What Mallory's Up To These Days

Here's some of what we learned at Tuesday's weekly press briefing with Mayor Mark Mallory:


1. He's working on solidifying Operation Hospitality, though it might not be called that permanently. That's the effort last year to make sure people felt welcome downtown when they came for the Macy's Music Festival. The effort will continue this year, he said, and during other summer events as well.


2. More than 2,500 young people showed up two weeks ago for the third annual job fair. Some employers ran out of applications.


3. A basketball game Saturday at the Mount Washington rec center put city officials and employees against police officers for a game that raised $7,000 for the United Negro College Fund. City officials - including Jeff Berding, David Crowley, Cecil Thomas, Scott Stiles and four of the mayor's staffers - won, 30-27. "And nobody got hurt."


4. Twenty neighborhoods have committed to sponsoring cars in the Soap Box Derby, one of the mayor's favorite topics. It's in June, but builders have to go to a May 22 workshop to learn what to do. Find out more at http://www.cincinnatisoapboxderby.com/.


5. There are efforts under way to get the control tower at Lunken Airport on the National Register of Historic Places.