Hearing planned on Nativity School firing

PLEASANT RIDGE - A panel investigating the dismissal of Nativity School principal Robert C. Herring will hold an arbitration hearing 10 a.m. Wednesday at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pleasant Ridge.

Mark F. Weber, a lawyer and one of three members of the due process panel, urged that mediation take place before the hearing to determine if a resolution can be reached.

Absent such a resolution, the hearing will be held and a final decision will be issued by Dec. 24.

Herring was fired Nov. 24 by the Rev. Marc Sherlock, pastor of the church, over "philosophical differences." Hundreds of parishioners and parents have met with Sherlock and held demonstrations to get Herring reinstated.

Sledding hill to close for dam construction

MASON - Sledding fans will have to find somewhere else to enjoy the winter wonderland.

The city's sledding hill at Pine Hill Lakes Park will be closed this winter because of construction. The lake will remain open, with limited access to the park.

The dam will be raised about 4 feet and the emergency spillway will be expanded from about 40 feet to 90 feet.

Regrading work on the downstream slope will allow more concert seating for Red, Rhythm & Boom in July. The project also includes creating a handicapped-accessible fishing area.

Tour city's renovated fire station today

NORTH COLLEGE HILL - Firefighters will give public tours of the $78,000 renovation to the city's fire station today.

New offices for the fire chief, a conference room and living quarters were added, allowing the 32-person department to be staffed 24 hours a day by part-time shifts.

The move to an all part-time staff from on-call volunteers at night has cut response time from four to five minutes to one to two minutes, fire officials said.

Firefighters put up dry wall and did other work, according to Lt. Tony Poll. Plumbing, heating, air-conditioning and electrical work were contracted out.

The renovation, which began in May, was completed July 1, allowing the department to add eight people to cover the night shifts.

Light refreshments will be served during the 12-3 p.m. open house at the station at 1646 W. Galbraith Road.

For more information, call (513) 521-3950.

Tax levy would restore mental health services

HAMILTON - A five-year tax levy to restore Butler County Mental Health Board services will be considered for the March 2 ballot by Butler County Commissioners on Monday.

The 0.5-mill levy, which would bring in about $3.5-million annually, would revive mental health programs lost because of reduced state funding, says Terry Royer, associate executive director. A 1-mill levy for the agency was rejected by voters in November 2002.

The owner of a $100,000 house would pay $15 more in taxes. Commissioners are expected to approve the levy, which must be filed with the elections board by Thursday.

Meeting to discuss coping with holidays

ROSELAWN - "Coping with the holidays" will be discussed at Monday's meeting of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.

The 7:30 p.m. meeting will feature a discussion facilitated by Dick Buck, long-time alliance member and advocate. The discussion will be informal and supportive and is open to the public.

The meeting is in the Lewis Auditorium of Summit Behavioral Healthcare, 1101 Summit Avenue. For more information, call 948-3094 or visit www.nami-hc.org

Teens can belt out tunes at karaoke night

Teens in grades 9-12 can sing along with their favorite tunes from 7-10 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Mason Community Center, 6050 Mason-Montgomery Road, during the city Parks and Recreation Department's first-ever karaoke night.

The program, part of the center's "teens and tweens" programming, costs $5 for residents and $8 for non-residents. Pizza and soft drinks will be provided.