About a year ago the quality of life at the center of The Avenue noticeably improved with the opening of the Norris family’s American Heritage Flooring store. For decades the building located at the southeast corner of Hamilton and Cedar Avenues had attracted numerous and varied businesses: an automobile dealership, a beauty college, a hair salon and most recently a shoe store. Its location in the center of The Avenue and its grand picture windows facing both streets would seem to be a perfect location for any business, but unfortunately that had not been the case for several years. With the closure of the shoe store, the vacant store front left a void for over a year that was being filled by delinquent youth, drug activity and even a drive-by shooting.

In January of 2006 siblings Ramon, Randy and Regina Norris, residents of College Hill since 1967, were looking for a new business venture. The inventory of vacant retail space on The Avenue was their first choice but safety and security issues were a concern. The family did their homework. They learned about College Hill's development plans, including the Streetscapes project and the new Linden Park Development. They visited the neighborhood organizations and were impressed with their strength. They heard about the progress being made in education the local schools. All this made their decision to open their new store in College Hill an easy one.

"We have a vision of the College Hill we grew up in. This was a place where one simply did not have to leave the neighborhood for anything. We believe it can be that way again," says Ramon Norris. "American Heritage Flooring was one of seven businesses to move onto The Avenue the spring of 2006. These are businesses that can be used by all in the community. Our reception by the community confirmed that our full service flooring services were needed. We look forward to expanding our business and becoming an intricate part of the community."

American Heritage Flooring has done business with Cincinnati Public Schools, Cincinnati Metropolitan Housing Authority, College Hill Investment Club, and Downtown Property Management, and is currently completing a new home subdivision in Dayton Ohio for a national construction company. A letter from one of their many College Hill retail customers stated that she "was pleasantly surprised at the options, the service and the price that she received from a neighborhood store."

Your editor encourages you to drop by the store and ask Ramon about what it's like to do business on The Avenue.

You can't miss the mountains of branches and brush filling the parking lots beside McEvoy Park. They all fell in February's ice storm.

According to Robin Hunt at Cincinnati Parks, McEvoy was one of several drop-off areas for brush at parks around the city. Urban Forestry removed dangerous branches and limbs and for two weeks the sanitation department has collected yard waste on trash days. Soon contractors will grind all the brush into wood chips for use in city parks. Watch for the special drum grinders or hammer mills making mountains of brush into mountains of chips.

If you missed the special two-week yard waste pickup and you have brush and limbs from the storm in your yard, here's what to do: Call the Cincinnati Public Works hotline at 513-591-6000 to schedule a special pickup on your regular trash day. Then bundle and tie the branches, place them in paper yard waste bags or put them in trash cans clearly marked "yard waste." The sanitation department will not take your brush unless you make an appointment. Regular yard waste collection resumes April 9.

Story contributed by Gail D. Finke.

Councilman Chris Monzel has invited the Forum Quality of Life Team to take their QOL training on the road--to Madisonville. You may remember that when this training was first offered in College Hill a few months back, it drew interested folks from all over the city.

This presentation tells of the process that has been used in College Hill effectively for the past three years to deal with quality of life issues in an organized, persistent and accountable way.

All are invited to attend the presentation on Thursday, March 22, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the Madisonville Community Center, 5320 Stewart Avenue, 45227. Please RSVP ASAP to 513-352-3640 or christa.criddle@cincinnati-oh.gov.

To brighten your day, see All Roads Lead to Cincinnati on You Tube here.

Wouldn't it be neat if there were something like this about College Hill?

Hamilton County has long had property improvement loan program for residential properties. As of this year, it now applies to commercial property as well. The following are some of the highlights:

• Loans at 3% below market rate, 5 year term.
• • No income restrictions or limits (must be able to meet bank’s credit requirements).
• Loans capped at $50,000.
• For properties valued up to $350,000.

For details, check out the Hamilton County Property Improvement Program website here. For more information and application you can contact Rea Walden at PNC Bank, 513-651-7531 or National City Bank at 5932 Hamilton Ave, 513-681-8000.

Six hundred forty eight high school students from 30 area high schools united to send four-year-old Makiayha, McAuley's Make-A-Wish child, to Disney World with her family.

McAuley's Make-A-Wish Foundation Luau, held on Friday, February 23, raised $6500. In addition to McAuley, Mother of Mercy, LaSalle, St. Xavier, Elder, St. Ursula Academy, Seton, Roger Bacon, Colerain and Northwest were among the schools who participated.

Cory Cantor, a College Hill resident and 14 year-old freshman at Walnut Hills High, was recently honored for receiving his Eagle Scout rank. The ceremony was held at his Eagle Scout Court of Honor at the St. Paul United Church of Christ in North College Hill, the location of Boy Scout Troop 150.

Cory has been active with scouting since 1999. To date, he has attained the Arrow of Light, Protestant Religious Emblem and 26 merit badges. He has completed the Baden Powell National Youth Leadership Training and is a member of the Order of the Arrow.

His Eagle Scout project was completed at Carthage Paideia Academy, where he coordinated the rehabilitation of the school’s butterfly garden.

The College Hill Library will be closed to install new carpeting from Monday, April 9 through Thursday, April 12, reopening Friday, April 13. You may still return items in the book drop during this time. Other nearby libraries are in Groesbeck, Mt Healthy and Northside.

The Cincinnati Boychoir's prestigious Tour Choir will be performing at 10:00 am this Saturday, March 17, at Twin Towers. The College Hill public is invited. Eleven-year-old College Hill resident, Eli Davis, will be performing with the group, which consists of approximately 30 boys who range in age from ten to fourteen years old. This is the top group of the boychoir's three choirs.

The Twin Towers performance is part of the Cincinnati Boychoir's Nursing Home Sing-A-Thon. This is an annual community service and fundraising event which consists of all three boychoirs singing at a a different series of nursing homes and retirement communities throughout the day. After each mini concert the boys spend time visiting with the residents before moving on to the next home. The performance at Twin Towers will be followed by one at Llanfair Retirement Community at 11:00 am.

The Tour Choir performs at about 30 venues throughout the year, including weddings and sold out concerts at area churches. The boys are preparing to travel to Maryland and Washington D.C. in May.

McAuley High School will present 42nd Street as the school’s spring musical offering on Friday, Saturday and Sunday the weekend of March 31. The production, directed and produced by McAuley drama director Alecia Kellett, is based on the Broadway musical that first premiered in New York in 1980. It tells the story of a star-struck chorus girl from Allenstown who gets her big break when the star of Pretty Lady breaks her ankle during rehearsal. The chorus girl then goes on to become a star herself on 42nd Street. The production includes students from three high schools: McAuley, LaSalle and St. Xavier.

Tickets for the production are $8.00 for adults and $6.00 for students and senior citizens, and can be reserved by calling (513) 681-1800 x 2276. Tickets will also be available at the door. Free parking is available at McAuley High School for the performances. Performance dates and times are: Friday, March 30 at 7:30 pm, Saturday, March 31 at 7:30 pm and Sunday, April 1 at 2:00 pm. All shows will be held in the Heister Family Theater at McAuley High School .

In the photo Taylore Che, Kelly Roden, Renee Kohl and Emy Benson are developing their tap dancing skills.

Send your 4 and 5 year-olds into the woods--Laboiteaux Woods. A different nature topic is presented each week with games, crafts, stories, music and hikes. This program is designed to engage the interest of young explorers. For more information call 513-542-2909. Register by March 19.

Classes are held each Monday from March 26 through May 7 (except April 9) from 1:00 to 3:00 pm. The cost is $30.00 for city residents.

Erin McCoy, Manager of Wellness at Twin Towers, wrote to tell us about one of their newest wellness programs for those with or those care giving for those with Parkinson's. Mindful Movements is a wellness program that incorporates gentle movements. It was developed by John Argue to provide a holistic approach to grow emotionally, intellectually, physically, socially, spiritually, and vocationally.

The program is offered at Twin Towers at Twin Towers on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 pm. For more information call 513-853-4100.

Rick Wheeler of the Parks Department announced the Adventure Outpost Camp for kids this summer. The camp includes rock-climbing trips, overnight camping, canoeing on Winton Lake, and other outdoor adventures. Kids who attend learn team-building skills and self-reliance all in the great outdoors--a places many of our City’s youth do not have much experience with. The camp is free to Cincinnati Recreation Commission members.

Article contributed by Sarah Mann.

How well do you know College Hill? Do you know where this interesting building is?

Members of the North Hills Swim & Tennis Club gathered at the College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet recently to find out who won its first ever fund raising raffle. First prize was a one-week Caribbean vacation valued at about $3,000 given by an anonymous donor.

Terri House, a Finneytown resident, won the vacation at the Mayan Palace Riviera. Her daughters, who are also members, sold her the tickets. Second prize, a one-year family membership to the club, was won by College Hill resident Jenny Hanson, a "lifetime member."

Membership in the North Hills Swim & Tennis Club is available for families, singles, and couples. The club offers children's swimming, diving, and tennis teams; swimming and tennis lessons; and social events throughout the season. For membership information see the website or call Jane Bray at 513-484-4080.

• College Hill Clean-Up is Saturday, April 28, from 9:00 am to noon. You are invited to the Great American Clean-Up in College Hill. Whether you are 6, 36 or 86 years old the College Hill Forum and Keep Cincinnati Beautiful need your help to give College Hill a good spring cleaning. Spare a few hours of your time to help rake leaves, pick up trash, plant/mulch gardens and beautify the community. T-shirts, gloves and trash bags will be provided. Breakfast, lunch, drinks and prizes too! Please call today to volunteer: 513-542-4892 or e-mail kien@fuse.net.
• Save Saturday, June 23, for a self-guided tour of the "Gardens of College Hill" sponsored by 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 are included in the price of $8. Contact collegehillgardeners@cinci.rr.com to receive further information or call 513-681-1326.