The honorees were Spencer Crew, CEO and executive director of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center; Hamilton County Juvenile Court Judge Sylvia Hendon; and Clermont County Public Defender Dan Hannon.

Crew received the Community Service Award for providing leadership and outstanding service to the community through the center.

"I see this as an award for all of the people who have been dedicated to creating the Freedom Center," said Crew.

" I see myself as representing the work of many committed individuals."

Hendon received the Agnes Seasongood Good Government Award.

She was recognized for public service, especially in promoting mental health, criminal justice and substance abuse services.

Hannon received the Ernest Talbert Award. His voluntary work has also been in public service, promoting community awareness of criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse issues.

More than 350 people attended the luncheon, including Republican U.S. Reps. Rob Portman, of Terrace Park, and Steve Chabot, of Westwood.

Since 1965, Talbert House has operated programs dealing with mental health, substance abuse and community corrections/re-entry.

Joins ballet company

A 2004 graduate of Ursuline Academy will make her debut with the Charleston Ballet Theatre in Charleston, S.C., today.

Amanda DeCenso, 18, of Montgomery will dance professionally with the company for the 2004-05 season.

She will perform Coppelia in Charleston's Sottile Theater this weekend.

DeCenso will attend the University of South Carolina. She has studied classical ballet since age six. She also danced the role of Clara in Cincinnati Ballet Company's Nutcracker.

She was a student of Amy and Michael Tevlin of DancePlex in Cincinnati and has trained with the Otto M. Budig School, Chautauqua Institute, Boston Ballet and the Houston Ballet.

She is the daughter of A.J. and Paula DeCenso of Montgomery.

Essay contest

To get a shot at winning $150 and let the public know what the library means to you, write a 450-words-or-less essay.

Entries must be received by 9 a.m. Monday. Essays may be submitted along with name, address, phone number and age if under 18 to: Writing Contest, Main Library, 800 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio 45202-2071. Entries can also be dropped off, mailed in or e-mailed to Writing.Contest@cincinnatilibrary.org.

There is no entry fee or age restriction.

Entries will not be returned and the library reserves the right to publish the winning entries.

Volunteers

Taylor Mill firefighter Sean Fortney challenged the city and fire and emergency service department to help the hurricane relief efforts.

Fortney said Friday the challenge was met by residents of Kenton, Boone, and Campbell counties as well as residents in Ohio and Indiana. He returned from delivering the disaster relief to the First Baptist Church in Robertsdale, Ala.

The packages were distributed to 16,000 people daily.

Fortney said the Jim Macke Inc. Trucking Company took the relief products to Alabama.

Mourning candles

The Cincinnati Chapter of the Compassionate Friends, part of an international support group for families who experienced the death of a child, will be part of a World Wide Candle Lighting event, 7 p.m., Dec 12.

Candle Lightings will take place at 7 p.m., in each time zone around the country, for one hour to remember those children who were killed, said Karen Pinsky, coordinator.

"We will gather at the Jon Deitloff Funeral Centre in Spring Grove Cemetery at 6:30 p.m., and start the candle light ceremony at 7 p.m.,'' said Pinsky of Mason. "The premise is that if viewed from above (or heaven), there would be a 24-hour ring of light around our world, honoring these memories.''

She said anyone is invited to participate. Dec. 12 has been declared by the U.S. Congress as National Children Memorial Day.

Pinsky and her husband, Michael, lost their son, Eric, at age 23, in an auto accident seven years ago.

For more information, call 629-9598.