Roosevelt Elementary fifth-graders Eboni Holbrook (left) and Ena Redzepagic look at a jar of dragonfly larvae at the fifth annual Butler Children's Water Festival Friday at Miami University Hamilton Campus. (Michael Snyder photo) | ZOOM |

More than a thousand fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders spread across the Miami University Hamilton campus, picking up information about drinking water: where it comes from, how it is polluted and how to protect it.

The event was the Fifth Annual Butler Children's Water Festival last week. On hand were 53 presenters who spent from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.supplying information about keeping the environment clean, especially water supplies in the area.

"The festival is a really exciting time not only for the students, but presenters and volunteers as well,'' said Tim McLelland, Wellfield Protection Coordinator for the Hamilton to New Baltimore Ground Water Consortium.

"The presenters also addressed issues such as solid waste, air quality, and wildlife management.''

McLelland was also chairman of the festival planning committee.

Volunteer honored

After years of using scalpels and sutures as his tools, retired internist Dr. James Garvey now uses hammers and nails, making repairs to help the elderly and disabled maintain their homes.

For nine years, he has been a volunteer in the Home Maintenance Program with People Working Cooperatively (PWC).

Garvey and a co-volunteer, E. Roy Duff, were honored as Volunteers of the Year.

"I am very pleased to get the recognition,'' Garvey said.

"A lot of credit goes to my working partner, Mr. Duff. When I had a neck injury and couldn't perform the work, he carried it on. I was relegated to just passing the tools.''

Diana Adams of Silverton and Frank Russell of Blue Ash were honored by PWC as Employees of the Year.

OUR KIDS

Treat cakes for cancer

Kimberly Seymour of Symmes Township started early doing something to show she cares about other people. And you have missed a treat if you haven't tasted her Rice Krispies treat cakes.

She started baking the cakes last year to raise money for cancer research when her younger brother was diagnosed with leukemia. She raised $1,000 selling the treat cakes to neighbors and friends during Halloween and Christmas, and has also sold them in a store.

Kimberly has earned the Kohl's Kids Who Care Award.

"She made cakes which were sold at the store in Symmes Township," said Ellen M. Flannery, director of CancerFree Kids Pediatric Cancer Research Alliance. "They collected several hundred dollars."

Kimberly , 9, is the daughter of Kyle and Diane Seymour.

Cousins win as orators

Douglas Lee Jr. and his cousin, Mae'lesha Shawntell Lee, were the winners of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County's second annual Mary E. Finley Memorial Essay and Speech Contest.

The contest, held at the West End Branch Library, challenged teens to write and read their essays on the topic, "What the Library Means to Me."

Freshman honored

Brett Bolger, a freshman at Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, was selected honorable mention to the Ohio Valley Conference Baseball All Star Team. He was also a nominee for the Freshman All American Team.

He is the son of Diane and Tom Bolger of Bridgetown.

Delhisian's a winner

Katie Koch, a second-grader at Our Lady of Victory School in Delhi Township, won first place in the safety coloring contest at the local post of the Catholic War Veterans. She then placed first in the State of Ohio, and went on to win the National Coloring Contest.

Her poster was entitled, "Smart Kids Don't Take Things from Strangers." With her prize money, Katie hoped to buy a puppy.