From The Mayor's Weekly Briefing

UPDATE, for those who questioned the mayor's residency: Mallory insisted today that he lives in both his houses, on Dayton Street in the West End, and in Mt. Airy.

Here's what Mayor Mark Mallory offered today at his regular 2 p.m. Tuesday talk with reporters:

1. "My team" is definitely going to win the Crosstown Shootout. He, of course, was trying to be funny, given that he attended both the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University. Get it? Whichever team wins would be his alma mater.

2. Council members shouldn't be proposing major new ideas - like the red-light cameras to catch more speeders - during this budget process because it's supposed to be time only to update the policies that were set out last year. If some want to propose the cameras, they should do it in next year's budget cycle.

3. Re the controversy Monday at finance committee over the police department not spending all the $2.7 million given it for walking patrols this year: "As mayor, my goal is to see to it that crime is reduced. And the police department did that. I think it's a win-win."

4. Visit the Hauck House museum, on Dayton Street in the West End (where the mayor lives). "I think this is a great Cincinnati institution. It's a great piece of Cincinnati history." And The Taft's pretty cool too.

5. Go Nick Lachey! The Cincinnati boy is one of the directors for NBC's new reality show, Clash of the Choirs. "We're certainly going to be watching it and cheering Nick on."

6. He taped a Crosstown Shootout promo to be aired on ESPN before the game. It was another opportunity, he said, to talk about Cincinnati to a national audience.

7. The chocolates at Marble Hill Chocolatier in O'Bryonville are fantastic. The place will be featured on an upcoming Black Enterprise Business Report.