Northwest Press 12/23/20 by Enquirer Media

NORTHWEST PRESS Your Community Press newspaper serving Colerain Township, Green Township, Sharonville, Springdale, Wyoming and other Northwest Cincinnati neighborhoods

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020 | BECAUSE COMMUNITY MATTERS | PART OF THE USA TODAY NETWORK

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Autism and the Police:

Taser incident brings training on autism to suburban cops Anne Saker Cincinnati Enquirer

USA TODAY NETWORK

asant Nelson likes to walk around his Forest Park neighborhood, often barefoot and carrying one of his ﬁ dgets, a bottlecap or a ring of keys or a bottle opener. Usually, he is not gone from home for long. At 20, Nelson works summers at Kings Island and aims to enroll in community college. But Nelson lives with autism, and his parents said they know strangers might misunderstand their gentle son’s behavior. One September afternoon Nelson left for a walk, but as the clock ticked with no return, his mother worried. Just as she decided to go look for him, a Forest Park police cruiser pulled up. A uniformed oﬃ cer opened a door, her son got out – and his mother saw a wound under his heart.

Living on the spectrum This year, demonstrations in Cincinnati and dozens of cities nationwide ampliﬁ ed a longstanding argument over how and when law enforcement should use force. Communities challenged police not just on matters of race but also mental health. Vasant Nelson is among an estimated six million Americans with autism, a complex lifelong brainprocessing disorder with a spectrum of manifestations. The condition can trigger behaviors that may shock or confuse others, which experts say can endanger people with autism. Vasant is the third of Anjali and Chris Nelson’s four children. From boyhood, Vasant would pick up household objects to carry, Anjali said, “but he’d forget where he’d put something down, which was hard when it was the car keys.” People with autism also can have diﬃ culty regulating emotions and or understanding what others say, leading to police calls for what Anjali Nelson calls “perfectly normal odd behavior.”

Vasant Nelson, an adult with Autism, stands with his parents, Chris and Anjali Nelson, outside their home in Forest Park on Friday, Nov. 6, 2020. Vasant Nelson was tased by police who responded to a call of a person carrying a knife, Vasant was carrying a comb that belong to his sister, and was tased by police after dropping the comb. ALBERT CESARE / THE ENQUIRER

The Nelsons collected the Forest Park police reports from the afternoon of Sept. 18. Vasant had gotten as far as the post oﬃ ce on Northland Boulevard, about a mile from home, where at 3:10 p.m., someone called au-

thorities reporting a barefoot man “acting strangely” and carrying a steak knife. See AUTISM, Page 2A

Here’s who’s moving to the old Cincinnati Gardens site New industrial facility lands its ﬁ rst tenant Randy Tucker Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

The old Cincinnati Gardens site in Bond Hill has landed its ﬁ rst new tenant after years of site preparation and construction of a new industrial facility. An aerospace company will now operate on the land where the Beatles and basketball legends once played. Team Industrial Services Inc. will move about 75-80 jobs from its headquarters in Woodlawn to a new 73,342square-foot manufacturing facility located at 2249 Seymour Ave., according to District Manager John (J.J.) Wodarski. Team Industrial, a division of Sugarland, Texas-based Team Inc., also plans

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to create up to 60 new jobs for the company that specializes in non-destructive parts testing for the aerospace industry. The company also provides chemical processing and metallurgical services for jet engine makers, including GE, Rolls Royce and Lockheed Martin, among others. Team Industrial should be up and running at the new facility by November 2021, Wodarski said. The new $6.5 million facility is ready for occupancy, although some of the building has been left unfi nished to allow Team Industrial to fi nish it to its exact specifi cations. The facility was built on a speculative basis by Bond Hill-based Messer Construction, which broke ground on the project last year after acquiring a fi ve-acre parcel of the old Cincinnati Gardens site from The Port of Greater

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Woodlawn-based Team Industrial Services Inc. is moving to this new industrial building built on a speculative basis at 2249 Seymour Ave. in Bond Hill on the old Cincinnati Gardens site. KAREEM ELGAZZAR/THE ENQUIRER

Cincinnati Development Authortime. “Having sites ready is cruity. cial to attracting business.” The Port purchased the entire The Port demolished the Cin19-acre site in 2016 as part of its cinnati Gardens in 2018 and creindustrial revitalization strategy ated three parcels, including a to create development-ready 7.5-acre parcel at 2275 Seymour sites to attract new businesses. Brunner Ave., and a 5.9-acre parcel at “Site readiness is a challenge 2250 Seymour Ave. every region faces and we’re no diﬀ erent,” Port CEO Laura Brunner said at the See GARDENS, Page 4A

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Autism Continued from Page 1A

‘Down on your face!’ Forest Park police offi cer Kyle Lackman responded, steering the city cruiser southwest on Northland. Less than a minute later he spotted the barefoot man on the sidewalk. A dashboard camera caught the scene. Lackman radioed, “He does have a knife in his hand, hold the air.” He stopped about 40 feet away, got out, service weapon drawn, and yelled, “Drop the knife, man!” The loud words froze the barefoot man, then he complied. “Walk towards me, right now!” Lackman barked the command 12 times. The man obeyed, each barefoot step more hesitant. He raised empty hands. Offi cer Chad Finkes arrived, and Lackman holstered his gun for a Taser, approaching the man, yelling to turn away, get on his knees. The man did so. Lackman then demanded, “Down on your face, right now!” Instead, the man popped to his feet. Lackman discharged the Taser. One Taser barb struck the man in the upper left quadrant of his chest, another in his groin. He went stiff , falling to the ground. When the shock passed seconds later, Lackman yelled for the man to get on his face and put his hands behind his back. As Finkes applied handcuff s, the man asked, “Seriously, what did I do wrong?” Lackman walked another 10 paces and looked down. He let out an expletive. “It’s a pick, man,” Lackman said softly. “It’s a pick with a brush.” “Oh, the pick with a brush isn’t a weapon,” the barefoot man said. “I’m just using it as a fi dget.” In a much softer, soothing tone, Lackman said, “Ah, but you were holding your hand, buddy, I tell ya.” “But the thing is,” the man replied, “it wasn’t a knife.”

Autism and police contact A 2017 Drexel University study found that by age 21, one in fi ve young people with autism has been stopped and questioned by police. Ten days before Vasant Nelson’s contact with Lackman, a police offi cer in Salt Lake City shot and wounded a 13-year-old boy with autism who had been arguing with his mother. The social services agency Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities offers a 24-hour helpline to guide police in navigating communication problems. Jennie Flowers, who directs the agency’s Major Unusual Incidents department, said people with autism can go wandering, then become distraught frightened when police fi nd them. “Unfortunately, a lot of times, we only get involved after something bad happens,” Flowers said. “With some of our folks, some of the behaviors they exhibit come across as intoxicated or aggressive, when really, they have some signifi cant mental health needs.” Angela Ramos Fields of Columbus founded the nonprofi t Emerging Autism Solutions with inspiration from her son Grant, 19, who lives with autism. She said parents’ groups are working with fi rst responders to make them aware of what to look for when engaging with people on the spectrum. One solution, Fields said, is a voluntary registry for authorities listing children and adults with autism in the community. Parents or caregivers can give permission to pass the information over communication channels to police when they are summoned. Pensacola, Florida, started the fi rst such registry in the country. “Parents have to be extremely proactive,” Fields said. Situations such as Vasant Nelson’s tasing are “what we fear.”

On his feet After a rescue squad removed the Taser barbs from Vasant Nelson at the scene on Northland Boulevard, a police department supervisor took Nelson home and explained what had happened to his distressed parents. Vasant Nelson said Lackman was pointing something at him, and Nelson stood up because he was afraid the police oﬃ cer was going to shoot him. “I don’t want this to turn into a police-are-the-bad-guy situation,” said Anjali Nelson. “I think they desperately need training. If the police had just talked with him . . .” Within an hour of the incident, Forest Park Police Chief William Arns assigned Lt. Adam Pape to investigate Lackman’s use of force. Three days later, Arns, Forest Park Mayor Charles H. Johnson and City Manager Johnny R. Jones met with local church leaders to take questions about what happened and to play the dashboard video. “We knew the news media had al-

Officer Kyle Lackman of the Forest Park police believed Sept. 18 he was confronting a man with a knife. Lackman discharged his taser at the man when he failed to obey Lackman's orders. The man actually had been carrying a hair pick. PROVIDED

ready known about (the immobilization), which is ﬁ ne. We’re transparent,” Arns said. “But we wanted to make sure that if their congregants had questions or concerns, they could speak on it ﬁ rsthand, knowingly.” Pape concluded that Lackman, believing he was confronting a dangerous man, had overreacted with Vasant Nelson. Even if Nelson had been carrying a knife, he was not threatening anyone. Lackman would have seen that with a lower-intensity approach, Pape said. “We’re not driving around looking for people to tase,” Pape said. “I believe (Lackman) thought, ‘I’m doing great by the citizens of Forest Park, protecting them in this dangerous situation.’ ”

Training and an apology Arns suspended Lackman for three days without pay and ordered more training. But Arns said he realized that the whole department needed to get better about autism. “Our mayor made a good point, that there was a time that individuals with special needs were warehoused and weren’t in the community. We did not deal with the individuals with special needs like we do today,” he said. “We defi nitely have areas where we need to improve. But that’s kind of where we are today, trying to make up for that lost time.” On Sept. 30, Arns met with Vasant Nelson and his parents and apologized. In a follow-up email, Arns wrote a “very remorseful” Lackman “realizes he could have handled the situation much diff erently. Offi cer Lackman is a very professional and compassionate offi cer who, I believe, will learn from this and be better because of it.” Pape called Hamilton County Developmental Disabilities for about training. Flowers sent counselor Holly Mott to the Forest Park Police Department for an all-hands session on how to communicate with people with autism. “Sometimes,” Flowers said, “people

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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 The Community Press & Recorder, email viewpoints@communitypress.com Please include your first and last name on letters to the editor, along with name of your community. Include your phone number as well. With columns, include your headshot (a photo of you from shoulders up) along with your column. Include 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 877513-7355 or email obits@enquirer.com

What Vasant Nelson carried: Forest Park police photographs of the scene Sept. 18 on Northland Boulevard when Officer Kyle Lackman, believing Nelson carried a steak knife. It was a hair-dye applicator. PROVIDED

Vasant Nelson was tased by police who responded to a call of a person carrying a knife, Vasant was carrying a comb that belong to his sister, and was tased by police after dropping the comb. ALBERT CESARE/ THE ENQUIRER

are being non-compliant, but they’re not being diﬃ cult, they’re not refusing, they may need more time to be able to understand what you’re saying, what you’re asking.” Arns said he would like Hamilton County to adopt a voluntary registry. But Forest Park can be better “in incorporating not only autism but developmental disabilities into our community outreach. We want to help identify families of special needs, to get to know them, and for them to get to know us.”

Lackman declined to be interviewed for this story. Vasant Nelson also declined an interview but agreed to be photographed for The Enquirer. The city of Forest Park paid his follow-up medical bills, and the Taser injuries have healed. When he does talk about that September afternoon, his mother said, the detail that bothers Vasant isn’t the police action. It’s that someone would call the police on him at all. He doesn’t understand that. He was just taking a walk.

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County commissioner asked about having pay cut returned Scott Wartman Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

The economic outlook for Hamilton County government doesn’t look as bad as earlier feared for 2021. So one county commissioner in November asked staff whether it was possible to have her $10,000 salary reduction returned to her, according to emails obtained by The Enquirer. In April as COVID-19 coursed through the community, Hamilton County commissioners made drastic cuts, including furloughing 240 county employees. Commissioners also voted to take a 10% cut to their salaries, which range from $95,000 to $105,000 depending on when they took offi ce. “There seems to be an anticipated reserve in 2021” Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas asked county administrator Jeff Aluotto in a Nov. 12 email. “Are we in a position to return my voluntary $10,000 compensation that was done to undergird the current budget?”

Stephanie Summerow Dumas is sworn in as a new Hamilton County Commissioner Tuesday, January 8, 2019. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

Dumas, a former mayor of Forest Park and village manager for Lincoln Heights, did not get a refund and has since said she’s not pursuing the refund.

Mt. Healthy Police:

Parent facing charges after renting bus for birthday party Segann March Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

A parent is facing charges after organizing a party bus for a teen’s 14th birthday, according to the Mt. Healthy Police Department. Police observed a large unmarked bus enter the Hilltop Shopping Center, 8100 Hamilton Avenue, around 10 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 12. The bus stopped and let out 60 juveniles, who “were not wearing masks or maintaining social distancing,” police said. The driver did not have permission from the owners of Hilltop Plaza to be on the site, which is private property. Several ﬁ ghts broke out among the teens and one teen attempted to strike an

offi cer and was arrested, according to a Mount Healthy police Facebook post. Offi cers called other agencies for assistance. The driver refused to let the 60 teens back on the bus and left the scene, police said. Offi cers asked the kids to contact their parents to get a ride home. Upon investigation, police discovered the bus traveled from downtown Cincinnati to Mt. Healthy. The original party invitation was posted on social media as an “open invite,” police say. The parent responsible for renting the party bus will be “charged with violations of the governor’s orders,” according to police. Police say none of the parties involved in the situation live in Mount Healthy.

Dumas upset veteran Republican Commissioner Chris Monzel in the 2018 election; her victory gave Democrats complete control of the three-member county board of commissioners. Dumas and Commissioner Victoria Parks make $105,000 a year. Commissioner Denise Driehaus, who took oﬃ ce in 2017 before the state raised the salary for county commissioners, makes $95,000. Pay is tied to when the current term started. The Enquirer asked for all emails from all three commissioners related to any refunds of salary reductions. Dumas was the only one to inquire about a return of the salary reduction. Aluotto responded in an email that a return of the salary cut is not in the proposed county budget for 2021. He said a refund would have to be given before Jan. 1, since any additional pay next year would put the commissioner’s salary above the statutorily set limit. “I don’t think the auditor would have the ability to make the payment, annually, that is higher than an elected oﬃ -

cials salary,” Aluotto wrote to Dumas in a Nov. 17 email. “So if it was a desire to reverse the reduction, it would probably have to occur this year.” Dumas responded that it would be for this year. “Only because of current budgetary status, I think it’s worth investigating,” Dumas wrote to Aluotto in a Nov. 17 email. Auditor Dusty Rhodes told The Enquirer he would not refund a commissioner’s pay cut. “We’re not required to do a refund,” Rhodes said. “I’m not going to do it.” Dumas told The Enquirer she has opted not to pursue it. She said she was just curious. She said she also wanted to know if it was possible “for others.” “Asking the question doesn’t make it so,” Dumas said. “We’re at the point now we’re knowing the budget is stable, is there a possibility? The reason I voluntarily gave the money was because of the budget. We thought the budget would need it.” She described it as a “moot point.”

Gardens Continued from Page 1A

The City of Cincinnati and JobsOhio helped fund the redevelopment of the site, where the former sports and entertainment venue once stood. The Cincinnati Gardens had been one of the city’s iconic landmarks

since its construction in 1949, when it was the seventh-largest arena in the country. It was the home of NBA great Oscar Robertson and the Cincinnati Royals, and it hosted an array of sporting and other events, including a concert by The Beatles in 1964, performances by comedians and symphony orchestras as well as political rallies, rodeos and tractor pulls. 1955: Cincinnatian Wallace "Bud" Smith, left, defends his world lightweight boxing title in a rematch at Cincinnati gardens against Jimmy Carter, from whom Smith had won the title four months earlier in Boston. ENQUIRER FILE

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Ohio mask enforcement: 23 stores cited Jackie Borchardt Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

COLUMBUS – State health oﬃ cials cited 23 retail stores for not following face mask and social distancing rules during the ﬁ rst week of December. Each store received a warning. A subsequent violation could close a business for up to 24 hours. The businesses cited include a mix of mom and pop shops, gas stations and big-name retailers such as Walmart and Lowe's. The businesses cited were in 13 different counties, including three in Hamilton County and one in Butler County: h Shell, 3093 Queen City Ave., Westwood (Cincinnati): no physical distancing, employees and customers weren't wearing masks properly h Cleaner Concepts, 3396 Erie Ave., Hyde Park (Cincinnati): no sign indicating masks are required, employees and customers weren't wearing masks properly h Engels Hardware, 7246 Harrison Ave., Colerain Twp., employees and customers weren't wearing masks properly h AT&T Teleholdings Inc., 2992

Inspectors visiting Ohio retail stores observed 93.1% of customers and 94.4% of employees properly wearing face coverings during the ﬁ rst week of December. ALBERT CESARE / THE ENQUIRER

Towne Blvd., Middletown, employees and customers weren't wearing masks properly Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensa-

tion investigators began inspecting retail stores last month as part of a stricter mask order. The order and inspections don't apply to bars and restaurants, hair

salons or other types of businesses. The stricter enforcement order requires stores to: h post a sign at the entrance indicating masks are required, h post a maximum capacity limit to ensure 6 feet of physical distance can be maintained throughout the store, h place markers on the ﬂ oor to distance customers standing in lines, and h designate an on-site compliance oﬃ cer for each business location. Inspectors visited 1,831 businesses in 83 of Ohio's 88 counties from Nov. 30 to Dec. 6. They observed 93.1% of customers and 94.4% of employees properly wearing face coverings. Adherence to social distancing and sign requirements were higher: 97.3% and 98.5%, respectively. That's slightly less than the previous week's compliance of 94.4% of customers and 94.6% of employees observed wearing masks properly. One store was cited the previous week. Cumulatively, including inspections from before Nov. 23, the mask requirement compliance rate is 93.3% for customers and 94.5% for employees. Results from each week's inspections are posted to the state's coronavirus website on Thursday.

Ex-Talbert House employee who worked with kids faces sex charges Kevin Grasha Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

A former Talbert House employee charged with having sexual contact with a 9-year-old girl may have victimized others, prosecutors say. For the last four years, Kenneth Hackett worked as a life skills coach at Talbert House, a nonproﬁ t that oﬀ ers a wide variety of services. Prosecutors say Hackett, who worked with vulnerable children and adults, became acquainted with the girl through his job. According to court documents: On

Sept. 13, while in the parking lot of Envision, a charity that helps people with developmental disabilities, Hackett, who is 55, touched the girl sexually over her clothing. He was interviewed by police on Dec. 7 with an attorney present, the documents say, and “gave a verbal and written admission to committing the…offenses.” Hackett’s attorney, Greg Cohen, declined to comment on the charges, but said “there is no prior conduct of this nature.” Hackett, of Reading, was indicted

Dec. 16 on two counts of gross sexual imposition. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in prison and would have to register as a sex oﬀ ender. Oﬃ cials said he previously worked at Envision and at county developmental disabilities services agencies in Hamilton and Brown counties. “This case is disturbing because of what happened to this victim but also because Hackett has always worked with vulnerable children and adults,” Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters said in a statement. “We are concerned that there may be more victims who

Talbert House offices, located in Walnut Hills. PROVIDED

have not come forward.” Anyone with information about other alleged victims should contact Hamilton County sheriﬀ ’s Detective Andrew Stoll at 513-595-8548.

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Amid COVID-19 crisis, Ohio tobacco sales remain strong Jessie Balmert Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

COLUMBUS - Amid the novel coronavirus crisis, Ohioans are turning to another health hazard: smoking. While the state's budget has taken a hit in many areas, taxes collected from cigarettes and tobacco products remain strong. In fact, revenue from tobacco products was 9.1% ahead of projections for the ﬁ scal year through October. Rep. Bill Seitz, R-Green Township, who projected a $2 billion shortfall in the state's budget, pointed to this tax revenue as a bright point. “I know people are smoking an awful lot of cigarettes and our cigarette tax revenues are way ahead of estimates, which is another reason never to consider raising the cigarette tax," said Seitz, who smokes, at the post-election ImpactOhio conference. "Don’t kill the goose

that lays the golden eggs." Ken Fletcher, director of advocacy for the American Lung Association in Ohio, said that's the wrong takeaway. Ohio could actually increase taxes on cigarettes to bring in more money in the short-term and reduce smoking in the longterm. "Our message to folks to people during this pandemic is please stop, stop smoking," Fletcher said. Cigarette seller Altria saw a boost in sales when governors across the nation closed businesses and residents stocked their pantries with essentials. In June, the Wall Street Journal reported Americans were smoking more as spending on entertainment and travel dried up. Altria initially estimated its cigarette industry would lose 2% to 3.5% in revenue this year, but the company revised its projections to remain unchanged or down 1.5%, accord-

Ohio's budget faces shortfalls, but tax money from cigarettes isn't one of them. THE ENQUIRER/PATRICK REDDY

ing to the company's thirdquarter earnings call. Many weren't deterred by warnings that smoking cigarettes could leave them more vulnerable to COVID-19. "Smoking impairs lung function making it harder for the body to ﬁ ght oﬀ coronaviruses and other respiratory diseases," according to the World Health Organization. " Available research suggests that smokers are at higher risk of

developing severe COVID-19 outcomes and death." Stress and boredom might have driven some to smoke more during the pandemic, Fletcher said, but the health repercussions will have longlasting eﬀ ects. "We’re troubled to see that people are turning to tobacco as they deal with this pandemic," he said. Even without a pandemic, Ohio has one of the higher rates

of smokers in the nation. About 20.5% of Ohioans reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoking either daily or some days. That's higher than the national average of 16.1%. Only West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas, Indiana and Tennessee had higher rates, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data compiled by the United Health Foundation. Ohio has made some attempts to limit its tobacco use. Last year, Ohio raised the minimum age on tobacco and electronic cigarette sales to 21 years old. That was expected to cost the state between $17 million and $23 million a year. Cigarettes weren't the only sales on the rise. Ohio's taxes on alcoholic beverages and liquor have also exceeded the state's budget expectations. "Liquor is selling like hotcakes," Seitz said. "That’s been a bright spot.”

Cincinnati makes ‘2020’s Best Cities for Christmas’ list Sarah Brookbank Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Cincinnati is one of the best cities to celebrate Christmas in 2020, according to a new study from WalletHub. WalletHub said it compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities based on 15 key indicators of a safe and affordable Christmas. Cincinnati ranked at No. 16. Cleveland also made the list, coming in at No. 17. The data set ranges from COVID-19 cases to the availability of Christmas traditions to the city’s overall generosity.

Christmas Tree on Fountain Square Thanksgiving night, November 26, 2020. CARA OWSLEY/THE ENQUIRER

In order to determine the best cities for Christmas, WalletHub compared the

100 most populated cities across four key dimensions including safety,

traditions and food, observance and generosity. Cincinnati and Cleveland both ranked highest in the observance category, based on the share of Christian population and churches per capita. Cincinnati also did well in the traditions and food category, which is based on Christmas Tree farms and bakeries per capita and availability of high-rated take out or delivery.

3 Honolulu, HI 4 Oakland, CA 5 Raleigh, NC 6 Pittsburgh, PA 7 San Francisco, CA 8 Portland, OR 9 Plano, TX 10 Seattle, WA 11 Sacramento, CA

12 Virginia Beach, VA 13 Atlanta, GA 14 Kansas City, MO 15 San Diego, CA 16 Cincinnati, OH 17 Cleveland, OH 18 Austin, TX 19 Madison, WI 20Chesapeake, VA

Due to the holiday, our office hours and obituary placement times may vary.

Best Cities for Christmas, according to WalletHub: 1 Durham, NC 2 San Jose, CA

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Christmas gift idea: Homemade peppermint bark Williams-Sonoma peppermint bark clone Don’t use “chocolate flavored” bar or chips. Use either all bar chocolate, or chips/morsels to make sure layers bond. One more thing: a little less, or more of any ingredient is OK. Ingredients 12 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate Terry uses 43% cacao (Williams-Sonoma uses 61%) 18 oz. white chocolate – ﬁ rst ingredient should be sugar, second cocoa butter ⁄ 2 teaspoon real peppermint extract or couple drops food-grade peppermint oil

⁄ 2 cup or so crushed peppermint

9x13 pan, lined with foil and sprayed Instructions 1. Preheat oven to 250. 2. Pour dark chocolate in pan and melt in oven 2-5 minutes only. The goal is to have a little chocolate still unmelted which prevents overcooking/seizing. Spread to smooth.

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3. Refrigerate 20 minutes or until chocolate loses sheen and is ﬁ rm (don’t refrigerate longer than necessary; it may stay too cold/hard, causing separation of layers when you cut it).

Ditto with Beverly G., an Eastgate reader, who rang my purchases up at Macy’s. Beverly showed me a photo of the cinnamon bread recipe I had published and which she made. “It turned out so nice,” she said. Indeed it did. See her photo on my abouteating.com site. Hyde Park reader Terry Robinson makes my peppermint bark for gifts. Through the years, I’ve shared several versions. Today it will be Terry’s favorite. My preference is high-quality bar chocolate. Terry uses high-quality chocolate chips/morsels and has great results. Yes, the bark recipe is very detailed – that’s because melting chocolate is a technique. And if you’re serving a spiral or honey baked ham for the holiday, I’ve got you covered with tips for reheating.

4. Meanwhile melt white chocolate in double boiler, or very low heat in nonstick pan or in microwave. Microwave on high for 1 minute, stir, then put back in until most, but not all, chocolate has melted. Start checking after 30 seconds or so. Stir to smooth. Careful, white chocolate burns easily. 5. Add extract or oil. 6. Pour white chocolate over dark chocolate layer and smooth. 7. Sprinkle peppermint and tap with spatula to adhere.

Honey baked/spiral ham warming tips Ham is already cooked, you’re just reheating it. And not at a high temperature or for very long or you’ll wind up with dry, overcooked ham. To keep it nice and juicy, wrap tightly in double layer of foil. Pour a bit of water around it in pan.

8. Let sit on counter until hard.

Heat at 275 about 10 minutes per pound. Heat only until warm, about 140 degrees.

9. Cut with sharp knife. If layers do separate a bit, “glue” with smear of melted chocolate.

If separate glaze is included, glaze about 20 minutes prior to when ham is done.

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###

SPORTS MND again has a rugged basketball schedule Scott Springer Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

La Salle's Jaylen Johnson catches a pass during the Lancers' football game against Elder, Friday, Aug. 27. TONY TRIBBLE/FOR THE ENQUIRER

La Salle’s Johnson has unique chance at OSU Charlie Goldsmith Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

The defense that Ohio State football runs is slightly diff erent than what you see at most college football programs. Most defenses either have a nickel cornerback or a third linebacker on the fi eld. But Ohio State’s defense features a player at the “bullet position,” a hybrid between safety and linebacker. La Salle High School defensive back Jaylen Johnson fi ts that mold. “(My coaches) put me in the best positions possible,” Johnson said. “Wherever you put me, I can adapt to. I’m a great athlete and a great learner.” Johnson, a three-star safety ranked No. 409 in the 2021 recruiting class by 24/7Sports, signed his letter of intent Dec. 16 to play for the Buckeyes. “They’re getting a versatile guy,” La Salle head coach Pat McLaughlin said. “He played safety for us, and I think he can go down and play linebacker. He’s a physical kid. I think he’s going to get bigger and faster and stronger when he gets up there.” Johnson is one of fi ve defensive backs in Ohio State’s second ranked 2021 recruiting class, but he might be the most well suited to play the bullet spot. Johnson is already 6-foot and 200 pounds, and few high school recruits have his combination of strength and athleticism. “Ohio State really looks for a guy that can play as a linebacker and as a safety,” Bill Kurelic of 247/Sports said. “(Johnson) is so athletic and runs so well. He has great size and will defi nitely hit you. He has a little bit of a nasty attitude on the fi eld, and I mean that in a positive way. He wants to make an impact.” When La Salle faced Anderson in the 2020 high school playoff s, Anderson head coach Evan Dreyer said he was never sure where Johnson would line up.

Some plays, Johnson lined up as a deep safety, roving 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage. Other plays, Johnson lined up as an inside linebacker and took away Anderson’s short game. Dreyer said Johnson was most impactful playing closer to the line of scrimmage, and he said that dominance could continue at Ohio State. “He can grow into an in-the-box linebacker and be a monster in the middle of the fi eld,” Dreyer said. “They played him at a bunch of diff erent positions, and his ability to play multiple positions is his biggest strength.” Last season, Johnson had 55 tackles at La Salle and helped lead its dominant defense to the state semifi nals. He received off ers from schools like the University of Cincinnati, Michigan State and Kentucky, but Johnson committed to play for the Buckeyes on Jan. 7. “I could see him becoming a starter by his second or third year at Ohio State,” Kurelic said. “He fi ts in well. They have needs in the secondary. They wanted to sign at least fi ve defensive backs, and he’s one of those guys.” Eleven months after he committed, Johnson offi cially joined a program that has nine defensive backs in the NFL. He signed his Letter of Intent in a Dec. 16 ceremony at La Salle. Johnson never doubted his decision. “My recruiting process was very easy,” Johnson said. “I knew where I wanted to go from the start. I always knew Columbus was home in my heart, so I didn’t want to waste other coaches’ time.” When he gets to Ohio State, Johnson will become a part of the Buckeyes’ evolutionary defense. TraditionSee JOHNSON, Page 2B

SHARONVILLE - The time that passed from the end of Mount Notre Dame High School’s basketball season last winter to the start of this fall’s campaign was 266 days. To the Cougars, it was an eternity. A victory last March 7 over Fairmont put MND in the Division I state semifi nal against Toledo Notre Dame Academy. MND was 28-0 and a pair of wins from 30-0 and an eighth state title. Enter the coronavirus pandemic and Makira Cook, Grace Centrulla and Courtney Nichols’ senior seasons ended. Though they fi nished undefeated for the second time in school history and the fi rst time since 2004, there would be no cutting down of the nets in Columbus. “Our girls were devastated by it,” MND coach Dr. Scott Rogers said. “I think they’re playing a lot for the seniors last year that missed it.” So far, the fi re has returned. The Cougars opened up with a 24point win over Roger Bacon and just recently handed Princeton of the Greater Miami Conference its fi rst loss. When this article was originally published, junior K.K. Bransford was near the top of the Girls Greater Catholic League scorers at 20.3 per game and leads the league in assists and steals (4.6 and 3.4, respectively) to go along with 6.2 rebounds. In her game

“We were really sad about it. It was pretty hard because we were undefeated and we hadn’t been undefeated in a while. I feel like we have unﬁ nished business. We’ll get back.” Laila Phelia

Mount Notre Dame forward

against Princeton, she had 25 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. “We were just doing so good,” Bransford said of last year’s unfulfi lled ending. “Our seniors (2020), this year we’re dedicating to them.” Bransford has had so many off ers that she’s not even sure of the total. Her fi rst came in the sixth grade when Xavier came calling. She’s since narrowed the list to a dozen who’s who women’s basketball schools including Maryland, Connecticut, UCLA, Louisville, Notre Dame, Michigan, Arizona, Tennessee, Baylor, Texas, Duke and North Carolina. “She’s researching every school, researching educational programs that they have,” Rogers said of Bransford’s suitors. “I think she’s being smart. It’s fun to watch all of them go through that process. She’s pretty much got her pick of where she wants to go. She’s the most See MND, Page 2B

Mount Notre Dame guard K.K. Bransford (14) reacts us during their win over Princeton, Monday, Dec. 14. TONY TRIBBLE/FOR THE ENQUIRER

Princeton girls hoops awaits return of Sole Williams Scott Springer Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Sole Williams, a 5-foot-8 sophomore guard, has offers that include Ohio State, Louisville, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Xavier and Dayton, among others. TONY TRIBBLE FOR THE ENQUIRER

Down three starters from last winter’s 19-5 team, the Princeton High School girls basketball squad jumped out to a 4-0 start this season before dropping their fi rst game to Ohio No. 1 Mount Notre Dame Dec. 15. Included in that string of wins was a victory over Lakota West, which has won or shared the last six Greater Miami Conference titles. Making the feat more impressive, the Lady Vikings have no one on the fl oor taller than 6-foot after losing 6-foot-6 Kyla Oldacre to Mason via transfer. They’ve also played without sophomore Sole Williams, the team’s top scorer last season as a freshman at 11.8 points per game. Williams hopes to return soon from an ankle injury. “They’re kind of fi nding their way

right now without her,” Princeton coach Jill Phillips said. “It will just be a great addition when she does come back.” The 5-foot-8 guard’s off ers include Ohio State, Louisville, Kentucky, Arizona, Mississippi State, Florida, Michigan, Marquette, Xavier, Cincinnati, Pitt, Tennessee, West Virginia, Dayton, Peen State, Akron, North Carolina, Syracuse, Illinois, UCLA, Alabama, Michigan State and LSU. Her fi rst off er came at age 13 and the activity has increased, which is no surprise to Williams. She has taken some visits but emphasizes her options are open. “I knew my time was going to come because I was really dedicated to the game,” Williams said. “I sacrifi ce a lot of my time.” When she hits the fl oor, Williams will add another wrinkle to Princeton’s offense with her ability to get to the basket

and get her teammates involved. For Phillips, who coached the WNBA’s Kelsey Mitchell, there are some competitive similarities. “She’s always in the gym and wants to get better,” Phillips said. “She’s a great kid. She takes everything in stride. She just wants to keep working and be the best she can be.” Minus Williams, Oldacre and Willow White who graduated and also averaged near double-digits, the Lady Vikings have found new energy to compete with senior guard Madison Rochelle leading the way. Averaging less than six points per game last season, Rochelle’s at 18.2 – when this article was originally published – which includes a 29-point outing at St. Ursula and a 30-point eﬀ ort in a win over Lakota West. “She’s just so athletic,” Phillips said See PRINCETON, Page 2B

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

NORTHWEST COMMUNITY PRESS

Johnson

MND

Continued from Page 1B

ally, defenses have placed three or four linebackers in the middle of the ﬁ eld, and those linebackers best attributes have been the ability to stop the run. Over the last decade, as teams started to throw the ball more often, defenses started seeking linebackers who can cover tight ends, running backs and slot receivers. But these players still need to be strong enough to make a tackle in the box against a physical running back. During his career at La Salle, Johnson showed he can do both and also play as a traditional safety. Whatever Ohio State throws at Johnson, he’ll be ready. “He has a ton of football knowledge,” McLaughlin said. “He studies the game and he loves the game. I think they’re getting a really good player.”

humble kid in the world. You would not know she’s being recruited by hundreds of schools.” Bransford also has a gold medal on her resume from the U16 national team and plans to try out again in May for the U18 team, COVID-19 permitting. In her third season, she’s been part of just one loss (Jan. 14, 2019, to Centerville) and has twice been GGCL ﬁ rst team along with being 2020 GGCL Player of the Year and All-Ohio First Team. “We’ve been ﬁ nding our identity really well,” Bransford said of the early season. “We’re going up and we still have room to improve. Every day, we go to practice and go like, ‘It’s time to improve!’ After each game, we’re on to the next one. We keep pushing away.” Bransford has played with senior

teammate Laila Phelia since sixth grade, so losing is not anything either are accustomed to experiencing. Phelia has been a four-year constant for Rogers and the Cougars. She’s also driven by what was taken away last March. “We were really sad about it,” Phelia said. “It was pretty hard because we were undefeated and we hadn’t been undefeated in a while. I feel like we have unﬁ nished business. We’ll get back.” Phelia currently averages just under 15 points per game for MND and has pretty much been a reliable doubledigit performer throughout her career. The 5-foot-10 forward committed to play at Michigan last April. Phelia is coming oﬀ of a knee injury, but her mid-range game complements Bransford’s ability to get to the basket. Six-foot-1 junior Abby Wolterman, 5-foot-10 senior Autumn Crockett and 6-foot Brianna Counts give MND a rotation that may not be the tallest

around, but they make up for it with ball movement and eff ort. With point guard Makira Cook now at Dayton, 5-foot-6 sophomore Taylor Stanley is the new distributor of the basketball to MND’s talented scorers. “She’s stepped up big-time this year,” Rogers said. “Every game she’s getting a little better. She’s getting there. This stop and start stuff doesn’t help.” Rogers is happy to have the girls in the gym given coronavirus restrictions. MaxPreps currently had them listed as No. 1 in Ohio and 18th nationally when this article was originally published, none of which is terribly important to the MND coach in December. The Madeira dentist brushes off thoughts of the unbeaten streak. “What are you going to do?” Rogers said. “It’s just one of those things. You’re not going to go undefeated forever. You just start another streak if that happens.”

Princeton

Senior guard Madison Rochelle, who averaged six points per game last season, has stepped up by averaging 18.2 points.

Continued from Page 1B

of Rochelle. “She can jump out of the gym, she can get to the basket and really her best game is in the open court getting to the rim. She worked on her outside shot and shot the ball really well in the preseason. That’s continued and she’s developed into the total player.” The victory over Lakota West, which has won or shared the GMC title the past six seasons, was rewarding. Princeton won by 17 on the champion’s home fl oor. “That’s one of the most effi cient games my team has played against them,” Phillips said. “We shot close to 50% from the fl oor, we had 18 assists and only 10 turnovers. That was a really good night.” Added Williams who watched courtside, “I was super proud of my team.” Phillips has led the Lady Vikes since 2002, which includes eight GMC championships. Their last title came in 2014. The spacious facility at Princeton has plenty of room for new banners which Phillips would certainly welcome. “I think they enjoy each other which makes basketball fun,” Phillips said.

Guard LaSonja Hill (2) is one of Princeton's three sophomore contributors, along with Sole Williams and Dede Carter-Hartley. PHOTOS BY TONY TRIBBLE FOR THE ENQUIRER

“We are talented and when you put all of that together, we’ve had some early success.” When Williams returns, she’ll be one of three sophomores in the Princeton rotation along with Dede Carter-Hartley and LaSonja Hill. Kendall Wilson and Margo Abrams are only juniors with Ro-

chelle one of just three seniors on the roster. “We’ve got things to work on, but it starts with practice,” Williams said. “We have things we have to work on as a team and individually. We’ll be ﬁ ne.” A highly anticipated showdown with

Mason and former Lady Viking Kyla Oldacre is set for Wednesday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 at Princeton. The highly recruited center was averaging nearly 16 points and 11 rebounds per game after moving into the Mason district, when this article was originally published.

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COMMUNITY NEWS Gifting with purpose

stamped on the back by the worker who made them. The packs are available for $20 and are a great way to send good wishes while spreading awareness of KAA. The bubbly and refreshing bath bombs are available for $5 each and come with a color choice of purple or white. Made from a mixture of Epsom salts, citric acid and baking soda, the bath bombs are naturally colored and use essential oils for scent. Lemon scented body lotions and scrubs are both available for $20 each, while lip balm sells for $10. KAA’s spa products stand out from others on the market not only because they’re handmade, but they’re all-natural, too. All handmade items are available for purchase through the KAA website. Each purchase of any of the products helps support employment for adults with developmental disabilities through KAA’s WORK program. Meaningful employment also helps ﬁ ght back against social isolation and loneliness by fostering higher achievement. For information on KAA or handmade items, visit https://www.kenandersonalliance.org/new-products. Theresa Ciampone, Ken Anderson Alliance

This year, the holidays are bringing you the opportunity to shop for a cause. The Ken Anderson Alliance (KAA) is a local nonprofi t organization that off ers “Live, Work, and Engage” opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities. KAA now off ers homemade goods that give back. Not only do the products support the KAA mission, they provide opportunities for adults with developmental disabilities to learn new skills. KAA currently sells fi ve diff erent handmade items: colorful bath bombs, unique greeting cards, white lemonscented body lotion, lemon-scented body scrub and moisturizing lip balm. Community Liaison Cate Fopma and her son, Zach Leimbach, are two volunteers working behind the scenes to create these products. “There are two reasons we make these products: number one is to provide employment opportunities for those on the autism spectrum or with other developmental disabilities,” Fopma says. “The second reason is that it helps to raise money for the organization.” Four-packs of handmade cards are

KAA participant Zach Leimbach, of Montgomery, creates items for sale online at the local nonproﬁ t. PROVIDED

REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Information provided by Hamilton County Auditor Dusty Rhodes

Colerain Township 10068 Marino Dr: Williams David A & Debra L to Schatzman Samantha; $98,200 10224 Pippin Rd: Loren Real Estate LLC to Johnson Ann G; $180,000 11467 Gravenhurst Dr: Hendrickson Joshua G to Minix Christina; $162,500 2563 Hazelcrest Ln: Holley Daniel A & Kimberly A to Williams Talmage; $210,000 2629 John Gray Rd: Berry Michael L to Jones Melinda; $122,900 2765 Banning Rd: Stith Gene to Geak Properties LLC; $57,500 2872 Overdale Dr: Steele John A & Lori L to Horne Joann & Michael Jerome Horne Sr; $177,000 2874 Hanois Ct: Lowe Tanner P & Elizabeth M Lemming to Budhathoki Chandra Bahadu & Maina Maya Khanal; $160,000 2877 Kingman Dr: Boenning Richard A to Stgr Investment Group LLC; $111,000 3053 Struble Rd: Graham Claude W & Yvonne to Rai Buddha M; $204,000 3060 Springdale Rd: Langefeld John P & Elizabeth H to Correa Gerardo Sanchez; $161,250 3060 Springdale Rd: Langefeld John P & Elizabeth H to Correa Gerardo Sanchez; $161,250 3112 Laverne Dr: Schlesinger Rhonda Faye to Hacker Aubree Marilyn; $82,500 3332 Blueacres Dr: Frey Ronald J Tr & Mary Ann Tr to Mark Stenger Properties LLC; $116,500 3423 Chuckfield Dr: Shelton Mary to Khayo Tristan & Miaranda Withers; $55,000

3650 Ashhill Ct: Spielmann Joseph R to Brice Anthony A; $207,000 3685 Benhill Dr: Smith Dustin M & Ashley L Fisher to Grace Goodloe Ashley Nicole &; $159,900 4093 Springrock Dr: Havlin Patrick M to Howland Thomas & Jessica Barber; $224,900 4358 Courageous Cr: Bochkay William to Binder Cathy L; $212,800 4887 Blue Meadow Ln: Bauer Marth & Melissa Koch to Hardy Chanda L & Robert M; $289,000 5904 Blue Rock Rd: Insprucker Nancy to Baker Joyce C; $100,000 6157 Rose Petal Dr: Esposito Anthony G & Sharon K to Dreher Andreas; $558,000 6260 Daleview Rd: Markus Michael T & Michelle E to Meldrim James & Tamara; $270,000 8667 Sarahs Bend Dr: Hood Robert W & Mary to Price Shane; $223,000 9187 Coogan Dr: Martin Kevin to Hargrove Frederick A Jr; $129,900 9337 Loralinda Dr: Coleman Nakia A to Chenault Arryn E & Nicole B; $153,500 9959 Pebbleknoll Dr: Schulte Tamara M to Johns Barbara Jill Tr; $262,000

College Hill 1109 North Bend Rd: Franklin Michael @ 6 to Rfmiller Homes Ltd; $60,000 1165 Homeside Ave: Bar Zvika to Adedeji Olalaken & Karemat; $55,000 5300 Hamilton Ave: Bissell Jean A Tr to Moore Gary T & Andrea L; $155,000 5721 Kenneth Ave: Wilson Helen to Aproject LLC; $48,616 6127 Faircrest Ct: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $102,350

PUZZLE ANSWERS D I S R O B E

A M I A B L E

N A T I V E S

R O A N

I S L E T

C A T C H

D A I O N T M Y S H C R E H A R I N E

F L M L O E I O D E R S I A T E A T S O U T C U T O T T A Y E R O R I T A R E G O D A T A S M H E W A O R E O N E Y T E A E S D R T A

A N N O U R L G O O F E T O I L E S

T G O I A F T H H I N S E E A B S P A T S P T S V E R A T H O T A E R F N C U S H R E E U S P

P L E N T Y R U S T E D

C O U L D B E

A E R O S O L

I O R N E O R R I N C A R O N E U N K P A N S P O E T

R T E S T I U L P A A T G E U L P I S M I S T T E P T H S Y O L N A

C E S A R E

A P P R O V E

B O O K B A G

H A M E L I C D A D R O L D N E E A S A V I S O E K I I D N E D

I N C H I L O T R D G S S I R E E

T E A R

P E D D L E R

P R E S E T S

Forest Park 10832 Carnegie Dr: Desai Naveen M to Dia Mamodou Amadou; $62,000 11002 Embassy Dr: Throckmorton Joanne E to Russell Callahan; $100,000 11359 Kenn Rd: Oj Investments LLC to Odola Grace E & Jelili Opeyemi Azeez; $180,000 11391 Geneva Rd: Smith Larry H to Bsfr Ii Owner I LLC; $150,000 11478 Ivyrock Ct: Wilke Whitney to Vargas Jessica & Fran Toribio Mendez Sanchez; $152,500 11680 Raphael Pl: Dhakal Ram P & Geeta M Dahal to Dhakal Matri P & Geeta M; $97,300 11788 Hamlet Rd: Resolve Realty LLC to Vb One LLC; $89,000 972 Holderness Ln: Rogan Jinette M to Murdo Brandon Michael & Gabrielle Renee; $188,500

Glendale 3 Glen Meadow Ct: Sutherland Carol M to Betts Lavelle Eugene & Octavia; $326,750 833 Congress Ave: Brand C Vance to Schweikert Christopher Lee &; $600,000

Green Township 2660 Coshocton Ct: Morgenroth Gary & Phyllis to Gibbons Damon & Kiera; $225,000 3121 Westbourne Dr: Halsey Cody to Todd Jacob; $129,500 3171 Blue Rock Rd: Frederick Ronald W & Renee P to Cason Michael Matthew & ; $240,000 3404 North Bend Rd: Sorrell Mark C & Michelle B to Reber Ronald R Jr; $135,000 3751 Jessup Rd: Luzietti Daniel P to Simmons Michael F & Mary K Dole; $178,000 3810 Ridgedale Dr: Thabteh Riyad to Bochkay William W & Lori; $333,000 3826 Mack Ave: Brown Roger L & Carol Joan Tr to Hamant Richard C; $238,500 3861 Ridgecombe Dr: Balzano Nicholas S to Brantley Johnny Jay; $179,000 4282 Homelawn Ave: Mueller Paul R to Strayer Scott Alan & Margret Ellen; $140,000 4350 Regency Ridge Ct: Haley James E to Lehman Karren A; $133,000 4384 Airycrest Ln: Sph Property One LLC to Latham William E Sr & Sheila; $164,500 4624 Nathaniel Glen Dr: Gellenback Terry M & Sandra C to Gellenbeck Anthony M & Anita L;

$190,000 5195 Race Rd: Stevens Andrea Tr & Michael Scheible Tr to Miller Robert R & Carrie E; $268,000 5556 Clearview Ave: Blazer Michael J to Clark Zach & Jenesis; $175,000 5592 Seville Ct: Terry James K Jr & Tamara L to Reed Joseph D; $259,900 5656 Bridgetown Rd: Volker Richard @ 3 to Munn Michael Lee & Kimberly Jo; $139,500 5765 Cheviot Rd: Dougherty Lindsey A to Ali Shakir Regina; $90,657 5957 Fawnridge Ct: Prasai Suman & Narbada Subedi to Armontrout Mark P; $156,000 6178 Charity Dr: D W to Semb Jaime M & Aaron R; $230,000 6331 Blueberry Hill Ct: Chambers Brian V & Lee A to Weber Richard D & Emily M; $340,000 6497 Sherrybrook Dr: Dreyer Patricia Lynn to Erdman Jon & Abigail; $425,000 6603 Hearne Rd: Briskman Real Estate LLC to Three Royals LLC; $45,000 6615 Hearne Rd: Briskman Real Estate LLC to Three Royals LLC; $65,000 6668 Hayes Rd: Loren Real Estate LLC to Hutzel William L; $180,000 6904 Dovehill Ln: Stinson Robert E & Linda A to Averill Frederick W; $298,000 7073 Bridgetown Rd: Lambing Mccoy to Sargent Scott Lee & Natasha Nicole Herron; $169,000

Greenhills 404 Inman Ln: Bruckmann Thomas G Tr to Sturgeon Morgan; $132,000

Lincoln Heights 1322 Dixie Ct: Big Head LLC to Fraga Stefan E; $94,000 901 Byrd Ave: Big Head LLC to Morales Adi Rosario Velasquez; $95,000

Lockland 426 Hillside Ave: Bauer Randolph C & Judith A to Wells Macey S; $110,000 507 Herbert Ave: Cristo Homes Inc to Coduti Louis B Iii & Elizabeth J; $224,064

Mount Airy 5206 Colerain Ave: Rawls Trishun to Boland Bashar & Rachel; $152,500 5564 Fox Rd: Daniel Donald Gillian & Susan Daniel Woodard to Haslon Jordan & Christopher; $169,500

Mount Healthy 7368 Clovernook Ave: Parker Krisheena to Aaa Real Estate Investments LLC; $65,550 7804 Joseph St: Gentene

Clem Jr & Debra to Wood Megan; $177,500 7861 Hamilton Ave: Madison Mark Jr & Linda P to Aura Properties LLC; $57,420

239 Eastwick Ln: Lojek Carole A Tr to Chen Samphors; $154,000 889 Yorkhaven Rd: Terrell Donyale to Devora Eddy; $205,000

North College Hill

Springfield Township

15 Iron Woods Dr: Stoffer Susan Michele Tr to Hunley Billiadenise; $166,500 1617 Joseph Ct: Grace Brandon & Denise R Hayes to Hayes Denise R; $10,527 1622 Joseph Ct: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $77,550 1826 Sterling Ave: Beckman James Spencer to Sfr3-aic LLC; $30,000 6501 Simpson Ave: Anderson Melissa to Briskman Real Estate LLC; $62,000 6926 Lois Dr: Ankenbauer Clyde P to Blevins Amanda & Juanita; $110,000 6932 Mar Bev Dr: Robers Laurie to Huffman Jennifer J; $120,000 7055 Noble Ct: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $92,850

10310 Lochcrest Dr: Jensen Elsa M to Davis Matthew & Taylor; $320,000 1056 Meredith Dr: Bayer Phyllis Tr to Turner William & Heather; $175,000 10948 Maplehill Dr: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $80,550 12140 Regency Run Ct: Mauch Joseph Robert to Trame Patricia; $101,000 1304 Aldrich Ave: Traditional Properties to Vb One LLC; $70,000 1576 Silverglade Ct: Costello Kevin M & Brian P to Bates Renita D & Charles; $205,000 1626 Aspenhill Dr: Shipley Justin & Shipley Clementina to Rhodes Arnika J & Henry Lamont Rhodes; $225,000 1801 Aspenhill Dr: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $97,350 1937 Lotushill Dr: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $78,850 2037 Bluehill Dr: Barlow Herman L to Duskin Properties LLC; $55,000 2305 Compton Rd: Moose 62 Properties LLC to Vb One LLC; $84,350 2322 Magdalena Dr: Eberhart Jaiella to Brown James H & Christine Marie; $176,000 463 Whitestone Ct: Osmond Charles D & Janet P Co-tr to Shepard Chalisa; $249,900 6238 Stella Ave: Leytze David Andrew to Brown Clarence M Iv; $117,000 8420 Mayfair St: Harris Mamie E to Rubio Claudia Vanessa; $136,000 8480 Foxcroft Dr: Baldock Sally A to Restrepo Diana Marcela; $167,900 8630 Cavalier Dr: Jones Martin to Luken Nicholas J & Mary E; $175,000 866 Galbraith Rd: Sy Fatoumata N to Wallace Rose L; $129,000 8797 Long Ln: Morgan Stephen R & Christine Michelle to Draper Tia D; $158,000 8817 Balboa Dr: Ferone Michael D & Shelbie J to Women On The Move LLC; $132,500 8856 Neptune Dr: Leever Gary to Arf Properties LLC; $57,000 9512 Winton Rd: Kauflin Theodore J to Arlequeeuw Michelle R; $155,000 9520 Crestbrook Dr: Uddin James Jr & Anthony Uddin to Briskman Real Estate LLC; $97,000

Reading 110 Mechanic St: Whitton Melissa J to Brown Tikisha; $105,500 1163 Alwil Dr: Estes Stephanie to Grabel Megan Sophia; $195,000 1407 Bonnell Ave: Wellman Eric R & Bethan Y L to Cross Daniel P & Samantha; $190,500 1420 East St: Bain Tara L & Kimberly E Bain to Bain Tara I & Kyle Gertz; $22,500 1557 Sanborn Dr: Eppstein John D to Sewigert Jessica; $161,500 19 Judiann Ct: Long Matthew A to Theil Richard & Angela; $150,000 201 Vine St: Bruhn Carl Thomas to Huneck Cameron J; $33,250

Sharonville 3065 Crescentville Rd: Cross Street Service Inc to Fleetpark Crescentville Oh LLC; $600,000 3583 Concerto Dr: Wietmarschen Andrew M & Mary L Noe to Becker Dylan A; $207,000

Spring Grove Village 745 Circle Ave: Gaivoronskaia Sofia to Resnick Kathleen; $159,500 768 Derby Ave: Knarr Jason D & Katherine Staiger to Zielke Christa Elizabeth & Kevin E Worthington; $300,000

Springdale 12003 Mallet Dr: Ugaz Cabrera Cristina M & Susana M to Ugaz Cabrera Cristina M; $53,725 12105 Lakehaven Ct: Macaulay Christine to Equity Trust Co Custodian Fbo; $105,000

See REAL ESTATE, Page 5B

NORTHWEST COMMUNITY PRESS

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

10 local candy shops for stocking stuﬀ ers Schneider's Homemade Candies

Charles Infosino Special to Cincinnati Enquirer USA TODAY NETWORK

Many entertainment venues in Cincinnati and all restaurant dining rooms in Northern Kentucky are closed, but candy shops on both sides of the river remain open. A family that eats candy together stays dandy together. Here are 10 of the sweetest shops in the area.

Groovy Gumball Candy Company 6846 Wooster Pike, Mariemont. Groovy Gumball sells ice cream, candies from all over the world, gourmet chocolates, fudge and novelty gifts. They have candy items that start at 25 cents. Their most expensive products are gourmet fudge, chocolates and bourbon balls from the Bourbon Trail. Customer favorites include Swedish skulls that are made from green apple and pear, chocolate covered gummy bears and unicorn poop, a multi-colored and fruity licorice with a vanilla cream inside. Groovy Gumball’s best-selling product is ice cream; the shop has 30 ﬂ avors of gourmet ice cream. Customer favorite ice creams include Exhausted Parent, a blend of espresso and bourbon with chocolate ice cream, This $&@! Just Got Serious, a blend of caramel ice cream with ripples of sea salt fudge and cashews, and Munchie Madness, a cake batter ice cream with caramel, Oreos, M&Ms and peanut butter cups. The shop is currently open on Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. After the pandemic, the store will resume business seven days a week. groovygumball.com.

tries, and it has over 50 shops in the United States. Their shop features an assortment of over 20 Lindor truffl e recipes, seasonal varieties, create-your-own gifts, chocolate bars, exclusive European specialties and boxed chocolates. At the shop, their guests are treated to a premium free chocolate sample and shopping assistance by an expert Lindt chocolate advisor. Customers can pick and choose their favorite Lindor truffl es fl avors to create a special holiday gift from over 20 Lindor truffl e recipes including their seasonal Lindor truffl es. They are open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 7 p.m. lindtusa.com/store-details-449.

Fawn Candy Co.

Maverick Chocolate Co.

4271 Harrison Ave., Green Township, and 2692 Madison Road, Norwood. Fawn has been owned and operated by Cincinnati's Guenther family since 1946. The shops sell popcorn, handmade chocolates, jellybeans, caramel apples, chocolate covered nuts and fruits, fudge, gummies, truﬄ es, buckeyes and more. Fawn Candy’s most popular item is caramel. Their products range in price from $1 to $120. They also do custom gift baskets for any price range and have created them for over $300. The Harrison Avenue shop is open Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Madison Road store is open on Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. fawncandy.com.

129 W. Elder St., Over-the-Rhine, and 2651 Edmondson Road, Norwood. Both locations specialize in chocolate and are owned by Paul and Marlene Picton. Their chocolate products range from truﬄ es, which cost $2.50 each, to chocolate bars, which cost $10 to $16, to gift boxes, which can cost up to $100. Maverick Chocolate’s best-selling products are orange milk chocolate, Prohibition (bourbon) chocolate bar, which both cost $12, and Tanzania 80% dark chocolate, which costs $10. The company opened for business in 2014 at Findlay Market and expanded to Rookwood Commons in 2018. The Rookwood Commons store is a full chocolate factory, where shoppers can see chocolate being made anytime. They produce 100% of their chocolate in-house, from the raw cocoa beans to the ﬁ nished product. The Findlay location is open Tuesday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Norwood store is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. maverickchocolate.com.

Lindt Chocolate Shop 801 Premium Outlets Drive, Monroe. This shop is part of the Lindt & Sprüngli company, which is 175 years old and originated in Zurich, Switzerland. The company has retail stores in 120 coun-

A sample of the selection from Groovy Gumball. PROVIDED

420 Fairﬁ eld Ave., Bellevue. Schneider's has been family owned and operated since it was founded in 1939. Jack and Kathy Schneider are the second-generation owners. They took over the store in 1986. Jack still makes all the candy and ice cream on the premises, using the same equipment, methods and recipes his father used in 1939. The shop sells a wide assortment of chocolates, fudges, caramels, opera creams and more. Schneider's homemade opera creams are their most popular and signature candy, and they sell for $21.95 per pound. Other popular items are the homemade fudge, which starts at $11.95 per pound, nonpareils, which start at $18.95 per pound, and pecan caramelettes, which start at $22.95 per pound. The cordial cherries, truﬄ es, meltaways and turtles are quite popular, too. The store also offers some classic and old-fashioned candies. Their hours are Monday to Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. schneiderscandies.com.

See's Candies 7875 Montgomery Road, Sycamore Township. See's is part of a chocolate company that was founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1921 by Charles A. See. It began as one store and there are now over 240 of them across the United States. The shop sells chocolates, fudge, truﬄ es, candies, brittle, toﬀ ee and more. Their best-selling products are one-pound assorted chocolates, which cost $23.50, and the nuts and chews, which cost $23.95. The Scotchmallow and Milk Bordeaux are

Milk chocolate turtles from Sweet Tooth Candies. PROVIDED

St. Bernard 28 Clay St: Hausfeld Jon J & Melanie A to Stewart Joyce D; $174,400 4248 Minmor Dr: Todd Michael D & Zolita to Berry Chris Ann; $181,000 436 Bank Ave: Barnett Donna R to Jones Ronnie & Kelsey Barnett; $130,000 4509 Vine St: St Bernard Community Improvement Corporation to I Am Coffee Property Management LLC; $85,000 4902 Chalet Dr: Sansalone Jane C to Fisher Amy; $20,000 728 Ross Ave: Spaeth Brandon R to Madrigal Aja Renee; $125,000

Woodlawn 911 Prairie Ave: Mook LLC to Gerbus Properties; $74,750

Wyoming 134 Mills Ave: Socol Lionel Tr & Carol Ann Tr to Baladi Mehdi & Fatemeh Hajihosseini; $450,000 40 North Ave: Kopp Nancy

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Sweet Tooth Candies 125 W. 11th St., Newport. Sweet Tooth recently made the news for their change in ownership. The shop, which was founded in 1972, was owned by Bob and Norma Schneider until they recently sold it to Joe Bristow and Larry Geiger, who own Pompilio’s Italian Restaurant. Sweet Tooth only uses use premium milk and dark chocolate in their candies. They cater to peanut butter lovers with dark chocolate buckeyes, milk chocolate buckeyes, peanut butter meltaways and peanut butter bolsters. Their best-selling candies include milk chocolate turtles, dark chocolate opera creams, chocolate covered cherries and buckeyes. Most of their handmade chocolates, including opera creams, cost around $22 per pound. Specialty items like pecan turtles and chocolate covered cherries are $24 per pound and $25 per pound, respectively. All candies can be purchased by the piece. Sweet Tooth Candies is open daily from noon to 6 p.m. sweettoothchocolates.com.

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1 Aquarium Way, Newport. Sweet Dreams is owned by the Newport Aquarium, but operates as its own business. Their best-selling products include 15 fl avors of fudge, cotton candy, caramel apples, peanut apples, buckeye apples, turtle apples and novelty candies. Product prices range from $1.29 for assorted candies to $14.99 for candy sushi or candy pizza. They have a popular bundle off er where customers can select fi ve candies for $5. The shop is open Monday to Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.newportaquarium.com.

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J to Weisser Lance & Hanna; $188,900 54 Evergreen Ct: Guggenheim Barbara K Tr to Shill Linda L Tr; $235,000 551 Abilene Trl: Pietoso Nicola to Johnson Christopher A & Christine E;

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REAL ESTATE TRANSFERS Continued from Page 4B

two of their more popular brands. During the holiday season, they off er egg nog truffl es for $8, mint cream lollypops for $7.85, white mint truffl es for $6.85, and chocolate mint truffl es for $6.85. The store is open Monday to Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. chocolateshops.sees.com.

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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

NORTHWEST COMMUNITY PRESS

NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ANSWERS ON PAGE 4B

No. 1220 CINÉMA VÉRITÉ

BY DAN MARGOLIS / EDITED BY WILL SHORTZ

46 Blood work locales 1 Advice columnist 49 Sound of relief Savage 52 Cannoli ingredient 4 Out of tune . . . or 56 PG movie? (1992) bubbles 63 Anthem opening 8 Saturn or Mercury, 64 A little bit of work once 66 Brush off 11 ____ fever 67 Draw out 16 Prayer leader 69 One whose range 18 Opening opening? goes from about F3 to F5, musically 20 Yeats or Keats 70 Hilarious folks 21 Pliocene, e.g. 22 Something to build on 72 World capital with the Gangnam district 23 Ancient Aegean land 24 The fly in fly-fishing, 74 Challenge 75 Hummingbird-feeder e.g. filler 25 Turn 77 Blatant 26 Indy film? (1981) 79 N.Y. engineering sch. 30 Render unnecessary 80 Actress de Matteo of 31 Female deer ‘‘Sons of Anarchy’’ 32 Classic sci-fi 81 Family film? (1972) anthology whose 84 Barely contain anger first story is titled 86 ____ glance ‘‘Robbie’’ 87 Thor : Thursday :: 35 Sound from a flock ____ : Wednesday 36 Road movie? (1950) 89 Suffix with hero 40 Some M.I.T. grads: 90 Oration station Abbr. 94 Cleverly self41 Bizarre referential 43 React to a stubbed 98 Social stratum toe, maybe 100 Common 99¢ 44 Confident juggler’s purchase props 103 Dock-udrama? 45 Film director’s cry (1954) Online subscriptions: Today’s 108 Spendthrift’s puzzle and more opposite than 4,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords 110 ____ Palace, Indian ($39.95 a year). tourist attraction

111 Perfectly timed

Dan Margolis, of Westfield, N.J., is a semiretired software applications trainer. In his spare time, he referees high school basketball games and plays keyboard in a ‘‘dad-rock band,’’ Landing Party — so named because all the members are ‘‘Star Trek’’ fans. Dan has been solving puzzles since he was a teenager. The first ones he constructed were on graph paper back in the day. This is his fourth crossword for The Times and his first Sunday. — W.S.

AC R O S S

RELEASE DATE: 12/27/2020

14 ‘‘Vous êtes ____’’ (French map 112 Pilot, e.g. notation) 114 Short film? (1989) 15 Grp. with the Vezina 118 Where Minos ruled Trophy 120 Safe, on board 17 Pastels and charcoal, for two 121 Violet variety 19 Swear words? 122 Wait in neutral 123 Jack rabbits, but not 20 More than enough 27 Enjoy some dishes rabbits without doing 124 Saturnus or dishes, perhaps Mercurius 28 Hasten 125 Part of a sewing kit 29 ____ Tuesday (Aimee 126 Nair rival, once Mann’s band) 127 Not so moving? 33 Dot follower 128 Nile reptile 34 Some ESPN highlights, for short 129 Its name is derived from the Greek for 37 Something often ‘‘I burn’’ underlined and blue 38 Half-moon tide 130 OB/GYNs, e.g. 39 ____ the crack of dawn DOWN 42 Balderdash 1 Wear off? 45 Trickster of Shoshone 2 Easygoing mythology 3 Hometowners 47 Short-legged hound 4 Toy (with), as an idea 48 Fuel additive brand 5 Least strict 50 17, for an R-rated movie 6 ____ mundi 51 Director Ashby 7 Popular ABC programming block 52 Dappled horse of the ’90s 53 Key 54 Hidden downside 8 ‘‘Perhaps’’ 55 Man’s name that’s 9 Fine spray another man’s name 10 66 and others: Abbr. backward 11 One of the Borgias 57 In poor condition, as 12 Rubber-stamp, say old machinery 13 Kids use it for texts 58 Choler

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78 See 118-Down 82 Lady of Spain 83 Anti-mob law, for short 85 Baby shower gift 88 Photographer Goldin 90 ____ Pérignon 91 ____ given Sunday 92 ‘‘My package arrived!’’ 93 Alcoholic drink consumed in one gulp

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109

120

59 ____ about (approximately) 60 Undesirable plane seat 61 Often-animated greeting 62 Yes or no follower 65 Flub 68 Eye drop 71 New Deal program, in brief 73 Co. with brown trucks 76 Palindromic title

84 88

115

119

111 114

105

110

86 91

49 57

56 65

39 43

118

130

95 French stars

109 Invite to enter

96 Clench

113 Parts of kingdoms

97 Utah national park 100 Got around

115 When repeated, a ‘‘Seinfeld’’ expression

101 Street vendor

116 Scruff

102 Radio buttons

117 Masseur’s target

104 First name of a literary ‘‘Papa’’ 106 Cat’s pajamas?

118 With 78-Down, Greek letters that together sound like a world capital

107 Extends a tour

119 Dashed

99 Bit of ranch dressing?

105 Diminutive

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SCHOOL NEWS FC Cincinnati partners with St. Joseph School to surprise scholars with reward FC Cincinnati partnered with St. Joseph School on Ezzard Charles, to surprise three very special St. Joseph scholars with an unexpected reward. Each student was presented with a $100 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods to purchase whatever they wanted. The students earned this reward through academic excellence and perseverance, as part the “Learning is Cool” Program. The surprised and delighted students were escorted to iPads opened to their Dick’s shopping cart. They had a great time shopping for themselves as well as gifts for family members. They found out quickly it’s easy to spend $100, but hard to make the ﬁ nal decision. FC Cincinnati Mascot, Gary the Lion and Omar Cummings, former FCC star and current Community Ambassador, were standing by to help as needed. The FC Cincinnati Foundation’s “Learning is Cool” is an incentive program that rewards and recognizes students for strong academic performance. All students from participating schools, who make the “A” honor roll in any quarter are rewarded with a gift from the Learning is Cool team. Students who achieve this status at least twice during enrolled in the program, are recognized at an Academic Achievement Ceremony at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Garden in June. St. Joseph School is one of ten Catholic grade schools supported by CISE

Corey Hatﬁ eld, from Beech Acres Parenting Center, with some of the books for Glendale Elementary School. PROVIDED

Teachers and Award Winning students pose with Gary and Omar Cummings. PROVIDED

(Catholic Inner-city Schools Education). CISE serves 2,300 scholars at 10 inner-city Catholic grade schools and provides support to 300 students at designated Catholic high schools in Cincinnati. Sharon Civitello, Catholic Inner-city Schools Education (CISE)

Beech Acres, Blue Manatee collaborate to select $2,000 in books for Glendale Elementary School In a unique collaboration that will help students become more resilient by discovering their own unique character strengths, Beech Acres Parenting Center has worked closely with the Blue Manatee Literacy Project to select $2,000 worth of books that will be provided to Glendale Elementary School. Selection of the books is inspired by The Character Eﬀ ect from Beech Acres, a social-emotional learning program that Princeton City Schools are using with students at Glendale Elementary, a pre-kindergarten through sixth grade school. “We’re thrilled that Glendale Elementary has found a new way to use The Character Eﬀ ect to focus on children’s

Students display their gift cards as they prepare to “shop like a pro.” PROVIDED

strengths,” said Corey Hatﬁ eld, Beech Acres team lead for The Character Effect. “The books we are selecting will build on those strengths to enhance children’s emotional intelligence and

make them better students, which will also help teachers to be in positions to better manage student behavior.” See SCHOOL NEWS, Page 10B

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10B

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

NORTHWEST COMMUNITY PRESS

SCHOOL NEWS Kwadwo Karikari, Monroe; Heidi Crowther, Hyde Park; Colin Koran, Anderson Township; Esme Gonyo, Hyde Park; Carleigh Gottenbusch, Anderson Township; Alaric Jones, Norwood; Nia Neal, Sharonville; Annabelle Scholtman, Hyde Park, and Diego Schurmann, Hyde Park. Students at The Summit are able to study Mandarin Chinese as early as the seventh grade from native-speaking Chinese teacher Bonnie Pang. Chinese is part of The Summit’s signature World Language Program which begins with an introduction to Spanish at 18 months. French or Spanish is taught every year through ﬁ fth grade. Sixth graders study Latin as they continue their studies in Spanish or French. In grades 7-12, students choose to study French, Spanish, Latin or Mandarin Chinese as a core course. Nancy Berlier, The Summit Country Day School

Continued from Page 8B

Books have been selected to highlight 24 individual character strengths that each student may have, such as perseverance, hope, love of learning, friendship, gratitude, kindness or many others. “These incredible books give us another resource to magnify the strengths of the children in our classrooms and allow them to excel in every area of their lives,” said Karen Harkness, principal of Glendale Elementary. “This focus on the strengths in each child has already had a positive impact in our school, which is why we’re looking for opportunities to do even more with the program.” The Character Eﬀ ect has been designated by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an effective approach to improve the learning environment for both teachers and students. Purchase of the books was made possible by a grant from the Greater Cincinnati Foundation. By teaming with Blue Manatee Literacy Project, 100 percent of the purchased books were matched 1for-1 through its Buy A Book / Give A Book resourcing program. For every book provided to Glendale Elementary through this initiative, Blue Manatee will donate an additional new book to an at-risk reader. Peter Osborne

Sharing Tree continues to offer assistance during the Christmas season In this season of giving The Sharing Tree continues to be a beacon of light for many Mt. Healthy families. This year has made it diﬃ cult to accept gifts for families yet, Mt. Healthy City School District and The City of Mt. Healthy are still providing assistance through The Sharing Tree. Some of our families have lost an income or job, a place to live, or the ability to buy presents. For this reason, the City of Mt. Healthy and Mt. Healthy City School joined forces for the 29th year to help those in the community that need an extra hand. The Sharing Tree organization helped 84 families this year including 253 children, most of whom are part of the Mt. Healthy City School District.

Oak Hills cancels Dec. 21 Board of Education meeting

Members of the Sharing Tree Committee prepare to distribute gift cards to families for the holiday season. Committee members John Peters, Richard Wendt, Katie Millbower and Lori Handler. PROVIDED

Volunteers provided funds that were used to purchase $29,440 in gift cards to Meijer, Kroger, Walmart, and Target for families to use for Christmas gifts. The Sharing Tree is a non-proﬁ t organization run solely by volunteers and has helped families in need for over 29 years in the Mt. Healthy City School District and community. In past years, these organizations provide food, clothing, toys, books, and toiletries to families with children each year. Items are donated from many organizations including Kroger and Meijer. This year the needs of our community will be met with the distribution of gift cards. If you would like to contribute to the work of the Sharing Tree, please visit www.mthcs.org and click on the donate button at the top of the page. Please add in the comments of your donation that it is for Sharing Tree. Donations will be ac-

cepted throughout the year. Missy Knight, Mt. Healthy City School District

The Oak Hills Local School District Board of Education meeting scheduled for Dec. 21 was cancelled. The next board meeting is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 4. For additional information on that meeting, visit www.ohlsd.us. Krista Ramsey, Oak Hills Local Schools

Summit CDS eighth graders win second place in multi-state Chinese competition Nine students who are studying Chinese at The Summit Country Day School’s Harold C. Schott Middle School won second place in the 2020 Great Lakes Chinese Consortium Speech and Talent Video Competition. The students are among more than 100 entrants from eight states who submitted works. The Summit students recited a Chinese rhyme and presented masks they designed in the style of Peking Opera masks in a video submission. Students will receive a trophy and $30 gift certiﬁ cate. The students are eighth graders

Summit Country Day School eighthgrader Heidi Crowther created this Peking Opera mask design. PROVIDED

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