You're Invited to a Special "Spring Has Sprung" Dinner at Llanfair Retirement Community.

When: Friday, April 13, 6:00 pm Where: Llanfair Campus Center, 1701 Llanfair Avenue Why: This is a service project for the Llanfair Beauty Shop to raise money for two new shampoo chairs. Cost: $10.00 per person.

Steve Schmitz, Director of Dining Services at Llanfair and a College Hill resident, will cook the dinner, which will include a Spring salad, chicken breast, roast beef, glazed carrots, German vegetables, roasted Yukon gold potatoes, rolls and butter, and assorted desserts -- including a sugar-free cheesecake.

The Campus Center doors will open at 5:30, so you can help yourself to a beverage and be seated before the buffet line opens at 6:00.

Reservations are due Monday, April 2, so make your plans now. Write your checks payable to Ruth Fox, and send them to her attention at 1776 Larch Avenue, Apt. 401, Cincinnati, OH 45224. Your check is your reservation. Please, no cash! For more information call Ruth Hartzell at 681-2005.

Story contributed by Kathy Kiefer

It's Annual Dinner time -- a great chance to see and hear what the College Hill Business Association has been doing and what it is working on for the future of our business community.

The April 17 event will be located at the Llanfair Retirement Community Campus Center and promises to be an exciting evening. Guest speaker Bill Digrezio of SCORE, with 41 years of retail management experience, will inspire us as he talks about "Building the Foundation for the Future".

Tickets are $20. The evening begins at 6 pm with appetizers. Dinner follows at 6:30, and the presentation begins at 7 pm. Please make your reservations with Karen Hartman, 681-5648, by April 11.

First: Contrary to rumors you may have heard, Aiken WILL NOT close. Read on for the exciting plans for our local high school.

Second: The Community Learning Centers Team continues to meet and plan. They've sent a report just for this issue of the eNews. Here's their summary of news around the neighborhood:

Revised CPS plans for AIKEN now call for a new (vs. renovated) facility for 600 students. The smaller size, plus the chance to rebuild the 60-acre campus, means lots of opportunity. A design team -- with parents, teachers and administrators from both programs, as well as outside “partner” organizations -- has been meeting to discuss various options. Within the next few months, architects will begin working with Aiken’s team to develop schematic designs.

The design team at COLLEGE HILL FUNDAMENTAL ACADEMY is also up and running. Team participants and potential partners include the Contemporary Dance Theater, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, ARCH (Arts Revival in College Hill), Children’s Hospital, CORE Behavioral Health Centers, Central Clinic, Twin Towers Retirement Community, Llanfair Retirement Community, College Hill Recreation Center, Cincinnati Public Library (CH branch), and the Freedom Center. Renovation of the historic building is scheduled for next year.

PLEASANT HILL is working hard to consolidate all the changes made over the past year: a new building, new administrative team and faculty, and a new after-school program run by the Recreation Center. Additional community programs and partnership opportunities may also be identified for Pleasant Hill as CHFA and Aiken become more actively engaged in their own facilities planning, since the three schools together will coordinate utilization to reflect the ideas and interests identified by community members.

Report compiled by Helen Habbert

This spring Grace Episcopal Church is a hive of activity, hosting two regional Episcopal events and a community holiday celebration.

In February, more than 80 Episcopal high school students visited Grace for the Diocese of Southern Ohio's Exodus Weekend. They enjoyed a spaghetti dinner with the congregation, presentations and speakers, and a rousing Sunday liturgy. They also began a renovation project in one of the historic church's rooms.

Next month, Grace will host several local Episcopal churches in a joint celebration of the Great Vigil of Easter, the evening service on the Saturday preceding Easter that is traditional in the Anglican tradition. Members of St. Stephens, St. Phillips, and St. James will gather with Grace and Bishop Benjamin Omosebi for the liturgy and several ceremonies traditional for Easter: the lighting of the new flame, baptisms, confirmations, and first Eucharist.

Grace will also host the community in a Good Friday celebration sponsored by the College Hill Ministerium. Seven area churches will participate in this ecumenical celebration, which begins at noon April 6. Most Christians, but not all, celebrate this solemn day commemmorating the death of Jesus. According to Grace's former rector, the Rev. Ray Betts, all local residents are welcome to the service, regardless of their church affiliation.

Ken Lyon, Allen Reed, and Ray Betts contributed to this story.

Four McAuley seniors modeled hats at the 2nd Annual Pass the Hat for Breast Cancer Silent Auction, held March 10 at the Downunder in Covington.

For nearly four hours, they modeled hats, which were then bid on by the attendees. The proceeds went to the Nancy Holbrook-Bertha Minning Foundation which provides financial help to local women as they battle breast cancer. Nancy Kummler Holbrook, who passed away as a result of breast cancer, was a McAuley alumna from the class of 1967.

"It was an amazing experience," said senior Mary Boeddeker. "The women had been through so much themselves, but were so nice to us. They taught us that it doesn’t matter how you look, as long as you are yourself. Everyone is beautiful."

Story contributed by Kathy Dietrich

The recital given by Kearstin Piper Brown and Darin M. Art March 11th received an overwhelming response.

Ms. Brown was clearly dedicated to the spiritual messages of the classical and African-American Spiritual pieces she performed, which moved and inspired the audience of about 175.

St. Clare would like to thank all of those who helped to make this recital happen and for the generous donations by those who attended. The offering will help support and sponsor future musical events for the College Hill community.

Story contributed by Darin Art

For the 21st year in a row, the College Hill Presbyterian Church will host the free Easter Feast of Love dinner.

An ecumenical ministry based at CHPC, Feast of Love serves three free meals every year (Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas) at the church, at homeless shelters around the city, and to home-bound neighbors. Partner churches are CHPC, St. Clare, and the Evangelical Community Church.

The Easter dinner will be served from 1:30 to 4:30 Easter day, April 8. It features a hot turkey or ham meal and children's activities. Bus #17 stops in front of the church, and drivers will deliver meals to those who can't make it in (call the church for delivery).

The Feast of Love happily accepts gifts of food and/or money to buy food. Lists of requested food are available from the ministry. Volunteer cooks, servers, and delivery drivers are also needed.