Miller of Hamilton is on standby to go to Baghdad to help in a property reclamation project.

He would like to finish his degree in liberal arts, but if the call comes, he is off to Baghdad.

Miller is part of a team, put together by the International Organization for Migration, that contracts with the provisional government in Iraq to manage the reclamation process.

"Our job will be to help Iraqis reclaim what Saddam Hussein took from them,'' said Miller, 46. "It can be a long process. We start from whatever records are available then gather evidence of ownership from the people who once owned the property. We are talking about close to a half million property claims.''

Miller has some experience in international affairs, which also has delayed his efforts to earn a degree. He was in Bosnia in 1996 and again in 2001.

His first job in Bosnia was to prepare the country for mass elections, he said. That meant writing voting software programs and monitoring the computer systems through the elections. He later was switched to processing property claims.

He said the job was emotionally draining. He said he heard stories of people who dodged bullets while fetching water or bread, or got their land back only to see their house blown up.

His team successfully completed about 300,000 property claims.

The climate in Baghdad poses some problems, Miller said.

"In Sarajevo, Americans were welcomed as peacekeepers,'' Miller said. "It is a very different scenario in Baghdad. It might take up to five years before we get the claim processed.''

Miller said when he gets his undergraduate degree in liberal arts, he plans to work toward a graduate degree in international studies.

Fun and games

They have their own little

Olympics at the Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly facility, 5530 Colerain Ave., Mount Airy.

Seniors play non-competitive games and try to rack up enough points to earn a gold, silver or bronze medal.

The events include basketball toss, bowling, cornhole toss, and tic tac toe. The games can be played from a wheelchair or standing up.

The friends of the elderly prepare and serve a lunch for the "athletes.'' Meals include homemade chicken pot pies with sherbet for dessert.

Yogi Wess, director, said the Mount Airy center has invited residents from area nursing homes for the events on the third Thursday of each month since April.

"Our volunteers prepare lunch and plan entertainment, which has included a singing group, a naturalist from the Hamilton County Park District and therapy dogs owned by a volunteer of Little Brothers,'' Wess said.

For more information, call 542-7555.

Giving back

The Hoxworth Blood Center recently honored more than 20 people for reaching milestones between July 28 and Aug. 10 in donating blood and platelets.

They included:

Charles D. Bryan of Delhi Township and Timothy M. Young of Batavia 25 gallons each.

Robert Tait of Woodlawn, 17 gallons; William E. Thompson, Dent, and Kenneth D. Pope, Delhi Township, 16 gallons each; and Charles K. Fowler, Hamilton, 15 gallons.

Donald F. Leopold, Fort Thomas, and Brennan T. McNulty, Winton Place, 14 gallons each. Steve Loehrke, Mount Orab, 13 gallons.

Robert W. Fogler and Carl E. Wilke, both of West Chester, 12 gallons each.

Michael E. Groh, Cleves; William L O'Brien, Dent; and Mark J. Wesling, Oakley, 11 gallons each.

Seven people reached the 10-gallon level. They were Joe J. Fisher, Covington; Kevin A. Grace, Wyoming; David B. Haire, Hamilton; Jerome D. Knochelmann, Florence; Adam A. Mcphedran, Newport; Cory J. O'Donnell, Loveland; and Dorothy M. Rodgers, Newport.

Officials at Hoxworth say blood donations are not keeping pace with blood use. A need exists for 350 people to donate each day to maintain an adequate blood supply.

In a special drive, all donors who give blood through Sept. 4 will be entered into a raffle to win two Bengals season tickets. Call 451-0910 for details and to schedule a blood donation.