| The College Hill eNewsletter |
| Telling the story of "A Diverse and Neighborly Community." |
December 10, 2009
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Dear Friend,
Kudos to Working in Neighborhoods and the College Hill Housing Team on the near-completion of their third home in College Hill. And special kudos to Ron Cowgill for providing the article and pictures to illustrate this accomplishment. We think Ron's contribution is especially important to note here, because we think that sometimes noteworthy accomplishments go unnoticed because they don't get written up. Remember--articles appear here because someone thought to provide your editors with interesting news with a College Hill connection. Send us information (and pictures if at all possible) to us at eNewsletter@collegehilloh.net.
As always, you can share a copy of this eNewsletter issue with a friend or friends by clicking here.
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College Hill Coming Events
Dec. 11, MUSE Small Ensemble Present "An AMUSE-in
Evening" at the College Hill Coffee Co.
Dec. 12, Pleasant
Hill Academy Snowball Fest.
Dec. 12, The Cincinnati Boychoir Christmas Concert at the
First United Church of Christ.
Dec. 12, Aqapelyx Anonymous Annual Holiday Show at the
College Hill Coffee Co.
Dec. 12, Light Up College Hill Night.
Dec. 13, McAuley High School's annual Sounds of Christmas
Concert.
Dec. 13, Queen City Rainbow Band Concert and Dinner at
Grace Episcopal Church.
Dec. 13, Concert at the House of Joy.
Dec. 14, College Hill Presbyterian Church presents An
Evening of Christmas Music with Brian Donaldson
Dec. 15, College Hill Presbyterian Church presents The
Hope Community Singers.
Dec. 16, College Hill Business Association meeting at The
Hammond North.
Dec. 16, Journey to Bethlehem at Twin Towers.
Dec. 17, Christmas Around the World at Pleasant Hill
Academy.
Dec. 18, Ana & Milovan in Concert at the College Hill
Coffee Co.
Dec. 18-20, Cincinnati Black Theater Co. presents
"Black Nativity" at Cinti Christian University.
Dec. 19, Peraza Music Workshop Holiday Concert at College
Hill Presbyterian Church.
Dec. 19, Ryan Adcock in Concert at the College Hill
Coffee Co.
Dec. 20, National Audubon Bird Count at Spring Grove
Cemetery.
Dec. 20, An Afternoon of Choir and Liturgical Dance
Performances at the First United Church of Christ.
Dec. 20, College Hill Presbyterian Church: Only Love, a
Christmas Worship Experience.
Dec. 20, College Hill Presbyterian Church: Worship
Concert with Crosspoint.
For a complete listing of coming events in College Hill, go to the College Hill calendar. Got an event to add? Send it to enewsletter@collegehillohio.org! | |
WIN/Housing Team's Third Home Almost Complete
 No
doubt you have noticed a new home under construction along Cedar Avenue in
College Hill. The specific address is
1402 Cedar, at the corner of Cedar and Lantana. This is the third house built by Working in Neighborhoods
(WIN) in College Hill. It's sponsored by the College Hill
Housing Team, continuing toward the goal of eliminating blight and
increasing home ownership in College Hill. WIN
expects to have this house finished and ready for occupancy near the end of this year.
It will have 1476 ft sq, three bedrooms, and a 2 car
garage. Additionally it will be LEED
certified, which is a classification of energy conservation, and as a
consequence, will receive a 15 year real estate tax abatement from the City of
Cincinnati. Overall, it will be an ideal
home: attractive, energy efficient, and low cost to live in.
WIN
provides home ownership classes and counseling support for those who would like
to qualify for a home purchase. In
addition, there are follow-up classes available that would help the new
homeowners through all the challenges of home ownership. If you are interested, in learning more about
WIN and their work in College Hill, please contact WIN's Hope Wilson,
513-541-4109.
Here's a short history of the project at 1402 Cedar in 2009. From this lot that was cleared last year ...  ... to this ...  ... to this ...  ... to this ...   ... to this ... ... then this ...  ... and finally, it will be this home for a College Hill homeowner.  Thanks to Ron Cowgill for this article.
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Marty's Hops & Vines Packs Them In
 It was standing room only for hours at the soft opening of
Marty's Hops & Vines Saturday.
The newest business on The Avenue features gifts, wines,
and specialty beers, as well as a wine and beer bar.
People came from as far away as Amelia to wish
proprietors Marty and Kate Weldishofer good luck, and to try out what promises
to be another neighborhood gathering spot.
Tina Stoeberl and others from the Coffee Co. were seen
helping out the staff throughout the evening, taking time out from their own
busy night. Some of the patrons said they had gone to dinner at Bacall's before
their visit, while others were stopping for a drink or to shop on their way to
Bacalls or the Coffee Co.--or both.
See here for more pictures.
Marty's plans a grand opening Saturday--but you don't
have to wait until then to stop by! The store is open this week until 10 pm,
and until 11 pm on Friday.
Marty's Grand Opening Saturday
 If you missed last week's "soft" opening of
Marty's Hops & Vines, don't despair--you can still make the Grand Opening
Saturday.
Marty and Kate Weldishofer, proprietors of the newest
business on The Avenue, promise a wonderful time at what they say is "nothing
haughty or naughty... just a jaunty little Grand Opening party" all day
long.
There will be light refreshments from 11 am to 3 pm.
Marty's is open until 11 pm Fridays and Saturdays, and
every day except Sunday and Monday. Come meet Marty's friendly staff, and while
you're at it why not plan a day shopping and dining on The Avenue? |
The Avenue: Great Places to Eat
The North end of Hamilton Avenue now has three places to
"eat, sit, chat, and chill," as the College Hill Coffee Co. says: - the
Coffee Co.,
- Bacall's, and now,
- Marty's.
But don't forget The Avenue's OTHER great
places to eat:
- Award-winning Goody's Barbeque (eat in or takeout),
- Cult
favorite Chung Ching (eat in or takeout),
- LaRosa's Pizza (takeout or delivery--$9.99 special every day),
- Papa John's Pizza (takeout or delivery--now
open for lunch), and
- Shaker's, which is open most nights and now offers lunch; it's owned
by longtime College Hill residents who have made great efforts to be good
neighbors to the community.
Am I forgetting any places other than the EZ Market??? Let us know. |
 Aiken Band Reborn
Principal Eric Thomas writes that Aiken College and Career High School's Falcon Band has reformed.
"On Saturday night the crowd was treated to the return of the Aiken Falcon Band," he says. "After several years absence, we had more than 35 students outfitted in purple with instruments in hand. Yes, the SWOOOOOOOOOOPPPPP is BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!" Many more students would like to join the band but need instruments. College Hill residents have generously donated instruments and funds to purchase more. If you have any band instruments gathering dust in your attic, or if you would like to donate money for new instruments, please contact Mr. Langford at the school, 513-363-6790. |
| Theft Ring Busted
The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that three men caught stealing from a Wittekind Avenue home were probably responsible for another dozen burglaries.
Two of the men were from College Hill and a third from Colerain Township. Word is that Citizens on Patrol helped police with this case. Thanks, COP and District 5! |
 Feast of Love Feeds Hundreds
The annual Feast of Love Thanksgiving dinner fed more than 800 people this year.
According to the College Hill Presbyterian Church, 348 people ate a free, sit-down meal at the church. Another 180 meals were distributed through Meals on Wheels, and 300 to area shelters.
Feast of Love is an ecumenical ministry of several area churches. Many people, most of them College Hill residents, donated food, money, and volunteer time to the annual meal. In addition, FoL collected 4,500 diapers and more than 2,600 servings of baby formula for needy children.
Christmas and Easter dinners are coming up. We will be sharing volunteer and donation information here. |
McAuley Among Top Ohio Schools
McAuley High School was recently named one of the Top 50 Academic High Schools in the State of Ohio by Gerber Analytics, LLC.
The honor was based on McAuley's outstanding scores on the Ohio Graduation Test (OGT) for sophomores in March of 2009, ranking the College Hill girls' school in the top 3% of approximately 1,000 Ohio high schools. McAuley was especially noted for its scores on the writing test, which ranked them 8th in the state. Ninety-five percent of McAuley sophomores were rated as accelerated or above in writing, the highest possible OGT designation. McAuley was the highest ranking girls' comprehensive parochial high school in Cincinnati. This is especially notable because the school accepts girls of all academic levels. Thanks to McAuley for this story. |
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Student Violin Concert December 19th
 Peraza Music Workshop invites the community to a free Holiday Violin Concert Dec. 19 at College Hill Presbyterian Church. Students of Marion Peraza De Webb will present a Winter Concert featuring her advanced students in the Allegro and Vivace Ensembles, as well as her Suzuki group class. The repertoire will include classical pieces by McLean and Mozart, as well as traditional holiday music. Performers range in age from 4 to 15. Bring the family! The concert begins at 2:30pm. Thanks to Cindy Brown for this story. |
| Children Needed for Area Musical
McAuley High School will hold auditions in January for girls and boys in grades 5 through 8 for its spring production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
Auditions will be January 14 in Room 7, from 3:30 pm to 5 pm. Interested students should prepare 16-32 bars of a Broadway or Disney song, and bring their own accompaniment to the audition.
The performance dates are March 25-28, 2010. To schedule an audition time, or for further information, please contact Mrs. Alecia Lewkowich, director, at 513-681-1800 x 2268, or email her here. |
| Danger in College Hill
Hearing gunshots? It may not be what you think. It is reported that some
residents are shooting deer in College Hill.
Victor Phillips writes to tell us:
You are reminded that it is a huge
safety hazard to fire a deadly weapon in a residential area. It is also against the law.
As a long standing resident of College
Hill, I ask that you call police when you hear of activity that involves
killing animals and firing a deadly weapon from a residence. The police will visit the offender; there will be a fine and possible jail time for the law breaker. Just call 911, give the name and
address of the offender and be willing to press charges.
Please do not invite a police record to be part of your life
in College Hill. Accidents do happen. The loss of a child, adult, or pet cannot be
fixed with a "sorry 'bout that."
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College Hill May Lose LaBoiteaux Woods Programs
The current 2010
budget for the City of Cincinnati eliminates all nature programs at
Cincinnati Parks.
This would close down all programs and camps at
LaBoiteaux Woods Nature Preserve.
Resident Vivian Wagner writes to remind us how many
programs the Nature Center currently provides, which include school field trips
to the centers as well as walks and weekend programs, art camps and classes,
games and activities at neighborhood events, programs for scouts and
homeschoolers, and so on.
As city residents, College Hill residents would also lose
programs at the other Cincinnati Parks, incuding Magic Forest walks, Maple
Sugar Days at Mt. Airy, free fishing clinics, public canoe programs, ALL summer
camps, and more.
"None of these are lost yet," Vivian says.
"Twice in the past, Nature Education was put back into the budget because
citizens demanded it. If we can rally public support, Nature Education will
survive again."
If you want Nature Education put back into the budget,
Vivian urges you to call (and ask your neighbors to call) and write City
Council.
A public hearing on the budget willl be held December 15 at
the Pleasant Ridge Recreation Center (5915 Ridge Avenue) at 6 pm, and the
public can comment on any budget items.
City Council email addresses (always handy to have
available):
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Christmas Events at College Hill Presbyterian Church
College Hill Presbyterian Church invites all to the
following Christmas events and services:
Dec. 14, Supper Club: An Evening of Christmas Music with
Brian Donaldson. A native of Mt. Healthy, Mr. Donaldson has performed in
musicals, operas, concerts and recitals for the past twenty years. His program will include a cross-section of popular,
traditional Christmas songs and a few surprises. The 6 pm dinner is sold out,
but all are welcome to the 7 pm concert.
Dec. 15: The Hope Community Singers from an orphanage in
Kenya will perform a concert of music, readings and testimony. CDs, DVDs, and
crafts from Kenya will also be available to purchase. Refreshments will be
provided; the concert is free but a freewill offering will be collected. The
performance begins at 6:29 pm--how's that for precise?
Dec. 20: Only Love, a Christmas Worship Experience. The
Sunday before Christmas, CHPC will hold only one service. The 10 am service
will feature the church's Chancel Choir, children's choir, dancers, musicians,
narrators, and moving visual imagery to focus attention on God. CHPC says
"the service will tell the story of God in Heaven who loved the world so
much that He sent His Son, that whoever believes in Him and the sacrifice that
He has made would never perish, but have eternal life. Only God could make that
promise - only Christ could pay that price - Only Love could write this
story." Many different styles of music will be featured.
Dec. 20: Eric and Britt Hauck and the Crosspoint Worship Band. "Featuring a diversity of instrumentation and
styles, the Crosspoint Worship band combines classical excellence with modern
strength to engage the listener in a very authentic and powerful way,"
says CHPC. This 8:30 pm worship concert will include selections from
the band's latest album, Adore.
 Dec. 24: The Christmas Story as Told in the Bible. The
Christmas Eve worship service will feature Rhoda Brumfield's presentation of the Christmas story, with words entirely taken from Luke,
Matthew, and John. The dramatic presentation, directed by Richelle Roth, is now
in its seventh year, The CHPC presentation will include musical interludes
by the church's Chancel Choir. The service begins at 8 pm. |
 House of Joy Concert Sunday Honors Pastor's Anniversary
The House of Joy invites all to a concert in honor of the Reverend Todd O'Neal's 33rd pastoral anniversary.
The concert will run from 6 to 8:30 pm at House of Joy
Christian Ministries on Hamilton Avenue. |
Four Dead in Washington State
Tom Strothers writes this reminder:  I'm sure most of the readers are aware of the shocking murders
of four Lakewood, Washington, police officers on Sunday
morning, November 29. These officers with a combined service of nearly 50 years
leave behind 9 children, their spouses, countless family and friends, and a grieving
community (if not a nation). Moreover, we are left with a feeling of
vulnerability not so different from our feelings on 9/11/2001.
For two days one man, aided with family members and
associates, held much of Pierce and King
Counties
hostage. He was not to be found regardless of an army of law enforcement
officers and high technology. It was only due to the quick, decisive, and
defensive action of a single police officer that ended the threat...but not the
tragedy.
The scene at the Forza Coffee Company on the fateful morning
of 11/29 could very well have happened somewhere else including College Hill.
The fallen officers could very well have been some of our very own. We--each
and every one of us--need to embrace our police officers and help them in
every possible way to minimize the chance that something like this could happen
here.
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Pleasant Hill Celebrates the Holidays
The Snowball Festival.
Pleasant Hill hosts its annual Snowball Festival on Saturday, December 12, from 10 am to
1 pm. This FREE event is open to the
public and includes free gift wrapping from 9 am to 2 pm (providedby Living
Hope Bible Fellowship).
Live performances will
include performances from community residents, the Cincy AfterSchool Hand
choir, Pleasant Hill All-stars choir, Competition Jump Roping, and a Pie in the
Face challenge.
Participants will enjoy
several Arts and Craft activities such as ornament and card making, picture
frame decorating along with a Holiday
photograph.
Fun and excitement can
be found in the gym with challenging games such as Snow in the Can (a blindfold
game), Snowflake Nose Relay Race, and a Snowball Toss.
Free Snacks, Math Bingo,
and a Snowball Science activity are included to make the day a great way to
celebrate winter.
Students Present "Christmas Around the World."
Students in grades preschool through third will present "Christmas
Around the World" on Thursday, December 17th
at 6 pm. This FREE performance will be
held in the cafeteria, and open to the community. Light refreshments will be served. |
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The eNewsletter is published every week or so by the volunteers listed below. Our purpose is to help make College Hill an even better place to live, play and do business by publishing a broad spectrum of news for and about College Hill, with an emphasis on stories of College Hill people working together to improve our community.
The eNewsletter is independently prepared and published by neighborhood volunteers. It is not affiliated with the College Hill Forum Community Council.
Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of any College Hill or other organization--or even of the editors. The inclusion of an article is not necessarily an endorsement. The fact that something isn't in the eNewsletter is not necessarily a lack of endorsement--it's most likely because no one told us about it.
eNewsletter photos are often edited to remove extraneous material.
Send us news that you think would be interesting to your College Hill neighbors--and we'll very likely publish it. Email to eNewsletter@CollegeHillOH.net.
- Co-editors: Ken Lyon and Gail Finke
- Production Assistance: Rita Wilkins
- Backup Editor: Tom Strothers
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