Forum President Elizabeth Sherwood tells us that the deadline for Paint the Town applications has been extended to March 21 to allow more folks to apply to have their house painted for free.

She says, "We still need more applicants in order to select approximately 35 homeowners to have their houses painted at no charge. If you have friends, neighbors or family living in College Hill who are financially or physically unable to paint their homes, please give them an application!"

Give Back Cincinnati has selected College Hill as the host community for this single-day event. On June 9, Give Back members will paint the exteriors of up to 35 owner-occupied homes, providing all necessary materials and labor at no cost to the homeowners. Eligible participants must own and live in their home, and be physically or financially unable to complete the work.

For more information, please call Anita Triggs, our PTT Community Liaison, at 513-3338.

At tax time, be careful what you sign. A "fast cash refund" really isn’t a refund; it’s a high-interest loan and you are paying to borrow your own money.

In 2004, more than 300,000 low-income families in Ohio purchased high-interest Refund-Anticipation Loans (RAL) from their tax preparer, check casher, payday lender or others. An RAL is a high-interest, short-term loan based on a customer's tax refund. RALs are repaid from the tax refund but the fees and interest can eat up a significant percentage of the refund.

RALs look tempting but the cost may exceed the benefit. These lending services are marketed to those with low and modest incomes. If the State or IRS were to deny or delay a refund or if the refund is smaller than expected, the individual must still pay back the RAL. If payment is late, there are additional fees. Lenders are required to disclose all details in writing.

With electronic filing and direct deposit, refunds are available within 3-5 business days from the State and within 10 days from the IRS--at no cost. Taxpayers can request the IRS and the State electronically deposit the refund directly into their personal bank account.

There are several free tax preparation sites in Cincinnati and many will file electronically to speed up the refund. To find a Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) or Tax Counseling for the Elderly (TCE) site, call 1-800-829-1040. Learn more about free tax preparation here. See a map of free tax preparation sites in Cincinnati here.

This is the first of a series of Consumer Advisories provided by the College Hill Forum, Elizabeth Sherwood, President.

Phyllis Shoenberger reports that around 150 people braved the icy parking lot and streets to attend the Community Potluck at the Presbyterian Church.The crowd included 13 Aiken students who gave up their Friday night to help out.

As expected, there was plenty to eat. As an added boon, prizes were given out throughout the evening.

Several community groups presented information, among which were the Quality of Life Team, CHURC, the College Hill Gardeners and the Historical Society. Here, Sarah Mann touts the newly-reorganized College Hill Historical Society.

"Honor the Past and Celebrate the Future" was the theme of the Annual Dinner Meeting of College Hill’s Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation (CHCURC). The dinner was held February 28 at Twin Towers. In spite being delayed 3 weeks from the original date due to the snow emergency, there were approximately 150 in attendance.

As guests mingled and dined, mellow jazz music was provided by the Garrin-Webb Duo.

Guest Speaker Herb Brown, one of CHCURC's founders, addressed CHCURC’s past and what led to its founding. He stressed the power of having a dream for the future.

The fifteen CHCURC Presidents who have served during the organization's 30-year history were honored, and certificates were presented to several who were present. A gift was presented to outgoing president Carol Lyon in appreciation for her contribution by the Board of Trustees. Pictured are President Lyon, Director of Community Development Marty Weldishofer and Vice-President Judy Moyer.

Dale McGirr followed with his keynote address, "Turns out the City of the Future is the Old Neighborhood." He presented slides shoing several new Greater Cincinnati housing developments in the area ranging "from the River to the Reagan" (i.e. Cross County Highway). These developments, mostly ranging in price from $200K to $300K, are boasting high sales and occupancy rates to a mix of young professionals and empty-nesters. Buyers wanting to avoid long commutes can have easy access to work, cultural attractions, entertainment and shopping. Development in College Hill is part of this pattern.

Representing the Development Team, Jim Neyer & Ken Schon gave updates on Linden Park, College Hill’s soon-to-be mixed-use development at Hamilton & North Bend. Already, two units have been reserved, prior to the sales kick off! Buildings in the next phase of development west of Hamilton will be “green” with emphasis on energy efficiency. You can see a great Cincinnati Business Courier article about Linden Park here.

CHCURC Board members were elected: Mike Battoclette, Bob Ludwig (an additional term), Dale McGirr & Cheryl Meadows.

CHCURC thanks Twin Towers and Tom Haid for their flexibility in rescheduling the convenient and attractive venue of the Gulden Center for this stimulating and entertaining event.

Article contributed by Carolyn Royalty.

The Enquirer broke the news that the City is looking to acquire property at the corner of Llanfair & Hamilton as the site for a new firehouse.

College Hill Director of Community Development Marty Weldishofer assures the community that if the firehouse goes in there, another spot will be found for the visioned community park previously known as Llanfair Commons.

College Hill Presbyterian Church invites you to celebrate with us! Sunday, March 25 at 3:00 pm, Drew Smith will be installed as Pastor/Head of Staff. We hope you can come! Child care will be available. Reception to follow the service.

College Hill resident and McAuley High School art teacher Jane Kramig has been invited to show her artwork at the Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery at the College of Mount St. Joseph in an exhibit entitled Parallel Visions VI.

The exhibit will run through March 25. Admission to the Studio San Giuseppe Art Gallery is free. Gallery hours are 10:00 am to 5:00pm and 1:30 to 4:30 pm weekends.

Ms Maree’s Transformations will open later this month at 5838 Hamilton--the site of the famous Discover the Avenue fantasy art mural. It's not an ice cream parlor, but some folks might think it's even better.

This boutique will provide massages, beauty treatments and will fill all your relaxation needs. People are invited to come in for some well-deserved pampering.

Article contributed by Sarah Mann.

Aiken College & Career High School principal Eric Thomas has offered a special challenge to his students. If 95 percent of them pass some upcoming proficiency tests, he will shave his hair into a Mohawk. A student donning the 'do was on-hand to model the suggested coiffure at last month's Forum Meeting.

Contributed by Sarah Mann.

Remember that Daylight Savings Time begins tomorrow, March 11 at 2:00 am. Be sure to turn your clocks ahead one hour before going to sleep tonight.

Good news! Since arresting five people for the rash of daytime burglaries that broke out in College Hill recently, police say that home break-ins have sharply declined.

The police still urge neighbors to be watchful and praised residents for their vigilance, citing that two of the five suspects were arrested because of quick- thinking residents and Citizens on Patrol. Click here for advice on what to do if you see something strange going on around you.

If anyone is interested in joining Citizens on Patrol, see Jim Bodmer at a Forum meeting about an upcoming training event.

Article contributed by Sarah Mann.

CHCURC's second annual Celebrity Bartending Night was held at Clovernook Country Club on February 27. The crowd had a good time bantering for service from the celebrity bartenders: Dave & Sandy Schwartz and Mike & Amy Battoclette.

Beth McLean served as hostess greeter as well as staffing the selling of the raffle tickets for a week at the Florida condo of Dave & Sandy Schwartz. This event proved to be a highly spirited pride building event for College Hill.

Article contributed by Carolyn Royalty.

Heidi Bullard, one of our College Hill librarians and a real Oscar buff, has become a little famous for dressing more than 90 dolls in gowns she's created to replicate those worn by the famous stars who have graced the red carpet at the Oscars.

You can see a Community Press article about her here and a 2002 Enquirer article by Jim Knippenberg here.

Here's a heads-up from Dave Krulsing of the city's Department of Transportation and Engineering: Construction on North Bend Road in Mt Airy will include complete replacement of the pavement and curbs. In order to make the improvements, cars traveling south on North Bend Road from Belmont Avenue to Colerain Avenue must take modified routes. Traffic restrictions will start on March 12. This phase of work is scheduled to last three months.

It's Lent, and in Cincinnati that means fish fry season. Every church and organization has its own specialty. In College Hill, St. Clare Church offers both traditional and extra-healthy dinners: baked fish, fried fish, fried shrimp, baked potatoes and French fries. The volunteer cooks also serve up children's meals of pizza or macaroni and cheese. Local Girl Scout troops take turns selling baked goodies, and drinks are also available. St. Clare's pastor, Fr. George Jacquemin, usually drops in to say hello.

Many College Hill residents, Catholic and non-Catholic alike, never miss a Friday. Dinners are served in the church basement from 5:00 to 7:00 pm every Friday during March. For information call the church at 513-541-2100.

Story contributed by Gail Finke

It's every true gardener's desire to grow a plant from seed, and you can do just that, and more, with College Hill Gardeners in the Aiken High School greenhouses- -yes, greenhouses, plural!

The CHG greenhouse team works each Wednesday evening between 6:00 and 8:00 pm beginning on March 14, and continues the project through May. In addition, some individuals complete daily tasks, such as watering, transplanting, opening/closing vents, while others conduct workshops with students during the school day.

Whatever your skill set, even if it is "none," you'll be nurtured along, just like the seeds you'll be sowing. Let Susan Osborn know of your interest by emailing her at sosborn@grgsc.org or by calling the CHG at 513-681-1326. CHG thanks Aiken University High School Principal Dr. Virginia Rhodes for the school's continued partnership with us.

Contributed by Beth McLean.

Northside Greenspace will hold its Annual Meeting Wednesday, March 14, at 7:00 pm at LaBoiteaux Woods Nature Center on Lanius Lane.

After a brief business meeting, Dr. Stanley Hedeen will speak about the natural history of Cincinnati, with an emphasis on this area. Dr. Hedeen, an ecologist who recently retired from Xavier University, is author of The Mill Creek: An Unnatural History of an Urban Stream (1994) and Natural History of the Cincinnati Region (2006). Copies of the new book will be available for sale and signing at the meeting.

Northside Greenspace is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization founded to identify, preserve, and restore natural areas in Northside and surrounding communities. It sponsors nature walks throughout the year, as well as work projects removing invasive vegetation in Buttercup Valley Nature Preserve and in Parkers Woods. The group also plants native species propagated from local seed. For more information about the program or about Northside Greenspace, please call 513-541-9119.

The Enquirer recently ran two nice articles about Six Acres B&B. See the article about Kristin Kitchen’s restoration here and an article about its past as a stop on the Underground Railroad here.

Core Behavioral Health has announced four Employees of the Year for 2006. Pictured left to right are Dorethea Ralls and Sarah Kirby (sitting) and Heather Kamp and Rob Pleiman (standing). Two of the four serve at the College Hill office: Sarah Kirby provides Community Psychiatric Supportive Treatment (CPST) and Rob Pleiman is a CPST Intensive Team Leader.

Dave Hawkins passes on this word from Judy Moyer about the upcoming concert at Laurel Court on the 18th: "So far we have 22 people registered and paid for the concert. People need to be reminded that this must be reserved and paid in advance."