Churchapalooza, a music festival for local mission work, is back in College Hill this Sunday, August 5, from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm, on the grounds of the First United Church of Christ on Glenview Avenue.  



According to pastor Dan Weyand-Geise, local talents Dave Hawkins and Todd O'Neal, the Brothers First and some other really good musicians will be playing. The church will also host a spaghetti dinner from 4:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Fellowship Hall.

The music schedule:

• 4:00 pm to 5:00 in the Sanctuary :  Classical music by artist TBA
• 5:00 to 5:45 On the Back Lawn:  Dave Hawkins (acoustic guitar, folk music)
• 5:45 to 6:30 In the Sanctuary: Todd O'Neal (Christian music)6:45 to 7:30 On the Back Lawn: Brothers First (country/rock)
• 7:45 to 8:30 on the Back Lawn:  Holy Rock-n-Rollers (secular sacred sounds)

The concert is free and open to the public.  Dinner and dessert can be purchased for $8.  Children under 13 can purchase dinner for $4 while those under the age of 5 are free.  There will also be a silent auction for several gift baskets. 

All of the money raised from the dinner and auction will go toward the mission partners of the Mission Priority Board of the United Church of Christ here in Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky.  Last year, the Mission Priority Board was able to distribute grants to 15 local groups including Christ's Community in College Hill and Churches Active In Northside. 

The nine west side UCC churches who participated in Church-A-Palooza last year decided to keep the festival at First UCC in College Hill this year.  "Let's make sure it stays here," says Pastor Dan Weyand-Giese, "Your attendance insures that it will become a tradition here in College Hill."

For more information contact Pastor Dan Weyand-Geise (513-541-7302 ext. 17, danweyandgeise@cinci.rr.com).

College Hill residents and friends will celebrate College Hill at the three-night College Hill Block Party next week--Tuesday, August 7 through Thursday, August 9. The location is again the College Hill Presbyterian Church Parking Lot. 

Tuesday is National Night Out. 6-9 pm

Join your neighbors, all College Hill's community groups, your local police officers and fire fighters at a free cookout with music featuring the powerhouse 50's and 60's band "Most Wanted" (pictured). Aiken's football team will be on hand to make things run smoothly.



National Night Out is a nation-wide program aimed at promoting police-community partnerships in an effort to prevent crime, drugs and violence, and to improve overall safety in neighborhoods. Aiken's football team will be working to make things run smoothly.

The NNO celebration is sponsored by the Forum's Events Team.

Wednesday is Big Band Jazz Night. 6-9:30 pm

The evening will feature music by the Eddie Love Big Band along with an ice cream social and children's activities. The Big Band Jazz Night is hosted by P. Ann Everson-Price of Mojo 100.3.

Thursday Night is Youth Night. 5-9 pm

Thursday night will feature a basketball clinic and a "3-on-3" basketball tournament inside the gymnasium at St. Clare Parish adjacent to the Presbyterian Church lot. Come to cheer on your favorite up and coming basketball star.

Younger teens ages 13 to 14 play from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm; 15- to 17-year-olds play from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.  Advance registration is required.

For more information about the clinic, contact the Recreation Center at 513-591-3555.
 

 

The Rhythm Race winds its way through the historic, tree-lined streets of College Hill on Saturday, August 18. This 5K race draws elite  runners from the tri-state area, as well as recreational runners and walkers. It also draws a big crowd who come to watch the participants and enjoy the post-race party.

Once again, the race start/finish and post-race Celebration Party will be at Pleasant Hill Academy school on North Bend Road just a block east of Hamilton Avenue.

All are invited to enter the Run, Walk or the new-this-year Wheelchair Division. There are many age groups, so your chance of getting an award might be pretty good.

To pre-register, pick up a registration form at College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet, Piazza Discepoli Wine Merchants or Visconti Lechler on the Avenue, or go to the web site of our race coordinator, Steve Prescott.

When you pre-register, just $20 puts you in the race, gets you a free Rhythm Race t-shirt and admission to the awesome after-race party. You can also register on Race Day for $25 but we can't guarantee there still would be t-shirts available in your size.

Registration for the races starts at 5:30 pm.  The race starts at 7:00 pm.  The celebration party follows the race, with activities, booths, great food, cold drinks and music.

The Rhythm Race is presented annually by The College Hill Forum to benefit College Hill redevelopment. Last year, the Forum donated $20,000 in Rhythm Race proceeds to CHCURC, the College Hill Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation--all thanks to our great sponsors, volunteers and race participants.

Once again, thanks to long-time friends at PNC Bank, financial support for the 2007 College Hill Rhythm Race got off to a big start.  In this photo taken at College Hill Coffee Co.and Casual Gourmet, Jen Schuermann, at right, of the Rhythm Race Committee, accepts a $5,000 check from David Pendl, PNC Regional Manager, and Michelle Williams,Branch Manager of PNC Bank in College Hill.

    
College Hill thanks our other 2007 sponsors as well. At this printing, they include PNC Bank, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Mercy Hospital Mt. Airy, Bacalls Café, St. Theresa's Textile Trove, The Encampment Church, College Hill Coffee Co. and Casual Gourmet, LaRosa's College Hill, Llanfair Retirement Community, Hodapp Funeral Home, Fleet Feet Sports, Comey & Shepherd/Melanie Jackson, Twin Towers Senior Living Community, Al Neyer, Inc., JTM Foods, Schuermann Landscaping, College Hill Business Association, Midwest Grip and Lighting, Lord's Bounty, Elizabeth Sherwood, Attorney at Law, College Hill Investment Collaborative, Schwartz Jewelers, Hop House, Weston Insurance Agency, Hammond North, First United Church of Christ, Belmont Apartments, Savannah Gardens/Linda Fox/LJF Management, Karen F. Dudley, David Crowley, Visconti & Lechler Pharmacy, Das Krackenhaus, North College Hill Skyline, Chiquita Brands International, Kroger, McAuley High School, The Tossey Family, John Rose, Attorney at Law and Trader Joe's.

The Forum also extends a big thanks to Principal Cherese Clark again this year for use of the Pleasant Hill Academy school grounds and for all their cooperation in making this a fun all-community event.

 

Sherrie Bjursdtrom and her partner Clyde Brown, MD, are volunteers for EF Foundation, an organization that brings high school students from around the world to spend a year studying at an American high school.  Sherrie writes, "This year we have thirteen students we are placing at Walnut Hills, SCPA, Roger Bacon, and McAuley.  We are looking for host families for these students. Host families provide room, board, and a caring environment.  Students come with their own health insurance and their own spending money. We would love to place these kids with College Hill families."

Mary Lynne Schuster has hosted exchange students twice before, and has signed up to host again.  She writes, "It has been such a great experience for the whole family, and especially great for my girls, ages 6 and 10. They get to know someone from a different culture, about different customs and the whole family has learned to enjoy new and different foods!   The students we've had have been so eager to learn and have been so much fun. It is a lot of fun to take them around and introduce them to some of our favorite activities and American customs. My girls are already talking about being exchange students in high school, and what countries they want to go to."

Families, single member to multi-member, interested in sharing our city with someone special, should call Sherrie Bjurstrom  513-550-0618, or Clyde Brown 513-550-0617.
 

 

Cincinnati Police Officer Katrina Neal announces that College Hill will be sharing a new Hamilton County neighborhood probation officer with Northside.  

Having a designated probation officer in close proximity to probationers helps reduce recidivism and keeps criminals from slipping through the cracks of the justice system. Also, since it is usually a few criminals that commit 90 percent of the crimes in a given area, having a designated officer will help tie in a criminal's overall history which will then be taken into account during sentencing of the most recent crime.  Often, criminals are sentenced just based on the crime du jour and their entire criminal history isn't taken into account.  Officers want to literally "map out" a person's crime pattern and give a visual tool for the judge to use in handing down a more severe sentence for a repeat offender.  

More good news:  Arrests are being made in two neighborhood break-ins including a break in at Town Hall where criminals took a computer and damaged some doors.  Our officers should be congratulated for their perseverance. 

Story contributed by Sarah Mann.

Cincinnati Public Schools Superintendent Rosa Blackwell came to the July Forum meeting to talk about the role of the schools in our neighborhoods.   She reported that CPS's State standing has improved steadily for the past two years.  This comes after many years prior of being in a state of academic emergency and then academic watch status.  She says the schools are not yet where they are going to be, but they are moving up and not in a pattern of decline. 

Staff training is a huge focus right now.  Teachers are being held accountable for State testing scores, and it is important that they are given the proper training in how to prepare students for these tests. 

Cincinnati Public Schools, as part of a five-year strategic plan, will be intensely evaluating every student in every classroom to assess how best to spend taxpayers' money on educating students.  Ms. Blackwell reported that Cincinnati's public high schools are currently outperforming high schools in every other urban area in Ohio. 

Story contributed by Sarah Mann.

Like many young people, Michael Stallworth, 16, is spending his summer doing yard work. But while he's shaping College Hill's lawns, this soon-to-be sophomore at Hughes Center High School just might be changing the shape of his future as well. Stallworth is one of six teens participating in Clean Cut, an initiative of the non-profit Christ's Community in College Hill. Through the program, which began in 2004, the young men-and one young woman this year-work at least two days per week cutting lawns in the College Hill area.

Will Hagans is pastor administrator at Christ's Community, an outreach group comprised of Christian churches of various denominations and races in College Hill. Pastor Hagans said the program began in part to service the lawns of area senior citizens who needed the help. But more importantly, it provided work for some of the area's young people while also teaching them a skill.

The picture shows Michael Stallworth (left), one of six College Hill teens employeed by Clean Cut. Also pictured are James Jackson, who supervises the program, along with Toni Benford, administrative assistant for Christ's Community and Will Hagans, pastor administrator for the group.

Read the whole Enquirer article here.

From an Enquirer article by Shauna Steigerwald.
 

 

Adam Grimm earns big kudos from his neighbors for his work on Reid Avenue.

Neighbor Catherine Thurkill writes, "Adam has cleared away brush, small dead trees and weeds--including lots of poison ivy--and has opened up the grossly overgrown area at the bottom of our dead end street. 







Now he even has put a bench for all to use when we're going and coming from the library, walking dogs or simply playing on the playground."  

What a great example Adam sets for the rest of us!

Sarah Mann, President of the College Hill Historical Society writes, "The historic underground railroad Wilson House on Aster Place needs a buyer quick! 

"The realtor, Richard Anderson of Jordan Realtors, was invited by the Historical Society to come to the July Forum Meeting to talk about this historical gem. It has 4-5 bedrooms, two beautiful parlors and sitting rooms with original doors and woodwork as well as two beautiful marble fireplaces.  The yard backs out onto the lawn of Children's Hospital on Hamilton.  The sellers are motivated to sell as the house has been on the market for quite some time and they are not in a position to do any further maintenance on it. 

"If you or anyone you know might be interested in owning this circa 1840s house, call Richard at 513-791-0283.  If you just want to see pictures of it, contact me at the historical society:  collegehillhistory@yahoo.com "

 

Amy Finnegan writes to tells us about People Working Cooperatively's "Midnight at the Oasis" summer wine tasting & kickoff for the 2008 Oscar Night season to be held the evening of Friday, August 17. 

This is a fund-raiser for PWC, who do home repairs for folks who need help with them.  They were in College Hill last spring for a "Repair Affair."

 

McAuley High School has received $500,000.00 from The Marge & Charles J. Schott Foundation for endowment scholarships. This donation to McAuley's endowment is a lasting gift that will enable more young women to attend McAuley and further McAuley's mission.  Educating girls to become self-sufficient, influential, and enterprising young women was always very important to Mrs. Schott.

The Marge & Charles J. Schott Scholarship recipients will be outstanding students who are in need of financial assistance.

"House of God Community Ministries, Inc. invites you to join us for an Ice Cream Social and free back to school supplies," writes Pastor Anthony Hoskins. This event will be held at the church on Marlow from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm on Sunday, August 5.

For more information, contact Tiffiani Wharton  513-317-1297

David & Gail Loukinas write, "Please send a notice that D & G Automotive repair at the corner of Hamilton and Llanfair is not moving at this time. It is a rumor."