LAB DAY
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McAuley students took part in the College of Mount St. Joseph’s Women in Medicine Lab Day.
Your Community Press newspaper serving Addyston, Bridgetown, Cheviot, Cleves, Covedale, Dent, Green Township, Mack, Miami Township, North Bend, Westwood E-mail: westernhills@communitypress.com We d n e s d a y, M a r c h
Volume 83 Number 16 © 2011 The Community Press ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Frying fish
Ash Wednesday is next Wednesday, March 9, and that means it is time for your neighborhood fish fry. If your group is having a fish fry, send all of the information to westnews@community press.com
Organist in concert
For the final offering in this year’s Siena Music Series, St. Catharine of Siena Parish, Westwood, is hosting the young, prize-winning Korean concert organist Dongho Lee in recital at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 6, at the church, 3324 Wunder Ave. Lee is completing doctoral studies Dongho Lee at the Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University, Bloomington. At last summer’s National Convention of the American Guild of Organists, America’s oldest and largest association of church music professionals, Lee took both the audience first prize as well as first prize in the National Young Artists’ Competition in organ performance. This will be her first Cincinnati appearance. A free-will offering will be collected for continued support of the series and a reception will follow. For more information, see www.stcatharinersiena.org or call 513-661-0651.
300 and counting
Elder High School head basketball coach Joe Schoenfeld notched the 300th win of his career Feb. 18. Read what he thinks about his career. – FULL STORY, A6
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2, 2011
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Westwood rallies to save pool By Kurt Backscheider
kbackscheider@communitypress.com
Jennifer Borgert and Caroline Hofmann can’t imagine what Westwood would be like without its neighborhood swimming pool. To help make sure their community’s pool stays open this summer, the We s t w o o d mothers are joining forces with other residents to organize a Eby fundraising campaign to save the pool at Ryan Memorial Commons. “It would be sickening to lose this pool,” Borgert said. “It’s a quiet pool with a lot of great families. When you are at the pool you see the good in everyone.” The Ryan pool is one of 19 pools throughout the city facing possible closure this summer. John Eby, a Westwood resident who is active in several community organizations and serves on the board of the Cincinnati Recreation Commission Foundation, said the recreation commission is scheduled to have its budget cut by $2 million this year, forcing the closure of 19 pools and two recreation centers. He said the recreation commission and the foundation are working diligently to find funding to keep all the pools open this summer, but residents who want their neighborhood pools kept open have to step up and help as well. Eby said Cincinnati attorney Stan Chesley raised more than $217,000 to keep all the pools open last summer, and while Chesley is reaching out to the corporate community and raising money again this year he has made it clear that it cannot be his burden alone to carry. “We all have to do our part to assist Mr. Chesley in this effort,” Eby said.
KURT BACKSCHEIDER/STAFF
A group of Westwood residents is working to raise money to keep the pool at Ryan Memorial Commons open this summer. The neighborhood pool is one of the most popular in the city, with more than 800 members. Cincinnati Recreation Commission may have to close the pool for budgetary reasons. “We have to do what we can to keep Ryan pool open. It’s good for the neighborhood, and it’s important it stays open.” Hofmann, who lives within walking distance of Ryan, said the pool provides a safe outlet in the summer for neighborhood children, and the pool’s lifeguards, most of whom are from Westwood, work hard to make sure there are few problems at the pool. “This pool is a positive piece of the neighborhood,” she said. “It’s one of those hidden-away treasures people don’t always recognize.” The pool at Ryan Memorial Commons boasted more than 800 members last summer and was used by more than 9,500 people. The pool ranked fifth in attendance last year, and has hosted the city swimming championships for the past several years. “I was shocked to hear it’s possibly closing,” said Borgert, whose children are on Ryan’s swim team.
“We have new families joining every summer.” Not only is the pool convenient, safe and family-friendly, she said it’s also a bargain to join the pool. Membership for the entire summer is only $10 per person. Eby said as part of the fundraising campaign, the groups working to keep the pool open are encouraging past members and
new members to send in their membership fees as soon as possible. Membership fees can be paid at Advantage Bank, 3002 Harrison Ave., in Westwood. Advantage Bank has agreed to hold all the money aside in a special account until the summer. Anyone who would like to donate money to help keep the pool open may also contribute to the account at the bank. Eby said it’s estimated $50,000 is needed to keep the pool open this summer. He said Westwood Civic Association, Westwood Works and Westwood Community Urban Redevelopment Corp. are all supporting the fundraising campaign. “All the money raised in Westwood stays right here with our pool in Westwood,” he said. “We have to keep this pool open. Ryan is an important part of the fabric of this neighborhood.” For more about your community, visit www.cincinnati.com/westwood.
Mercy senior is National Merit finalist By Kurt Backscheider kbackscheider@communitypress.com
Elizabeth Ruwe said being able to take the Preliminary SAT when she was a high school sophomore was tremendously helpful. Early exposure to the test helped the Green Township teen score very well on the PSAT. Very well. Ruwe, a senior at Mother of Mercy High School, was officially named a National Merit Finalist based on her performance on the exam, becoming one of only 16,000 high school students in the country to earn the honor. “I was really excited,” Ruwe
said, about learning she was a finalist. “I know it opens up more opportunities for me.” She is the daughter of JenRuwe nifer and Joe Ruwe. The National Merit Scholarship program is an academic competition for recognition and scholarships that began in 1955. High school students enter the program by taking the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. More than 1.5 million students
enter the competition each year. “We are so proud of Elizabeth,” said Mercy Principal Diane Laake. “She is a true example of Mercy’s tradition of academic excellence.” Ruwe said she took a practice PSAT her sophomore year and took the National Merit qualifying test when she was a junior. “I felt pretty good about it,” she said. “It seemed like it was easier my junior year than my sophomore year. I think it helped to be exposed to that test as a sophomore.” She said being a finalist is an advantage when applying for col-
lege scholarships. She said some universities award full tuition scholarships to National Merit finalists. Ruwe said she is looking at colleges right now, but hasn’t yet decided where she will go after she graduates from Mercy. “I’m just looking at a lot of options,” she said. She may not have a school picked out, but she does know what she wants to study – she plans to double major in education and international studies. “I really want to help people and make a difference,” she said. “I think I’m going to study elementary education and focus on English and science.”
A Sweet Life Gives Back
During the month of MARCH, 5% of cupcake-sales as well as 100% proceeds from a special table in the store, will go to the AUBREY ROSE FOUNDATION!
The AUBREY ROSE FOUNDATION American Girl Fashion Show takes place on Fri.-Sat. & Sun. April 1-2-3 at Music Hall. CE-0000449480
American Girl Dolls will be raffled off at the Fashion on n Show Sh Sho how - Get Your Tickets @ A Sweet Life call for details 741-7800 9898 Colerain Ave.