Several neighborhoods separate 70 second graders at Seven Hills Lotspeich, Madisonville and Corryville Catholic, Corryville.

But they share a bond that could be a model for the entire city, said teacher Anne Greenwald at Seven Hills.

The two schools will celebrate their end-of-the-year Penpal Picnic and Play Day, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday.

Teachers Greenwald and Kara Meador of Seven Hills started the pen pal relationship with second graders at Corryville Catholic, taught by Helen Davis and Patti VanHa in 1993.

Greenwald said they usually begin writing to each other in October.

"This year, we visited Corryville Catholic in February," Greenwald said.

She said the students played bingo, ate lunch together and performed a play on the Underground Railroad.

Throughout the year, they continued to write, exchanging such things as Easter candy.

"This helps them to learn about writing invitations, addressing envelopes and learning how to RSVP,'' Greenwald said. She said this year they wrote the invitation to the picnic on the computer for the first time.

She said money raised from their World Famous Bake Sale, held in April at Seven Hills, is used for the picnic and to buy books for Corryville Catholic's library.

"Each Lotspeich second grader gets to purchase one book at our annual Bookfair with money from the sale, '' Greenwald said.

The intangible value in the 10-year pen pal relationship is the students have never had a disagreement, Greenwald said. "Just the joy of being together and having fun with one another is a great accomplishment. You see many children walking hand-in-hand, arm-in-arm, all smiles. This is how our city should be,'' Greenwald said.

Three local hospital workers have been nominated among 46 in Ohio for the Albert E. Dyckes Health Care Worker of the Year Award.

Local nominees are: Judith Schofield, RN., clinical manager, surgical telemetry, Christ Hospital; Lora Hatfield, RN, medical/surgical floor, Fairfield Medical Center and Lisa L. McCormick, library manager, Health Sciences Library, Jewish Hospital.

Winners will be announced June 9 at the 2003 Ohio Hospital Association Recognition Dinner at the Greater Columbus Convention Center.

The Fourth Annual Golf for the Green Scramble which benefits the Hospice of Northern Kentucky Patients and Families, is set to start at 8 a.m., July 8 at the Summit Hills Country Club, Crestview Hills, Ky.

Participants should contact Carol Skawinski, community resource coordinator, at 859-441-6332.

Skawinski said Hospice of Northern Kentucky provides care for terminally ill patients and their families in Boone, Campbell, Carroll, Gallatin, Grant and Kenton Counties.

Allen Howard's "Some Good News'' column runs Sunday-Friday. If you have suggestions about outstanding achievements, or people who are uplifting to the Tristate, let him know at 768-8362, at ahoward@enquirer.com or by fax at 768-8340.