College Hill's Citizens on Patrol organization has gotten what it has been advocating: a Juvenile Probation officer located in College Hill to give more attention to our young people who run into trouble with the law. The officer will be stationed in the Twelve Step House on the campus of the Children's Hospital Medical Center.

For more about CHCOP and the Probation Officer, contact Amy Finnegan at afinnegan@SKSINS.com.

The name of the development at the corner of Hamilton and North Bend has been changed to Linden Park by the CHCURC board. There was confusion between Linden Park Commons—the Hamilton & North Bend development--and Llanfair Commons—the proposed gathering area at Llanfair & Hamilton.

The Shuller Site: The Department of Traffic and Engineering is getting bids on environmental remediation and demolition of the Shuller site. The goal is to complete demolition this summer. Al Neyer, Inc., the selected developer for the Linden Park development, is working on a new design for the residential and commercial space to be built on this site. Neyer expects to begin presale of condos and preleasing of the commercial/retail spaces on April 1. Construction can begin when 30 to 40% of the condos have been sold and 40 to 50% of the commercial space has been leased.

The Kroger Site: The owner of the Kroger site, Mr. Broeman, is working out details with Kroger regarding their lease prior to the actual sale of that site.

The Masonic Eastern Star Site: The City is waiting for appraisal and environmental reports before proceeding to purchase this property.

For more information, contact Linden Park Committee Chair Bob Ludwig ( reludwig@cinci.rr.com, 513-681-0651) or Director of Development Marty Weldishofer ( mklweld@fuse.net, 513-681-4205).

The Facade Program's Architectural Review Board met February 16 to begin to evaluate applications for matching funds to improve facades in the business district. All thirteen applications received appear to comply with the program guidelines.

Next, the Board reviews the applications and develops recommendations for the business/property owners regarding their proposals.

For more information, contact Facade Improvement Program Chair Don Cluxton ( dcluxton@hixson-inc.com, 513-541-1685) or Director of Development Marty Weldishofer ( mklweld@fuse.net, (513-681-4205).

ArchitectsPlus, GroundWorks, and Brownstone Design are developing a design for the Gateways for each end of the business district on Hamilton Avenue.

At a February 22 focus group, community leaders were shown pictures of gateways in other places that ranged all the way from simple changes in the sidewalk paving to the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Participants expressed their likes, dislikes, expectations and concerns about gateways, and then evaluated 50 pictures of gateways. Some general agreement developed on what design elements would work for College Hill.

ArchitectsPlus is using the ideas generated at the focus group to put together a preliminary design. The community will have another opportunity to give input when the preliminary design is presented on April 6 at Llanfair Retirement Community.

For more information, contact Gateway Committee Chair Don Cluxton (dcluxton@hixson-inc.com, 513-541-1685) or Director of Development Marty Weldishofer ( mklweld@fuse.net, (513-681-4205).

The College Hill Recreation Center is looking for someone—anyone--to create an original logo for our center. The contest is open to anyone involved in the center. This includes staff, participants, kids-- everyone. An independent panel will select the best design and the winner will receive a jacket with the new logo on it.

The contest runs through the end of March. Turn your design in at the College Hill Recreation Center.

For more information contact Justin at 513-591-3555.

“Nobody ever asks what's good at Goodie's. Walk in, inhale the aroma, sit down and order ribs. Some people look at the menu first, but most don't. This is a ribs joint and everyone knows it.”

So says Enquirer staff writer Jim Knippenberg, in a nice article about Goodie’s Southern Style Barbeque featuring owner Creola Robinson and founder Bill "Goodie" Dickerson.

You might enjoy reading an article about College Hill Resident Chip Emmerich’s Burnet Ridge winery in a recent issue of the Cincinnati Business Courier. Chip has proved to the skeptics that you can indeed make great wine right here.

This editor has one quibble with the Courier article. It says his winery is located in his North College Hill home. Not so. Chip’s home is in College Hill. His winery, however, is behind his home in his garage, which is over the line in North College Hill.

You can buy Chip's wines from Guy Discepoli at the Piazza-Discepoli Wine Merchant.

The College Hill Gardeners are a diverse group of folks interested in many aspects of gardening, both personal and civic. From container gardens to water features, vegetable gardens, border gardens of both small and grand scale, to Native American gardens, and suitable plants for sun and shade—we try to cover it all!

Civic-minded members work on improving community assets, such as revitalizing the Aiken High School greenhouse, managing the Farm Market of College Hill, and caretaking of public green spaces, including the Recreation Center pots and several traffic islands throughout the neighborhood.

The group also sponsors a plant sale each May and the Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival in October. This June, the group will host “Gardens of College Hill”, a self-guided tour of eight gardens in our neighborhood.

CHG members participate in the programs offered at the Civic Garden Center, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens, the Krohn Conservatory, Cincinnati Parks and Hamilton County Parks. Glenwood Gardens offer programs for children and workshops for adults.

Refer to the Gardeners web page to find out what is in store for 2006. There, you’ll find the details about each workshop, speaker, outing and event. Keep returning to the site as the year progresses for more to enjoy right here in your own neighborhood! If you wish to receive regular notices from CHG, send your email address, name, home address and phone number to collegehillgardeners@cinci.rr.com. Put “CHG” in the subject line of the email, please.

Contributed by Betty Schuermann, CHG Education Team Leader.

A “Conversation on Building Neighborhoods” will be held from 9:00 am to noon Saturday, March 25, at the Cintas Center at Xavier University. The purpose of this Neighborhood Building Conversation is to build and deepen our relationships with each other and those who serve us. The conversation is meant to help residents find ways they can build or restore their sense of safety and security in their neighborhoods in partnership with police. A focal point of the conversation will be the recent changes to the Cincinnati Police Department’s Neighborhood Officers program.

The morning is open and free to anyone who wants to join in a creative, positive conversation. Apart from welcoming remarks, there will be no speeches. Instead, participants will talk to each other.

No reservations needed. It’s all free, including parking at Cintas. Sponsored by the Woman’s City Club.

At the College Hill Fundamental Academy’s annual Spring Program “This is America” we will be honoring the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces. The programs will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, May 10 and 11.

If you or someone in your family has served in the military, we would like to honor you and them on our program. All veterans will be invited to come to the stage in a procession. We will sing our National Anthem and say thank-you to all who served from our school community.

Please call Dr. Hauck, Music Specialist, College Hill Fundamental Academy, at 513-363-1656, if you or a member of your family can participate.

Contributed by Barbara A. Gordon, Principal.

McAuley High School proudly presents its spring musical, Seussical the Musical, featuring the Cat in the Hat, the Grinch, Horton the Elephant, and a host of other storybook favorites. It is sure to appeal to children of all ages with its engaging music and dance.

Seussical will be performed in McAuley’s theater on March 31 and April 1 at 7:30 pm and April 2 at 2:00 pm. Tickets are $8 for adults, and $6 for children, students and senior citizens, and can be reserved by calling 513-681-1800 x2276.

Steve Love, President of the African American Chamber of Commerce, and Roland Randolph, owner of Simone’s Restaurant in East Walnut Hills, are featured speakers at the annual College Hill Business Association dinner to be held April 18 in the Gulden Community Center at Twin Towers. These interesting and informative speakers will bring real-life lessons for growing and sustaining neighborhood business districts.

If you have a business, want to have a business, or want to shop in a viable business in College Hill, don’t miss this evening. Appetizers at 6:00, dinner at 7:00, speakers at 8:00. Dinner is $20; make reservations by calling Hartman & Ehrmantraut at 513-681-5648 by April 11.

The Laffalot Summer Camp is a girls-only, high- energy, high-activity program that features a variety of sports, games and activities in a fun-packed day. Games include pillo pollo, flag tag, floor hockey, scavenger hunts, soccer, dodge ball, kickball, and much more. Developing teamwork and a sense of fair play, as well as encouraging friendly competition, good sportsmanship and building whole body coordination are just a few benefits of our camp.

The camp is for girls grades 1-6. It will run from June 5th to June 9th, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the College Hill Recreation Center.

For more information call call Pat at 513-769-0240, or go online below.

The Reds Rookie Success League is a non- competitive, coed, character building, summer baseball league for at-risk kids ages 8-11. All participants are eligible for a free medical and vision screening, six weeks of mentoring and baseball instruction, visits from Reds players and coaches, and a celebration at Great American Ball Park during a Reds home game. Transportation, lunch, uniforms and equipment are provided. This year, a new Monday-only competitive session will be offered for kids ages 9-13. This program is intended for boys and girls with advanced baseball skills.

Registration packets are available at the Recreation Center. Contact Matt Glaser, Reds Community Fund (513-765-7020 or mglas er@redscommunityfund.com)for more information.

The Encampment Church has developed a new program for youth in the community as part of our mission to reach out to the unchurched, the hurting and the poor. The new Adventure Fun Center provides an opportunity to reach our youth via a mixture of fun, games and training on peer relationships and character development.

This unique and exciting game room is open to youth on Sundays at 9:30 am. We have all the fun games: Play Station, X-Box, Air Hockey, Pool, Ping Pong, Dance/Dance Revolution and more. The game room is free; there are no tokens or coupons. All are welcome to join us each Sunday.

The Encampment Church located at 2129 North Bend Road.

The College Hill Forum Nominating Committee is working on nominations for Forum officers to be announced at the March 28 meeting at the Recreation Center. Officers will be elected at the April meeting, installed at the May meeting and will take over at the June meeting. Current officers are President Elizabeth Sherwood, Vice President Marianne Puntenney, Secretary Amy Finnegan and Treasurer Jim Bodmer.

Nominating Committee members are: Pete Bauer, Mary Bodmer, Amy Finnegan, Don Baechle, Dorothy Harris and Gloria Morgan.

Ever dreamed of being a journalist? You can play a role in getting the good word about College Hill out to the 750-plus subscribers to our little Daily Planet.

Be a reporter like Lois Lane or Clark Kent or Jimmy Olsen: Our top priority right now is covering the College Hill Forum, but other beats are available. Give your curiosity free rein to dig out the who, why, where, what & when of interesting goings-on in or about College Hill.

Be an editor like Perry White: Edit and sometimes rewrite the information we get to ensure that our eNewsletter articles are interesting and clear for our readers, as well as stylistically correct. Decide what articles to include and their order.

Be a producer (a behind-the-scenes role that never seems to make it into the comics or the movies): Transform words, pictures and links together into the eNewsletter you see before you. After final review, you hit the button that emails it to our subscribers. You don’t need to be a computer guru, but it helps if you enjoy surfing the web for pictures and related information.

Interested in doing a lot or a little of any of the above? Got ideas of your own about how you’d like to contribute? Contact Ken Lyon (513-542-2941, enewsletter@collegehillohio.org).

At the Nature's Nurseries parks program at McEvoy Park on March 25, you’ll find that McEvoy is a lot bigger than it looks from the road. Meet at the shelter for a hike through the park.

Spring is the time for animal babies. You’ll learn how to spot them and what to do if you find an orphaned or abandoned baby creature. This no-charge program runs from 10:00 am to 11:00 am.

For information call 513-861-3435.

The College Hill Branch Library Poetry Contest has begun. Youths ages 5 to 18 are invited to submit entries to the library's second annual poetry contest. Entries accepted at the library until April 14.

The next Cincinnati Homeowners Meeting will be Monday, March 27, at 7:00 pm at St. Peter and St. Paul United Church of Christ, 3001 Queen City Ave (corner of Ferguson) in Westwood. Everyone is welcome.

This months speaker is City Council Member Cecil Thomas. Mr. Thomas is the chair of the Law and Public Safety committee and is a retired CPD officer. He will be able to answer your questions about the Police in your neighborhood or anything going on at City Hall.

Address questions to cincinnatihomeowners@fuse.net.

Plan to attend an all-day crop at McAuley High School on Saturday, March 25, 2006, starting at 9:00 am. There will be great classes offered, a fun Easter card “Make and Take,” specials on products and supplies, and door prizes. Lunch and refreshments are provided.

The cost is $35 per person. McAuley students may attend for $15 with a current student ID. Proceeds will benefit the McAuley Guardian Angel Fund, which helps students in emergency financial situations.

To reserve a spot at the crop, please call (513) 245-2850. Come share tools and ideas and join the fun! For additional information, contact Nicki Brainard, McAuley assistant principal, at (513) 681- 1800 x 1121.