The Voice - August/September 2022
/Eight Reasons Why the East Row Rocks
Quaint, quirky, sassy and bold. The East Row looks like a time warp, but blazes into the future. We all have reasons why our neighborhood is special. Here are a few of them.
History. The second-largest historic district in Kentucky, our roots stretch back to the late 1800s.
Fairy Doors. Fairy families live here, too, locating their doors on front stoops, curbs and trees. Some people make a special trip here just to look for them.
Hellstrips. That’s the colloquial name for the slice of dirt between sidewalk and street, and in the East Row, some hellstrips are carefully maintained with rocks, walkways, pollinator plants, and elaborate gardens.
Books & Bagels. A popular gathering spot, Roebling Books & Coffee is one of the newer businesses to join the neighborhood. What’s your favorite local establishment?
Stained Glass. There’s so much stained glass in the East Row, we’ve held special tours to admire it. The window pictured here is on the side of Movement Church.
Cats with Attitude. They have a mind of their own.
Fountains and water features. Water spurts from fountains, small pools and even a backyard ornamental fire plug.
Quiet spaces to contemplate. In 1996, Gerri Jones started the East Row Garden Club and the park maintained in her memory is a great spot to admire the handiwork of our gardeners.
How does the East Row rock your world? Send your thoughts and a photo if available to pabrand1@yahoo.com and we’ll include it in the next issue of The Voice.
Volunteer for Our Christmas Tour & Tea
Submitted by Kym Sutton
Mark your calendars! Our much-anticipated Christmas Tour & Tea is scheduled for December 3 & 4. To organize and pull off a successful Tour takes a lot of help and volunteers, especially chairpersons to organize and run various aspects of the tour. So as to get better organized this year, we have broken the tour committees down to 11 in number, including:
Home solicitation and homeowner assistance
Ticket sales, both pre-sales and day of the event sales
Advertising and social media
Business sponsorship solicitation
Tickets: design, layout, route map and printing
Home histories
Event signage, banners, both throughout the east row and home signs
Volunteer recruitment and coordination
Tea
Saturday night block party, which was new last year
Homeowner thank-you dinner
Some of these committees have returning chairpeople and just need volunteers to assist. Others need a chairperson to spearhead. If you would be interested in chairing a specific committee or volunteering and have questions or just want to talk about the duties and responsibilities, just contact me at kymsutt@gmail.com.
Keep in mind that even if you are out of town or not available the weekend of the tour, you can still chair and/or volunteer for tasks prior to tour weekend.
Like any event, it takes a lot of time and effort to pull it off and make it successful. in the end it’s a lot of fun and you meet a lot of new people, in our case, your neighbors of the East Row!
August 31 NBA Luncheon: State of the City Update
The Newport Business Association (NBA) August 31 meeting features the State of the City luncheon presentation by Newport City Manager Tom Fromme.
Registration & Networking: 11:30 am
Luncheon & Presentation: Noon-1:30 pm
Location: BB Riverboats River’s Edge Event Center, 101 Riverboat Row (non-cruise event)
Luncheon Details: Luncheon registration is $25 per person for NBA members and guests
Register by mail or email.
Mail: Send name, address and phone number along with payment payable to Newport Business Association. Mail to NBA, PO BOX 843, Newport, KY 41072.
Email: Send name, address and phone number to bholiday@newportky.gov and pay at the door (cash or check only no credit/debit card).
RSVP: Name _______________________ Business ___________________________________
Guest(s): ______________________________________________________________________
Payment: $25 x __________ Due with mailing (check) or at check-in
NBA Mission statement: Newport Business Association serves the local businesses through its problem-solving forum, unified voice to policy makers, and through its member support, education and networking.
All About Riverfest: The Big Boom on Labor Day Weekend
Our Newport Riverfront is the site of one of the biggest and best fireworks displays in the nation. music and pyrotechnics converge every labor day weekend for a spectacular sendoff to summer. get ready for the big boom!
It’s the last blast of summer! Riverfest is our region’s big booming tradition that blasts off at 9:07 p.m. Sunday, September 4. That’s when the Western & Southern/WEBN-FM Rozzi's Famous Fireworks light up the Ohio River, right here in Newport.
The East Row Historic Foundation (ERHF) benefits from t-shirt sales, thanks to a longstanding agreement with organizers of the event. Stop by and purchase your shirts on the riverfront.
From daylong happenings to road closures, here are some details to help you enjoy Riverfest:
Newport Police Press Release: Covers rules, regulations and road closures.
Renovation Happy Hour is August 30
Renovation Happy Hours are a great way to learn about historic preservation. Mark your calendars for the next event:
Tuesday, August 30
6-8 pm
233 E 7th St.
The location is just two doors away from the intersection of 7th and Washington streets where you can tour a really old historic home which has just made it to the drywall stage of renovation. A couple notable features are the unique facade and the incredible view to Cincinnati from the upper deck.
We hope to do a follow up visit in a few months when this home, which is being renovated by Ramzi Nuseibeh, is completed. As always, the East Row will provide refreshments. You are welcome to bring additional food and beverages if you would like to contribute.
Does Your Project Require a COA?
As a Historic District, the East Row requires residents to obtain a Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) prior to making some exterior alterations to your house. This includes, but is not limited to, replacement of architectural features, work on windows, doors, porches, box gutters, and color selection for painting. Online resources will help you:
Learn about the architecture of our neighborhood and how we preserve it in the comprehensive Architectural Guidelines document (90 pages of fascinating, historical information!).
Submit a COA Application in advance of any projects that require a COA.
If time you have questions, feel free to contact Historic Preservation Officer Scott Clark at 859.655.6347 or email Newport's Historic Preservation office. For more details, visit the Newport Historic Preservation website.
Ever Wondered About Newport's Historic Districts? View the Map
We all know that Newport is rich in historic districts and landmarks. If you’ve ever wondered about the boundaries of some of these officially designated districts, the map linked below will show exactly where they begin and end.
There's So Much Going on at our Campbell County Public Library
Submitted by Mackenzie Manley, PR Coordinator, Campbell County Public Library
Friends of the Library Book Sale
9 am-5 pm Thursday-Saturday, Sept. 8-10, 9 am-noon Thursday, Sept. 22
Stock up on reads at the Friends of the Library Book Sale. Held in the Friends Room on the lower level of the Newport Branch, the cost is 25 cents for paperbacks, 50 cents for hardcovers and up to $3 for select titles. Some are even free! Registration is not required.
Signature Series: Bobby and Teddi Cyrus
7 pm Friday, Sept. 16
The cousin of famed country artist Billy Ray Cyrus, Bobby grew up in Louisa, Kentucky listening to music like Waylon Jennings, Ricky Skaggs, Larry Crodle, Kris Kristofferson, Keith Whitley and Tom T. Hall. Teddi comes from similar roots, joining the Kentucky Opry Theater when she was just 13 years old. The duo has performed and recorded together since their marriage in 2015. The event is free to attend. Registration is required. For more information, visit www.cc-pl.org/signature-series.
For a complete list of events, please visit the website of the Campbell County Public Library.
Newport Dog Park is Pawsitively Awesome!
As always, thanks to everyone who has volunteered, donated, moved dirt, raked mulch, bought bricks, and helped with our terrific East Row Dog Park, located behind the library on 6th St.
As a reminder, we rely on donations and fundraising to cover the costs of this pawsitively wonderful addition to our neighborhood, so please consider helping out as you make a donation, buy a brick or sign up to be a volunteer.
Yearly costs to keep the dog park safe, clean and fun are more than $6,000. You can lend a hand in a variety of ways while building a community and meeting new friends at the park.
Visit our Newport Dog Park website for all the details on our community-supported dog park and how you can pitch in for our furry friends!
The Voice
Editor: Paula Brandon
Send articles to voice@eastrow.org. The editor reserves the right to edit or reject submissions due to length or content.
