Major funding for Long Story Short is provided by the Haile Foundation.

Additional funding provided by: The 5/3 Foundation and contributions to your PBS Station by viewers like you.

Thank you.

On this episode Long Story Short, after decades in the same apt Progress forces a 99 year old to find a new home.

After 30 years without a Little League team, a former professional baseball player hopes to bring the sport back to his neighborhood.

Finally, when the rent becomes more than it can afford, one local restaurant moves to an unlikely location to survive.

Welcome to Long Story Short, where we bring you the stories that make The Cincinnati and Dayton region home.

On this episode, we look at stories surrounding the ever changing landscape of the neighborhoods we call hom and how those changes affect us For our first story, after an in 99 years of life.

Mary Frances Page had assumed she'd be in the same neighborhoo she'd been in for decades when she passed.

But when the building she lives is purchased to make way for a Major League sports stadiu her situation becomes public in Her and her family never expecte She has... A lot of friends that come and see her That cook for her, but they are there working.

They working, you hear that beeping?

You hear that beeping that beeping noise listen?

That's them working yeah, they're working.

How long you been living in West End Aunt Frances?

We call her Frances, Aunt France So many years.

Over 20 years at least.

She was we was comfortable about OK, when they say what they were going to do and when we found out really what they're going to do August of last year.

Next thing we know I said, well, she must not have to move.

So we were comfortable.

And then all of a sudden, sudden February 15th, the landlord comes in here with saying you gotta get out: 70 day So you can imagine how this threw her for a loop.

Everything OK?

Yeah, and if you want.

If you stand over by her, if you talk, it should pick it.

Up OK, OK. We really appreciate you guys accomodating us How did it get to you?

I guess an online somewhere in a Facebook group and send it to me.

didn't know how to contact... so that's why we just showed up OK, so.

So I guess.

You just kind of want to.

Start, you could speak up, yeah, Kim: Talk loud to her.

Ms.

Page?

Could you tell us about how long you've been living here Tell him how you felt when you wanted to go, when you have to move, you found you had to move.

Like a family.

And now you have to figure out where to go, right?

You need to do.

Do you know where you're going to be going next?

No, she doesn't know.

I've been taking care of that.

She has an idea.

So as far as taking an apartment It's got like 10 steps for her to go up that's challeng Getting her transported that will be challenging.

So I'm still out here trying to find something where i first floor to wear something does happen.

She can be taken right out with no problem.

Is there anything I'm leaving out ?

Anything you'd want people to kn Watching this.

Nothing I can think of.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

That's good She still say that though.

I'm not worried.

But I can see.

When you start seeing tears...

I don't know.

I'll move some kind of way.

Now at 11, after a long search time is now running out this 99 year old woman who you s there is being forced to move ou of her West End home.

The reason construction surround FC Cincinnati's new stadium?

So why is it that that group of and this group of people can sta but this group of people has to What's the difference between the two groups of people I think you'll find that in most instances the difference is economic class and race.

And that is the repeated story throughout the entirety of our c Historically and geographic.

FC Cincinnati has said well maybe we can help you find another place to live.

But what's missing in that whole conversation is the idea of self determinatio that I get to decide what happens to me for me.

Alright, so.

Once everybody is good We're just gonna let Miss Mary say what she needs to say and then our goal is to be out o as quickly as we can be.

For Miss Mary's sake.

Like today, sitting here at first when she first moved in like what she thought of all of Aunt Frances, what did you like About being in the West End?

Why do you want to stay?

She.

Wants to know why do you want to stay here?

Ann you home.

You comfortable.

99 year old Mary Page 99 year old Mary Page At 99 years old, Mary Frances pa Mary Frances page.

99 year old Mary page.

Mary Page 99 bedridden in her fi unit at 421 Wade Go down here and make a right.

Trying to get back.

around the park somewhere.

This is where the hair shop.

and everything was, I think that the name of the street.

Wade St was right here.

This is one Wade Street is gone.

You can't even you couldn't get in there anymore.

There's no steet That was the corner right there, so everything is go you can't even see where Wade St was, other than right here So we end up moving at the end of January in order to get her m we had to get a ambulance, which, like she was paranoid.

She didn't know what was happeni and it just didn't sink in.

She didn't want to be there.

All she kept talking about is I want to go back to Wade St. Why do I have to move over here?

Why did they do me like this?

No matter how we tried to explai It didn't help.

Her birthday came up in February An council on Asian.

They bought a cake she enjoyed that that was fine f But after that, with the coronavirus set in It was just.

Terrible is she wouldn't have been stressed out.

And the fear.

Of not knowing where she was, she passed August the 7th.

You know and Not good.

I mean just being here now.

Not a good feeling.

It's really depressing.

You know how I feel when you lose something and like you feel like it's a part of your history or s That's not a good feeling, it's It's you would never know for a person to be born today.

That those were actual people that lived in these areas prior to them getting kicked out You would never know that I can't even say what I would want her legacy to be because of how she left he So unhappy, you know, before tha it was a thing of staying positi and not to be stressful.

Other than that, the way she lef It wasn't good.

So I don't know what to tell eve Don't be stressed.

Try not to be just, it was just unhappy, so it's not too much that I can.

Give anyone to say oh it's gonna be OK, you know?

Getting put out is not OK.

But like I say, I hope that nobody else has to go throu Nothing like this.

Former professional baseball pla George Smith says he owes his entire career to the time playing Little Leagu in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Walnut Hills.

But after a car accident took away his ability to play th his focus now is bringing back t he loves to the place he calls h You have a level swing.

You always use your wrist.

Your power comes from your shoul If you, if you're gonna hit for you bring your shoulder up.

Basically you can hold your shou and you can swing for average.

Your power you always pull it, you gotta pull it if you're goin you going to left you gotta pull Hi, I'm George Smith.

I live in Walnut Hills and I love baseball.

I'm from a family that played ba My father played Semi Pro baseba and I had the fortunate time to play for the Mets organizatio minor league team for five years I just loved it.

I mean I, it was something that I wanted to do my first time ever playing.

I knew that was what I wanted to I remember when I first put on my baseball uniform.

I was on top of the world.

And to this day I missed that ti I remember along time ago Walnut Hills used to have a lot of Little League teams.

Here.

It was a bunch of am over here and Walnut Hills and I like to see that come back We have a lot of talent here.

Lot of boys and girls that can play baseball but there's no league here in Walnut Hills for them to play And all they learn is how to sel Rob and shoot each other.

Getting drafted was one of the most proud things in and when I got there I thought I was the best thing that ever played.

I felt like that I was a star here in Cincinnati, but when I got to the Mets, my ego had to come down to reali I felt when I got paid my first check when I said.

This is the greatest thing in the world because.

I get paid for something I love.

So how good could that be?

It was wonderful.

I got to travel.

I got to meet a lot of great pla Met players like Willie Mays, Ted Williams.

I met Mookie Wilson, Ray Night, Eric Davis.

I met.

I met a lot of great players, bu When I had that car accident.

It changed everything for me.

Unfortunately I got the word that I might be going to the maj I went out to celebrate it that and I got a little bit too drunk and my car ended up going into a in the hospital.

Doctors told me that my career w And when he told me that that crushed my heart that crushed everything for me ' I thought I was gonna be the next Roberto Clemente and it changed everything for me and and I had to realize that I can't play baseball anymo But I can coach baseball But I do know how to coach and I know the game.

I loved it, breathe it and I felt like it was meant for It was like I had a calling and that's why I'm trying to fig so hard for our young kids for them to get to know this spo And if they get to know it, they would probably love it like The accident I had might've took my baseball career but it didn't take my mind.

I know the game of baseball to t I love the game of baseball just because I can't play.

I still have it up here and a lot of times when I was a people used to tell me are you g You're never be able to play bas You'll never be able to do nothi And what I've learned in life, I've always been the type of per When you tell me I can't do anyt I'd be determined to do it.

Never let nobody ever tell you what you can't do because.

Because I'm handicapped doesn't mean my life is over.

To me, my life is just begun.

If not for losing their jobs and becoming homeless, Terrio an wouldn't have opened their business to begin with.

And if the rent in their original location hadn't become too much to handle, they wouldn't have moved to a ne and seemingly undesirable spot.

But just like the adversity that pushed them in the beginnin these business owners will take of every opportunity.

I'm Terrio.

And I'm Grace.

And we own Checkers 2.

Checkers 2 is now located at 346 Blvd which is inside of the town Mall Galleria.

Even though we love that place, we moved because it was better for our business.

Being in the mall.

It does have its challenges.

One of the challenges.

Definitely the foot traffic, but I'm very thankful for the experience and opportuni Lelia, Want me do your hair?

Find her other shoe please.

Our day typically starts at 5:00 AM at home.

We got 4 kids ages 15 to 4 years The girls take the longest.

The girls take the longest.

All this hair.

You want me to do your hair?

so there you go, it's done.

No!

*laughs* no!

Come on, let Mommy do your hair.

1.

2.

3.

Ah!

And then I take the girls.

On, I feel like a two hour journ Take the girls to West Chester.

And then I'm back to Middletown to drop off our youngest, and that takes me up to around 8 little after eight an after that gone to the grocery s for the restaurant.

There are times where I have to to two and three stores to make sure that I have everything that is needed to be successful during the day for the business.

Outside of Checkers 2 I have my Nana five Monday throu I work for FIS.

Hey Brie - How are you?

Did you say it was Friday Eve?

Remember that Friday Eve positive thoughts yes.

Question did you get my the test script a that I sent through the secure s I sure did.

OK, when you get to That's every day at work.

Here I still have to make sure that I take care of my number one priority, which is and butter which takes care.

It is too so I would say yes.

Always conference 'cause some of some days are easier than others to manage, but definitely busy, always troubleshooting or putting out fires.

I have anything.

Always so people use your nanofa to fund your dreams.

One of the main driving forces for us to start our own company was in 2015.

We both had lost our jobs from c Being, you know, doing downsizin and we became displaced.

So we made a promise that we wou allow our kids to go through tha That was just super rough, you k Telling kids, we on a Vacation for awhile 'cause that's how we had to treat it like.

We on a vacation today on hot pl and cooking in the hotel room because we had to eat.

So that was one of our main driving forces.

Number one in our kids did not go through that again and #2 you know being our own boss is so we would not be put in that situation.

#3 is, you know getting back on so we can help other people.

And I truly believe that 90% of what we go through don't have do with us is to help The next person that's going through it to show them you can get through this.

That is extremely important for us to succeed, not just for but I think a lot of people for your families delete some type of legacy and don't let everything that you go through be in vain like you want to have something that's tangible that you can pas even if it's not this business specifically, but those values My son, he's 20 guys on trucking He came to mom and Dad say hey, how do I start this?

This is what I want to do so yeah that make us feel good like he was listening to something.

Definitely never give up on your Anything worth having, you gotta work for it.

And just because somebody tells you, know does not necessarily m It's a delay, yes.

Never in my wildest dreams and we've been together with 22 We sit back all the time saying wow, never thought we will own a business.

Never thought we'd own land never thought we'd own cars and never thought we would have Thank you for joining us for more stories and episodes.

Check us out at cetconnect.org/long-story-short and tune in next time for more s from your neighbors.

Major funding for Long story short is provided by the Haile Foundation.

Additional funding provided by the 5/3 Foundation and contributions to your PBS st by viewers like you.

Thank you.