MCAULEY GRADUATION
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See scenes from McAuley High School’s graduation ceremonies when 171 girls received diplomas.
Your Community Press newspaper serving College Hill, Finneytown, Forest Park, Greenhills, Mount Airy, Mount Healthy, North College Hill, Seven Hills, Springfield Township Email: hilltoppress@communitypress.com Website: communitypress.com
We d n e s d a y, J u n e 1 5 , 2 0 1 1
Volume 74 Number 19 © 2011 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Construction starting
Crews were expected to begin work to rebuild the McDonald’s restaurant on Winton Road in Finneytown this week. The restaurant had to be torn down after a fire. The restaurant is expected to be open in September.
B E C A U S E C O M M U N I T Y M AT T E R S
50¢
NCH plans community work day this Saturday
By Heidi Fallon
hfallon@communitypress.com
North College Hill Mayor Dan Brooks is hoping residents will volunteer to pitch in to help with a Saturday, June 18, community work day. The goal is to prepare the former Clovernook Elementary School site for the ambitious Procter & Gamble Co. project slated for August. P&G volunteers will spend Thursday, Aug. 11, transforming the old school into the city’s new
community center. “We want to have the building ready for P&G and we need to get rid of counters, blackboards and speakers mounted on walls,” Brook said. “Windows need to be prepped for painting and, in general, we’ll be doing a lot of miscellaneous jobs.” He said folks should bring their own tools, like hammers, screwdrivers and wire brushes. “There won’t be any heavyduty jobs, and people can come and stay to work as long as they
can,” he said. Volunteers should plan on packing their own lunches, but Brooks said he hopes to have drinks available. The work day will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The site is located at 1500 W. Galbraith Road. Once P&G volunteers have completed their project, city official plan to move the post office branch, administrative offices and police department to the new site. It also will have designated space for community use and a variety of programs Brooks want
HEIDI FALLON/STAFF
North College Hill Mayor Dan Brooks is inviting residents to pitch in to help prepare the former Clovernook Elementary School for an ambitious Procter & Gamble Co. volunteer program that will transform the old school into a new community center. The community work day is scheduled for June 18. to establish. For more information, call the city at 521-7413.
Springfield offers police, fire camps
Help for center
The Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr./U.S. Bank Foundation donated money for new beds and mattresses and a freezer for the Talbert House’s Mount Airy Center. – SEE STORY, B7
By Heidi Fallon hfallon@communitypress.com
HEIDI FALLON/STAFF
What’s for dinner?
Sporting spring
Relive the spring high school sports season, including North College Hill sophomore Lamar Hargrove, who was part of the state champion 4x100 relay team. – SEE PHOTOS, A5
Going fishing
North College Hill has its 14th annual fishing derby Sunday, June 26, at Lake Nina, 7200 Pippin Road. Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the fishing ends at 3 p.m. The day of fun and fishing is for ages 3-15 who are residents of the city. All children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. There will be prizes and food.
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Marvin and Charlene Kollstedt, Fairfield, brought dinner and their beloved pet to the Greenhills Concert on the Commons June 8. Cassie seems more interested in her owner’s picnic supper than the music. Temperatures in the 90s didn’t deter folks from enjoying the second concert of the series. The next concert is scheduled Wednesday, July 13, with Eight Days a Week.
Forest Park will continue in block grant program By Rob Dowdy rdowdy@communitypress.com
FOREST PARK - The city has used the Community Development Block Grant program for several projects in recent years, and that trend is likely to continue. During the Forest Park City Council June 6 meeting, council moved forward with plans to sign an agreement to remain eligible for block grant opportunities in the program’s upcoming three-year cycle, which runs from 2012 to 2014. The Community Development Block Grant program rewards
gram in the future. “We simply promise to follow the rules,” said City Manager Ray Hodges. Forest Park has used Community Development Block Grants in the past for sidewalks and to partially fund the Forest Park Senior Center. Anderson said the city’s participation in the grant program doesn’t mean the city should automatically expect to receive grant money. “It doesn’t guarantee us anything,” he said. The Community Development Block Grant program’s new cycle will begin this fall.
Greenhills considering levy renewal By Heidi Fallon hfallon@communitypress.com
To place an ad, call 242-4000.
grants on a three-year cycle based on submitted proposals from participating communities. Grants are rewarded based Hodges on the percentage of low- to moderate-income population in the area as well as need. Community Development Director Chris Anderson called the agreement a “formality,” but said it’s necessary if the city hopes to obtain grant funds from the pro-
Greenhills council is considering putting a 3.28-mill levy on the November ballot. The levy, first passed in 1976, generates $65,000 a year for village operations and is due to expire at the end of the year.
The levy costs the owner of a home with a $100,000 market value an estimated $24 a year, according to Evonne Kovach, municipal manager. Council passed legislation at its June 7 meeting to request the required information from the Hamilton County Auditor’s Office as the first step in putting the five-
year levy on the ballot. Councilman Bud Wolterman, who chairs council’s finance committee, said while the levy doesn’t generate a lot of money, it would be a significant amount to lose from the village coffers. Council has until next month to make a decision.
Springfield Township youngsters can spend part of their summer learning what it’s like to be a firefighter and a police officer. Both township fire and police departments again are offering free programs designed to give children a glimpse at day-to-day operations. The fire department will have a camp for ages 8-12 on July 5-9. Students will learn basic first aid and CPR, making fire escape plans, proper use of a fire extinguisher and weather safety. For ages 13-17, there is a junior fire academy July 11-15. Students will participate in hands-on fire safety activities including dressing in firefighter gear, using auto extrication equipment, fire extinguisher training and basic first aid and CPR. Register by calling 521-4213 extension KIDS (5437). The programs are free and open to Springfield Township residents and filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Each program will be conducted at the Springfield Township Fire Headquarters at 9150 Winton Road. Each academy will have a mandatory parent orientation the evening prior to the official start of the program. The police department’s academy will be July 11-16. Children participating in the program have the opportunity to interact with police officers on an individual basis while learning about the operations of a police department as well as fingerprinting, bike patrol, safety and canine use. The program is open to Springfield Township children ages 8-13 and filled on a first-come, firstserved basis. Classes are from 9 a.m. to noon at the Springfield Township Police Department, 1130 Compton Road. The week concludes with a graduation ceremony and pizza party for the students and officers. Call Officer Ken Klayer at 7291300 for registration information.