Groeber's Closes

Another tradition in Springfield comes to an end. After a half century of serving up some of the best burgers in town, Groeber's has called it quits.
Not exactly a family type place but the type of place that treated you like family, Groeber's srved up great chow & cheap beers. Located for years on McReight Ave. across from Ferncliff Cemetery & just north of Wittenberg University, they quickly gained a reputation with Wittenberg students. It was particularly appealing to the rugby team that played in the field behind the bar. The location was so appealing the school bought it & forced the establishment to move to it's last location at First & Bechtle. That place had been a bar for years, at one time being the 13th Hole.
In recent years Bechtle expanded north & every friggin chain restaurant known to man moved in. It drives me crazy that chains see a market in Springfield but locals can't seem to make a go of it. There is rarely a locally owned start up in the town although there is a lot of cheap rent. Well, they keep demolishing the cheap places making it even harder for locals to get a foothold.
I'm having a real Chrissie hynde moment about now.....

Noose Son story here.

Springfield Mercy Est Finite

As work on the new Springfield hospital/medical center progresses, Springfield Mercy has closed. What happens to this property will be interesting. I predict Wittenberg will expand north.
Mercy was built in 1950 as Springfield was still growing & expanding greatly to the north. A major fundraiser & leader in the building of the hospital was Joe Shouvlin who also donated land for Catholic Central High School.

Noose Son story here.

Passport to Springfield
yep. Finally happened. The Champion City has seceded from the US of A ! You will be required to show your papers at it's iron gates.
no, not really. It's a community / Wittenberg event arranged by a kid involved with Wittenberg’s Center for Civic and Urban Engagement to bring students together with Springfield organizations and businesses. It is meant to bridge the gap between students and the community and, maybe, to retain some of the students as future citizens.
In the past, students introduction to the city was frequently the neon sign on a prominently located church that blinked back and forth, "Jesus Saves / Sin Kills" in red and white, complete with crucifixes & lightning bolts. After that it was chance encounters in the cemetery or students picking fights with bikers at area bars. Things seem to have taken on a more genteel tone, here in the 21st century.

Noose Son story here.

Faith and Politics forum at Wittenberg University
"On Sunday, Oct. 26, representatives of the local Christian, Muslim and Jewish community will join a multi-generational panel to discuss how people of faith form political world views, frame issues and support candidates."
I guess it's just for mainstream religions. I can't imagine Wittenberg won't have a Luthie rep & being held in the Shouvlin center, a Catholic rep would be in order.
I guess that, even with the rise of India and China as major economic world powers, there is no reason to invite Hindus or Buddhists. Considering how Martin Luther's split from the Catholic church kinda opened the floodgates on a lot of occult teachings previously hidden from Catholic scrutiny, there is still no reason to have any occultist/Kabbbalist types. Hell, just the timing being so close to Halloween, you'd think they would want a witch.....
oh well, it's free and open to all.

Noose Son story here.

Wittenberg opens center for civic engagement
Wittenberg University opens The Center for Civic and Urban Engagement to help coordinate faculty and student service projects into four areas of engagement in Springfield: Renewing the Core and Creek; Strengthening After-School Programs, Preparing for Future Jobs, and Improving Housing Quality.
Springfield mayor, Warren Copeland, claims the program will help set the university apart from other liberal arts colleges by highlighting the advantage an urban setting provides for practical applications in majors from the sciences to social services to the arts.

Noose Son story here.

Wittenberg Invests in Cincinnati

Well, sorta.
A Wittenberg University investment club was recently profiled by TheStreet, a Wall Street Journal newsletter for it's success in bucking recent downwards market trends.
Notable investments in their portfolio included Cincinnati based Proctor and Gamble and a major employer in the Cincinnati area, General Electric.
Proof that investing in Ohio is a good idea.

Noose Son story here.

In Springfield there is a real, sometimes amusing but ultimately unfortunate alienation between city residents and Wittenberg University.
Many residents don't attend the college, frequently because of financial restraints while many of the students from out of town come from fairly affluent families. This rift is simply a socio-economic one but probably drives most of the rest of the opposition. Students going away to college tend to practice pretty crappy behavior no matter where they are but when they treat their host city with contempt, they generally get a response in kind. While many Springfielders are of blue collar origins, they tend to look at fine arts with contempt and, subsequently do not appreciate aspects of the university like the school of music. They tend to see the school as a waste of real estate and a drain on city resources.
So, it is a pleasant surprise to see this in the Noose Son:
Wittenberg students promote city
Young adults from Covington, Cleveland, Columbus and Kentucky have fallen in love with Springfield.
They want you to, as well.
On Thursday, July 31, six Wittenberg University students presented a proposal to help the city promote itself, not to the outside world, but within.
Their list of the Champion City's top assets:

• Heritage Center


• Wittenberg University and Clark State Community College


• Westcott House


• Springfield Symphony Orchestra


• Affordability


• Nextedge Applied Research and Technology Park


• Springfield Arts Council


• Citizens Police Academy


• Historic Districts


• After-School Programs


• Kuss Auditorium


• Parks and Recreation


• Cancer Center


• Downtown Entrepreneurship

I think I would have to point out the Civic Theater Association and the mere existence of 2 older movie theaters even tho the movie theaters are not currently in use (at least not consistently), The Clarence Brown reservoir (The Springfield Sea) and The Clark County fair, one of the biggest and bestest county fairs in the state.
Still, I don't think you really need to sell Springfielders on Springfield and I am glad it is attracting some enthusiastic new residents, but I think they are just seeing what the core population already knows.

Full Noose Son story here.