Cincinnati Street Vibes Celebrates Five Years

By Brian Davis

Editor of the Homeless Grapevine, Cleveland Chairman of the North American Street Newspaper Association

             The staff, venders, and volunteers at the Homeless Grapevine in Cleveland would like to congratulate Street Vibes for reaching the five-year milestone.  As a fellow member of the North American Street Newspaper Association (NASNA), we have seen the five-year mark as the point at which a street newspaper achieves a degree of stability.  With a new editor, and a fine group of vendors we feel confidant that Street Vibes has reached some level of credibility and acceptance within the Queen City.

            The Homeless Grapevine was instrumental in fostering and nurturing the street paper idea in Cincinnati.  I remember coming down to Cincinnati with one of our vendors to pitch the idea to Pat Clifford, Buddy Grey and the Board of the Greater Cincinnati Coalition for the Homeless.  I remember the conferences in Chicago, Seattle and Montreal with members of Street Vibes as we gathered to form MASNA.  I remember the impact the paper has had on the city from highlighting the continued loss of affordable housing to the death and legacy of Buddy Grey to the crusades against the death penalty and gentrification of the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood.

            I value your paper in order to bring the issues of poverty to the citizens of Cincinnati.  The paper gives homeless people access to the media, and acts as a watchdog in the community.  I keep up to date on the assault by the Slatkin Musical Blitzkrieg on the Drop Center every month.  We use articles from Street Vibes in every one of the issues that we publish in Cleveland.

            Now our task is to work together to get a paper in Columbus and Dayton.  We need to continue to agitate and continue grow.  We are proud of our sister paper in Cincinnati and look to a bright future.  Congratulations from the Homeless Grapevine which celebrates eight years this summer.

 Copyright NEOCH and the Homeless Grapevine, Issue #49 August-September -2001