Bethel Journal 04/07/21 by Enquirer Media

BETHEL JOURNAL

Your Community Press newspaper serving Bethel and other East Cincinnati neighborhoods

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021 | BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK ###

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YOU’LL BE Delighted

Q&A: HERITAGE ACRES MEMORIAL SANCTUARY FOUNDER BILL GUPTON

Rebecca Kelley of Anderson Township expected to spend Monday morning, March 29, until as long as it took, to schedule a COVID-19 vaccine appointment for her 16-year-old son Adam. March 29 was the official ﬁ rst day that teens in Ohio without high risk for severe COVID-19 illness were permitted to the vaccine. PROVIDED

Mom and son, 16, ready for COVID-19 vaccine Terry DeMio Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

The grave of Connie Booth before burial; Booth was a Master Gardener and long-time volunteer coordinator at the Cincinnati Civic Garden Center. She had a favorite gourd so her husband cut off the top of it, put her ashes in it and then resealed the top back on with corn starch. It made a perfect, natural, biodegradable “urn” in which to bury her ashes. BILL GUPTON/PROVIDED PHOTOS

Happy birthday to Cincy’s natural burial ground Chris Varias Special to Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

It will be a fi rst-anniversary celebration after a year like none other, at a place like no other in Greater Cincinnati. Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary bills itself as the area’s fi rst and only natural burial ground. Its green burials use only natural materials – think natural stone markers and no embalming fl uid – to reduce the impact on the surrounding land. The 40-acre preserve in Pierce Township provides an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional burial options, and, as Heritage Acres founder Bill Gupton notes, a less-expen-

sive one, as well. The sanctuary opened last April and is marking one year of operation with an Earth Day celebration and open house from 1-8 p.m. Sunday, Gupton April 25. Gupton explained more about how a natural burial works. Question: What’s the No. 1 reason people choose this route? Answer: I think there’s really two. One reason is economics. A lot of people are turned oﬀ by a traditional burial and the extravagance of it. I had a lady on the See BIRTHDAY, Page 4A

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The grave of Connie Booth, Heritage Acres’ “inspiration.” This is a typical grave marker at Heritage Acres. They must be no larger than 12-by-18 inches, flat to the ground and of a natural material (not brass, polished marble, etc.).

Anderson Township

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News: 513-903-6027, Retail advertising: 513-768-8404, Classified advertising: 513-242-4000, Delivery: 513-248-7113

For the Postmaster: Published weekly every Thursday. Periodicals postage paid at Cincinnati, OH 45202 and at additional mailing offices. ISSN 1066-7458 ❚ USPS 053-040 Postmaster: Send address change to The Bethel Journal, 312 Elm St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 Annual subscription: Weekly Journal In-County $18.00; All other in-state and out-of-state $20.00.

Editor’s note: Information included refl ects this article’s original publication date – March 28. Rebecca Kelley of Anderson Township planned to be at her keyboard, fi ngertips poised, eyes wide open on an early Monday morning, ready for the COVID-19 vaccine hunt. “Absolutely,” Kelley said, “I’ll start working all the channels.” She has an appointment scheduled for herself already. This one will be for her younger son, Adam, 16. A junior at Anderson High School and member of the color guard of the Forest Hills Marching Band, Adam is ready to be vaccinated. “It will be a relief,” he said. Monday, March 29, was the offi cial fi rst day, in Ohio, that kids 16 and older without high risk for severe COVID-19 eff ects – and all adults – may get vaccinated. While some Ohioans have been able to schedule in advance, Rebecca Kelley said she wasn’t. But she won’t wait any longer. Parents and teens scheduling must remember, the only COVID-19 vaccine approved for 16- and 17- yearolds is the Pfi zer-BioNTech. Anyone looking for a Pfi zer COVID-19 vaccine may visit vaxchat.ohio.gov to talk with an Ohio Department of Health vaccine support virtual assistant and get help fi nding a provider who is off ering the Pfi zer vaccine, said Department of Health spokeswoman Alicia Shoults. “If those booking appointments have any addiSee VACCINE, Page 2A

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Deters: Ex-oﬃ cer tried to destroy photos in sexual assault case USA TODAY NETWORK

Anthony Pecord had been a Loveland police oﬃ cer for more than a decade when prosecutors say he drugged a man and then sexually assaulted him in January. There was even “photographic evidence of the crime,” prosecutors said. Pecord, who resigned before being charged with multiple counts of rape, pleaded guilty March 31 to reduced charges and was sentenced to four years in prison. The sentence had been agreed upon by both prosecutors and Pecord’s attorney. The victim also agreed to it, prosecutors said. Hamilton County Common Pleas Judge Lisa Allen accepted the plea and imposed the prison term. The 48-year-old former oﬃ cer pleaded guilty to three counts of gross

How rude are Ohio, Ky. drivers? Ranking the states Sarah Brookbank Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Ohio is home to some of the rudest drivers, according to a new ranking from Insurify. Insurify, a platform to compare auto insurance quotes, looked at their database of car insurance applications to identify the states with the rudest drivers. The analysis also found that Kentucky has some of the nicest drivers in the country. Insurify said it ranked states based on the number of drivers in each state with one or more rude driving violations on their record. Ohio ranked No. 6. for rude drivers. “In Ohio, wanton disregard for the rules of the road, demonstrated by rude driving behavior, is 32 percent higher than the national average,” Insurify said. What qualiﬁ es as rude behavior? Insurify said these violations are indicative of rude driving: failure-toyield violations, failure-to-stop violations, improper backing, passing where prohibited, tailgating, street racing, and hit-and-runs. “Failing to stop at a stop sign is the most common rude driving violation in Ohio, for which drivers are caught 34 percent more often than the average American driver,” Insurify said. The states who came in last place are known as the nicest driving states. Those states are Kentucky, Mississippi, and Maine. Kentucky has the nicest drivers out there, coming in at No. 50 for rude drivers. Insurify said the rate of rude drivers in the Bluegrass State is 10.01 per 1,000. In Ohio, it is 37.67 out of 1,000.

States with the rudest drivers, 2021 1 Virginia 2 Delaware 3 Idaho 4 Georgia 5 Wyoming 6 Ohio 7 Wisconsin 8 Nebraska 9 Iowa 10 Alaska

How to share news from your community The following information can be used for submitting news, photos, columns and letters; and also placing ads for obituaries: Stories: To submit a story and/or photo(s), visit https://bit.ly/2JrBepF Columns/letters: To submit letters (200 words or less) or guest columns (500 words or less) for consideration in

Vaccine Continued from Page 1A

tional questions, they should be contacting vaccine providers directly,” she said. Cincinnati Health epidemiologist Stephanie Courtney said the hunt for a Pfi zer-BioNTech vaccine shouldn’t be confusing for those scheduling a city Health Department appointment. The city is partnering with ArmorVax.com, and for those who get the app, when an appointment is publicly viewable, the type of vaccine is listed along with the location. For example, the health department is partnering with Duke Energy Convention Center for vaccination appointments, and as of Friday, the ArmorVax scheduling device shows the center will be providing Pfi zer vaccines. Courtney also reminded that vaccine appointments are based on age. If someone happens to try to register for, say, a Moderna vaccine, registration will be blocked for those under 18. Ohioans can get a vaccine appointment scheduled at a mass vaccination site by going through gettheshot.coronavirus.ohio.gov. But they can try through any scheduling device, offi cials here said. In Anderson Township, Adam said he has no qualms about the vaccines off ered for COVID-19. “The vaccines are known to be good, but some people think they’re bad,” Adam said. “Their evidence is baloney. Vaccines keep people safe.” He’s headed for fi ve-day school this week after having a MondayTuesday, Thursday-Friday in-person school schedule, with Wednesdays virtual. His experiences with the color guard were limited last year, but he’s hoping that will change with more students vaccinated before the new school year starts in the fall. His brother, Alex, 17, is ready too, said their mother. He’s commuting to Xavier University this year, where he has a hybrid schedule. “Both boys cannot wait for life to return to as normal as possible,” Rebecca Kelley said. “We’ve stayed in a bubble with my parents, who have both been vaccinated. The boys can’t wait to be able to socialize more freely!”

PROVIDED

Kroger to raise average hourly wage to $16 Randy Tucker Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Kroger plans to increase average hourly wages this year by 50 cents to $16 an hour after a robust year in which digital sales more than doubled in the wake of the pandemic. Cincinnati-based Kroger last year spent $300 million to raise average hourly pay for its workers to $15.50, up from $15 per hour, The Enquirer previously reported. On March 31, the grocer announced it would invest $350 million to raise the average wage to $16 an hour in advance of its 2021 Investor Day webcast. Some of Kroger’s biggest competitors have also announced pay raises. In February, Walmart said it would boost its average wage in the U.S. to at least $15.25 per hour. And earlier this year Costco said its starting wage will be $16 per hour, noting that its average worker already makes $24 an hour.

Kroger said it has invested more than $800 million in employee wages and training over the past three years for nearly 500,000 full- and part-time workers. Last year, Kroger consistently topped sales estimates as consumers stocked up on food and household essentials and fl ocked to Kroger’s website to order from the safety of their homes. Digital sales more than doubled last year to more than $10 billion, helping the company beat fourth-quarter and full-year profi t forecasts. Kroger’s total sales surged 8.4% to $132.5 billion in 2020, helping to drive profi ts to $2.6 billion for the year, up 5.6%. A key sales metric, identical sales without fuel, increased 14.1% in 2020. Besides Kroger stores, the grocer operates several regional supermarket chains in 35 states, including Fred Meyer, Harris Teeter, Ralphs, Mariano’s, Fry’s, Smith’s, King Soopers, QFC and others. The company has nearly 2,800 stores.

Cincy fire chief to retire in July Cameron Knight Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Cincinnati Fire Chief Roy Winston plans to retire July 24, city offi cials said March 5. Winston has been chief since June 2017. Prior to that, he was assistant fi re chief of operations and human resources and district fi re chief for districts one, four and the fi re communications center. "I want to thank Chief Winston for his steadfast leadership, his care for the fi refi ghters in his charge, and his commitment to the City of Cincinnati," City Manager Paula Boggs Muething wrote. "He has served the citizens of Cincinnati with distinction over the course of his 33-year career and we wish him the best in his retirement and future endeavors." The city manager's offi ce said the

search for a new chief would begin March 5. Winston was appointed by former City Manager Harry Black and replaced former chief RichWinston ard Braun. He was a regular presence at the scene of the building collapse on Fourth and Elm streets when crews worked around the clock for days to recover the body of Preston Todd Delph. More recently, he spoke to Cincinnati City Council about the need to ramp up hiring for the department as retirements and COVID-19 have caused overtime budgets to soar. Four years is a relatively short term for a Cincinnati Fire Chief, but not unprecedented. In recent history, the average term has been about nine years. The longest term in the history of the department was held by Barney Houston, who was chief from 1916 until 1957.

Worship Directory BAPTIST

CHURCH OF CHRIST

CHRISTIAN SCIENCE

Forestville Baptist Church 1311 Nagel Rd

GLEN ESTE CHURCH OF CHRIST

513-474-3884

937 Old State Route 74 (Behind Meijer) 513-753-8223 www.gecc.net

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Anderson Township

(Across from Anderson Post Ofﬁce)

www.forestvillebaptist.com Sunday Services: Discovery Groups ~ 10am Morning Service ~ 11am Evening Service ~ 6pm Youth Group ~ 6pm

Sunday Worship: 8:30 & 10:30am Bible Study: 9:30am & 6:00pm Youth Groups: 6:00pm

Wednesday Bible Study & Kids Program ~ 7pm Nursery provided for all Services CE-GCI0394198-01

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231-1020 christiansciencecincinnati.com

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UNITED METHODIST

❚ 312 Elm Street, Cincinnati, OH 45202 ❚ 2116 Chamber Center Drive, Fort Mitchell, KY 41017

GOSHEN UNITED METHODIST CHURCH

NEWS TIPS.....................................513-903-6027 HOME DELIVERY ..........................513-576-8240 ADVERTISING................................513-768-8404 CLASSIFIEDS .................................513-242-4000

The Community Press & Recorder, email viewpoints@communitypress.com. Include your name on letters, along with your community and phone number. With columns, include your headshot along with a few sentences giving your community and describing any expertise you have on the subject. Obits: To place an ad for an obituary in the Community Press, call 877-5137355 or email obits@enquirer.com

7341 Beechmont Avenue (Near Five Mile Road) Email: csandersontownship@gmail.com

Sunday Service & Sunday School 10:30 a.m. Wednesday Testimonial Meeting 7:30 p.m. In Church Reading Rm/Bookstore Open after all services. Downtown Reading Rm/Bookstore 412 Vine Street, Cincinnati Open Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

6710 Goshen Rd., Goshen (Across from Goshen High School)

Everyone is welcome!

513-722-2541

Sunday School - 9:30 a.m. Worship Service - 10:30 a.m. GUM Youth - 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Every Sunday: 6 - 12th grades JR. GUMY - 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. 2nd Sunday of month: 3rd - 5th grades

Weekend Worship Saturday: 5 p.m. Sunday: 10 a.m. LIVE STREAMING

Email: goshenumc@fuse.net Follow us on

go to our website, epiphanhyumc.org and click the link Nursery, Children’s & Youth available 6635 Loveland-Miamiville Rd. Loveland, OH 45140 513.677.9866 • www.epiphanyumc.org

Come, connect, grow & serve

2010 Wolfangel Rd., Anderson Twp. 513-231-4301

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Cincinnati Enquirer

sexual imposition, a fourth-degree felony. He will be required to register as a sex off ender for 15 years. According to court documents, Pecord sexually assaulted the man Jan. 24 in Miami Township. Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said the man was unable to consent since he was unconscious. In a statement March 31, Deters said Hamilton County Sheriff ’s Detective Jack Losekamp was able to fi nd “photographic evidence of the crime, despite Pecord’s attempts to destroy it.” Deters also said his offi ce continues to be sensitive to victims’ wishes in sexual assault cases. “As a result of this plea, we were able to provide justice to this victim while allowing (him) to close this chapter of his life and begin the healing process,” Deters said. “What is absolutely clear is Pecord should never, and will never, work in law enforcement again.”

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Kevin Grasha and Brook Endale

An employee works at Kroger’s new fulﬁ llment center in Monroe, Ohio.

Sunday Worship: 10:30 AM with

Childrens Ministry & Nursery PASTOR PAULA STEWART

www.cloughchurch.org

Handicapped Accessible Kyle Lanham, Senior Pastor Amber Blake, Children’s Pastor Tara McFerron,Youth Director Stephanie Lanham, Worship Director SUNDAY: Sunday School (all ages) 9:30 am Worship Service 10:30 am Children’s Worship (Age 4 - 5th Grade) Evening Activities for Children, Youth, & Adults 6:00 pm MONDAY: Ladies’ Bible Study/Prayer Group

10:00 am

WEDNESDAY: Choir Men’s Group (Grades 6-12) Children (Age 4 - 5th Gr.)

6:30 pm 6:30 pm 6:30 pm

THURSDAY: Celebrate Recovery 6:30pm New Hope Campus, 243 S. Fifth St., Williamsburg S. Charity & E. Water Streets Bethel, Ohio 45106 - 513-734-4204 Ofﬁce: M-Th 9:00 am - 3:00 pm E-mail: bethelnazarenechurch@gmail.com www.bethelnazarenechurch.org www.facebook.com/BNC4me

To advertise, email: cbollin@localiq.com or call: 513.768.6014

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Birthday Continued from Page 1A

phone last night saying, “Why put money into the ground when it should be going to your children?” And another reason is environmental. There’s a lot of folks who have spent their life recycling and composting and driving fuel-effi cient cars and then they get to thinking about, “What will my fi nal footprint be?” And when they do the research and fi nd out how environmentally unhealthy conventional burials can be, they tend to steer in this direction as well. Q: How much does a typical burial through a funeral home cost, compared to a burial through Heritage Acres? A: I’m not going to comment on funeral-home and conventional-cemetery costs other than to say that a green burial is defi nitely less expensive on average than a burial that we call a conventional cemetery, rather than traditional, because we believe we’re traditional. A body burial at Heritage Acres is $3,000. From the research we did, around the country, the average is $2,000-$4,000, and a conventional cemetery is way above that. There are a lot of things that funeral homes do in a conventional burial that they don’t do at a green burial. Some of those costs, like embalming, concrete vaults, the extremely fancy caskets, those things are not part of the price tag for a family getting a green burial for a loved one. Q: In the event of death, what does a family do? Do they contact you, and you make all the arrangements, or do they go through a funeral home and tell the director that they want a Heritage Acres burial? A: It’s absolutely best, regardless of what kind of funeral you’re going to have, to make these calls ahead of time, to do your preplanning and prearrangements. If no arrangements had been made, they would call us. We would talk them through what needed to happen. They would probably, in most cases, still use a funeral home, for things such as paperwork, death certifi cates, perhaps body transportation, perhaps some sort of handling of the body that they would want, maybe a ceremony at a funeral home or whatever. It’s just that the funeral home needs to be not doing the things that are not allowed in a green burial, especially embalming. Instead of

Milkweed is a predominant plant in the Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary burial meadows. EMILY PAVER/PROVIDED

embalming the body, it would be keeping the body cool until the time of burial and maybe transporting it to Heritage Acres. Q: So a visitation is possible without embalming? A: It deﬁ nitely is, as long as the body is kept cool. Many funeral homes will not be comfortable with that, or will make it a private viewing rather than a public viewing. It’s about the appearance of the body. A dead body looks like a dead body. A lot goes into making a dead body not look like a dead body in America. I’ll put it that way. It would be up to the funeral home if they would do a viewing and a service of an unembalmed body. The awareness is increasing that that’s possible and that there are people who desire that. It’s a growing trend, I guess you could say. Q: Is Heritage Acres at the vanguard of this trend, or had the trend been established before you entered into it? A: We’re deﬁ nitely part of a movement. Once a person has experienced or been to a burial of a loved one in a green burial, they’re blown away, almost universally. They go away as green burial advocates. Q: Which religious denominations have you worked with at Heritage Acres? A: We have had Catholics call us. We

have had Jews. We’ve had Muslims. We’ve had Protestants. Certainly agnostics and atheists, as well. I’m a Unitarian Universalist minister, and so there are certainly some Unitarians who have been inquiring and been a part of this. We’ve done fi ve burials so far. Three of them, I’m not even sure. I can’t tell you what faith, if any, the family was. We’ve done almost 70 prearrangement sales of plots. Q: How many burial plots would fi t on the property? A: Heritage Acres is part rolling hills and fi elds and meadows and part woods, so a third of Heritage Acres is really not usable at all for burials. It’s gorgeous woodlands with a creek and hills and trees and some ravines. If our business model was to cram people in tightly, we could bury several thousand. But that is not our business model. We’re a nonprofi t, and we are not here to maximize profi t out of this land. We’re here to protect this land and provide an environmentally friendly, low-cost alternative. They’ve all been cremation burials (so far). They’ve been ashes. We have not yet done a body burial. Two have been in the meadow and three have been in the woods. We can do ashes in the woods because the hole you dig is so much smaller and shallower, and it’s less intrusive into the root system of the

trees. We’ve created a hiking trail system through the woods. Off to the side of the trails are spaces where people can have their ashes buried. Q: Is every burial site marked with a stone? A: So far they are, but they don’t have to be. Every burial site is marked with GPS. We don’t have a grid. We’re not regimented like that. It’s very organic. It goes with the contours of the land and the desires of the people. What typically happens is we’ll show people around and they get drawn to some area. Something speaks to them, whether it’s the view or whatever’s happening naturally in that general vicinity. And they’ll go, “How about right here?” And I’ll go, “Sounds good,” and I’ll whip out my little handheld GPS thing, and we’ll get GPS coordinates, and I’ll put a stake in the ground, and that’s their spot that they’re pre-purchasing. Q: Is Heritage Acres open to the public? A: Yes. Dawn to dusk, anybody can come out and walk around. One thing we are going to have is a kiosk and a map. We don’t have that yet. Someone coming for the fi rst time would be better served if they called us and arranged a tour, but they don’t have to. They can come as long as the sun’s up and park and walk around, but they may not know where to walk. The burial areas are well set back from the road. Lots of neighbors and people in the community come out and walk their dogs or take hikes on the trails. There’s people who come out there frequently for recreation, which is exactly what we want them to do. We do educational stuff . We have foraging hikes and workshops, or mushroom identifi cation, or bird identifi cation, that kind of thing. We’re putting in a beehive. Someday, we hope we have a community garden. That’s all part of the ethos of what we see Heritage Acres being in the community. Q: Another part of that ethos must be that you’re preventing that land from falling into the hands of developers and becoming a subdivision. A: Yes, or a shopping mall, or a strip mall, or whatever. That is defi nitely part of our mission, the preservation of natural land and resources. The income from burials, if you will, helps to do that. Heritage Acres Memorial Sanctuary is located at 796 Locust Corner Road, Pierce Township. Call 513-231-6438 or visit heritageacresmemorial.org for more information.

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

When will cicada Brood X hatch? Sarah Brookbank Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Brood X periodical cicadas are only weeks away from hatching and fi lling our backyards with their mating calls. But when will it happen? Dr. Gene Kritsky, a leading cicada expert and entomologist at Mount St. Joseph University, has a handy way of fi guring out when the emergence will happen. Kritsky says Greater Cincinnati typically sees emergence in mid-May after two days in a row with temperatures above 80 degrees and there’s been a “soaking rain.” “For the past couple of years, it’s been the second day that our temperatures have reached the low 80s,” Kritsky said. But if you want a rough idea of when that could be, he has fi gured out how to estimate the soil temperature. Using the daily highs and lows, you can calculate a three-day average, which gives you an approximate soil temperature. As of April 1, the soil temperature estimate in Greater Cincinnati is about 50. Kritsky said at the minimum, there needs to be three consecutive days of 64 or over and some rain. “Then they pop,” Kritsky said. “They all don’t come up on the very fi rst night. They come up over about a two-week period and that’s if we have a normal spring.”

First Brood X cicada has already hatched, but it’s a bit of a fluke Kritsky said a cicada hatched March 3 in Maryland. Why? The soil temperature around the cicada was warmed to above 64 after a family had set up a tent

The lacy wings of a 17-year brood cicada are visible as it emerges May 22, 2007, in Homewood, Illinois. E. JASON WAMBSGANS / CHICAGO TRIBUNE, TNS

Cicadas on May 23, 2007, in Elmhurst, Illinois. ANTONIO PEREZ/CHICAGO TRIBUNE, TNS

around their outdoor hot tub. Wondering where it will happen ﬁ rst locally? In Greater Cincinnati, Kritsky said the cicadas pop up in Anderson Township ﬁ rst. Also, areas that get heavy sun will heat up faster than others, so keep an eye out.

Want to estimate the emergence start from home? Here’s how ... To estimate soil temperatures, you need the daily high and low temperatures for the previous three days. You can ﬁ nd that weather data for Greater Cincinnati at weather.gov/iln.

From that, determine the average daily temperature by adding the high and the low temperatures together and dividing by two. Next, calculate the two-day and the three-day running temperature averages. Finally, ﬁ nd the average of the twoday and three-day running average, and that will provide you with an estimate of the soil temperature at the cicada depths. Kritsky’s website, cicadasafari.org said this is more predictive for the start of the major emergence, not when the ﬁ rst few cicadas will emerge from the ground. For more information on calculating emergence and what to expect, visit Kritsky’s website, cicadasafari.org.

Several local universities plan graduations for class of 2020 Madeline Mitchell Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Editor’s note: Information included reﬂ ects this article’s original publication date – March 30. Visit Cincinnati-

.com for possible updates. More lenient safety protocols will allow this year's university graduates to celebrate on time and in person at University of Cincinnati, Miami University, Northern Kentucky University, Xavier

University, Thomas More University and Mount St. Joseph University. But what about the class of 2020? When COVID-19 cases ﬁ rst began to rise last spring, universities near Cincinnati and across the country canceled

or postponed commencement ceremonies for the class of 2020. Some of those postponements turned into virtual commencements. See GRADUATION, Page 7A

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Peas are a lovely seasonal vegetable. Add them to spring stir fries. Spring stir fry with homemade stir fry sauce

Rita’s Kitchen Rita Heikenfeld Guest columnist

Stir fry sauce The secret ingredient is teriyaki sauce. Use a good store-bought sauce or make your own.

“Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, pease porridge in the pot 9 days old.” My garden peas have pushed through the soil, still tiny but looking strong. For some reason, that childhood rhyme came to mind, so indulge me! Peas are a lovely seasonal vegetable, so when they’re abundant, peas are in my meal rotation. Sometimes I’ll simply saute them in a bit of butter with shallots and fresh mint and a grind of pepper and salt. More often, I add them to spring stir fries. I make my own stir fry sauce, and I hope you try making it, too. These legumes are good for you, too. Peas are high in ﬁ ber, low in fat and a good source of vegetable protein.

Ingredients This makes a nice amount. Store leftover sauce in refrigerator. ⁄ 2 cup Tamari or soy sauce

⁄ 4 cup teriyaki sauce

1 cup water 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 teaspoons each garlic and minced ginger or more to taste ⁄ 4 cup or so cornstarch

Spring stir fry with homemade stir fry sauce.

Sugar or honey to taste (start with a teaspoon or so) optional

PHOTO BY RITA HEIKENFELD FOR THE ENQUIRER

Freshly ground pepper to taste

Homemade teriyaki sauce

Instructions

Whisk together:

Stir fry ingredients

⁄ 4 cup Tamari or soy sauce

I always use peas along with greens, broccoli, bell pepper, onion and Chinese cabbage, a total of about 5 cups. You use what you like.

Whisk ingredients together.

⁄ 2 teaspoon ginger, minced or more to taste

⁄ 4 teaspoon garlic powder or more to taste

Up to 1 pound of meat, sliced thin or seafood is good in this too. Or extra ﬁ rm tofu, chunked up. Optional but good and gives a boost of protein.

Brown sugar to taste: start with1⁄ 4 cup Honey to taste: start with 2 teaspoons Freshly ground pepper to taste

Pea varieties

Whisk together separately and set aside:

This year, I’m growing sweet sugar snaps. Both these and snow peas have edible pods. English peas are the real plump peas. These you have to shell and are the ones often frozen or canned. Check out the photo to see the three kinds and how they diﬀ er, looks wise.

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Instructions Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet or wok. If using meat, seafood or tofu, stir fry over fairly high heat until just cooked through. Set aside.

⁄ 4 cup cold water

Instructions Cook everything but cornstarch mixture over low heat until sugar dissolves. Whisk in cornstarch mixture and cook until it thickens. If too thick, add a bit of water.

Add more oil if necessary. Stir in vegetables and fry until crisp tender. Place meat back in pan with vegetables.

Tamari and Soy: what’s the diff?

Pour stir fry sauce over mixture. Go to taste on sauce. Toss and stir until sauce thickens a little and mixture is coated.

Check my site.

Serve with rice cooked in broth, or water.

Adapted slightly from food.com.

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Who’s in next Cincinnati USA Chamber C-Change class? The Enquirer

C-Change, the Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber’s leadership program for mid-career leaders, recently kicked oﬀ its 16th class with 55 people representing various career and life experiences desiring to develop into civic leaders. “This program is built to provide advancing leaders an opportunity to connect with like-minded peers and community resources in a meaningful way, while enhancing their leadership skills,” said Andrea Mersmann, manager of the chamber’s leadership program, in a news release “The unique relationships established in each class ... create invaluable professional friends invested in impacting regional development.” The chamber has provided leadership development for more than 40 years beginning with the launch of Leadership Cincinnati USA. Since then, more than 3,500 leaders have participated in the chamber’s leadership programs expanding competencies, business connections and loyalty to the region.

The 2021 C-Change members The members of the 2021 C-Change class come from a variety of backgrounds, occupations, and local employers. Listed in alphabetic order, they are: h Steven Acosta, Fifth Third Bank; Tony Almaguer, University of Cincinnati; Shimon Bachrach, Ohio National Financial Services; Jamie Barron, Port of Greater Cincinnati Development Authority; Skye Barry, Johnson Investment Counsel Inc. h Christian Bradley, Tri“This program is Health; Jonabuilt to provide than Budde, advancing Skanska USA; leaders an Jonathan opportunity Buening, Artto connect with sWave; Chrislike-minded topher Capato, peers and Kroger Co.; community Doug Cushresources in a man, Ernst & meaningful way, Young. while enhancing h Jack Estheir leadership tael, YMCA of skills.” Greater CincinAndrea nati - Central Mersmann Parkway; Kylee Chamber’s leadership Fisher, Great program manager American Insurance Group; Daniel Flynn, St. Vincent de Paul – Cincinnati; Derrick Gentry, Hamilton County Clerk’s Offi ce; Peter Gillespie, Cincinnati Insurance Cos. h Dr. Angelica Hardee, American Heart Association; Guy Harmon, Messer Construction Co.; M. Zack Hohl, Graydon, Head & Ritchey law fi rm; Eric Hornung, RKCA investment banking; Timothy Hsu, GBBN Architects Inc. h Bridget Hughes, Truepoint Wealth Counsel; Bruce Jeff ery, YMCA of Greater Cincinnati; Cassie Johnson, Western & Southern Financial Group; Jason Jonovski, Frost Brown Todd law fi rm; Anthony Kahny, TriVersity Construction. h Mark Kinsel, PNC Wealth Management & Hawthorn Family Offi ce; Julia Kops, Perfetti Van Melle; John Krehbiel, Brixey and Meyer accounting fi rm; Nicholas Maronde, Marsh & McLennan Agency; Bradley Mason, Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber. h Maeve Mason, Duke Energy; Shawn Masterson, U.S. Bank; Megan M. Okun, Taft Stettinius & Hollister law fi rm; Erica Page, PhD., Learning Through Art Inc.; Amanda ParkerWolery, Art Academy of Cincinnati. h Bryen Pinkard, Core Specialty Insurance; Kandice Powell, SageSure insurance managers; Heather Ratliff , Elevar Design Group; Sravan Reddy, E.W. Scripps Co.; Kristin Riepenhoff , Fotofocus. h Adam Rogier, Huntington National Bank; Erik Schousboe, 84.51°; Angel Scott, Paycor Inc.; Eric Severson, Fifth Third Bank; Stephanie Shewmon, Shewmon Communications. h Ritu Singh, Dinsmore & Shohl law fi rm; Abby Sturgill, Kroger Co.; Jake Suer, HGC Construction; Adam Swick, Refi nery Ventures; Kevin Thomas, Constellation Wealth Advisors. h Jeremy Thomas, MCM CPAs & Advisors; Michael Vassar, Bartlett Wealth Management; Allison A. Westfall, Keating Muething & Klekamp law fi rm; and Shannon Wrona, PNC.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

Found Village CEO Nzekwu wins Jeﬀ erson Award for helping kids Briana Rice Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Katie Nzekwu started Found Village with a mission to ensure that all children in the Greater Cincinnati area have the same opportunities and support systems they need to reach their potential. Her passion for helping at-risk teenagers and young adults helped her earn the 2020 Jeff erson Award for Public Service in Greater Cincinnati on March 25. The Jeff erson Award is presented annually by the Rotary Club of Cincinnati and the American Institute of Public Service. Traditionally, the winner would travel to Wasington D.C. to represent the region for the national award. Due to the pandemic, the national conference will be virtual this year. Though the Cincinnati Rotary Club was able to gather in person this year, the celebration was diff erent. Rotary Club members, as well as honorees, past winners and other community members got together, masked and

with tables 6 feet apart. The celebration was streamed via Zoom. Nzekwu is the co-founder and CEO of Found Village, an organization dedNzekwu icated to helping fostercare teens, young people emancipated from foster care with no family or support, teenagers living in single-parent homes and other teenagers facing diﬃ cult life circumstances. “All these teens have one thing in common, they come from systems of inequality, generational poverty and extreme dysfunction that has prevented a way out,” it says on the Found Village website. “Everyone can do something,” Nzekwu said. “It really is one kid at a time.” This is the 16th year the Rotary Club of Cincinnati has coordinated the award, which honors community members who illustrate outstanding volunteerism and exemplify the Rotary motto, “Service above self.” In a letter of nomination, Janet Burns wrote: “She has turned her life around and is helping at-risk teens to do the

same. When Katie saw that the traditional services to help these teens were not working, she knew she had to do something diff erent.” As of June 2020, Found Village reports it has saved the community over $200,000 in added or duplicated services for its populations by helping stabilize foster care and independent living placements, supporting teens to return and graduate from high school and post-secondary programs and building healthy lifelong relationships. “Some people take action and I think that’s who we’re here to celebrate,” said Craig Young, the 2020 Jeff erson Award winner. The other fi nalists: h Bob Buechner, executive director, BeEx foundation. h Evangeline DeVol, founder and executive director, NEST Community Learning Center. The Jeff erson Award was created in 1972 by Cincinnati native and former U.S. Senator Robert Taft and former fi rst lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The award is presented to recipients in more than 90 U.S. cities.

During pandemic, Cincy Favorites saves Montgomery Inn Alexander Coolidge Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

It all started around Christmastime in 1993. Evan Andrews, the vice president of Montgomery Inn, had a friend in Cleveland who asked if he’d mind shipping 10 slabs of his family business’ famous ribs. A few weeks later, the pal responded with an angry phone call. “He said ‘I thought we were friends!’” Andrews recalled. The ribs arrived in Cleveland alright – along with a delivery bill of $550. That gave Andrews an idea for a side business for the local restaurant chain: instead of paying a third-party to pack up ribs and ship (with a huge markup), what if Montgomery Inn did the packing itself and then sent it out? Almost 30 years later, the answer to that question, “Cincy Favorites,” proved to be a life raft to a beloved local institution amid the COVID-19 pandemic that shook the restaurant industry to the core. “That’s how it all happened – we’re blessed we’ve had this other business to stay aﬂ oat during the worst of the pandemic,” Andrews said, referring to the nearly two-month shutdown of sitdown dining at Ohio restaurants last spring.

Graeter’s, Skyline, LaRosa’s in the mail In the past year, Cincy Favorites more than doubled in size to make up nearly a quarter of the family-owned company. “We will have 35 of the 50 states today,” Andrews said recently touring The Enquirer around Cincy Favorites’ fulﬁ llment center in Reading. He pointed out packages headed to Hilton Head, South Carolina; Olive Branch, Mississippi; and Colorado Springs, Colorado. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Montgomery Inn, Cincy Favorites also sells other treasured local brands like Graeter’s ice cream and Skyline Chili. Over the years, it has evolved from a holiday gift time standby. Nowadays, the operation is shipping nearly 50,000 orders throughout the year. Perishable items are sent with enough dry ice to keep them cool for up to 12 hours after delivery. The delivery fee is a ﬂ at $19.99 per shipment for most orders that ship in few days via UPS Ground. Given the delivery fee, most

Graduation Continued from Page 5A

Miami U., NKU and Mount St. Joseph announced they will host in-person events this spring to honor those graduates who missed out on a traditional farewell in 2020. Miami is hosting a class of 2020 commencement on May 13, according to the university's website. "It is our genuine pleasure to invite the Miami University Class of 2020 graduates and their families back to

Ryan Chait adds packing peanuts to boxes of Glier’s Geotta on March 15 at the Cincy Favorites fulﬁ llment center, owned and operated by Montgomery Inn. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

customers order several items at a time. Yes! If you’re a hardcore fan in Florida or Texas, you can get two La Rosa’s cheese or pepperoni pizzas delivered (they’ll be frozen). Cincy Favorites sells packs of two, four and eight. Many customers add Graeter’s ice cream and maybe an Opera Cream Cake by the BonBonerie. During the new coronavirus outbreak, loyal Montgomery Inn customers not only ordered takeout from its two restaurants but also from Cincy Favorites – ordering more ribs, signature barbecue sauce, pulled pork and other menu items. “Online is up - way up – on the Monday after COVID hit we had 350 orders,” Andrews said referring to Cincy Favorites. “Our business (initially) tripled overnight.” A year after launching, Andrews remembered clearing 50 orders in one day near Christmas 1994 and his wife, Margaret “Terry,” conﬁ dently predicted 200 daily orders one day. This past holiday season alone, daily orders ranged between 2,000 to 4,000.

Cincy Favorites’ success is a uniquely Cincinnati story: part of the reason it’s ﬂ ourished (and not just selling ribs and barbecue) is the region’s strong stable of popular local food cbrands with intensely loyal customers, including La Rosa’s Pizza, Glier’s Goetta and Jeﬀ Ruby’s Steakhouse. “People have asked me why don’t you do other cities like Cleveland Favorites or Columbus Favorites, but other cities don’t have this. Cincinnati is unique,” Andrews said.

Cincy Favorites also beneﬁ ted in the early days from the region’s strength in packaging, shipping, logistics and other disciplines, Andrews said. Back then, he was able to get economical customized packaging supplies because he had friends that happened to own and operate local companies that did that sort of thing. That’s also how Montgomery Inn came to have one of the region’s oldest web sites – one that pre-dates locallybased Fortune 500 company Procter & Gamble’s. Andrews asked another buddy about setting that up too. “A friend told me then we needed a website, I asked ‘What’s a website?’ “ Andrews said. Founded in 1951, Montgomery Inn came to be known for its barbecue after family patriarch Ted Gregory asked his wife, Matula, to cook some ribs while he entertained friends at what was then a small bar. The ribs were so popular they became the signature menu item within a few years. Now operated by the second generation, Montgomery Inn also sells its sauce, ribs and other products in supermarkets as far away as 350 miles, including Kroger, Meijer, Walmart and Costco. Andrews, who is the son-in-law of the founder, oversees the company’s nonrestaurant ventures. His brothers-in-law, Tom and Dean, oversee the company’s two restaurant locations. His sister-in-law, Vickie, also participates in the family business, as well as his nephew, Theodore “Tag.” Combined, Cincy Favorites and the grocery business have grown to nearly half the company’s total business. Andrews declined to disclose the company’s sales ﬁ gures.

their alma mater for an in-person graduation ceremony this May," the site reads. "The ceremony will include remarks from President Greg Crawford and 2021 Commencement speaker Dr. Carolyn Jeff erson-Jenkins, and each graduate in attendance will be individually recognized as they walk across the commencement stage." Graduates can invite up to six guests and everyone will be required to wear a mask and maintain proper social distancing. Offi cials say the event will also be livestreamed. NKU's class of 2020 ceremony will be held May 9 on the fi eld at the NKU Soc-

cer Complex in Highland Heights, according to a letter from university president Ashish Vaidya to students. Mount St. Joseph will hold a ceremony for 2020 grads on May 8 at 6 p.m., according to a university spokesperson. UC spokesperson M.B. Reilly says UC is also looking to honor its class of 2020 graduates, either in the fall or in spring 2022. "We look forward to celebrating this special class in Nippert Stadium," Reilly said. Other local universities have yet to announce if and when they will hold events for the class of 2020.

1 of Cincinnati’s earliest web pages

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###

SPORTS Heart & Hustle:

PREP SOFTBALL

Top 2021 SW Ohio players to watch

Felicity-Franklin’s Crozier keeps dad in mind on court Shelby Dermer Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Foul shots have never been Carson Crozier’s favorite part of playing basketball. The Felicity-Franklin 6-foot-3 guard shot just 58.6% from the charity stripe last season. But when the junior stepped to the line Feb. 6 against Manchester with 999 career varsity points and missed his fi rst attempt, there were no butterfl ies about converting the second. That’s because he knew who was with him at that moment. Crozier’s father, Matthew, played varsity basketball at Felicity High School in the 1980s. A falling tree struck and killed Matthew Oct. 20, 2019, while he worked in the fi eld with Carson and his older brother, Wyatt. He was 50 years old. “We were just working and getting ready to plant,” Carson remembers. “He was on our tractor, clearing brush along the woodline and an old, dead tree just happened to fall right on him. It was really bad luck — just a freak accident.”

His 2nd coach More than a month later, Crozier helped lead his team to a dramatic 52-51 win over White Oak in the 2019-20 season opener with 11 points and six rebounds. It was the ﬁ rst game without his dad watching from the stands. Crozier remembers his dad not being an Xs and Os guy, but someone who would always push him to go the extra mile on the court. “He was a second coach for me, but not in a basketball way,” Crozier said. “He always wanted me to work my hardest, which is something he’d tell me after a game where he thought I didn’t play my best. He was always encouraging. He always knew that the game of basketball was my dream and he pushed me there.” When things got tense on the basketball court, Crozier knew his dad would still be with him in spirit — still pushing him to work harder. “Especially in big games or big mo-

Shelby Dermer Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Felicity-Franklin junior guard Carson Crozier, pictured, Monday, March 8, at the school in Felicity, Ohio. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

ments, I would just get a random thought and know he was thinking of me up there,” Crozier said. “It’s deﬁ nitely a conﬁ dence boost.”

‘He is very resilient’ Crozier would go on to average 15.2 points and fi ve rebounds that year and was one of just fi ve underclassmen in the Southern Buckeye Conference to garner fi rst-team all-league honors. He couldn’t have done it without the support of his team. “It’s one of those things where you fi nd out who your friends are and every person on the team, the program and the whole town, really, was incredible,” Crozier said. “It’s a small community we live in and there was a ton of support. That was the best thing to come out of it.” But the grieving process has no timetable. Felicity-Franklin head coach Jason Thompson remembers the diffi cult days, where focusing on basketball wasn’t the easiest of tasks. “There were days when he wasn’t practicing well and I’d let my assistants run things. He and I would go back in my offi ce and he’ll fall into my arms and just cry,” Thompson said. Crozier always did his best to stay strong, though. Whether that meant returning to practice with tear-fi lled eyes or standing in front of a crowded church in front of friends, family and teammates during his father’s visitation.

“He was courageous (during the visitation). He is very resilient,” Thompson said. “That life-changing event didn’t change his disposition. “I told him, ‘God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers. He sees something in you that is going to help you cope and grow through this situation and stay strong during it.’”

Greater Miami Conference

Crozier’s basketball legacy is still being written. He’s gearing up for another AAU season this spring, followed by one ﬁ nal run with the Cardinals next winter and has been in contact with some col-

Leilah Ferrari, Lakota East: The Thunderhawks went to the state championship game in 2019 with a team of 11 juniors and four seniors. Ferrari, a sophomore in 2019, is expected to have a big impact, per East assistant coach Jess Howard. Abby Bode and Niki Bode, Oak Hills: The Highlanders have their youngest team in program history with just three upperclassmen, per head coach Jackie Cornelius-Bedel. Twins Abby and Niki Bode will lead the defense at middle infi eld. Belle Hummel, Lakota West: As a freshman in 2019, she was a fi rstteam GMC selection. She had a .494 batting average with a team-high 43 hits with 18 RBI. She also tied for the conference lead with 24 stolen bases. K.K. Mathis, Lakota West: The freshman pitcher was a second-team GMC selection in 2019. She was fourth in the conference in wins (13) and fi fth in strikeouts (108) with a 1.90 ERA. She also hit .354 with three homers. Ariah Peregrina, Lakota West: The senior was second-team GMC in 2019. She hit .384 with 27 RBI and a team-high 10 doubles. JoJo Peregrina, Lakota West: The senior was second-team GMC in 2019. She hit .491 with 18 knocked in and seven doubles. Sydney Carter, Mason: A Butler commit, Carter was fi rst-team GMC in 2019 after leading the conference in hitting (.576). She was also third in RBI with 40. In 17 career circle appearances, she has a 2.11 ERA. Katie Pearson, Middletown: The senior led the Middies in RBI (20) in 2019 and hit .407. Breiley Proffi tt and Cara Stacy, Fairfi eld: The two remaining starters from the 2019 team that was a district runner-up, per coach Brenda Stieger. Proffi tt scored 19 runs as a freshman and swiped 10 bases. Stacy hit .290 as a freshman and knocked in 15.

See CROZIER, Page 2B

See SOFTBALL, Page 2B

Mr. 1,000 When he stepped to the line against Manchester in February, Crozier couldn’t help but think of the last time he was in that gym. With his dad in the stands on Dec. 1, 2018, Crozier started his fi rst varsity game as a freshman along with Wyatt, a senior at the time. The two combined for 13 points, 11 rebounds, fi ve assists and three steals in a memory that Matthew cherished. “My dad told me the night that happened that it was one of the proudest moments of his life,” Crozier said. Despite the fi rst attempt rimming out, Crozier was as confi dent as ever when he stepped back to the line. “I knew I had to make the second one, but I also knew he was there,” Crozier said. “That was the only time I wasn’t nervous shooting a free throw. I was thinking about him and how proud he would’ve been if he was there watching.” Crozier took one dribble, lightly tossed the ball with backspin, bent his knees, raised the ball over his head and fl oated up a shot that was nothing but nylon for career point No. 1,000. Both teams stopped play as Crozier got the record-setting ball while his teammates embraced him. Crozier likes to believe his dad, usually stoic and stern, would’ve felt more emotional than usual when that ball went in. “I don’t think he would’ve completely shown it, but I think that night would’ve been a pretty emotional one for him, myself and my brother.”

‘I’ll always think about him when I play’

Matthew Crozier (far right) passed away in 2019 at age 50 from a farming accident. PROVIDED BY CARSON CROZIER

Cincinnati has sent a Division I team to the state softball Final Four in 23 of the last 24 years, but they are a combined 0-8 in state championship games. Will 2021 be the end of the DI curse? Williamsburg is the last area team to win a state title, taking home the DIV hardware in 2017. After going a year without spring sports due to the pandemic, the longawaited return of high school softball in Ohio is near. Here are the top players to watch this season in Greater Cincinnati.

Top 22 football recruits of Greater Cincinnati Scott Springer Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

With the top class of 2021 high school football players either already signed in December or February, it's time to take a look at the class of 2022 prospects many colleges are mulling over. Here are 22 of the top 2022 prospects who could be signing on the next Early Signing Day in December. These rankings are not from the personal preferences of Enquirer staﬀ ers. It's merely a compilation based on various recruiting services such as 247Sports, Rivals and others. As we have found in past years, rankings do change and they're heavily inﬂ uenced

by the number of Division I oﬀ ers. It's a mathematical rating that has no bearing on what a player's upcoming fall season might bring. The ratings will be updated periodically when changes occur.

Top 22 Class of '22 22. Chase Brown, defensive end, Moeller - At 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds, Brown had 12 tackles and 2.5 sacks for the Crusaders. Brown is considered a "sleeper" by some with Akron being among the early schools showing interest. 21. Grant Lyons, linebacker, St. Xavier - The 6-foot-3, 230-pound outside

linebacker has off ers from Air Force, Army and Ball State. He had 54 tackles and led the GCL-South in sacks with six. 20. Paul Haywood, off ensive line, La Salle - The 6-foot-4, 315-pound guard has off ers from Akron and Dartmouth. 19. Ken Willis, cornerback, Colerain - Willis is a 5-foot-11, 160-pound defensive back for the Cardinals. He had 31 tackles this past season and 20 as a sophomore. He's been off ered by Miami University, Eastern Kentucky, Toledo and Akron. 18. Drew Ramsey, athlete, Elder The 6-foot-1, 200 pound Ramsey has been a quarterback, receiver, running back, defensive back and punter at El-

der. He's been oﬀ ered by the Miami RedHawks and Toledo. He had 55 catches for 762 yards and eight scores as a junior and ran for 721 yards and 14 touchdowns. He completed 7-of-10 passes for 120 yards and a touchdown. 17. Brandon White, wide receiver, Moeller - The 5-foot-8, 160-pound speedster was injured much of 2020 but had three catches for 94 yards in Moeller's opening win over Bishop Hartley. He had 17 catches for 272 yards and three scores as a sophomore. Akron has oﬀ ered White with Wisconsin Purdue, Army, Toledo, Temple,and Cincinnati showing interest. See FOOTBALL, Page 2B

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

EASTSIDE COMMUNITY PRESS

Crozier Continued from Page 1B

lege programs about the future. Whether it’s a practice, a game or just a

Softball Continued from Page 1B

Val Allen, Mason: As a freshman, she was second-team GMC with 26 RBI, six doubles and eight runs scored.

Eastern Cincinnati Conference Savannah Posey, Walnut Hills: The senior infi elder and pitcher is a fouryear varsity player. Riley Ketron, Walnut Hills: The fi rst baseman has three years of varsity experience, per head coach Jayma George-Hazel. Olivia Craycraft, Milford: The senior and Washington University commit led the conference with a .557 average in 2019. Emily Allphin, Milford: The senior is a Walsh University signee and key offensive threat for the Eagles after leading the ECC in RBI (41) in 2019. Ryan Kennedy, Turpin: The senior was fourth in the ECC in batting average (.491) with four long balls in 2019. Reece Hampton, West Clermont: The senior was second in the ECC with 13 wins in 2019 and has a career 2.73 ERA. She also knocked in 30 at the plate as a sophomore. Lauren Holt, Little Miami: She was fi rst-team SWOC as a freshman in 2019 after leading the league with a .579 batting average.

Girls Greater Catholic League Ava Tepe, Mount Notre Dame: The Middle Tennessee State commit plays all positions except pitcher for the Cougars. Anna Harper, Mount Notre Dame: The Otterbein commit is a cleanup hitter and RBI leader for Julie Joseforsky's club. Jane Kronenberger, Ursuline: The Notre Dame commit was honorable mention all-Ohio in 2019 and ﬁ rst-team GGCL. She hit .636 with seven homers and 31 RBI. Mary Newton, Ursuline: The UD commit won the pitching triple crown in the GGCL with a league-best 10 wins, 1.16 ERA and 128 strikeouts in 2019. At the plate, she was top-5 in average (.517), home runs (5) and RBI (27). Gabi Farris, Ursuline: The speedster

Football Continued from Page 1B

16. Brogan McCaughey, quarterback, St. Xavier - The 6-foot-2, 203pound McCaughey led the Bombers to the Division I state title in his fi rst season as a varsity starter. Along the way, he was named fi rst-team All-Ohio by both the coaches and media. He threw for 2,708 yards and 28 touchdowns despite missing 2.5 games due to injury. He threw for a school-record 556 yards against Cleveland St. Ignatius Oct. 3. Miami University, Akron, Eastern Kentucky, Toledo, Yale, Ohio University, Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, Buff alo, Tulane, Columbia and Kent State have off ered. McCaughey is one of three local invites to the Elite 11 regional quarterback competition that will be in Indianapolis in May. 15. Max Klare, tight end, St. Xavier The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Klare switched from quarterback and has off ers from Air Force, Ball State, Bowling Green, Duke and Eastern Kentucky. He had seven catches for 123 yards and a touchdown late in the season after being injured in the early portion of St. Xavier's championship season. 14. Kendrix Goodman, off ensive lineman, Fairfi eld - The 6-foot-4, 320pound guard was Second-Team Greater Miami Conference for the Indians. Army signee Jaydan Mayes ran for 1,043 yards behind the Fairfi eld line that included Goodman. Kentucky, Ball State and Pitt have off ered. 13. Rodney Harris II, wide receiver, Princeton - The 6-foot-3, 195-pound receiver was voted fi rst-team All-Ohio by coaches and was second team by the media. He had 22 catches for 330 yards and four touchdowns. His off ers include Cincinnati, Miami University, Indiana, Toledo, Eastern Kentucky, Ball State and Pitt. 12. Brian Parker, off ensive lineman, St. Xavier - At 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds,

driveway shoot-around, his dad is there. The memories of when he was just getting into the game come rushing back when he thinks of him. The bond they had was special and unbreakable, even after tragedy. One day soon, he’ll sign on the dotted line to play at the next level and

his court-side angel will have season tickets at a new venue. “He has been amazing dealing with this whole process,” Thompson said. “Carson is a special kid with special circumstances and there will be a special outcome.”

led the GGCL in stolen bases (19) as a freshman. She also hit .317 with six triples. Madison Henry, Mercy McAuley: The junior pitcher is 4-2 with a 3.83 ERA and a complete game in the circle. At the plate, she hit .302 with 16 knocked in. Ashtyn Elbe, Mercy McAuley: The junior catcher will be a threat this season after playing as a freshman in 2019, per head coach Karen Wiesman. Maddie Vaughn, Seton: The ﬁ rstteam GGCL selection led the Saints with a .483 average, 10 extra-base hits and 18 RBI.

with seven homers. In the circle, she was 13-4 with a 0.94 ERA and 198 strikeouts. Briahna Bush, Cincinnati Christian: As a sophomore, Bush led the MVC in wins (20) and strikeouts (292) and was named the Scarlet division pitcher of the year.

Southern Buckeye Conference

Greater Catholic League - Coed Haven Dwyer, McNicholas: The senior and Purdue-Evansville commit has a lifetime 21-4 record in the circle with a 0.62 ERA and averages 124 strikeouts per season. She's also a .600 hitter with a dozen homers and a .715 on-base percentage. She was all-district in 2019 and the GCL-Coed player of the year. Mia Smith, McNicholas: The senior power hitter plays the inﬁ eld corners and is coming oﬀ a 2019 season where she hit .500 with six bombs. Emma Kent, Badin: She is a Thomas More signee and is looking for a breakout season as a pitcher and power hitter, per head coach Greg Stitzel.

Cincinnati Hills League Kylie Burdick, Taylor: She was fi rstteam CHL as a freshman after hitting .463 with seven homers, 38 RBI and eight doubles. In the circle, she was 6-0 with 62 strikeouts and a 1.14 ERA over 43 innings. Sophia Thoma, Taylor: She was fi rst-team CHL as a freshman after hitting .554 with 15 doubles, 31 RBI and 29 stolen bases. Liana Morgal, Wyoming: The senior was fi rst-team CHL in 2019 with a .412 average and 21 knocked in.

Williamsburg pitcher Madi Ogden ﬁ res a fastball to the plate. JIM OWENS/FOR THE ENQUIRER

ond in the SWOC with a .543 average in 2019 and was ﬁ rst-team all-league. Jenna Smith, Edgewood: She was ﬁ rst-team SWOC as a sophomore after hitting .434 with 11 extra-base knocks and 20 RBI.

Miami Valley Conference

Summer Jacobs, Harrison: She was ﬁ rst-team SWOC as a sophomore after hitting .440 with 27 knocked in and seven doubles. Alexis Ploehs, Ross: She was fourth in the league with 32 RBI in 2019 and was ﬁ rst-team SWOC. Ashley Shelton, Ross: She was sec-

Iyann Cunningham, Lockland: The senior shortstop and pitcher is looking for a big season after hitting .370 as a sophomore with seven starts (two complete games) in the circle, per head coach Lou Coduti. Taylor Pavlisko, Cincinnati Country Day: The senior four-year starter should be one of the top players in the MVC scarlet, according to Theresa Hirschauer. She hit .447 as a sophomore. Sarah Coyle, Cincinnati Country Day: The shortstop will provide speed and versatility in her ﬁ rst season with CCD, per Hirschauer. Finley Payne, Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy: As a freshman, Payne was the MVC Scarlet athlete of the year. She led the conference in batting average (.745) and RBI (60) to go

Parker was fi rst-team All-Ohio by coaches and media. Cincinnati, Liberty, Pitt, Eastern Kentucky, Tulane, Air Force, Ball State, Marshall, Louisville and the Miami RedHawks are among Parker's offers. 11. Josh Kattus, tight end, Moeller The 6-foot-4, 245-pound big receiver was First Team All-Ohio by both coaches and media. He had 23 receptions for 288 yards and four scores for the Crusaders. Kattus is the son of former Michigan and Cincinnati Bengal tight end Eric Kattus and has an array of off ers. In addition to the Wolverines, Cincinnati, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Illinois, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami University, Kent State, Princeton, Arkansas, Bowling Green, Ohio University, Eastern Michigan, Penn, Marshall and Pitt have offered. 10. Cameron Collins, off ensive lineman, St. Xavier - The 6-foot-4, 260pound guard was fi rst-team Greater Catholic League-South for the 2020 Division I champions. His off ers include Louisville, West Virginia, Akron, Central Michigan, Western Michigan, Eastern Kentucky, Air Force, East Carolina and Toledo. 9. Ashton Craig, off ensive tackle, Lawrenceburg - At 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, Craig has picked up off ers from numerous schools including the Miami RedHawks, Boston College, Duke, Wake Forest, Cincinnati, Baylor, Indiana, Northwestern, Bowling Green, Western Michigan, Yale, Tulane, Penn, Nebraska and Purdue, 8. Mekhi Lynn, quarterback, Princeton -The 6-foot-2, 180-pound signal-caller was fi rst-team All-Ohio by the media and second team by coaches. He threw for 1,429 yards and 17 scores and ran for 358 and six touchdowns. Cincinnati, Indiana, Miami University, Ball State, Eastern Kentucky and Toledo have off ered. 7. Kaleb Johnson, running back, Hamilton - The 6-foot-1, 200-pound running back had 789 yards rushing in the same backfi eld with senior Keysh-

awn Stephens who had 1,115 as a fi rstteam All-Ohio selection. Johnson was Honorable-Mention All-State. He ran for 878 yards as a sophomore. Johnson's offers include Cincinnati, Kentucky, Iowa State, the Miami RedHawks, Michigan State, Liberty, Buff alo, Western Michigan, Toledo, Kent State, California, Iowa and Pitt. 6. Charlie Kenrich, athlete, Lakota East - Kenrich is 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds and was versatile for coach Rick Haynes rushing for 245 yards out of the triple option and catching 13 passes for 290 yards. He also played linebacker and punted. His off ers include Iowa State, Michigan State, Purdue and Navy. 5. Brody Foley, tight end, Anderson At 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds, Foley was voted All-Ohio fi rst-team Division II as a defensive lineman by media and Second Team at tight end by coaches. Cincinnati, Indiana, Louisville, West Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Nebraska, Purdue, Rutgers, Wisconsin and Pitt are among Foley's off ers. 4. Alex Afari, defensive back, Lakota West - The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Afari was also fi rst-team All-Ohio according to coaches and media as a junior. Cincinnati, Kentucky, Georgia Tech, Michigan State, Pitt, Virginia, West Virginia Boston College, Buff alo, Indiana, Bowling Green, Toledo, Miami University, Virginia and Washington State are included in Afari's off ers. 3. Gi'Bran Payne, running back, La Salle - Payne is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound back who had injury issues in 2020 after playing a core role in La Salle's 2019 Division II state championship run. He was limited to 235 rushing yards and fi ve scores with 181 receiving yards and three more touchdowns, mainly in La Salle's three opening games. As a sophomore, he ran for 790 yards, including 129 in the state title game. He also had 41 tackles, three forced fumbles and an interception as a linebacker. Payne had a who's who list of off ers and recently announced his Top 5: Alabama, Florida, Notre Dame, Penn State and Northwestern.

Southwest Ohio Conference

Crozier added: “Every time I pick up a ball, I get a new memory of him that will pop up. It goes back to how much basketball we played when I was younger and how it helped strengthen our bond. “I’ll always think about him when I play.”

Reagan Lowe, Felicity-Franklin: Lowe went 14-2 with a 2.70 ERA in 2019. At the plate, she hit .595 with eight homers and 41 RBI. Skylar Brandenburg, FelicityFranklin: As a freshman, Brandenburg hit .475 with 13 extra-base hits, 24 RBI and 10 stolen bases. She was fi rst-team SBC National. Ashley Lykins, New Richmond: Lykins hit .402 as a freshman with 24 RBI and seven doubles. Head coach Trish Payne also lists Kiera Kirk as a player to watch. Peyton Young, Western Brown: The senior and University of Charleston signee hit .512 in 2019 with six homers, 43 RBI and eight doubles. She was fi rstteam SBC American. McKenna Conley, Western Brown: The senior infi elder and Ohio Dominican signee hit .494 in 2019 with 20 extra-base hits and 26 knocked in. She was fi rst-team SBC American. Madison Bradshaw, Batavia: The junior pitcher and infi elder was honorable mention SBAAC in 2019 after hitting .493 with eight doubles. Mikayla Rash, Batavia: The junior shortstop and pitcher was second-team SBAAC in 2019 after hitting .400 with eight doubles. Madi Ogden, Williamsburg: She was fi rst-team All-Ohio in 2019 as a sophomore and the American division player of the year. Ogden won the SBAAC triple crown with a .700 average, 15 homers and 85 RBI. In the circle, she was second in the conference in wins (24), third in strikeouts (171) and fi fth in ERA (0.65). Harlie Bickett, Jena Rhoads and Emily Self,Wilmington: The girls were all fi rst-team SBC American in 2019. Paige Fisher, Williamsburg: She was fi rst-team SBC National in 2019 after hitting .521 with 40 RBI. Layla Elliott, Georgetown: The fi rstteam SBC National selection hit eight homers in 2019.

2. Tegra Tshabola, off ensive lineman, Lakota West - Tshabola is a 6foot-6, 300-pound tackle who was also fi rst-team All-Ohio in voting by the coaches and media. Tshabola joins Brown as an Ohio State commit. 1. Jyaire Brown, defensive back, Lakota West - The 6-foot, 175-pounder was fi rst-team All-State by both the media and the Southwest Ohio Football Coaches Association. Brown is committed to Ohio State but was recently off ered by Notre Dame.

Five on the cusp (Again rating changes by services are usually based on off ers and ratings often change): Evan Wibberley, off ensive line, Dixie Heights - Wibberley is 6-foot-5 and 275 pounds and has been off ered by Eastern Kentucky, with interest from Army, Dartmouth, Brown, Columbia Harvard and Kentucky. Luke Slusher, off ensive line, Beechwood - The 6-foot-5, 290-pounder for the Kentucky Class A state champs has off ers from Air Force and Western Kentucky. Garrett Yoon, quarterback, Lawrenceburg - Yoon is a 5-foot-11, 180-pound dual-threat quarterback for the Tigers that has been invited to the Elite 11 regional QB competition. In 13 games, he threw for 2,252 yards and 27 touchdowns, while running for 1,083 and 13 scores. Yoon's interest includes Air Force, Illinois State, Ball State, William Ingle, athlete, Sycamore The 5-foot-10, 195-pound Ingle holds an off er from Navy. He had 475 yards rushing in six games with seven touchdowns. As a receiver h had 19 catches for 227 yards. Pierce Rohlman, free safety/running back, Dixie Heights - The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Rohlman ran for 772 yards and 10 touchdowns in 10 games for the Colonels. He's had interest from Indiana State, Indianapolis, Kentucky Wesleyan, Bowling Green and Eastern Kentucky.

EASTSIDE COMMUNITY PRESS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

Study says Cincinnati among worst for hiking We say embrace humidity, hit the trails Rasputin Todd Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Sure, Cincinnati weather is an unpredictable roller coaster, but it’s OUR unpredictable roller coaster. So, when lawn care blog LawnStarter released a study saying that Cincinnati is one of the worst cities for hiking – mainly due to our “unsuitable” hiking weather – we just had to jump in and say something. Clearly, we all need to take a trip to California, with the Golden State taking 8 of the top 10 spots for best hiking cities. San Francisco came in at No. 1. Good for them, really. We should all be getting out of the house more, from West Coast to East Coast.

And you know what? This all just shows how resilient we are to strap on those boots and weather the storm. But then, of the 150 cities ranked, Cincinnati came in at No. 142, landing the Queen City on the “Stay Indoors in These Cities” list. Cincinnati actually came in dead last, 150th, for their Climate Rank metric. You can read more about each of the study’s metrics at lawnstarter.com. It took things like access, quality and safety into account. But our weather is what did us in. “Cities like Tallahassee and Cincinnati are subject to temperature extremes with a high yearly average of both very cold and very hot days,” the study says. “It’s not impossible to ﬁ nd a nice day for a stroll here, but we wouldn’t bet on it.” First oﬀ , we need the folks at LawnStarter to know that it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. Secondly, yeah, it might be 70 and sunny one day and hailing the next, and that might turn some

The Garden Loop trail at Glenwood Gardens on Thursday August 20, 2020. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

The sun sets near the gazebo at Glenwood Gardens in Woodlawn. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

people oﬀ . But if you just plan ahead and dress for the weather, we have plenty of trails and fresh air to spare. And you know what? This all just shows how resilient we are to strap on those boots and weather the storm. While we don’t have mountains to climb or gorges to ... gorge, we do have that can’t-hold-me-down spirit. And a TON of great parks to get out and enjoy nature. Let’s put on our hoodies (or tank top or parka) and enjoy

The Trout Lily Trail at Withrow Nature Preserve is divided into two loops with a combined hike time of about 1 hour. There are trails through the woods that turn into ﬁ elds and even an overlook of the river. PHIL DIDION

what we have, shall we? Find a park close to you and enjoy a nature escape at Cincinnati Parks or

Great Parks of Hamilton County ... and take in some Kentucky State Parks while you’re at it.

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Hummingbirds return soon: ‘Get your feeder and nectar ready’ Ole Fisherman George Rooks Guest columnist

Howdy folks, Well, it’s spring. The ﬂ owers are blooming and the trees are budding out. This is my favorite time of the year. Now for you folks that are gardening, especially you folks that are using tractor tires like I did, now is the time to have the walls of water put out in the tractor tires. You can probably get them from Grants Greenhouse. If he doesn’t have any now, he said they will get some in. I asked Danny, does he have any plants ready to sell? He said they have tomatoes, cabbage, broccoli, and other kinds of plants. They have about 200 tomato plants set in the greenhouse on State Route 131. Now for you folks that use a raised bed. Get yourself some tobacco sticks

and put them in the raised bed. After you put the soil in the raised bed, tie one end of three tobacco sticks together then spread the loose ends apart and plant green beans at the base of each one of them. That is a good way to grow some green beans or green peas which I like. The peas I like to pick oﬀ the vine and eat them. Now if you live where there are a lot of deer, groundhogs (or as some call them whistle pigs) or rabbits, you will need to fence your garden to keep them out. The walls of water are 17 inches tall and have chambers all around to put water in to keep the plant warm. They really work. Once you use them one time you will be using them in early spring. I am writing part of this on Wednesday and there are plenty of robins here feeding, and I saw some with straw in their beaks for building their nest. It won’t be long before the hummingbirds will return so get your feeder and nectar ready. I have a feeder that I bought when I was down to the Dollar Tree store here

in Bethel. They have hummingbird feeders and the liquid to fi ll the feeder. I was reading in the Sunday paper about some folks hatching some quail eggs. That made me think about the time I was farming and cutting hay with the sickle and ran over a quail nest so I stopped the tractor and mower. I counted the eggs. I marked the place where the eggs were. The quail was killed by the sickle bar, so I picked up the eggs and took them to the house. Mom made a nest under a lamp and would turn them each day until they hatched. That was a thrill to all of us when the little ones started chirping so we fed them some diff erent kinds of food until they were big enough to fl y and feed on their own. They hung around the house for a while. I talked to Sherry’s Lake and the fi shing has been good with lots of channel catfi sh and some trout and a 27-pound blue catfi sh being caught. The folks will have to have good line to land those big fi sh.

I also called Cedar Lake and the young lady said the fi shing is good there as well with lots of channel catfi sh, trout, blue catfi sh and other kinds of fi sh being caught. They are open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I was talking to Mike at the Boars Head Bait Shop and there were over 100 boats on the lake last Sunday. They were catching crappie, catfi sh, sauger, bass and one feller caught a musky. There were plenty of boats on the lake on Monday also, so the fi shing is good but the temperature of the lake is only about 55°. Last week my daughter had all four granddaughters at her house, and they played games and fi shed in their pond and caught crappie and bass. The kids love to fi sh and Deb likes for them to fi sh in the pond. Start your week by praying and praising the good Lord. God bless all ... More later ...

SCHOOL NEWS CNE girls roll into SBAAC record books as three-time league champions They had lost only one dual match all season and were getting ready to defend their Southern Buckeye Athletic and Academic Conference National Division championship. On that February day, bowling became secondary to the Clermont Northeastern High School girls team. The Rockets learned that their leadoff bowler, senior Hannah Newton, would not with them at Royal Z Lanes in Wilmington. Newton had been involved in an accident, hit by a car while waiting to board a bus. Replacing her 138.7 average was the least of their concerns. One of the best seasons in CNE history suddenly seemed irrelevant, secondary to what had happened to their teammate. Classmate Michayla Eifert, the threetime SBAAC National Player of the Year, described the mood. “We were on our way to a match that morning and the entire bus ride we were all speechless. When we arrived, (coach) Jeff (Connor) got a call saying that Hannah was very banged up, but she would be OK,” Eifert said. “This was a huge relief for all of us and we decided that from that moment on, we bowled for Hannah. We bowled really well that day and we did it for her.” The Rockets rolled a three-game regulation total of 2,298 and two-game baker total of 291 – 2,589 total, and had their SBAAC National championship. The next day, they won the Mariemont Classic at Madison Bowl and took that momentum into the Division II sectional tournament at Cherry Grove Lanes, placing second to qualify for the district tournament for a second consecutive season, placing 10th. Newton, who says she is “feeling much better and improving every day,” doesn’t remember the accident, other than what she has been told. She learned about the team’s championship two days later. “I didn't fi nd out till Monday afternoon because I was still in critical condition, but I was excited and very proud of all my teammates for winning the league tournament,” she said. The 2020-2021 season was Connor’s fourth coaching both CNE varsity teams. Two of his bowlers, Eifert and Alyssa Ferguson, were with him all four seasons. In that time they have won three conference championships and fi nished second in 2018-2019, qualifi ed for district three times, won 88 of 98 matches, and were 184 pins away from a state tournament berth this season. “I knew we had a good core of bowlers coming back this year,” Connor said. “Two were three-year returning bowlers and two were two-year returning bowlers (Newton and Alexa Ansteatt). To round out the team Haley Eifert (Michayla’s sister, a sophomore) stepped in and was a valuable asset. In her fi rst year she ended up with the 16th highest average in conference play.” Freshman Lucy Sullivan has played only 10 matches before the league tournament, and had to step in for Newton. She bowled a three-game total of 298 at the SBAAC, a 361 in the Mariemont Classic, a 339 at sectional and a 324 at district. This season, teams could take only six players to any varsity match, meaning CNE had no available substitutions for the postseason.

Clermont Northeastern’s girls bowling team competed at the Division II District Tournament for the third consecutive season in 2021. From left: Alexa Ansteatt, Alyssa Ferguson, Haley Eifert, Michayla Eifert, Lucy Sullivan and coach Jeff Connor. CNE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT/PROVIDED

“It was a lot of pressure on her bowling with the other older and more experienced girls,” Connor said. Michayla Eifert fi nished with the third-highest average in the SBAAC – 179.9, with a high game of 235 at sectional and a high series of 414, Dec. 15 vs. Williamsburg at Batavia Bowl. The performance at the league meet earned her a third SBAAC National Division Player of the Year Award; she also won in 20192020 and 2017-2018, particularly impressive for someone who had never bowled before high school. She credits two people for her success – her grandfather, Dave Brown, and Connor. “If it wasn't for Jeff , we would not have had a bowling team at all. Even if we had another coach, we might not have been as successful,” Eifert said. “Jeff worked with all of us with so much patience. We all started out as clueless bowlers. We did not know how to throw the ball, where to throw the ball, or even about the oil patterns on the lanes. He taught us and myself so much about the sport and I could not thank him enough. “My grandpa has been there bowling with me the moment I decided to bowl. He bought me a bowling ball and my equipment and went to practice with me every single day,” she said. “My grandpa has bowled for most of his life, so he is very educated about the sport and helped me become the bowler I am. I know everything I do about it because of him. He never missed a practice or a match and for that I am eternally grateful because I don't know what I would've done without his support.” Bowling, Eifert said, combines the best aspects of individual and team sports. She referred to a 200-pin victory over Williamsburg Jan. 16, 2020, as a benchmark for the CNE program. The Wildcats had defeated the Rockets six weeks earlier, by 116 pins – CNE’s only dual match loss that season. Williamsburg had not lost a dual since Dec, 6, 2019 – to CNE. Eifert rolled a 182-160 – 342 and Ferguson a 193-140 – 333 to give CNE the statement win. “That match sticks out to me because

we showed them that we were not going to give up. We came back and showed them that we can beat them, too,” Eifert said. Eifert was a four-time district qualiﬁ er – three times with the CNE team and once, in 2017-2018, as an individual. “I was blessed enough to have amazing teammates both on the girls and boys teams. I have always been proud to be a part of the bowling team because of the teamwork and sportsmanship. We have always had a great support group for each other and we always try to encourage one another,” she said. Her CNE athletic career now complete – Eifert also played soccer for four seasons – she is ready for the next phase of her life. She plans to study nursing at the Christ College of Nursing. Newton plans to pursue a nursing degree and work in a hospital. “Something I will most remember is how I enjoyed being on such a great team while always having fun with all my teammates throughout the years and how the friendships built will last a lifetime,” she said. Sectional tournament CNE placed second in the Division II sectional tournament at Cherry Grove Lanes Feb. 12 with a total score of 3,473 (2,496 in three regulation games, 977 in six baker games). Batavia was sectional champion with a 3,484. CNE individual scores – Michayla Eifert, third, 235-192181 – 608; Alyssa Ferguson, fourth, 195166-233 – 594; Alexa Ansteatt, ninth, 146-167-200 – 513; Haley Eifert, 26th, 161-152-129 – 442; Lucy Sullivan, 57th, 134-101-104 – 339. District tournament CNE placed 10th at district with a 2,373-979 – 3,352 team score. The top four teams qualiﬁ ed to state. Individual scores – Ansteatt, 22nd, 163-161-221 – 545; Ferguson, 26th, 190-171-178 – 539; Haley Eifert, 51st, 158-159-170 – 487; Michayla Eifert, 61st, 149-149-180 – 478; Lucy Sullivan, 127th, 102-109-113 – 324. Final averages Alexa Ansteatt 146.4 (season high 202); Haley Eifert 136.6 (191); Michayla

Eifert 181.4 (235); Alyssa Ferguson 169.1 (244); Hannah Newton 138.7 (188); Lucy Sullivan 114.2 (153). SBACC National Division All-Star teams Player of the Year – Michayla Eifert. “Michayla's average for her four years was: 135, 152, 172 and 180 her senior year. She has improved each year,” Connor said. “Michayla consistently practices on her own and temporarily left her part time job to focus on bowling. She is dedicated. She is a solid bowler in the 10th frame.” Coach of the Year – Jeff Connor. First team – Michayla Eifert, Alyssa Ferguson. “Alyssa possibly had the best strike ball in the conference and had the fourth highest average in conference play. She has been the most improved player on the team the last three years, fi nishing with a 170 average,” Connor said. Second team – Alexa Ansteatt. Ansteatt fi nished with a 148.8 average in her fi rst varsity season. Dick Maloney, Clermont Northeastern Schools

UC Clermont degree offers individualized education At the end of 2016, Kirstin Parker Whitcomb found herself a newly single parent, uncertain of her future, with a newborn and toddler. A few months later, she enrolled at the University of Cincinnati Clermont College. Although she had started her college career on UC’s Uptown campus Whitcomb right after high school, Whitcomb had lacked focus and dropped out in her ﬁ rst year. Because of her previous college experience, an academic advisor directed her toward the UC Clermont’s Individual Studies (INDS) program. She chose the Batavia See SCHOOL NEWS, Page 7B

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

EASTSIDE COMMUNITY PRESS

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWERS ON PAGE 7B

No. 0404 OVER THE MOON

BY OLIVIA MITRA FRAMKE / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

60 Hit movie released as ‘‘Vaselina’’ in Mexico 1 Pest-control product 62 Husk-wrapped dish 5 Luggage label 10 Color effect in graphic 65 Colorful tropical fish design 66 Song standard on ‘‘Barbra Streisand’s 18 Video-game princess Greatest Hits’’ of the Kingdom of Hyrule 71 Saturn 19 Writer Zora ____ 72 With 11-Down, hit Hurston 2001 film with an ‘‘!’’ 20 Take part in a D.&D. in its title campaign, e.g. 73 Stirred up 21 Brand of fruity hard 74 Cold shower? candy 75 Muralist ____ 23 Personae non gratae Clemente Orozco 24 Uranus 76 2021 Super Bowl 25 ‘‘Arrivederci!’’ champs 26 Jerks 80 Boy, in Barcelona 27 ‘‘____ to differ!’’ 81 Animated character who wears a red 28 One taking the long shirt and no pants view? 31 Tarot-deck character 82 Time before computers, 35 Some surgical tools facetiously 38 ‘‘Unit’’ of fun 85 Fleet runner: Abbr. 39 All-star duo? 86 One feature of a 40 Comfort in not perfect nanny, in knowing, say a ‘‘Mary Poppins’’ 47 Request song 50 Jupiter 91 Mars 51 Ships passing in the 92 Hesitate in speaking night? 93 More inquisitive 52 Sch. on the Rio 98 Jaded sort Grande 99 Solo flier? 54 Hollers 55 Like some parties and 105 Prefix meaning ‘‘both’’ flowers 56 ‘‘Back to the Future’’ 106 Welled (up) antagonist 108 Like people who are much looked up to Online subscriptions: Today’s 109 Insurance-fraud ploy puzzle and more 110 Determiner of than 4,000 past puzzles, cannabis legality, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). e.g.

Olivia Mitra Framke, of Jersey City, N.J., is an academic adviser at the New School’s College of Performing Arts in Manhattan. She started solving crosswords during college — but not at college. Her dad would hoard New York Times Magazines, and the two of them would solve together when she returned home. This is Olivia’s ninth crossword for The Times, and her fourth Sunday. — W.S.

ACROSS

113 Classic carnival ride 116 Cherished family member 117 Neptune 118 Golding of ‘‘Crazy Rich Asians’’ 119 Sporty car 120 Deliver a speech 121 World of Warcraft spellcaster

RELEASE DATE: 4/11/2021

29 Poker variety 30 ‘‘This Will Be’’ singer Natalie 32 Sommelier’s métier 33 ‘‘Monsters, ____’’ 34 Be on the level? 36 ‘‘Notorious’’ Supreme Court initials 37 Knocked ’em dead 39 Not spoiled 41 Suffix with serpent DOWN 42 One of five in 1 Leans (on) ‘‘pronunciation’’: Abbr. 2 Claim 43 Choice of sizes, briefly 3 Pastoral poem 44 Celebratory, quaintly 4 ____ es Salaam 45 Deception 5 Navel type 6 Sticker on the back of a 46 Cowboy or Patriot, for short laptop, say 47 Zeros 7 Home to the Sugar Bowl and Heavenly 48 Distinct melodic ski resorts segment 8 Draft pick? 49 Not waver from 9 Neighbor of Belg. 53 Fruit also called a custard apple or 10 Word after focus or prairie banana Facebook 55 Baby’s cry 11 See 72-Across 56 Cue at an audition 12 Mountain map figs. 57 Land jutting into il 13 Ones getting the Mediterraneo message 58 Quaker 14 Rio beach of song 59 Community of 15 Hollow center? followers 16 Turner who led an 1831 slave rebellion 61 Thesaurus listing: Abbr. 17 Grateful sentiments, in online shorthand 63 Melber of MSNBC 64 Candy featured 18 ‘‘The Greek’’ of film in a classic 21 Corner space in ‘‘MythBusters’’ Monopoly episode 22 Juggling or magic, in 65 Confucian’s spiritual a talent show path 26 Nobel laureate 67 In ____ (peeved) Morrison

65 70 73

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81 Money earned from an event, say 82 Gush 83 Archaeologist’s find 84 Brian once of glam rock 86 U.S. health org. 87 ‘‘Hands off, that’s mine!’’ 88 Austrian article 89 Sent off 90 Lose a layer 94 Bit of luau wear

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68 Nintendo dinosaur who eats fruit and throws eggs 69 Bring to court 70 2003 best seller whose title is one letter different from a fantasy creature 75 Pleasures 77 Grammy winner DiFranco 78 Rendezvoused 79 ____ gow (Chinese domino game)

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95 ‘‘No question!’’ 96 Magazine whose 60th anniversary issue had the cover line ‘‘Denzel, Halle & Jamie’’ 97 What’s hard about a melon? 99 Origami shape called ‘‘orizuru’’ 100 Tree surgeon, at times 101 Interior chambers 102 Gem weight

103 Bonnie’s partner in crime 104 Quadratic formula subj. 107 Oodles 109 Measurement in plane geometry 110 Camera type, briefly 111 As well 112 DuVernay who directed ‘‘Selma’’ 113 Queue before P 114 Canal locale 115 Piece de resistance?

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(513) 914-1395 *See dealer for details, discounts, warranties, guarantees. Some restrictions apply. Normal business hours only. Residential owner-occupied only. Existing residential only. Must be presented at time of service. Cannot combine with other offers or discounts. Customer responsible for filing utility rebates if applicable. Not valid on previous purchases. Must be in service area. Financing with approved credit. Minimum monthly payments required. Interest accrues at time of purchase unless paid in full during promotional period. For regular term purchases, APR is based on US prime rate and is subject to change. IN HVAC H0010016, IN Plumbing CO50800249, OH HVAC HV-49040, OH Plumbing PL.47812, KY Plumbing M5308, KY HVAC HM06160, KY HVAC HM01276 Expires 4/30/21

CE-GCI0616353-06

EASTSIDE COMMUNITY PRESS

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

COMMUNITY NEWS Young Eastgate resident and colon cancer survivor discovers her purpose: Sharing her story to empower others Colon cancer was not on the mind of 29-year-old Kayla King, a vibrant wife and busy mother focused on caring for her two young boys, enjoying country concerts with her husband, and working full-time. Everything changed when she learned she had stage 4 colon cancer; she was convinced “the doctors had it wrong.” Now, with her strong faith, a wonderful family support system and “amazing” medical team, she sees grace in this experience and realizes, “Everybody has a purpose,” said Kayla. “I know what my purpose is, and I want to share my story to help others.” Starting in mid-2018, shortly after the birth of her youngest son, Kayla, an Eastgate resident, started feeling bloated and wasn’t having regular bowel movements with periods of diarrhea and constipation. With a normal appetite and no weight loss, she assumed she had IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) or a gluten intolerance, so she adjusted her diet. In August 2019, she saw her primary care physician whose diagnosis was IBS with diarrhea and constipation. The physician ordered lab work which came back normal. By early February of 2020, “I continued to have bloating and cramping,” said Kayla. “After passing blood every time I went to the bathroom for about four weeks, my husband, Lance, convinced me to see a gastroenterologist.” At the end of February 2020, Kayla saw Dr. Christopher South, a gastroenterologist who performed a colonoscopy on March 13. “When I woke up after the colonoscopy, Dr. South delivered the news,” said Kayla. “He saw a tumor in my colon and thought it looked like stage 2 or 3 cancer. He ordered follow-up labs and CAT scans which conﬁ rmed the cancer. It was stage 4 colon cancer, and it was in my lymph nodes and liver.” “I was in a whirlwind when they gave me the news, shocked to be diagnosed with cancer at such a young age. I thought they had the wrong scans.”

OHC patient Kayla King and her cheerleaders, the OHC Blue Ash treatment suite nurses. PROVIDED

Dr. South referred Kayla immediately to OHC’s Patrick J. Ward, MD, PhD, a medical oncologist and hematologist who specializes in solid tumors, breast cancer, and cancer research. “From the beginning, my entire team at OHC was amazing,” said Kayla. “Dr. Ward had a set plan and Ward explained to me what was going to happen. I knew what to expect. He was the conductor of our train.” “It’s important that our patients understand that our entire cancer care team is with them every step of the way to off er guidance and support,” said Dr. Ward. “We are there to reassure and comfort them when they are scared and overwhelmed.” “I will never forget what Monica, my nurse navigator at OHC, told me when she outlined my treatment plan. She said, ‘We got you. We’ll get you through. We’re going to do this together.’ First impressions mean a lot to me.” Kayla was to undergo fi ve chemotherapy treatments prior to surgery. “I can’t say enough about the nurses in the treatment suite at the Blue Ash offi ce,” Kayla said with a tear in her eye. “They always made sure I had what I needed, and they remembered what I shared about my family, days, even weeks prior. Lance couldn’t be with me during my

treatments because of COVID, so my nurses were my biggest cheerleaders.” On July 8, Kayla endured a sevenhour surgery to remove her cancer. Dr. Cory D. Barrat and Dr. Shyam Allamaneni completed a robotic assisted sigmoid colectomy to remove a portion of her colon, a liver resection, and removal of 21 lymph nodes. OHC’s gynecologic oncologist, Dr. Ajit Gubbi, also assisted and performed a hysterectomy. The tumor was pressing on both her liver and uterus. “When I woke up, they told me it looked like they got all of my cancer.” After surgery, Kayla would have seven more chemotherapy treatments. “It was important to me that things remain as normal as possible for my boys,” noted Kayla, whose sons Brantley and Easton are now fi ve and two-and-a-half. “My mom gave me a lot of support – watching the kids, driving me to appointments, cleaning the house, and buying food.” Brantley, only four at the time, wanted to take care of his mom. He brought her drinks and frequently asked what she needed. “I told him all I wanted was snuggles,” said Kayla. On Oct. 28, Kayla received her last chemotherapy treatment. In sharing her story, Kayla reported that her most recent scans showed no sign of cancer. “I cannot say enough good things about the entire staff at OHC. Everyone in the offi ce knew my name and even the

front desk staﬀ made sure I had everything I needed,” recalled Kayla. “Dr. Ward was committed to conquering this disease with me. I called them my team.” Kayla also took Dr. Ward’s recommendation to participate in OHC’s Genetic Risk Evaluation & Testing (GREAT) program. Given Kayla’s age and family history, Kayla’s grandmother had colon and liver cancer and her grandfather had liver cancer, she knew it was imperative. There was a possibility that they passed a genetic mutation (change) on to Kayla. Kayla’s genetic testing did not identify any mutations. Kayla, who returned to work over six months ago, is ﬁ nally beginning to feel like herself. Her goal in 2020 was to run a marathon, but life had other plans. She hopes to run that marathon this year while focusing on her family and health. Although it’s been a challenging journey, Kayla has discovered her purpose. She wants to empower others to be selfadvocates. Kayla advises, “Listen to your body, don’t delay in seeking help. Make sure your doctors listen to you and tell them every symptom you have.” A sense of peace and a radiant glow emanate from Kayla as she adds, “If you put your mind to it, you can accomplish anything and always remain positive.” For more information about OHC, or for a second opinion, call 1-888-6494800 or visit ohcare.com. Joan Manzo, OHC

opens a wide range of doors for graduates, providing a path to pursue a variety of advanced degrees or acting as a foundation for increased earning potential and elevated job placement. “The process of ﬁ guring out the next step toward your future can feel overwhelming,” says Sharon Burns, UC Clermont associate professor of English and chair of the college’s English, Languages and Fine Arts department. Burns was a nontraditional student at UC Clermont herself; she went on to complete her bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees at main campus. “Individual Studies is an opportunity to complete a degree that ﬁ ts your future, whatever it might be. Students can focus in disciplines they are the most passionate about – even when a traditional degree does not meet that need.” The individualized studies program allowed Whitcomb to complete additional classes toward her bachelor’s de-

gree and accelerated her journey; in May 2019, she earned her double associate degrees INDS and biological sciences. She then transitioned to UC’s McMicken College of Arts and Sciences, where she graduated with her bachelor’s degree in biological sciences a year later. Whitcomb was immediately accepted into UC’s master’s of science in nursing. She will graduate in December 2021 with her registered nurse license and master’s degree and plans to pursue a career working in labor and delivery. “I always felt called to the ﬁ eld,” says Whitcomb. “Now that I’ve completed some rotations, I know that I want to work with women during a very vulnerable time in their lives.” As Whitcomb looks ahead, she is thankful for the foundation she found at UC Clermont. “Everyone knew me and cared about what I was doing at Clermont. UC Clermont advisors helped navigate my plan,

even when it was unsure. Student Affairs checked on me even after I transitioned to main campus,” Whitcomb says. “Classes are smaller, so you get to know your professors, who can be great resources and references for you. If you’re looking for an individualized education, I recommend starting at UC Clermont.” For more information about the Individual Studies program, visit https:// ucclermont.edu/individual-studies.html. Learn more about UC Clermont’s College Completion Academy at https://ucclermont.edu/cca. Those interested in applying can also contact Nick Rejebian, admissions counselor, at nicholas.rejebian@uc.edu or (513) 558-6197; or reach out to Temesha Corbin, academic advisor, at temesha.corbin@uc.edu or (513) 7325257. Amanda Chalifoux, UC Clermont College

SCHOOL NEWS Continued from Page 4B

campus because it was conveniently located close to home and aff ordable – about half the price of main campus tuition. She soon found the support she needed, too. “I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but I had ideas,” says Whitcomb, who chose to double major in INDS and biological sciences. “I was scared. I had young children; I didn’t have a solid footing. I felt like having a community was important, and I knew would get that at Clermont. And the INDS program gave me fl exibility I needed when I was unsure what I was going to do and needed to ease back into school.” UC Clermont’s INDS program off ers a tailored approach to meet individual student needs by providing opportunities for students to combine classes taken in a previous program with classes from other fi elds of study. The program

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Anderson Township

Information provided by Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes

Batavia Rd: Odeh Wafa & Rana to Radieh Investments LLC; $20,000

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1269 Nordica Ln: Dunwoodie Properties LLC to Basile Meghan L; $169,900 1432 Apple Hill Rd: Bell David Gus & Mandy Teresa to Rangeley Douglas & Jennifer Lanzillotta; $625,000 1728 Kingsway Ct: Glutz Robert Jr & Deborah to Dupler Blake R & Kathleen K; $286,000 2607 Montchateau Dr: Sexton Thomas R & Kelly A to Hartley Nick & Valerie C Vinzant; $400,000 8060 Pineterrace Dr: Lanyi Beverly J to Lanyi Donald J & Sherry L; $160,000 8140 Cabinet Cr: Dandridge Mark & Amy L to Dellecave Laura & Eric; $335,000 8387 Crosspointe Dr: Mert Tahsin & Hacer to Chun Alexander; $325,000 8502 Linderwood Ln: Evans Lisa to Rp2ham LLC; $168,500 8595 Trillium Ridge Ln:

Arnold Timothy A to Walsh Brendan J & Heather; $645,000 929 Birney Ln: Thurner Ohio Properties LLC to Zahumensky Alan; $900,000

California 5001 Kellogg Ave: Huber Dan & Neva Broderick to Copelin David Alex; $3,800

Columbia Township 2836 Losantiridge Ave: Safdi Michael A Tr to Muething Lisa M & Travis L Smith; $465,000 6745 Ken Arbre Dr: Jones Lowell C to Arand Courtney Ann; $267,000 6933 Hurd Ave: Stark David T to Porter Alexandra Joy &; $257,000

Columbia Tusculum 3161 Golden Ave: Kokenge Sarah A Tr to Waugh Suzette E & Donald J; $522,500 443 Stanley Ave: Dillman

Stephen to Cincinnati Capital Corporation; $130,000

nov Diller to Denzinger Christopher & Kristen; $340,000

East End

Mount Washington

Riverside Dr: Inman Construction Inc to D Sa Natasha; $225,000 2260 Riverside Dr: Romero Frank R & Theresa to Casey Bernard A; $340,000 3310 Walworth Ave: Burkhart Jeffrey M to 3310 Walworth LLC; $229,000 3332 Walworth Ave: Wilson Justin T to Homan Samantha; $306,500

1710 Marquette Ave: Basler & Hecker Buildings LLC to Rains Logan & Molly Hickey; $220,000 2448 Sanctuary Cr: Star Bank N A Tr to Barnes Lucinda A; $275,000 5629 Eaglesridge Ln: Moore Elizabeth W Tr & Barrett W Vande Stadt Tr to Swift David; $216,000 5776 Eaglesridge Ln: Rogers Cathy Tr to Ginocchio Jennifer; $258,000 6164 Benneville St: Klekamp Douglas S & Mary R to Sauer Michaelanne Gabrielle; $168,000 6237 Beechcrest Pl: Znk Properties LLC to Rich Claire Christina & Phil Swenson Jr; $200,000 6465 Honeysuckle Dr: Spagnola John & Laura to Giamoni Brittani & Jon Spagnola; $258,000

Loveland 106 Cherokee Dr: Krohn Ryan to Clouse Taylor L; $225,000 106 Osage Ln: Nelson Harry E & Marlana to Dematteo Matthew & Elizabeth; $250,660 11400 Enyart Rd: Simon Paul Tr to Grigsby Cherise Marie; $353,000 1693 Fawn Ct: Diller Jay Michael & Daliborka Stoia-

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2021

EASTSIDE COMMUNITY PRESS

Don’t Let Little Symptoms Become HUGE Problems

Exterior wall cracks

Leaning chimney

Uneven floors

Foundation cracks

Interior wall cracks

Gap in windows/doors

Wet basement

Damp crawl space

Bowing/cracked basement walls

Musty odors

2 5

6 8

1 4

Basement Waterproofing

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Crawl Space Repair and Encapsulation

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