The College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation will honor the past and celebrate the future of at its Annual Dinner Meeting on February 6 at Twin Towers in the Gulden Community Center.

To honor the past one of CHCURC's founders, Herb Brown, will speak about what led to the formation of CHCURC and about the hopes of its founders. In addition, 15 CHCURC presidents who have served over the past 32 years will be recognized. (See a listing of past presidents here).

To celebrate the future, noted development visionary Dale McGirr will take up the slogan, "Turns out the City of the Future is the Old Neighborhood." In his talk, he will relate how the Linden Park project compares with what is happening in other Cincinnati neighborhoods.

Finally, the Neyer team will give the latest news about the Linden Park development at North Bend and Hamilton.

You can have all this and dinner for only $20 per person. Make your dinner reservations by January 31 with Karen Hartman or Robin Cook at 513-681-5648 or send your $20 check to CHCURC Annual Dinner, c/o Hartman and Erhmantraut, 5836 Hamilton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45224.

Registration and social hour starts at 6:00 pm, dinner is at 6:30 pm and the Annual Meeting starts at 7:15 pm. There is no cost to attend just the meeting.

This week a Children's Hospital psychiatric unit serving children ages 3 to 12 is moving to the College Hill campus. Joan Burger, Outreach Coordinator for the College Hill campus, provided some background.

Prior to 2002, Hamilton County youth were being sent out of state for mental health residential services because there was nowhere for them to go locally or in state. In 2002, Children's bought the Phoenix International facility (formerly Emerson North Hospital and originally the Ohio Female College) in order to "bring the kids home." (See a short history of the College Hill campus--which dates back to the mid- 1800's--here .)

Now the College Hill Campus is being expanded to handle an increasing demand for mental health services. The Children's Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry is the second largest Department in the hospital and serves the most families. That division receives over 40,000 phone calls a year from parents asking for help for their children.

The College Hill campus is doubling its capacity. By the time construction is completed (projected date now in June 2007) there will be about 400 staff at the College Hill Campus location. Some staff are moving from the inpatient units at the main campus and some new staff are being hired. RN's/LPN's and Mental Health Specialists can apply online here.

The move has several benefits for the hospital and the people it serves. The move allows patients to utilize the open green spaces, ball fields, indoor and outdoor recreational areas and the animal program available at the College Hill site, as well as educational services provided by Cincinnati Public Schools. The move consolidates all psychiatric work under one roof, improving coordination and cohesion. In addition, it frees up beds at Children's main campus for medical use.

Once everything has been completed, an open house will be scheduled so that anyone who wants to may tour the facility.

Columbus Running Company placed four runners among the top six finishers to claim the team crown at the inaugural running of The Cincinnati 8K, a cross-country race presented by Runners Depot of Loveland. In a race held at McEvoy Park on January 13, Team CRC beat three other teams of post-collegiate athletes from Ohio and Kentucky. The runners-up were the Earth Drummers from Cincinnati.

Organizer Jeremy Mosher reports, "We had a great event in spite of the rain, muck and mud--heck, maybe even because of it! We even had good spectator turnout. I'm already looking forward to next year's race."

The photo above features members of Fleet Feet Louisville/Brooks after finishing the race, and shows the mud the runners slopped through.

Given the opportunity to run a cross country race with team scoring, both rarities for post-collegiate clubs, some of the top teams and runners from all over the region descended on McEvoy Park to battle it out, among them former NCAA All-Americans and past champions of the USATF Ohio 10k, Flying Pig Marathon, Thanksgiving Day Race and Hyde Park Blast.

Pictures and material for this article provided by Jeremy Mosher.

Registration has begun for College Hill youth baseball and T-ball.

Baseball teams for 2007 are forming for boys and girls born between 1989 and 2000, and T-ball teams are forming for boys and girls born between 2000 and 2002. College Hill Baseball is part of the Cincinnati Knothole League.

More than 200 kids played in the College Hill leagues in 2006. Practices take place in the neighborhood and games take place throughout the area. Baseball will begin in late April and run until early July. T-ball will begin one month later, in May. Fees range from $30-$60 depending on the child's age.

Baseball registrations are due February 23 and T-ball registrations are due March 31. Teams will be formed as the children register, so it's important to register on time. For registration forms call 513-929-BALL, or download a baseball form here or a T-Ball form here. The contact is Bill O'Brien, College Hill Baseball, P.O. Box 24115, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224.

Knothole Baseball is more than just another regional youth baseball league--it's a bit of Cincinnati and College Hill history.

College Hill's own Powell Crosley, Jr. began the league. It was named for children watching games through knotholes in fences around Major League ballparks (such as Crosley Field). The oldest remaining Knothole field is Heitzler Field next to College Hill Town Hall.

Knothole is an instructional rather than a select league, and the rules are nearly identical to those of Major League Baseball. According to Bill O'Brien, who has run College Hill Baseball for many years, "We like to say we are all about competitive fun. One of the really neat things about our program is that the kids are all shapes, colors, sizes, religions, and backgrounds."

College Hill is part of Division 2, the second-oldest Knothole division in the city, which also encompasses Clifton, Northside and Mt. Airy. Recently North College Hill's group has also been working with College Hill. Home games are played at McEvoy, Heitzler and several other local fields. "Children's Hospital has been exceedingly good to us, and has allowed us to use their two beautiful baseball fields," Mr. O'Brien says. "They are the best fields we have."

Girls are welcome in the league, but most players are boys. All children in College Hill are welcome and there is no fee beyond registration. Coaches and sponsors are always needed. If you are interested, call Mr. O'Brien at 513-729-1786.

Story contributed by Gail D. Finke.

Principal Eric Thomas of Aiken College & Career High School writes, "As a means to promote our College Bound focus we will be identifying ten very deserving Aiken College and Career HS students who would like to participate in this College Tour on Spring Break. These students will be selected based on academic progress, citizenship, attendance, and teacher recommendations.

"To support them financially, we hope to raise $2500 toward their participation fees. Students will be responsible for contributing $50 each. My wife and myself have pledged $250.00 toward this effort. I would like to challenge others in the community to support these deserving students by making a donation toward the $2250 remaining."

Send donations payable to Aiken College & Career College Tour Fund to Ms. Belinda Wallace, Aiken College & Career HS, 5641 Belmont Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45224.

Principal Virginia Rhodes tells us that Falcon Flippers will go into action in February, flipping pancakes to celebrate Aiken University students' academic successes.

In celebration of the higher level of academic success this year at Aiken University High School, the 2nd Quarter Honors program will include a Pancake Breakfast on February 9 at 8:30 am. Parents of the students who have made the Honor Roll or Falcon's List for the first time will serve as celebrity Falcon Flippers, along with College Hill community members who want to support the academic focus. About 150 students and their parents attended the 1st Quarter program, which celebrates achievement each quarter.

A dozen more fantastic flippers are needed. Those who would like to satisfy hungry, achieving adolescents, please call Virginia Rhodes, principal, at 513-363-6890, or see Phyllis Schoenberger at any College Hill event. Donations of butter/margarine, syrup, pancake mix, flowers or paper goods are needed and will be welcomed.

Under the guidance of Forum Quality of Life Committee member Beth McLean, parolees have been working in the community for the past three months picking up litter in residential and commercial areas and Gray Road, gardening in the community spaces and shoveling tons of sand for the Light Up College Hill luminary kits.

It all started last September when parole officer Nancy Rhinock attended a Community Problem Oriented Policing meeting to introduce herself as the new officer for College Hill, Northside, and Mt. Airy. She said she was looking for community service projects for her parolees. Forum Quality of Life Committee chair Phyllis Schoenberger picked up on the idea and mentioned the need for volunteers to help some of our elderly or disabled residents with house painting, lawn mowing and possibly tearing down a garage. Nancy thought projects like these would be "fantastic and appropriate for community service hours," a great way for parolees to become part of our community and for us to build relationships.

During the Luminary project work, Forum Events Luminary volunteers treated the parolees to lunch at the Recreation Center. Everyone sat around the table together, eating and talking, with all participating in the conversation. Later, the Committee learned that the parolees were surprised and pleased at the interest taken in them.

Phyllis Schoenberger says, "We hope to provide education through hands on work projects, and to continue building relationships, providing a sense of worth and encouragement and maybe even role models of civic responsibility." Future projects include cleaning up the Fundamental Academy schoolyard, preparing facilities for the Community Pot Luck in February and tearing down a dilapidated garage.

The walking billboards worked--they caught your editor's eye and he just had to find out what this was all about.

Following the arrows to the new Liberty Tax Service office across the street from National City Bank, we met Bernie Meierjohan, the owner of this new business.

Bernie told us what brought him to College Hill. "I have friends in North College Hill that speak highly of College Hill," he said. "When I checked things out, I found that there are businesses who have been established here for over 50 years. I also found that the College Hill Business Association is committed to growth but also keeping the focus on small business."

He went on, "I have started doing some business-to-business marketing on the Avenue, and I was surprised at how many businesses have been around for 20+ years. The reception was great; the other business owners welcomed me with open arms."

You can get in touch with Bernie Meierjohan at 513-541-1999 or berniem@totalaccountingsolutions.net.

The St. Clare Church chapter of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul recently reported on its work in College Hill.

In its fiscal year ending in 2006, the Society helped more than 250 College Hill families with mortgage and utility bills, food and furniture, school uniforms and referrals to social service agencies. Members volunteered more than 100 hours at Llanfair Retirement Home and St. Clare parishioners volunteered more than $12,000 to their efforts in the neighborhood.

The Society of St. Vincent de Paul is an international Catholic organization dedicated to helping the poor. In Cincinnati, it operates five thrift stores including one that opened this fall on Colerain Avenue.

Story contributed by Gail D. Finke.

Do you have clothes, furniture or housewares to donate to help neighbors? There are several worthy organizations waiting for your stuff.

• The Lord's Bounty thrift store on Hamilton Avenue, run by volunteers from Christ's Community in College Hill.
• The Find a Need and Fill it ministry at the College Hill Presbyterian Church, which will even pick up large items.
• The Society of St. Vincent de Paul thrift store on Colerain Avenue. They accept donations during store hours and also accepts old vehicles in any condition. While donations to the St. Clare parish chapter go to College Hill families, the stores and the vehicle donation program help needy people throughout the city.

Does your church or civic organization accept donations for neighbors in need? Let us know about your programs, and we will write about them here. Click here to send us your information.

The Feast of Love, an ecumenical ministry based at the College Hill Presbyterian Church, fed hundreds a free Christmas dinner last month.

With local volunteers and donated food, the Feast of Love served 194 dinners at the church, delivered 142 dinners through Meals on Wheels and served 543 dinners at shelters throughout the city. One hundred and eight-four people volunteered in some way. Donors contributed 2,968 servings of baby formula and 5,244 diapers to homeless shelters.

The Feast of Love serves free dinners on Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas. To volunteer, call 513-541-5676, ext. 167. All volunteers are welcome, regardless of church affiliation.

Story contributed by Gail D. Finke.

Hamilton County Coroner O'dell Owens will speak at the Feast of Love's annual get-together January 29.

Volunteers and friends of the Feast of Love are invited to the program at Twin Towers. A light buffet will be served from 6:00 pm to 7:00pm. Advance registration is required; call 513-541-4676, ext. 167, for reservations and information.

The Feast of Love is also beginning its annual plant sale/fundraiser. Order forms for hanging baskets, bedding plants, and annual flats are available at the College Hill Presbyterian Church and St. Clare Church. Orders are due February 25th, and the plants will be available at the CHPC parking lot May 5. Plants come from Fred C. Koch Greenhouses, Inc. For information on that company, click here.

Story contributed by Gail D. Finke.

The Hamilton County Board of Commissioners is conducting public hearings to consider the 2007 Hamilton County Operating Budget. Citizens are encouraged to attend and offer their comments. Hearing times and locations are as follows:

• Thursday, February 1, 2007 at 6:30pm at the Lincoln Heights Health Center.
• Tuesday, February 6, 2007 at 6:30pm at Nathaniel Greene Lodge in Green Township.
• Wednesday, February 7, 2007 at 10:00am in the Hamilton County Commissioners Office downtown.

On January 16, 14 students from Aiken University High School joined Teo Castellanos and the members of D-Projects for a special dance and theater workshop at the College Hill Town Hall. The Miami-based dance/theater company was in Cincinnati to perform at the Aronoff Center, as part of Contemporary Dance Theater’s Guest Artist Series. The company, which includes international break dance stars, or "B-boys," and percussionists, perform an evening-length work of hip-hop theater called "Scratch & Burn."

Nearly every time Contemporary Dance Theater brings a dance company to Cincinnati to perform in its Guest Artist Series, the company spends the week before the performance in outreach activities with local schools and university dance departments. This was the first time CDT worked with Aiken. "We approached Aiken several years ago, but there was no interest," explained CDT director, Jefferson James, "but that has changed. The new principal, Virginia Rhodes, was very enthusiastic about the workshop and sent us a great group of kids. I hope we have another chance to work with Aiken soon."

The chemistry between the 20-something-year-old performers and the high school juniors was immediate. Participants spent the first part of the four-hour workshop learning new break dance moves and the second part in a theater workshop. Teo’s message at the conclusion: "You can overcome adversity and achieve your dreams if you’re willing to work hard enough."

At the first College Hil Forum meeting of 2007 on January 23 President Elizabeth Sherwood recapped Forum accomplishments for 2006, which included landing the Paint-the-Town 2007 event and the successful 2006 Rhythm Race.

She also showed off the latest honor presented to College Hill: At the Fifth Annual Neighborhood Summit of Cincinnati, College Hill was awarded the "Economic Development Award" for hard work and dedication to the Linden Commons project.

Article contributed by Sarah Mann.

At January's Forum meeting, police reported that they have made several arrests in the rash of home burglaries that have been plaguing certain streets in College Hill since fall. The officers praised the College Hill community for aiding in these arrests by being watchful neighbors and walking with Citizens on Patrol.

Jim Bodmer reported that local postal workers have been a great asset to crime-fighting since they walk College Hill daily on their routes and report any suspicious activity they see. These postal workers have probably scared off more than one would-be thief just by being a presence on our streets and knowing who lives where. Jim also recommended that neighbors take time to drive around their block once before coming home just to keep an eye on things.

The message of the night was "nosey neighbors are a good thing!"

Article contributed by Sarah Mann.

Eric Thomas, principal of Aiken College & Career High School, brought students to the Forum in January to give the "Aiken Report"--a series of candid and informative remarks from the students themselves on the state of their school.

From comments like the ingenuous, "The goal of us ninth-graders is to become tenth-graders," to detailed accounts of the new Men of Aiken and Women of Aiken peer groups, it was evident that Principal Thomas has created a brotherly and sisterly atmosphere of personal and scholastic support for students at the once-declining school. No longer a school-of-last-resort, Aiken is now becoming a school of choice, as one student’s parent attested.

The students were genuinely excited about the frequent college visits they were making and the on-campus college classes they were taking, as well as the the committees and events in which they now take leadership roles.

Forum members will look forward to future “Aiken Reports” from these sincere and respectful students.

Article contributed by Sarah Mann.