The third annual College Hill Rhythm Race 5K Run and Walk presented by the College Hill Forum was the biggest and best so far. A record 257 runners and walkers participated in the 5K race and hundreds more joined the post-race party.

The grounds of Pleasant Hill Academy school were the site of the race start and finish--as well as the location of the post-race Celebration Party with live music, food, prizes, games and booths. PNC Bank was the top sponsor for the second year in a row.

As runners and walkers made their way through our beautiful neighborhood in the 5K, children were making tracks on a shorter course, the “Run Spot Run” kids’ fun run at the school grounds, underwritten by Target. All participants received a finisher ribbon and a goodie bag of books and treats.

At the Celebration Party, people enjoyed a wide range of great food--everything from LaRosa’s pizza to Bacalls hot dogs and brats to Pit-to-Plate’s Texas chili to JTM and veggie burgers at the Rhythm Race booth.

Music was a big part of the party as Soul Progression, Cincinnati’s premier funk/R&B/soul dance band kept the crowd entertained. The entertainment was co-sponsored by the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC) and Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in College Hill. Tracy Wilson was stage emcee, keeping folks informed and giving kudos to our generous sponsors.

Activities for children included making quilt squares with College Hill’s best-known quilter, Juanita Canfield and getting awesome face and body painting works of art by Robert O’Neal’s talented crew.

All Rhythm Race proceeds benefit community and economic development in College Hill.

According to Phyllis Slusher, "All in all, this year’s race was a huge success, thanks to our sponsors, our race participants, our party-goers and the residents along the course who cheered the racers and even cooled them off with the occasional welcome spray of a garden hose! But most especially, thanks to our wonderful volunteers who set up, manned sponsor booths and our local non-profit organization tables, handled registrations, greeted folks, cooked and served food, cleaned up--and so much more."

Now you can go to the web and see what's happening with your community council. The brand new College Hill Forum website is now a colorful, interactive and useful tool for anyone interested in College Hill. Forum officers encourage everyone interested in what's happening with our community council to go to the new site at www.collegehill ohio.org

Visitors can keep up with Forum meeting dates, learn how to join or volunteer and see who the officers and committee chairs are, along with information on how to contact them. The site provides information on where the Forum, representing our community, stands on issues. It lists the wide range of initiatives and partnerships of the Forum and Forum representatives. The site also includes quick links to other College Hill organizations: the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation, the College Hill Gardeners, the College Hill Business Association, the Summit and more. You can even see past issues of the College Hill eNewsletter via the "College Hill in the News" link on the home page.

The Forum offers a big "thank you" to Tom Strothers, the web master who made it all happen.

This was a banner year for the Public Library's summer reading program. Participation was up dramatically everywhere--including College Hill, where Children's Librarian Arnice Smith reports a 76% increase in teen readers. "What really impressed me was that 646 children signed up," she says, " A whopping 249% increase over last year!"

Nearly 21,000 children and teens participated in "Get in the Game @ Your Library," the 33rd annual summer reading program for the Public Library of Cincinnati & Hamilton County. They collected prizes for the number of hours or the number of books they read, and were entered in drawings to win trips to the Zoo, bicycles (winner Keyontae Holt and his sister are pictured at the College Hill Branch library with his new bike) and a party with the Cincinnati Kings Soccer Team. The Cincinnati Kings, The Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Gardens and Executive Women's International donated the grand prizes, which library staff say helped attract more readers to the program.

The Library will repeat the program next year, but teen help is gratefully accepted all year round. If you are interested in volunteering at the College Hill Branch library, talk to Miss Arnice at the desk.

The College Hill Gardeners started College Hill's Pumpkin Patch Fall Festival as a celebration of the end of our farm market season. The event has blossomed and has grown quite large and popular. It has even received awards!

In fact, the Festival has grown so big that even with help from the other College Hill civic groups more volunteer help is still needed. Specifically, volunteers are needed to serve two-hour shifts to help with event set-up, kids' crafts, kids' games, the scarecrow build and event clean-up.

This year's Pumpkin Patch takes place on Saturday, October 7 from 10:00am until 4:00pm at Town Hall Park on Larch Ave. We will have farm market vendors, food vendors, crafters, loads of pumpkins for sale, crafts and games for kids, scarecrow building, pony rides, a petting zoo and live entertainment including a balloon artist.

Contact Becky Tossey at 513-521-2729 to volunteer to be part of this award-winning community event.

Article provided by Becky Tossey & Beth McLean.

Katie St. Clair, Valedictorian at the Cincinnati Art Academy this year, traveled and studied in Europe this summer. She had been awarded the prestigious Stephen H. Wilder Traveling Scholarship to travel and study in Europe and as well as a scholarship to study at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany.

Katie entered the Art Academy as a home-schooled student in the fall of 2002. From the start, she was an energetic, curious and hard-working student who took a variety of studio and academic courses, but eventually decided to do her emphasis in painting.

Katie lives with her family in College Hill, where her mother is Peg St. Clair of the College Hill Gardeners.

Amy Weyand-Geise of First United Church of Christ provides us with the following entertainment schedule for Church-A-Palooza this Saturday on the lawn at the church. All the entertainment is free; affordable eats are available from 4:00pm to 10:00pm.

• 4:00 Jim and Sue Colding (Southern Gospel)
• 4:45 Praise Band - St. Paul’s UCC in North College Hill (Contemporary Christian)
• 5:30 Ascending Quartet (Gospel)
• 6:15 Band from the Basement (Contemporary Christian)
• 7:15 K-Drama (Christian Rap - Recently signed with EMI Recording)
• 8:00 Brothers First (Country Band named "Best of Cincinnati")
• 9:00 Holy Rock and Rollers (Secular mixes with a sacred sound)

The men of House of God Community Ministries are hosting a Fellowship Breakfast Sunday, August 27 from 9:00am to 11:00 am at the church on Marlowe. The buffet costs $7 per person and includes pancakes, eggs, salmon, fried fish, grits, bacon, sausage, coffee, tea, assorted fruit and juices. Pastor Anthony Hoskins promises "Good cooks, good food and great company."

The proceeds benefit the Ministry's VISION fund, which hopes to establish an adult care and after school program for the community.

For information call 513-542-3333.

On Friday, September 1, College Hill resident Susan Purvis will have a yard sale at her home at 6207 Edwood Avenue to benefit Sheltered Paws Dog Rescue. "Any types of donations are welcomed for the yard sale," says Susan, "We recently obtained our non profit status so I am able to issue receipts."

Susan goes on, "I have been involved with Sheltered Paws Dog Rescue for about six years. I was always the person that said I could never volunteer at the SPCA because I would feel so bad for the animals and want to bring them all home. What I realized is that my attitude was only hurting the dogs. If the dogs don't have volunteers to come get them out of their cages, they don't show well for potential adopters.

"I now have seven pets of my own: five cats, all rescued, a golden retriever I got as a puppy and a big black border collie mix. Large black dogs (cats too) are the last to be adopted and the first to be euthanized. It's very sad.

"What we have found over the years is that people are more inclined to adopt animals that are in foster homes. They can sit for months on end at the shelter and no one will look at them. We place them in foster homes, where they are re acclimated to a family life. Our yard sale is the largest fund raiser."

For more information, call Susan at 513-541-5583.

Craig Nagel is a Cincinnati area guitarist and vocalist with an array of soft rock tunes from the 60-70-80's, including the Beatles, Eagles, Gordon Lightfoot, Neil Young, John Fogerty, Elvis and Johnny Cash.

All concerts at the Coffee Company are on Saturday nights from 7:30pm to 9:30pm. There’s no charge, but tipping the performers is welcomed.