Latest news with #JustAskin
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Just Askin': How does Cincinnati claim to be the Birthplace of American Astronomy?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, except maybe Google. A hidden gem, in a building sometimes described as a jewel box, the Cincinnati Observatory, 3489 Observatory Place, celebrates 182 years of stargazing this year. Question: How does the Cincinnati Observatory qualify as the "Birthplace of American Astronomy?" Answer: The Cincinnati Observatory is known as 'The Birthplace of American Astronomy' because it is home to one of the oldest working telescopes in the world. It was the first public observatory in the western hemisphere. It's a fully functioning 19th-century observatory used daily by the public and amateur astronomers. The main telescopes at the Observatory are an 11-inch Merz and Mahler refractor from 1845 and a 16-inch Alvan Clark and Sons refractor from 1904. The observatory originally sat on four acres of land at the top of Mt. Ida, now called Mount Adams. On Nov. 9, 1843, a crowd of thousands witnessed former president John Quincy Adams preside over the dedication of the observatory and the laying of the cornerstone. The telescope moved in 1873 to a new area five miles east of the city. The area was renamed Mount Lookout in honor of the new observatory. Architect Samuel Hannaford, who later designed Cincinnati Music Hall and Cincinnati City Hall, designed the Greek revival building. Since then: In 1904: The Observatory purchased a larger telescope, the 16-inch Alvan Clark and Sons refractor, and built another building on the campus. In 1979: The Observatory formally became part of the Physics Department at the University of Cincinnati. It continued to be used for public education and research by graduate students and others at UC. In the 1980s: Both telescopes were painstakingly brought back into working order through the passion of the late astronomer Paul Nohr. In the 1990s: UC contemplated selling the land to developers interested in leveling the site and erecting condos. A coalition of neighbors, historians, preservation advocates, and amateur and professional astronomers took action to save the observatory. In 1999: The Cincinnati Observatory adopted a new mission as a center for astronomy education. The staff has grown from two to eight full-time employees and there is a committed group of 100 volunteers. Staff and volunteers reach 35,000 people on campus and through outreach to the community each year, according to the Observatory's website. There are lots of tours, day and evening activities (including Late Night Date Nights, which sell out, so reserve your spot early) and other programs at the Cincinnati Observatory. Visit the website at and look to the stars. Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at justaskin@ This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Just Askin': How is Cincinnati the Birthplace of American Astronomy?
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Just Askin': Who is the mother behind Mother's Day? Child's promise led to day for moms
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google. Mother's Day has been observed for more than 100 years as a celebration of moms across the U.S. and even overseas. But the holiday was originally started because of one mom in particular. Just Askin': Who was the mother behind Mother's Day? The answer: There was a certain mother, but it was actually her daughter who is credited with campaigning for and establishing Mother's Day as a holiday celebrated nationwide. Ann Reeves Jarvis was the mother of 13 children, of whom only four survived into adulthood, and she organized events in which doctors would talk with local mothers about best hygiene practices for keeping their children healthy and combating infant mortality, according to Time Magazine. However, it was Jarvis' daughter, Anna, who would go on to campaign for the adoption of Mother's Day as a national holiday. Although the younger Jarvis' vision stood in stark contrast with that of her mother. It was her own mother who inspired Anna Jarvis to campaign for a national Mother's Day. A 12-year-old Anna Jarvis overheard her mother's prayer for a day honoring mothers, said Katharine Antolini, an assistant professor of history at West Virginia Wesleyan College, who authored the book 'Memorializing Motherhood: Anna Jarvis and the Struggle for the Control of Mother's Day.' When the elder Jarvis died in 1905, Anna Jarvis made a graveside promise to create a day for all mothers, Antolini said. She began a writing campaign in which Jarvis penned letters to any person of influence who could help her accomplish her mission. The first Mother's Day ceremony was held in May 1908 in Grafton, West Virginia, at the church where Jarvis' mother taught Sunday school classes. In the years following that first celebration, Antolini said, Jarvis continued campaigning by writing governors and others to promote the holiday, with so much success that by 1911 the second Sunday in May was recognized in every state, at least in some form, as Mother's Day. The holiday was even adopted by proponents of the women's suffrage movement, Antolini added. Jarvis selected the second Sunday in May as the date for the holiday because it was the Sunday closest to the anniversary of her mom's death, according to Antolini. She also chose white carnations – her mother's favorite flower – as the emblem of Mother's Day. Former Cincinnati Mayor Louis Schwab proclaimed the city's observance of Mother's Day in May 1911, according to an Enquirer article from that year. That came less than a month after a similar proclamation from the Ohio governor. It officially became a national holiday in 1914 when U.S. President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation that declared the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. Wilson labeled it 'a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.' Wilson is often given credit for establishing the holiday, an assertion that Jarvis took issue with, Antolini said. She also disapproved of the commercialization of Mother's Day and the florists and greeting card makers that profited from it. She also resented groups that used the holiday as a way to promote charity for poor mothers, viewing those as messages of pity and an insult to the one day of the year women are meant to be unconditionally honored, Antolini said. However, the professor said Jarvis' own mother would likely have embraced groups adopting the holiday to serve the less fortunate. 'This is kind of her baby,' Antolini said of Jarvis, who never married or had children. Antolini said Jarvis' vision of the ideal Mother's Day was a simple homecoming to celebrate one's mother, not everybody's mom. 'She established a holiday through the eyes of a child,' Antolini said. Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at cinlocalnews@ This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Who is the mom behind Mother's Day? Graveside promise led to holiday
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Just Askin': Why are there a bunch of flags outside of Procter & Gamble?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google. I saw a strange sight about a year ago while driving home from work. Outside of Procter & Gamble's downtown Cincinnati offices, flags from different countries hung on tall poles and flapped in the wind. To me, these flags felt like they should belong outside of a government building − not a company building in Ohio. And yes, I know Procter & Gamble, also known as P&G, does work internationally. But there were only a handful of flags. There's no way the flags represented all the different places P&G, a global powerhouse, manufactures or sells its consumer products. So, what gives? What's the significance of these 10 or so countries represented by international flags outside of P&G's Downtown office? The questions stayed with me, even after my commute ended. Question: Why are there a bunch of flags outside of Procter & Gamble? Answer: Well, turns out, I was on to something. The flags do have to do with P&G's international work. First of all, there are 11 flags total. Six flags are in front of the General Office Towers. Five flags are across the street in front of the Central Building. Nine flags represent nine of the 70 countries where P&G has operations, according to the company. The other two flags are American flags. There is one American flag in each set. But how did P&G select which international flags to wave? It's random! The nine flags change each month and are chosen at random, the company said. P&G ensures they're in good condition before choosing them. The flags currently on display in March include: Finland. Sri Lanka. Colombia. Dominican Republic. Italy. Germany. New Zealand. Malaysia. Puerto Rico. As of the last week of March, P&G had not yet selected the nine flags for April. I also asked the company why they only choose to fly nine international countries' flags at a time and why there is an uneven number of flags in the two sets. The company said they're not sure there's any significance behind these decisions. Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at localnews@ This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why there a bunch of flags outside of Procter & Gamble in Cincinnati
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Just Askin': Why is the old YMCA building on UC's campus still vacant?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google. We at The Enquirer want to answer your questions. That's what the Just Askin' column is for. We give you answers to things that you see in our region and make you go "huh?" Here's a perfect example: The old YMCA building on the University of Cincinnati's campus that is still vacant roughly 20 years after the university purchased the site. One reader emailed us, saying: "UC did a wonderful job rehabilitating the old YMCA building on Calhoun. But it still has a temporary door and there hasn't been activity around or inside it since basically the start of the school year. Just askin' what's up with its progress and future use?" Well, here's what we found out. Question: What's up with the old YMCA building on UC's campus? Answer: Not much. Seriously. There are no current plans for the building, a spokesperson for the university told The Enquirer. The university purchased the 1929 building in 2005 with the plan to hold onto it and use it if ever needed. However, the university said the building needs major work and renovation to be repurposed. When the building was purchased, it was vacant and in a neglected state. The university worked to secure the building's structural integrity and weatherproof it. The spokesperson said the university now makes remediations and repairs "as needed." In 2023, the university installed storm windows and made structural and roof repairs to continue protecting it from bad weather. The university also restored the stonework to prevent water damage to the building and cleaned up hazardous materials. But for the building to be used, well, that will require some more serious TLC. And for now, the university hasn't needed to use the building yet. Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at cinlocalnews@ This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Why is the YMCA building on University of Cincinnati's campus vacant?
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Just Askin': Is the village of St. Bernard in Hamilton County named after the dog breed?
The Enquirer's Just Askin' series aims to answer the questions that no one seems to have an answer for, not even Google. Statues of St. Bernard dogs are all over the Hamilton County village that shares a name with the breed. They're in front of the fire department, schools and the local government building. The village of St. Bernard was incorporated in 1878. Were the village's 300 residents back then that obsessed with dogs to name their community after them? (If so, we don't blame them, but it seems unprecedented.) Question: Is the village of St. Bernard actually named after the dog breed? Answer: No. But there is a connection! The village's name is explained in the book "Fifty Years of Progress, 1878 St. Bernard, Ohio 1928" and a 1949 newspaper article, which the St. Bernard-Ludlow Grove Historical Society shared with The Enquirer. Both sources point readers, first, to Switzerland. In 962, Bernard de Menthon, who became a Catholic saint, built two hospitals in the Alps. Monks ran the hospitals and took care of travelers with the "most generous and kindly hospitality," the book reads. These hospitals became known as the Great and Little St. Bernard, in honor of their founder. Now, early settlers of what would become St. Bernard, Ohio, saw the area's hills and its view overlooking the Mill Creek Valley. They were reminded of the Alps. The settlers thought of the Swiss monks' hospitality and compared it to the kindness of the early residents in the Ohio area. So, they chose "St. Bernard" as the community's name! Now, here's the dog connection. The monks bred dogs to rescue travelers lost in the mountains. This dog breed was later named − you guessed it − the St. Bernard. Do you have a question for Just Askin'? Send it to us at cinlocalnews@ This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How St. Bernard, Ohio, in Hamilton County got its name
