By Randy McNutt
The Cincinnati Enquirer

An Ohio bicentennial historical marker will be dedicated at Spring Grove Cemetery in Winton Place at 1 p.m. Sunday. The public is invited, but seating is limited.

The dedication ceremony will include remarks by cemetery president Andrew Conroy III and by Kristina Markel of the Ohio Historical Society.

Following the dedication, two tours will be conducted of the grounds. Spring Grove historian Phil Nuxhall will lead the History, Art and Sculpture Tour from 1:30-2:30 p.m. Cincinnati historian Jack Simon will lead the inaugural Ohio Governors Tour from 3-4 p.m. Reservations are required for both tours.

The state selected Spring Grove to receive a marker for the cemetery's history, works of art and architecture on 733 acres. It is the second-oldest historic garden cemetery in the nation, formed on an original 166 acres on Aug. 28, 1845.

The cemetery was set up with shrubbery, flowers, trees and walks as a response to overcrowded small cemeteries during the cholera epidemics of the 1830s and 1840s.

To register for the marker dedication, visit www.springgrove.org.

17-day walk

MILFORD - Rob Emrich of Shaker Heights will walk from Cincinnati to Cleveland on a 17-day trek to raise money for cancer research.

He is the founder and chairman of Road of Life's Bicentennial Walk: Cancer Free Starting 2003. Road of Life is the operating arm of the Keren Rebecca Emrich Cancer Research Foundation, named in honor of his late sister.

He will walk on bike paths, city streets, highways and back road - 312 miles through 13 counties.

On Thursday, he will start on Pete Rose Way, in front of Great American Ball Park, and walk about 17 miles to Milford in Clermont County.

On Friday, he will walk 20 miles from Milford to Ohio 48, then on Saturday, to Corwin in Warren County on Ohio 48, about 19 miles. On Sunday, he will walk 17 miles from Corwin to Xenia.

Information: www.roadoflife.org.

Art exhibit

DAYTON - A bicentennial-related art exhibit, "Flights of Fancy: Ohio Innovations Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow," will run Sept. 8-Oct. 2 at the Burnell Roberts Triangle Gallery. It is on the campus of Sinclair Community College in downtown Dayton.

It is free to the public. An awards reception will be held 5-7 p.m. Friday.

The art show is described as an adjunct to Inventing Flight, the bicentennial celebration of 100 years of manned flight.

The gallery is located on the fourth floor of Building 13, Fifth and Perry streets.

Information: (800) 315-3000.

Festival in Madeira

MADEIRA - The Bicentennial Festival in the Park will be held 1-10 p.m. Sept. 20 in Sellman Park off Miami Road. Rain date is Sept. 21.

Souvenirs online

COLUMBUS - Looking for a keepsake from the Ohio bicentennial? Search the Statehouse Shop Web site at www.statehouseshop.com for ideas.

It sells a variety of bicentennial memorabilia, including prints, clothing, jewelry and books.

A nice keepsake is the bicentennial barn lapel pin from each county. Actually, 90 limited-edition pins were made (88 counties plus the additional barn in Ashland County and yet another). The detail, color and workmanship are excellent.

They sell for $7 each.

The shop also sells a bicentennial flag ($39.95) and Ohio-shaped bicentennial lapel pins ($1).

---

Bicentennial Notebook appears periodically. Send items to Randy McNutt, the Enquirer, 7700 Service Center Drive, West Chester OH 45069. Telephone: 755-4158. Fax: 755-4150. E-mail: Rmcnutt@enquirer.com