Approaching age 90, she still can, except those restaurants and Reds players are long gone.

Trotta still works from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. every weekday except Wednesday at the tailoring and alteration business, she and her husband, Michael, started 52 years ago at 406 Walnut St., downtown. Wednesday is her day for primping and getting her hair done.

"If I could bring back anything in downtown Cincinnati it would be those good old restaurants we used to have,'' said Trotta. "I continue to work because I have so many wonderful people around me to work with.''

That includes her daughter, Carol, and son, Michael, and four other employees.

Mike and Carol Trotta is now a Walnut Street icon near Fourth and Walnut streets.

"We do customize men's suits, tailoring, cleaning and sometimes we are an emergency drive-by service. Sometimes people are on the way to work, and might spill something on a shirt, rip their pants or lose a button or need a tie. We have to offer a quick-fix to get them going. We do customized men's suits to make them look like gentlemen,'' Trotta said.

Trotta and her daughter, Carol, think the change to casual wear has hurt their business.

"More and more people are getting away from wearing suits,'' Carol Trotta said. "But we think the trend is shifting back to what it was.''

Anne Trotta never played much attention to politicians. Her love was baseball, her business and family.

"I once sold Hank Aaron three suits,'' she said "He was a quiet, nice man.''

She, Carol and Michael are planning on visiting her hometown, Lucca, Italy, sometime this summer.

Aiken to honor teacher

The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers once referred to Alan Coleman as a "Super Teacher.''

That tag seems appropriate now as Coleman will be inducted into the Aiken High School Hall of Achievement April 30.

The induction ceremony is part of the school's Society of Alumni & Friends Sixth annual Alumni Reunion at 7:30 p.m. at the North College Hill VFW Hall, 8326 Brownsway Drive, Groesbeck.

Coleman is a 1967 Aiken graduate. He received his bachelor of fine arts degree from Ohio University. He taught at Dater, Woodward and retired in 2002 at Western Hills High School.

He made history at Western Hills when the senior choir went to the state finals of the Ohio Music Education Association Adjudicated Events and received an excellent rating.

In 1984,Coleman won the Distinguished Teacher Service Award from Cincinnati Public Schools and was nominated for the Ohio Teacher of the Year award.

He also was labeled a "Super Teacher'' that year by the teachers federation.

VOLUNTEERS: Grant helps recycling effort

A $500 grant from Keep Cincinnati Beautiful and Procter & Gamble has helped a group of seventh-graders at Summit Country Day expand a volunteer recycling program.

The volunteer group, known as Summit Kids Organize Recycling Efforts, has been in operation for five years.

Their goal is to collect all recyclable paper that the school disposes of each week. The paper is then weighed and readied for recycling.

During the summer months, a tree sapling is planted for each ton of paper recycled.

"By planting the saplings, the students, in a small way, are able to reduce the amount of air and water pollution, while increasing the amounts of oxygen in the environment," said Jennifer Pierson, public relations coordinator for Summit. "It is their way of giving back to Mother Nature."

The group was also able to purchase recycling bins for each classroom in the Summit's Harold C. Schott Middle School to help expedite the process of collection.

Members of the recycling group will build a butterfly garden on campus this spring.

"The site will be used in conjunction with the outdoor pond that was built several years ago," Pierson said. "Both projects assist students in understanding the importance of conservation and preservation."

The recycling effort is coordinated by middle school teacher Kristy Brandabur.

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