Representatives of Aiken College and Career High School and the College Hill Community were invited to address the Cincinnati School Board at its Monday meeting.

Community representatives Phyllis Schoenburger (representing College Hill) and Michelle Jackson (representing parents) joined Principal Eric Thomas, staff, and students in leading the Pledge of Allegiance, and presenting a short video clip about the school, its students, and its activities.

Aiken was invited to address the board because of the tremendous strides it has made in recent years. Last year, Aiken made the biggest jump in test scores of all Cincinnati Public Schools. Mr. Thomas will repeat the presentation at the Nov. 27 Forum meeting (see the calendar for details).

Shirley Biere knew she would get to see the Emmy won by her favorite soap opera, Guiding Light. She won the chance to see and hold the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama in a sweepstakes.

But she didn't know one of the soap's stars, Marcy Rylan, would bring it to her College Hill home.

"I'm feeling like a celebrity myself," Shirley said in an Enquirer article. See it here.

Photo by Shauna Steigerwald

Work crews have been busy on The Avenue this fall. Here's a look at two remodeled businesses:

The Schwartz family invites you to an Open House and sale celebrating 70 years in business in College Hill, and the newly remodeled showroom of Schwartz Jewelers.

New carpet, new French display cases, and new lighting are among the changes you'll see Nov. 17 and 18. Register for gift certificates and enjoy great savings on jewelry and collectibles, including Pandora beads.

Stop by between 8:30 am - 5 pm next Saturday and 11 am - 4 pm next Sunday. Marty Schwartz promises you'll like what you see.

And did you catch the Enquirer article on the store? See it here.


Also on The Avenue, The College Hill Coffee Co. recently installed all new windows and a sturdy new entrance ramp from the rear parking lot. Check them out this weekend when you drop by for the special sale or concert. (Details here.) 

Last week we told you about young violinist Kori Hill, a member of the CSO's new chamber music ensemble for minority youth. Kori lives here in College Hill, where she is home-schooled, and the ensemble rehearses here at the First United Church of Christ on Glenview.

This week we learned about another College Hill connection. Kori's teacher, Marion Peraza de Webb, also operates Peraza's Music Workshop out of her Cary Ave. home.

Once or twice every week all her students gather for group classes at the College Hill Presbyterian Church. The young musicians have been featured performers in pre-concert performances at Music Hall and have performed for Cristkindlmarkt, Channel 12, and the Freedom Center, among other venues.

Ms. de Webb teaches both Suzuki and traditional classes. You can contact her here, and read about her in last week's Enquirer article here.

Watch for the students' annual winter recital, and the Nouveau Ensemble's upcoming performances, here and in our online calendar. (Don't forget to scroll down to see months of arts and community events.)

Story provided by Garin Webb

 

If you're one of the many families that makes the Playhouse in the Park's production of A Christmas Carol a family tradition, this year you can help out a local church AND get a ticket discount!

College Hill Presbyterian Church has more than 100 tickets available to the Nov. 30 performance. At $42, the tickets are a 15-20% savings. More than $20 of each purchase goes toward repairs to CHPC's two mission houses here in College Hill, and is tax deductible.

Discount parking passes ($6) are also available. To purchase tickets and passes, call the CHPC Main Office at 541-5676.

 

Amy Wallace, manager of St. Theresa's Textile Trove and proprietor of Oven Fried Beads, will hold her second show and sale at the College Hill Coffee Co. Friday from 6-9 pm.

Twenty percent of sales will go to STAF, a no-kill shelter for neglected dogs and cats. (See here.) http://www.staf.org

Last year Amy's show nearly sold out, so don't miss her last show of 2007. Get a sneak peek here. http://www.ovenfriedbeads.com

 

McAuley High School senior Devin Phillips has been awarded three scholarships to Wilmington College totaling $42,000.

Devin was granted the Multicultural Scholarship ($6,000 per year, or $24,000); the Greater Cincinnati Award ($1,500 per year, or $6,000); and the WC Academic Achievement Award ($3,000 per year, or $12,000).

She lives just up the road in North College Hill.

Story provided by Kathy Dietrich

 

Here's a brief roundup of news from the College Hill Business Association:

• This fall, College Hill was one of the neighborhoods featured in the annual bus tour by the Community Development Corporations Association of Greater Cincinnati (CDCAGC), which ended the tour with a reception at the College Hill Coffee Co.
• Both the Linden Park development and the new firehouse at Llanfair and Hamilton are proceeding, and meetings are ongoing.
• The CHBA has put together a welcome packet for new businesses, which includes maps of the neighborhood, a broom and other equipment to clean the sidewalk, and a Police Right of Entry Form.

Julie Larsen, who pens the popular comic strip The Dinette Set, will make an appearance at the College Hill Coffee Co. next Friday, Nov. 16.

She'll be on hand from 6-9 pm, with her latest book The Entitled. Everyone in attendance will receive an autographed Dinette Set panel.

CincySwing announces its third annual Smorgasboard of Swing workshops and dance the Saturday after Thanksgiving at College Hill Town Hall.

A full day of workshops on swing, jitterbug, the Charleston, the Balboa, and other swing-type dances will be followed by an evening dance. Two tracks of classes and eight sets of teachers from around the region mean there's something for every dancer from beginning to advanced.

Classes start at 10 am and run until 6:30. The dance begins at 8:30. See the complete schedule here.

Story provided by Terry Thompson-Cannon and CincySwing.

Pop singer Nick Lachey, who grew up in College Hill, will direct a local choir for a new NBC reality television program. Clash of the Choirs will air in December and will feature five musical celebrities directing choirs from their hometowns.

You can try out for the 20-person choir at an open audition Saturday from 9 am - 6 pm at Walnut Hills High School (3250 Victory Parkway). For rules and an application form, click here. To read the Post's detailed story, click here.