Herbert Walker, a summer crisis-program manager, is wiping his brow, trying to manage the change from providing seniors with heat to cooling them off.

Walker and his staff in the Home Energy Assistance Program just finished helping 18,300 families throughout Hamilton County with heat problems. Now, they turn their attention to providing 700 air conditioners and 1,000 fans, starting June 2.

The fans and air conditioners started arriving two days early, before Walker had his staff in place.

"They were supposed to be here at 10 a.m. Thursday," Walker said. "Our staff will get the air conditioning and fans to them, but somebody has to be available to help get them installed."

Anyone who wants to install air conditioning for seniors or donate equipment should call 751-2624, Walker said.

"We are also prepared to make a one-time payment of $175 for electric bills," Walker said. "We know once they get the air conditioning, the electric bills will go up."

Walker said because of federal cutbacks this year, the agency is targeting only elderly and disabled people with respiratory disease or breathing problems, verified by documentation from a medical professional.

He said he will take his staff to Walnut Hills, Lincoln Heights, Madisonville, East End, Price Hill, Harrison, Cleves and other locations to qualify the seniors on-site and deliver the fans and air conditioning.

HEAP is one of the programs at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency.

Any time Hannah Thomas has a chance to spread knowledge of black history and black culture, or to make the public aware of what African-Americans are accomplishing, she wastes no time in doing it.

Each year, rain, shine, sleet or snow, she gathers a group on Fountain Square for the Annual African-American Heritage Day. She started it in 1988, just to throw in a little black culture as the city was celebrating its bicentennial.

"It just looked as if we kept getting left out of everything," Thomas said.

She was slightly peeved this year when her parade started 15 minutes late because of rain. But when it started, it was vintage Hannah Thomas - including the Bucket Boys and Buckeretts, drill teams, and singers and dancers from the Three Square Music Foundation, marching from Fourth and Plum to Fountain Square.

Fountain Square became like the classroom where she has taught for 32 years, a place where she can spread a little more black history. The guest speaker was Maxwilliam Seakilewis, past president of the Martin Luther King Jr. Coalition; the Praise Dance Group also performed.

"A highlight was a performance by gospel rap artist Adrenalyn Rush from Cleveland," Thomas said.

"This day is about pride - pride in knowing each other and appreciating what each other does."

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.