You can help plan Llanfair Commons--a new neighborhood public space for College Hill.

The city has awarded CHCURC a grant to make plans for a public space on the city-owned property at the corner of Hamilton and Llanfair. What we need from you is what you can imagine that corner to be. You can read the flyer and submit your ideas here.

Encourage your neighbors and friends to send in their ideas, too. This is your space and your chance to voice your ideas.

Contributed by Marty Weldishofer, College Hill Director of Development.

If you're a person with business interests in College Hill--or are just an interested person--you're invited to the College Hill Business Association meeting at 8:00 am Tuesday April 11 at the Twin Towers Gulden Center.

Attendees will be welcomed, informed, supported and encouraged. Juice, coffee and rolls will be served, complements of Twin Towers.

At this meeting, we will thank Gayla Price for the hard work she has done and for the love of our community that she has shown during her two year term as CHBA President.

Also on the agenda:

• Presentations of a Marketing Report for the Avenue and the CHBA brochure
• A report by Helen Habbert, Consultant, on her work with school and community representatives to plan for the transformation of College Hill Fundamental Academy and Aiken High School into community learning centers
• Facade Committee progress report on the Avenue business face lifts
• Elisha Hall discussion
• Urban Design Overlay District guidelines for the business district

Steve Love, President of the African-American Chamber of Commerce, and Atif Randolf, owner of Simone's Restaurant in East Walnut Hills, are the featured speakers at this year's Business Association Dinner Meeting. Each will share what he has learned and experienced in operating a business in today’s market.

This annual event will be held Tuesday, April 18, at the Twin Towers Gulden Center. The evening starts at 6:00 pm, with dinner at 6:30 pm and speakers at 7:00 pm.

Make your reservations by calling Karen Hartman (513-681-5648) send a check for $20 made out to CHBA to Karen Hartman at 5850 Hamilton Ave.

The Great American Clean-Up is coming to College Hill the morning of Saturday April 22, 2006. Meet at 9:00 am at the vacant lot at Hamilton and Llanfair Avenues, near the community sign. Bring a friend or neighbor and help clean up our community and green space. Prizes and celebration follow at noon.

Volunteers will get free breakfast, t-shirts, drinks and prizes. We'll provide garbage bags and gloves. Bring your broom, dustpan, rake, et cetera--or just yourself. The City of Cincinnati will pick up and remove all the trash we collect.

The event is sponsored by Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and the College Hill Forum. For more information contact Kathryn Kien (513-542-4892, kien@fuse.net).

It will be great to see College Hill's distinctive identity indicated by new gateway markers at the north and south ends of the business district on Hamilton Avenue.

CHCURC's Gateway Committee has engaged a team of architects and designers to develop a design for the new gateways. The design team collaborating on College Hill's new Gateway consists of ArchitectsPlus for architectural design, GroundWorks for landscape design and Brownstone Design for graphics.

Based on feedback from a College Hill Focus Group meeting in February, the design team is preparing design schemes for committee review. A preliminary design will be presented to the leadership of College Hill on April 6 at Llanfair Retirement Community.

For more information, contact Gateway Committee Chair Don Cluxton (dcluxton@hixson-inc.com) or Director of Development Marty Weldishofer (mkweld@fuse.net).

For Aiken High alumni or those who are just interested in news of this important part of our College Hill community there is an easy way to keep up. Aiken's Alumni Association now publishes an online newsletter with school and related community news. See the website here. The eNewsletter subscription box is in the left column.

Are you interested in buying your first home? Do you know someone who wants a home but doesn't know where to begin?

College Hill is a great place to find that starter home, but figuring out how to save for a down payment, budget for a mortgage, find a good real estate agent and steer clear of shady lenders can seem overwhelming.

Working in Neighborhoods (WIN) and US Bank are teaming up to take the mystery out of becoming a homeowner. This May, they're offering a series of free classes that will cover every aspect of buying a home, including how to make sure you get a loan you can afford to pay--so that your life in your new home is as wonderful as you want it to be. Classes will be held May 4, 11, and 18 from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the First United Church of Christ on Glenview. For information or to register, call 513-541-4109.

See information on WIN and its programs to help low- and moderate-income Cincinnatians buy and maintain homes here.

As part of its thought provoking Lenten series "Don't Walk, Let's Talk", First United Church of Christ on Glenview Avenue will host a program on homosexuality and the Bible on Wednesday, April 5.

John Brolley from the University of Cincinnati's Judaic Studies program will teach and lead the discussion of this sensitive subject. The evening is free to the public will begin with dinner at 6:00 pm followed by the program at 7:00 pm.

To participate in the pre-program dinner please call Dan Weyand-Geise (541-7302 ext. 17) by April 1 to reserve your place.

This is another opportunity to understand members of our diverse community as we continue to build a strong and vibrant College Hill.

Contributed by the Reverend Dan Weyand-Geise.

Summer Nature Camp brochures will be available the first week of April. LaBoiteaux Woods will offer art camps, a Natural Treasure Hunt camp, teen service camps and the ever-popular traditional nature camps.

Call 513-321-6070 to be added to the mailing list.

College Hill resident Yasna Sikic Hood's book Goodbye Dear Old Homeland was selected as the Book of the Month by the Croatian Book Club of New York last month.

The Croatian Chronicle newspaper reports, "In honor of Valentine's Day, the Croatian Book Club of New York has selected one of the greatest Croatian love stories recorded on the page, Goodbye Dear Old Homeland. The book tells the true story of a young refugee couple's flight from Croatia and their journey to freedom, written by their daughter Yasna Sikic Hood."

Ms Hood is the former owner of the College Hill Coffee Company, now owned by Tina Stoeberl. The book is available for purchase at the coffee shop. Customers of the coffee shop should keep an eye out for Yasna's mother, Fedora Sikic, a regular at lunchtime, who will be very pleased to autograph a copy of the book!

Contributed by Jim Hood.

Seven McAuley students who are members of Girl Scout Troop #386 recently were awarded the highest award in Girl Scouting--the Gold Award--for their work on the renovation of St. Ann's Little White School House and Community Center in Groesbeck.

The century-old house had had very little maintenance or updating for over 30 years. The interior and exterior improvements benefited not only the groups who use the house as a meeting place, but the entire community as well. Under the leadership of troop leader Laurie Arnold, the young women raised over $6500.00 in cash and donations and logged 710 hours themselves and 625 hours for other volunteers.

The McAuley students who won the Gold Award senior are Sarah Krause, landscaping; junior Lisa Tensi, outside repairs; junior Kelly Arnold, interior woodwork; junior Jackie Wurzelbacher, interior design and improvements; junior Aubrey Yearion, entryway enhancements; junior Samantha Lackman, flooring and doors in the main area; and junior Allison Yenke, bathroom renovations. Three students from Colerain High School were also a part of this effort.

Daylight Savings Time begins this Sunday, April 2. Before you go to sleep on Saturday night, remember turn your clocks ahead one hour.

This is also a good time to replace the batteries in your smoke alarms so they'll stay on the job for you, keeping you safe.

College Hill's own Dave Hawkins performs at the College Hill Coffee Company April 1 at 7:30 pm.

Dave is back for an encore performance with his crowd-pleasing blend of folk, folk-rock, country-folk and Celtic music. His easy way of making an audience feel like part of the performance makes Dave favorite headliner.

Come early for dinner and front row seats! Stay late for the whole show and enjoy the city's best coffee drinks and homemade desserts.

Everyone working to reduce crime and improve the quality of life in their neighborhood is encouraged to attend the CPOP Summit.

The first ever Community Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP) Summit takes place on Saturday, April 8 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the brand-new Community Action Agency, located at the corner of Reading and Langdon Farm in Jordan's Crossing. This event, organized by the Community Police Partnering Center and the Cincinnati Police Department, is free. A continental breakfast and lunch will be provided as part of the day-long event.

Participants will learn useful problem solving resources and local and national best practices for use in their neighborhoods. After an introduction to CPOP, the bulk of the day will be spent in breakout sessions focusing on crime and safety-related topics facilitated by citizens, police officers and city staff. Breakfast & registration starts at 8:30 am.

To RSVP, please contact Tracey Wilson (513-559- 5450, twilson@gcul.org) .

Check out the complete calendar of community events here. If you know of a community event that isn't there,there's a link on that page to put it there.

The College Hill Presbyterian Church Health Aid Ministry offers free items to anyone who has a need. Please call CHPC's White House (513-541-5676 ext. 160) with your request.

The following health aids are available: Arm Extension Graspers, Arm Strap Support Pole, Bath/Shower Chairs, Bathtub Safety Handles, Bed Attachment Magnifying Apparatus, Bed Railing/Transfer Board, Bedside Tables, Canes, Crutches, Cushions, Door Grips, Footbath, Intravenous Fluid Stand, Portable Oxygen Tank, Toilet Chairs, Walkers, Wheelchairs, Leg Exerciser, Hospital Bed.

Save the date. Saturday, June 24, 2006, for a self- guided tour of "Gardens of College Hill," sponsored by the College Hill Gardeners.

Eight sites will be open to the public with features of interest to all. A plant sale and container contest will round out the day. Light refreshments included in the price of $8

Advance passes available by calling 513-588-6465 and at businesses along Hamilton Avenue. For further info, email collegehillgardeners@cinci.rr.com.

North Hills Swim and Tennis Club at Daly and North Bend Roads is opening May 27. Memberships are available for singles, couples and families. All are welcome. Call Kathy Rahtz (513-542-0828) for more information.