Dump the pump.

That’s the message the nation’s public transit agencies and environmental and conservation groups want to bring to people Thursday.

The American Public Transportation Association, the Sierra Club and the Natural Resources Defense Council are organizing the eighth annual National Dump the Pump Day encouraging people to ride public transit.

Cincinnati’s Metro bus agency wants people to “Like” its Facebook page and pledge to “Dump the Pump” Thursday for a chance to win a free 30-day rolling pass.

Public transit supporters tout cost savings that can be obtained by taking public transit, forgoing costs for purchasing fuel, time spent waiting in traffic and vehicle maintenance. Reducing vehicle miles could also help reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other pollutants.

Janelle Gelfand reports:

“There’s nothing in the real world visually that you cannot do with Lego,” believes Mark D. Clark.

Seeing is believing, for in the basement of Clark’s Mason home, a massive Lego construction project is taking shape. Clark is building a scale model replica of Cincinnati’s Music Hall.

Mark Clark of Mason is making a scale model replica of Music Hall. He holds on to a roof portion from the back of the building. The Enquirer/Jeff Swinger

It has taken the 46-year-old software engineer hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars since he began “the build” less than six months ago. The accuracy in his reproduction of the 135-year-old Over-the-Rhine landmark is breathtaking. “At first, it was for the challenge of the build itself,” he said. “It’s like climbing Mount Everest. You go after something that’s so big just to see if you can even do it.”

• Photos: Building Music Hall, brick by (Lego) brick

As the Music Hall revitalization group ponders a planned $90 million update of the hall, Clark builds his miniature model, brick by toy brick – 60,000 of them.

Why did he choose to tackle Cincinnati’s most iconic performance hall?

“ I wanted to get into doing a large, interesting architectural building. And the most beautiful building in this town in my opinion is Music Hall. There’s not one with more history than that,” he said.

Clark hopes to have his Lego masterpiece completed by the first week of August, when it will go on temporary display in the lobby of the real Music Hall. (Dates will be announced.)

His passion for the interlocking bricks began two Christmases ago, when he received two kits as gifts. “I put them together and said, I forgot how cool this was. It got me. I got bit, and I got bitten hard.”

Now, like a kid at Christmas, he anxiously awaits each shipment of toy bricks. Occasionally, as he discusses his project, he lapses into the Lego-ese spoken by hobbyists, such as “minifigs,” the people figures that will populate his creation.

To a Lego geek, getting a shipment of brick is “a huge, huge deal,” he said. “Especially when you’ve got this vision stuck in your head. You order it, and you wait.”

It’s become an obsession. Since starting the project in mid-December, he has worked an average of four hours per day after work.

“The stopping time depends on how far I get. When you get to a certain point, and you’re conceptualizing it in your head, it’s like, I have to get this floor finished, or I’m going to lose that vision. So anywhere between 12:30 and 2:30 a.m.”

His aim is to show how Music Hall, constructed in 1878, originally looked, with its windows wide open. “This is a period piece. I wanted to reconstruct it as it existed around 1898 to around 1915-20, right before the Miami-Erie Canal was filled in behind it, which is Central Parkway today,” he said.

Downstairs in the home that Clark shares with his wife, Mary, and 16-year-old daughter, Ashley, the ¹⁄₅₀th scale model replica of Music Hall takes up much of a small storage room. Nearby, Clark has constructed “skins” of the North and South Halls – so large he can lie inside each of them. Underneath tables are stacks of boxes, bins and plastic containers of Lego toy bricks. Architectural drawings and large photographs of Music Hall cover the walls.

Springer Auditorium lies on a nearby table, where Clark hopes to fit at least 2,000 seats onto its floor, balconies and boxes. (The hall actually seats 3,417, but the size of the plastic parts won’t allow that many.) It will also have a chandelier – not the one that currently exists, but similar to one that lighted the hall at the turn of the century, with three tiers and measuring 10 inches in diameter.

He’s not sure how he’ll set the stage. That could be determined by budget. Each “minifig” costs $5 to $12.

“Oh, I forgot to show you,” said Clark, looking for a piece that will be the Miami and Erie Canal. It will “flow” with 10,000 translucent blue dots, and a flatboat will move along the channel.

Horse-drawn buggies will pull up on a cobblestone Elm Street. It will be lit with LED street lights that will flicker like gas lamps.

Clark has researched Music Hall meticulously, even down to reproducing load-bearing archways in the main lobby. Doors open and close. Major challenges have included the Rose Window and the slope of the roof-line.

The rear will be open so visitors can peer into the hall and see its stage and balconies. Inside, you’ll see flowers gracing Box 9, which belonged to arts patron Louise Dieterle Nippert.

Clark, a native of Central City, Ky., recalls being awestruck by Music Hall the first time he attended Cincinnati Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” as a child of 6.

His first Lego set was “Rescue” from 1973. “You build, you build, you collect, and you play with it. … They go into a box and are forgotten for decades.”

After Princeton High School, Clark attended Ohio State for three years in aerospace engineering, and finished his degree in computer systems engineering at the University of Cincinnati. He founded RepliSoft Data Systems LLC in 2002.

Then, two years ago, his mom and wife gave him Lego kits for Christmas.

By coincidence, Music Hall officials were talking about a planned revitalization. He contacted Music Hall director of operations Scott Santangelo, looking for prints, drawings, old photographs and any other materials that might help his creation.

Santangelo was happy to help.

“We’ve lent our support through historical archives of photos, and several walk-throughs and other visits he has made to note the dimensions and colors and features. The level of detail to which he’s paid attention is quite remarkable. There might be a collective gasp as people look at this model for the first time.”

Now, Clark would like his project to help the Music Hall Revitalization Committee raise money and public awareness. Eventually, he’d like to see his Lego Music Hall find a home in Cincinnati Museum Center.

Until then, Clark is planning one surprise that he’ll add last – an element that is purely fiction.

“The Genius of Music was to go on the top, but was never added. You have the Genius of Water on Fountain Square. It was supposed to be a big deal, but it was never done.

“This is my tribute to the original vision of what they wanted,” he said, poising a white, winged minifig over his model. “I’ll have this dude at the very peak, way up here.”

A Mason High School student shakes the hand of Principal Mindy McCarty-Stewart. Provided photo

Sue Kiesewetter reports:

For those relatives or friends who missed Mason High School’s Class of 2013 graduation, there are still opportunities to catch your favorite graduate receive their diploma.

That’s because the Intercommunity Cable Regulatory Commission taped the ceremony. It can be viewed anytime online at www.icrctv.net/mason.

The program will also be shown at 9:30 a.m., Wednesday, on Time Warner Cable Channel 24; on Channel 4 at 9 p.m., Friday; or noon Saturday, also on Channel 4.

Those who want a keepsake DVD of graduation can contact the ICRC for pricing, at 513-772-4272. Include home address and reference program 17053.

Cliff Turrell won Mason’s calendar photo contest in 2012 with his photo “Proud of our Heritage and Town.” Provided

With top-notch schools, low crime rates and a thriving economic base, it’s no surprise national magazines consistently rank Mason among the best places to live.

Many Mason residents say the city still maintains a deep-rooted sense of community hearkening back to its days as a sleepy farm town.  Now, a new feature in Our Town magazine will spotlight those neighborhoods that help make Mason unique.

Is your neighborhood a special place? Please tell us about it. Email Rachel Richardson at
rrichardson@masonbuzz.com and include the following: your name, daytime phone, subdivision name and a brief description of what makes your neighborhood unique.

Michael D. Clark reports:

George Wolf’s dementia may well have overtaken him by now if he wasn’t helping out the kids and teachers at a nearby school.

George Wolf, from Mason, gets instructions on things to do for the summer from first-grade teacher Kimberle Lovett in her classroom at the Mason Early Childhood Center on Friday, June 7, 2013. The Enquirer/Leigh Taylor

That’s the consensus of those who love Wolf, 82, including the two first-grade teachers he volunteers for each school year and during summer break.

The retired General Electric worker and former U.S. Air Force airman volunteers at Mason Early Childhood Center.

In doing so, he is helping himself.

“It’s really a godsend that the teachers let him do this,” says George’s wife, Loretta, who recently took George to the Warren County school to load up on school supplies he will organize during the summer break.

“Otherwise he would be sitting in a chair all day and more and more of his dementia would take over. By keeping him working he doesn’t have time to sit there and realize something is wrong.”

Wolf started volunteering seven years ago at the recommendation of his daughter, Sandy Tomlin, whose son was then in Dona Mason’s first-grade class. An upcoming classroom Mother’s Day celebration was proving overwhelming and she needed extra hands for cutting paper, stuffing envelopes and other repetitive tasks suited for Wolf’s skill level.

With Loretta – his wife of 58 years – at his side, George goes about his school activities with an enthusiasm and playful temperament unchanged by his progressive dementia. He doesn’t talk much. When he does, it’s often a short quip alluding to his condition and work.

“You can tell I’m well broke in,” Wolf says with a smile while loading boxes of school supplies into his wife’s car.

Wolf works on average a combined 20 hours per week at school and at home on school projects. Teachers especially appreciate Wolf’s helping hands in the summer.

“(George and Loretta) take all the summer classroom supplies home. They clean all the scissors, check all the glue sticks and clean up the marker boards. He puts together the homework binders and prepares them for the parents at the beginning of the new school year,” Mason says.

Wolf’s dementia condition is reflective of the umbrella term that covers a number of degenerative mental aliments – including Alzheimer’s disease, the most common cause of dementia. The degenerative disease, which involves vascular or other physical changes in the brain, is often associated with advanced aging. Symptoms include impaired short-term memory, misjudgment, verbal difficulties, declining daily functioning and personality changes.

Dr. Susan Schrimpf Davis specializes in osteopathic and geriatric medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. She applauds the Mason teachers, saying the volunteer opportunity can slow Wolf’s mental decline.

“The key component is maintaining functionality. Dementia robs people of short-term memories, but they still have lots of old memories,” Schrimpf Davis says.

There is also an emotional payoff.

“Everyone can get some emotional satisfaction by keeping active. It feels good for them to help and to continue to feel connected,” she says.

Tracey Carson, spokeswoman for Mason Schools, says Wolf and his condition are unique among the hundreds of school volunteers in the district.

“George and Loretta are inspiring,” Carson says. “Their thousands of hours volunteering over the years have made such an impact on hundreds of children.’’

Kim Lovett, whose first-grade classroom is joined with Mason’s, says Wolf’s volunteering is a “double blessing.”

“It works great for us, and it works great for (George and Loretta) as well.”

Watch out for showers and thunderstorms today as a wave of humidity continues to grip Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.

There’s a 50 percent chance for precipitation today and tonight.

We could see up to half an inch of rain accumulate this morning and then again after 2 p.m., according to the National Weather Service in Wilmington.

Severe weather is not expected, but we could see a few pops of lightning.

Stronger storms could move in after dark. The region is at a slight risk for high winds gusting about 45 mph and quarter-size hail.

It will be muggy with a high of 84 degrees by 5 p.m. It’s already 68 degrees this morning in downtown Cincinnati.

Once the rain moves out late tonight, cooler, more seasonal temperatures in the low 80s will come in over the next few days.

Sunny skies will dominate the forecast through week’s end.

By Friday, when summer officially begins, the mercury will rise to 86 degrees. It will hit 88 on Saturday and flirt with 90 degrees Sunday.

Overnight lows will be warm, in the upper 60s and low 70s.

Staff meetings at Sunglass Hut, a retail brand of Luxottica, are always high-spirited events involving noisemakers, lots of cheering and, of course, sunglasses.

Travis Burton, 33, surprised his mother, Tika Burton of Green Hills, during a weekly Sunglass Hut staff meeting at Luxottica’s Mason headquarters. Burton returned home six weeks early from Afghanistan, where he was stationed with the National Guard. The Enquirer/ Tony Jones

But a Friday morning meeting brought even more excitement after a soldier returning home early from an overseas deployment surprised his mother at the office.

Army National Guard Sgt. Travis Burton returned home earlier this week after a six-month deployment to Afghanistan.

The 1998 Winton Woods graduate wasn’t set to return for another six weeks, but volunteered to come home early to allow another soldier on stand-by to take his place.

For Tika Burton of Green Hills, it was just another day at the office, where she works as communications specialist. Little did she know her son had conspired with coworkers to plan the surprise homecoming.

When Travis walked through the door, a shocked Tika fell into his arms. There she stayed for the next 10 minutes.

“This is my hero,” Tika told the crowd, fighting back tears. “I’ve missed him so much.”

“I think she was surprised,” a grinning Travis said.

The tour marked the second deployment for Travis, 33. In 2009, he served a one-year tour in Iraq with the 82nd Airborne Division.

After that, he enlisted with the National Guard and made his way to New York, hoping to get hired on as a New York City firefighter. When the job market fizzled, he volunteered to go to Afghanistan.

“When he first told me, I was devastated,” said Tika, 66. “Then I had to just let go. I knew it was what he wanted to do. It’s the kind of person he is.”

Mother and son kept in close contact throughout Travis’ deployment, chatting on Skype and emailing every other day. Tika regularly sent care packages to her son’s 11 team members.

“Each guy on our team gets a birthday cake from Mama Tika,” said Travis. “Every care package from her is big, we all fight over them.”

Travis said he volunteered to return home early at his commander’s request so that he could enroll this fall at the University of Cincinnati. He plans to study criminal justice and become a police officer.

Tika said she’s used to surprises from Travis, the family’s practical jokester and a generous gift-giver, but Friday’s surprise reunion will be hard for him to top.

“This is the best surprise ever,” she said. “I still can’t believe he’s here.”

‘Restaurant: Impossible’ gave owner ‘tough love’

Aponte’s Pizzeria celebrated its grand reopening Thursday to dozens of diners eager to be among the first to see the restaurant’s star-studded makeover.

Lisa Kendall, who owns Rohrer’s Tavern in North Bend, credits the Food Network’s ‘Restaurant: Impossible’ show with saving her business. The show is known for rescuing struggling restaurants. / the Enquirer/gary landers

Crews from the popular Food Network TV show “Restaurant: Impossible” – a show known for rescuing struggling eateries – were in town Wednesday and Thursday to film the Mason pizzeria. The episode is expected to air sometime in August, producers say.

Hosted by celebrity chef Robert Irvine, the brawny British restaurateur and his team of designers have 48 hours to revamp failing restaurants with a $10,000 budget.

Lisa Kendall knows better than most the show’s behind-the-scenes action – and of the drama that lies ahead for restaurant owners. Her North Bend restaurant, Rohrer’s Tavern, was featured on the show last fall.

Without the TV show, the Cleves restaurateur says she might be out of business.

“I was honestly within weeks of closing,” said Kendall, 44. “I had exhausted every bit of everything I had.”

Kendall, a single mom of a teenage son, worked in property management until the housing bubble burst in 2006.

Then, after managing an Indianapolis restaurant, she took the plunge and purchased the half-century old establishment in 2009 on a lease option.

At first, business was good, but then customers began to dwindle.

Soon, Kendall found herself $120,000 in debt and unable to draw a salary.

She submitted an online application to the show in June and within weeks received notice that the restaurant had been selected.  Filming took place over two days in August.

“It was stressful,” Kendall admitted. “What you see in the show is exactly how it goes – nothing’s scripted. They pull out of you emotions and they knew the key trigger with me was not looking like a failure in my son’s eyes.”

The no-holds-barred chef offered no praise to the casual-fare eatery, criticizing its reliance on frozen food and its dated decor and flagging service.

The remodel put a brighter, more modern flair on the restaurant and introduced a new, smaller menu incorporating fresh ingredients.

Several of Irvine’s dishes turned out to be instant hits, like hand-cut french fries made in-house, a seven-layer chocolate cake and a hanger steak with mashed potatoes and sautéed zucchini.

Kendall says she’s kept the new menu, but has brought back a few customer favorites Irvine ditched, such as the restaurant’s fish sliders and Ahi tuna with seven-pepper seasoning.

Business has remained steady since the episode aired Nov. 21, Kendall said. She’s even drawing a paycheck.

“I’m still digging my way out (of debt) and I know it won’t happen overnight,” she said.  “I have no regrets appearing on the show. From my experience, it’s tough love and they are there to help you.”

Ohio drivers could provide required proof of insurance using smartphones rather than the typical printed card under a proposed change in state law.