Eileen Cooper Reed, director of the Children's Defense Fund in Ohio, is advocating the practice of peace by using paper cranes.

She worked with the group, Peace Down The Way, last weekend to hang 1,000 paper cranes in Washington Park, Over-the-Rhine, as a symbol of peace, calling for renewed awareness of the need to turn toward peace in light of recent shootings in Over-the-Rhine.

Reed is working on a plan to have the paper cranes hung in Vine Elementary School, the school Eninja Mincy, 7, attends.

Eninja is recovering from injuries she sustained when a bullet meant for someone else struck her on March 28.

Eileen Cooper Reed, director of the Children's Defense Fund in Ohio, holds some paper cranes that symbolize peace. Hundreds of the cranes were hung at Washington Park in Over-the-Rhine. The Cincinnati Enquirer/ERNEST COLEMAN

Reed said the incident comes at a time when a local group is setting up a peace advocate group, called Institute For the Practice of Peace.

"There needs to be a vehicle to help the Peace Down The Way to get things done,'' Reed said. "Our mission will be to breathe peace into the communities.''

She said the group is working on plans now to bring in civil rights activist, minister and educator Bernard Lafayette, director of nonviolence and peace studies at the University of Rhode Island.

"We want him to conduct several training sessions to train our people to develop the capacity to conduct the nonviolence training ourselves,'' Reed said. "We want to be able to train community leaders, police officers, civic groups in order to spread the concept of peace throughout our communities.''

Reed said the Institute For the Practice of Peace is just getting started and has about 25 members.

"It is opened to anyone,'' she said.

YWCA scholarship

Ashley Trotter, a senior at Walnut Hills High School, has maintained an A average while serving as editor of the school newspaper, a catcher on the varsity softball team and a member of numerous clubs.

It has paid off for her: She will receive the YWCA Mamie Earl Sells Scholarship.

The scholarship - worth $2,000 - is given each year to an African-American high school senior.

It will be presented May 14 at the 25th Annual YWCA Career Women of Achievement Luncheon.

Ashley is a national achievement semi-finalist, national merit commended scholar, Golden Galaxy award winner for art, and Quill & Scroll Society inductee.

She has been involved in Girl Scouts since age 6. She volunteers twice a month for a research project at Children's Hospital Medical Center, tutors other students in English and Latin.

Ashley is on spring break.

"She is a wonderful girl, probably the smartest kid I have ever seen,'' said her father, Kendall Trotter. "I see a lot of good things in her future.''

He said she is leaning toward attending the University of Chicago to study medicine.

Third straight 4.0

Lonna Lucas, a senior psychology major, achieved a 4.0 grade point average and was named to the fall semester dean's list at Kent State University. This is the third consecutive semester she has achieved a 4.0.

The Archbishop McNicholas High School graduate will receive a bachelor's degree in psychology in May. She is the daughter of Becky and Lon Lucas of Anderson Township.

Trustees Scholarship

Michelle Lacey has been awarded a Trustees Scholarship to attend Capital University, Columbus, Ohio, based on her outstanding high school records and standardized test scores.

Michelle, a senior at Mount Notre Dame High School, will major in accounting. She is the daughter of Teri and Marty Lacey of Amberley Village.

OSU scholarship

Dustin Tsitouris has received a Columbus Area Mortar Board Alumni Chapter Scholarship at Ohio State University.

The graduate of Kings High School is a pre-med student.

Full-tuition award

Alice Stinetorf, a senior at Bethel Tate High School, has been awarded a full-tuition scholarship to attend the University of Evansville, Ind., where she plans to major in theater and creative writing.

The daughter of Valerie Collett and Robin Stinetorf, both of Bethel, is also a 2004 National Merit Scholarship Finalist.

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