Letters to the editor

Cincinnati Enquirer

Listening to our Ohio legislators, one would think solving the property tax problem is like solving World Peace and world hunger at the same time. It’s not that hard. It’s ridiculously simple. So, Ohio representatives and senators, listen up. I’m about to make you all heroes, and at no charge.

Freeze property taxes for homeowners at current levels. Period. The assessed property tax amount would not change until the property was sold, at which time the property tax would rise to a newly assessed amount to be calculated before the sale.

There. How hard was that?

This method is fair because it prevents homeowners from being taxed on unrealized gains, and new buyers will know what their property tax will be for the entire time they own the home. No more surprises every few years. Also, existing homeowners will not be forced to sell their homes due to unaffordable tax increases that, at present, can’t be budgeted for, since future tax increases are always an unknown cost.

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So, Ohio legislators, stop acting as if this is some Quantum Physics problem and get it done.

Steven Otto, Maineville

Fanduel Sports Network’s Jim Day said Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer and former fan favorite Sean Casey, who appeared Friday night at Great American Ball Park in the Savannah Bananas game, was injured while running the bases, and will need surgery.

Casey walked, but hustled as he rounded first base, when the injury appeared to take place.

“It is real when you’re running and you’re 51 years of age,” Day said during the Reds-Tigers broadcast Saturday. “He got a massive ovation. And he was at the plate. And he was rounding first base, thinking about going to second. And the crowd was cheering him on. Now he grabbed his hamstring. I thought he was just playing to the crowd. You know like, ‘Hey, I’m an older guy and it’s hard for me to run.’ Turns out he completely tore his hamstring. He completely tore the hamstring off the bone. He’s got surgery this week. Took one for the team. … We wish Sean Casey the best. That’s a tough one right there.”

From Casey via Twitter/X:

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If you find yourself in Hyde Park later this month, you might notice swarms of cyclists making their rounds at Hyde Park Square.

It’s part of an annual cycling event called the Hyde Park Blast, which was co-founded by Hyde Park residents Cheryl Neiheisel and Chad Sims to raise funds for the fight against cancer. Since 2001, the event has generated more than $600,000 in donations to Cincinnati cancer charities, including The Cure Starts Now, according to its website.

The one-day event consists of a 4-mile run/walk and kids fun run in the morning before the cycling begins in the afternoon, with cyclers making a loop around Hyde Park Square then riding down Erie Avenue toward Monteith Avenue.

Registration is still open for running and biking courses. The event is also still looking for volunteers to assist day-of and for packet pickup days. Those interested can sign up online.

Here’s everything to know about the cycling extravaganza headed to Cincinnati.

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When is the Hyde Park Blast?

The Hyde Park Blast takes place all day on Saturday, June 28, from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m.

What is the Hyde Park Blast?

The Hyde Park Blast is an annual race and cycling event that raises funds for the fight against cancer. The one-day event takes place mostly in Hyde Park Square,2700 Erie Ave., with participants racing through a handful of side streets off Erie Avenue.

The day is broken up into racing and cycling courses:

6 a.m.: Registration opens.

Registration opens. 7:30 a.m. : 4-mile run/walk.

: 4-mile run/walk. 9 a.m.: Kids Fun Run.

Kids Fun Run. 12:45 p.m.: Cycling begins.

Cycling begins. 4 p.m.: Block party.

Block party. 8:30 p.m.: Pro 1/2/3 Mens Cycling.

Which roads will be closed?

The city of Cincinnati has yet to announce formal road closures for the June 28 event, but the following roads will be blocked off as part of the racing routes:

4-mile run/walk: Starting at Hyde Park Square before heading down Erie Avenue and making a left on Paxton Avenue, then looping up to Victoria Avenue, Portsmouth Avenue and Wasson Road. Then, racers will turn right on Marlburg Avenue and proceed to Erie Avenue, where they’ll finish back at Hyde Park Square. View the race map at hpblast.org.

Starting at Hyde Park Square before heading down Erie Avenue and making a left on Paxton Avenue, then looping up to Victoria Avenue, Portsmouth Avenue and Wasson Road. Then, racers will turn right on Marlburg Avenue and proceed to Erie Avenue, where they’ll finish back at Hyde Park Square. View the race map at hpblast.org. Kids Fun Run: This route is divided up based on age: 2-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-13. Each age group will run a stretch of a straight route east of Hyde Park Square along Erie Avenue and ending at Paxton Avenue. View the race map at hpblast.org.

This route is divided up based on age: 2-3, 4-6, 7-9 and 10-13. Each age group will run a stretch of a straight route east of Hyde Park Square along Erie Avenue and ending at Paxton Avenue. View the race map at hpblast.org. Cycling and Elite Race: This route is open to cyclists and runners accepted into the Elite 5K Run on the Criterium Bike Course. Looping around Hyde Park Square, proceeding down Erie Avenue, making a left on Shady Lane and looping back around on Monteith Avenue. Then, racers will proceed back toward Hyde Park Square. View the race map at hpblast.org.

How to register for the Hyde Park Blast

Registration is still open for the 4-mile run/walk and Kids Fun Run courses, as well as for cyclists and Elite 5K runners.

Those interested can register for the 4-mile run/walk for $45 online or on the day of the event for $50. Registration starts at 6 a.m. the day of the event, Saturday, June 28.

The Kids Fun Run registration is $20 and available online or on the day of the event.Every participant of the run will receive a T-shirt and after-race snack. Before 9 a.m., age groups will be split up to ensure safety for all participants.

Those wanting to register for the Hyde Park Blast Criterium can do so online until June 26 at 8 p.m. Same-day registration will also be available. Applications for the Elite 5k are available online.

Registrations made after June 13 are not guaranteed shirt size and T-shirts are only guaranteed if participants pick them up at packet pick up.

When is Hyde Park Blast packet pickup?

Packet pickup for the Hyde Park Blast takes place at Fleet Feet, 3235 Madison Road, during the following times:

Thursday, June 26, from 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Friday, June 27, from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Voting is open for the Cincinnati Enquirer’s first installment of the Beacon Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine Athlete of the Year ballot for the 2024-2025 school year.

This week will be dedicated to fall sports. The winter sports ballot will start on June 23 and the spring sports ballots will publish on June 30.

Enquirer/Cincinnati.com readers can vote for their favorite high school athletes of the year on their desktop, the Cincinnati.com mobile web or Cincinnati.com app once per hour. Deadline is 4 p.m. on Friday.

Scroll down to the bottom of this story for the ballots. Please do not email your votes; they will not count.

Athlete of the week winner certificates through April 11, 2025, have been mailed to the athletic departments. The remaining certificates will be mailed later this week.

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Here are this week’s fall ballots.

Former Cincinnati City Councilman P.G. Sittenfeld, who was convicted on federal bribery and attempted extortion charges, has been pardoned by President Donald Trump, a senior White House official confirmed to USA TODAY.

Sittenfeld, who at one point was a frontrunner to be Cincinnati’s next mayor, was convicted on two corruptions charges in federal court and sentenced with a $40,000 fine and 16 months in federal prison, less than federal sentencing guidelines call for. Prosecutors had requested a longer sentence, between 33 and 41 months.

Here’s exactly what Sittenfeld’s federal corruptions charges and his prison time entailed.

Who is P.G. Sittenfeld?

Sittenfeld is a former Cincinnati city councilman who was convicted on federal bribery and attempted extortion charges.

Sittenfeld’s convictions derailed a promising political career where he was the frontrunner for mayor. He was arrested months after announcing his campaign for Cincinnati mayor in 2020.

What did P.G. Sittenfeld do?

Sittenfeld, 40, was convicted of bribery and attempted extortion by federal court in July 2022 – a decision upheld by the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in February this year.

The case against the former councilman rested on blurry lines between lawful political solicitations and bribery, the appeals court said. That’s because Sittenfeld accepted donations to a political action committee in exchange for his promise to support a property development project. He didn’t accept money directly.

Congress, as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, “have entrusted juries with discerning between legitimate campaign donations and illegitimate bribes,” the appeals court opinion said.

Despite nearly every relevant conversation during an 18-month FBI sting being audio- and/or video-recorded, the opinion said, the investigation “didn’t yield overwhelming evidence.”

Even so, the court said the jury in Sittenfeld’s 2022 trial found that he “solicited or accepted campaign donations, in exchange for his promise to support” the project.

The 6th Circuit appeared to want the U.S. Supreme Court to take the case as of February.

Did P.G. Sittenfeld go to prison?

Sittenfeld was sentenced to 16 months in prison in 2022, a decision he immediately appealed. He asked the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to allow him to remain free while he appealed his sentence, but his request was denied in 2023.

The former city council member ultimately reported to prison on Jan. 2., 2024 at Federal Correction Institution Ashland located in Ashland, Kentucky. He served about four and half months before the the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted a request to release him in May 2024 while an appeal of his convictions was pending.