COVINGTON — When Covington's newest downtown parking garage opens next year, it'll be marked by a newly refinished plaque honoring the “Kiddie Cop.”

        Newman Brothers Inc. offered to clean the plaque that the company had made in 1927, after reading an Enquirer story last month about a plan to relocate the memorial to Officer Thomas J. “Tommy” Harris.

        For more than 50 years, the plaque had marked “Tommy's Corner” at Fifth Street and Scott Boulevard. The memorial to the 14-year crossing guard — bought with pennies donated by school children — stayed at the intersection until the late 1970s, when it was removed for new sidewalks.

        Never reinstalled, the plaque lay in storage for years at the Covington Police Department. It later was attached to a pillar on the south side of First District School, known today as Two Rivers Middle School.

        “He was really adored by all of the children,” former First District pupil Rousseau O'Neal said of Officer Tommy. “He protected all of us at all times. You couldn't put into words what a wonderful person he was.”

        When Covington city officials announced plans last month to install the plaque on a new parking garage to be built at “Tommy's Corner,” Dick Stein, Newman Brothers' national sales manager, recognized the plaque as one of his company's from a newspaper photo.

        “He recognized the rosettes (a decorative screw) and realized it was one of ours,” said Ken Newman, president of the Cincinnati-based Newman Brothers Inc. “The plaque obviously has weathered in 70-some years, and we thought it would be a nice gesture to clean it up.”

        Covington Mayor Butch Callery said that city officials appreciate Newman Brothers' offer to refinish the plaque for free.

        “I think it was a very generous offer by the company,” Mr. Callery said. “It'll be a great tribute to a gentleman who was so beloved in the 1920s, and it'll be a great addition to our parking garage.”

        Mr. O'Neal, now an 84-year-old Bond Hill resident, said that he's pleased that the plaque's being returned to “Tommy's Corner.”

        Crews are scheduled to start building Covington's new 364-space parking garage at Fifth Street and Scott Boulevard on Monday. Construction of the $4.1 million structure will take about a year.

Indiana riverboats paying off
Argosy wants weekday gamblers
College freshmen lack basic skills
Board of Regents report highlights
Sporty's in the spotlight
Anderson acquiring acreage
Council has four plans to clean streets
Leis eyes airborne transport
School closings seen
Taft fixed on biotech, Hyundai
Tristate A.M. Report
Waagner extradited to Ill.
XU, UC alumni fan 'shootout' flame from afar
HOWARD: Some Good News
PULFER: Toxic waste
Cambodian expected to plead guilty in killing
Ex-councilman: Duning forced out
Hamilton OKs 2002 budget
Jury says student unharmed
Mason manager gets a raise
Nix joins council a few weeks early
Poster parents owe money
Sheriff Ariss heads state lawmen group
Talawanda educators weighing facilities plans
Economic woes far-reaching
Ohio fun parks charging more
Portman won't seek GOP post
Two GOP leaders fight for Orient
Barking dog case could resonate
Eyebrows, questions raised
Four more Ky. Guard units about to get call
Garage to honor crossing guard
Kentucky News Briefs
Shelters' property dispute may displace potbellied pigs
State workers to join Teamsters