The Recreation Center presents the annual Christmas Bazaar on Saturday, December 2 from 10:00am to 3:00pm.

The Center invites all to "come, get a jump on your holiday shopping and kick off the holiday season with your friends in College Hill." Kids can visit with Santa. Everyone can shop for handcrafts, toys, gifts, holiday home décor, handmade candles, luminary kits and much more.

There is free parking and shuttle service at Aiken High School for when the Recreation Center lot is full.

The College Hill Gardeners continued their winning streak with a First Place in the first ever Purple People Bridge Container Garden contest.

Sixteen organizations participated in the project. Each was given three containers, soil and fertilizer, and a plaque for its name. All the groups provided their own plants and decorative items, committed to weekly plant maintenance, and watered the containers three times a week.

Beth McLean and Kevin Corcoran (pictured) planned and planted the container gardens. They chose plants to complement the bridge's color, and Kevin created a handmade trellis from maple twigs to mirror the structure of the bridge and hold the plants in place against the wind. All but two of plants they used were grown from seed in the Aiken High School Greenhouse by the CHG Greenhouse team.

According to Mary Cinquina, who helped with the project, the College Hill container garden "was so totally awesome, so lush, diverse and colorful that it stood out from the rest of the displays with beauty and gusto!"

Mary Cinquina contributed to this story and provided photos.

We have received notice of a Public Conference on Proposed Zoning Study in Winton Hills/Winton Place to be held tonight, November 30 at 7:00 pm at the Department of Community Development and Planning, Two Centennial Plaza, 805 Central Avenue in the First Floor Auditorium.

The purpose is to discuss a proposal to create a new Neighborhood Manufacturing ("NM") District to be applied to the area between the Gray Road landfill to the north, Winton Road to the east and Gray Road to the west. The meeting will gather feedback and information as to how the proposed change will affect the general welfare of property owners within the study area as well as the community. This information will be used in the staff's recommendation to the City Planning Commission and City

The proposed NM Zone District would allow some residential uses, agricultural uses, various public and semi-public uses, and a couple of commercial and industrial uses.

It is not too late to get your Luminaria to light up College Hill on December 16.

Amy Finnegan tells us, "Saturday, December 2 we will be selling the kits again for our annual Luminaria Project. The kits are $5 each and include enough sand, candles and bags to make ten Luminaria light up College Hill. Please email me your orders if you have not already sent in your order form. Pick up is Saturday from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Recreation Center. Please participate and make College Hill beautiful on Saturday, December 16!"

Amy's email is afinnegan@sksins.com.

That piano concert featuring Natalia Lepeshkina will be held at St. Clare Church Friday, December 8 at 7:00pm. Ms. Lepeshkina is a former soloist and accompanist with the Moscow State Philharmony.

Opening the concert will be CCM-trained pianists Billy and Brandon Phillips, young sons of College Hill residents Jeanne and Bill Phillips.

All proceeds from donations will benefit the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation and the Arts Revival in College Hill.

Five College Hill seniors from Aiken University High School met with Mayor Mark Mallory this month to explain their outlook on community issues.

Rachel Caldwell, Randall Harris, Danielle Lumpkins, Sophan Cheoun and Ebony Pope were among a group of students from several neighborhoods. Mayor Mallory called the meeting as part of an ongoing commitment to work with all members of the city. He and his staff complimented the students on their thoughtful insight into issues ranging from downtown development, jobs, crime and the condition of their neighborhoods.

The summit was held at Aiken's College Bound Center, a facility maintained and funded by GE. LaShanda Chapel, the GE College Bound Coordinator, says the Center is dedicated to providing college preparation and entrance information for all Aiken students.

The College Hill Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir will present a Christmas concert next Friday, December 8, as a gift to the community.

The choir, assisted by soloists, the children's ensemble, narrators and full orchestra, will offer Everlasting Light, by Cloninger and Hayes, which presents Christ as the needed "light in a dark and hurting world."

Also on the program will be the musical fable Brother Heinrich's Christmas. John Rutter wrote and composed this perfect Christmas Eve bedtime story, narrated to music in the grand tradition of Peter and the Wolf. Bring the children, sit back and listen as Doreen Hendley (with a genuine English accent) tells the story of Brother Heinrich, his donkey and their magical meeting with angels on a Christmas Eve long ago. A choral quintet will set the stage, and bassoonist Chris Sales, a CCM graduate student, will "play" the role of the donkey.

The program will also include a medley of familiar carols (the audience will be invited to sing along).

The concert begins at 7:30pm. It's free, but a free-will offering will be taken at the door.

Story contributed by Jim Burke.

Early application enrollment for Schools of Choice, the CPS magnet school program, begins next week for the 2007-08 school year.

Siblings of students already enrolled in magnet schools and third-graders at Shiel Primary School for the Arts may enroll between December 4-15. Parents apply in person at the school of their choice.

Some CPS magnet elementary schools are open to the whole city; most are assigned by quadrant. College Hill's quadrant Montessori school is Winton Montessori in Winton Place; its elementary college prep school is Pleasant Hill; and its Paideia school is Carthage Paideia. College Hill Fundamental Academy is also open to this quadrant.

For information on these or other schools, and on application hours, call the schools directly. For information on the CPS system and its schools, call 513-363-0020 or click here.

Story contributed by Gail D. Finke.

Former College Hill resident and Hughes Center graduate Gabrielle Dennis now performs on Damon Wayans' sketch comedy series, The Underground.

To see John Kiesewetter's Enquirer profile on her, click here.

Fifteen percent of profits from this Friday's jewelry show at the College Hill Coffee Company will go toward the Discover the Avenue window painting project.

Jana's Jewels, work by a local artist who sells at many prestigious art shows, are pieces you will be proud to give or wear. See you between 7:00 and 9:00 pm.

The newly resurrected College Hill Historical Society has set up an online Yahoo Group, making it possible for folks to participate in the group without having to leave home.

Members of the Group can browse photos and files from the College Hill Archives. They can also help build the collection by posting photos and stories of their own. This is a great place to ask and answer questions about College Hill's interesting history.

To join the Group, click here and then click on "Join This Group." You will be asked to create a Yahoo login if you don't have one already.

For more information, email collegehill history@yahoo.com.

McAuley reminds us that it's not too late to buy tickets for Sunday's Bronson Arroyo concert.

The Reds pitcher and his band are launching the high school's new arts campaign, The Future is Golden, at the 3:00pm show. Tickets are only $20, but time is running out, and only 900 tickets will be sold. Call 513-681-1800, ext. 1120 for yours.

Arnice Smith, College Hill's beloved children's librarian, was recently named a Pepsi Everyday Hero in a ceremony at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. She was nominated for advancing freedom through literacy and education.

From the Mayor's Office: This Friday, Mayor Mallory celebrates his one year anniversary as Mayor of Cncinnati. The Cincinnati Enquirer's website is inviting citizens to provide their opinion of the Mayor's first year in office.

You can see other people's thoughts and offer your own here. The Mayor is looking forward to hearing what people think about his first year in office and he is also looking forward to continuing to work with the community to achieve even greater success next year.

McAuley High School hosted five Danish students for two weeks last month. The young women are students at Neils Steensen Gymnasium in Copenhagen, Denmark. While here they lived with Cincinnati host families, attended McAuley classes and a Shakespeare play, and visited city attractions including the Freedom Center. McAuley hopes to arrange for five students to visit Denmark for two weeks next year. Left to right: Kavida Arulapper, Stine Jungersen, Leena Gamillscheg, Nanna Ryger, and Mette Madsen.

If you ate too much Thanksgiving turkey, College Hill fitness trainer Major Batton says stomach crunches alone won't flatten your tummy.

"The crunch movement only targets your upper abdominal muscles, the ones found between your rib cage and belly button," Batton says in his monthly email newsletter. "To effectively sculpt your waist, focus on strengthening your upper, lower and side abdominal muscles." To do that, Batton recommends resistance training with weights, elastic bands, or other equipment. But if your newly toned muscles are still covered by a layer of fat, he suggests aerobic exercise as well.

Batton's newsletter is available through his website where you can find fitness tips or do online personal training. To schedule an appointment with Temple Builders, Batton's business, call 513-681-2542 or email him at templebuilders@fuse.net.

The College Hill Coffee Company is delighted and honored to present this acclaimed group of women who make the most wonderful music throughout the region. They have performed with the CSO and at other popular venues. If you've heard them before, you know. If you haven't, you don't want to miss this one. They sing this Saturday from 7:30pm until 9:30pm. There's no cover charge, but donations are accepted.