will Mulligan bring back citizen comments to televised business meeting? It's not a huge decision, but could tell a lot about the course that Mulligan wants council to take in 2008.

Middletown's economy – The city will be a year removed from the devastating AK Steel lockout in 2008, but how much will the local economy have recovered by then? Foreclosures remain high and housing prices are still low. Will East End development, aided by the opening of the new Atrium Medical Center, be enough to get Middletown back on track financially? Middletown needs an infusion of new jobs. Will it get them in 2008 or will it see more jobs leave as it has for the past seven years.

Middletown's 0.25 percent income tax increase – City Council did a good job of convincing voters of the need for a temporary 0.75 percent income tax increase for public safety in 2007. But are they going to well again too soon. A proposed 0.25 percent income tax increase for street and road improvements would be permanent this time. Though Middletown streets are sorely in need of repair, will voters be willing raise taxes again to get it done?

AK Steel Corp. – Stock prices are up, the lockout is over and the corporate headquarters are now in West Chester. Middletown's largest employer always bears watching. But the question this year is whether AK Steel is now ripe for a buyout. Company officials have denied that the company is up for sale, but with its labor disputes resolved is the company finally more appealing to steel giants such as U.S. Steel.

Towne Mall – CBL & Associates remains quiet on the future redevelopment of the Towne Mall. After the city and county rejected proposals from the mall's owner to help foot the bill for the $26 million redevelopment, the company indefinitely postponed the project. Since then, merchants have been leaving one by one and there are more rumors about the mall's future than there are customers strolling its corridors. Will the city put pressure on CBL to make a decision in 2008 about the mall? Will CBL go forward with plans to turn it into an open-air shopping center?

Elizabeth Lolli – Monroe Local Schools' new superintendent Elizabeth Lolli will take over the helm of the district beginning Jan. 3. Lolli, who previously served as the superintendent of Barberton City Schools near Akron, is replacing Arnol Elam who retired Dec. 31. Elam served as the district's only superintendent since its inception in 2000. She was awarded a four-year contract, which runs from Jan. 3 through July 31, 2012, that will pay her $112,000 a year. Lolli, 51, is a native of Middletown and Madison High School graduate.

Monroe development – The long anticipated outlet development is coming to Monroe this spring. Monroe's Planning Commission recently approved final site plans for Cincinnati Premium Outlets on a 117-acre site off Ohio 63 just east of Interstate 75 in Warren County. Plans call for a ground breaking to be held this spring and for the outlet development to open in early 2009. The 440,000-square-foot outlet center will consist of nine buildings and 120 stores. Monroe City Council recently rejected a proposal by an West Seneca, Okla., tribe to transfer an old agreement to a proposed new site to build a casino complex on. The tribe approached the city to amend a previous 2005 agreement to reflect a change in property. The group apparently entered into an option for a 123-acre parcel in Turtlecreek Twp. in Warren County. The site was recently annexed into the city. Council decided to take a resolution off the table because there are things in that 2005 agreement for the previous proposed site near the Corridor 75 Park that it may want to revisit.

Douglass Park – Now that the pool has been demolished, how will the city, park board and residents in the 2nd Ward move forward with redeveloping Douglass Park. Former Middletown community services director Verlena Stewart got the ball rolling last year with a proposal called Douglass Matters, but who will pick up that ball in 2008?

Edgewood drug testing – Edgewood schools began a random drug testing program for students with privileges such as participating in extracurricular activities or driving. How will the program do in its first year and will it be something that other area school districts adopt in 2008?

Tim Humphries —Humphries was elected new Carlisle mayor, taking the seat from incumbent Jerry Ellender. Humphries has said his first action as mayor will be leading a goal-setting session, but the 39-year-old also will have to face the budget constraints of the city's fire department after a failed levy and the search for a new city manager this year, following the resignation of Brad Townsend.