Happy Holidays

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Just a simple holiday wish from St. Anne's Hill...

May you and yours be warm and well!

Happy Holidays.
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Christkindlmarkt

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As we continue to support our neighbors, please consider a visit to the market!

Dayton Liederkranz Christkindlmarkt
(German Christmas Market)
1400 East Fifth Street, Dayton OH 45402
2008 Christkindlmarkt Dates & Hours:
Saturday, 13 December, 12 noon – 10:30 p.m (no sales during concert, 8- 9 p.m.)
Sunday, 14 December, 12 noon – 4 p.m.

Quality vendors will offer hand crafted ornaments, hand carved Santas and cookie molds, hand made bath soaps and accessories, German children's books, German collectible items, embroidered items, jewelry, stained glass items, gifts, raffle items and more. The kitchen will feature bratwurst, home made goulash and more and German pastries and desserts along with specialty coffee and Gluhwein will also be available for purchase.

There will be a free Christmas Concert presented by the Dayton Liederkranz Men's, Women's and Children's Choir on Saturday, 13 Dec, at 8:00 p.m. Songs will be presented in German and English.

FREE parking and admission

Dayton Liederkranz-Turner
www.daytongermanclub.org
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Trinidad, Colorado Didn't get 16" only got 12" ;o)

I measured the snow on the bench, 12" exactly!

All trees and wires are covered like this one in our backyard.
The town looks like a fairy land!

Free Shirt!

From the email tree...

The December General Membership meeting will be on Tuesday, December 2nd, as always, at 7 pm in the Liederkranz at the corner of High and Fifth.

ALSO, as a Christmas thanks, all who attend will be entered to win their very own SAH T-shirt!
SAH shirts will also be available for purchase... they make GREAT gifts!
Mix or match, short or long, large or XL, 2 for $20.
Shirts will be on hand for immediate gratification!

If you cannot attend but would like to purchase SAH shirt(s), email or call and I will deliver to your door.

Thanks so much!

Leah Turnbull

Holiday Events

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Now that the election is over, we can start looking forward to the holidays. Here are 3 great community events to help celebrate the holidays in Dayton:

1. The McPherson Town Holiday Flakes and Flicks Tour on November 28 and 29. This tour features 11 homes with a twist: each home is decorated with a theme from a classic holiday film. McPherson Town is located just north of Downtown Dayon, on the west side of Main Street near Grandview Hospital.

2. The annual Dayton Neighborhood Ball on December 6th. It's like prom, for grown-ups. Or a wedding without a the bride and groom. Join friends a neighbors for a night of dinner, live music, and dancing. I've heard time and again that it is a lot of fun. This will be my first time, so be gentle.

3. The Huffman Holiday Home Tour on December 12, 13, and 14. Our sister historic district is literally a stone's throw away from St. Anne's Hill. The tour features 8 homes and includes 3 unique tour options - the champaign tour, the guided tour, or the self-guided tour.

Have fun, and don't forget to share your ideas for our Christmas Tour in 2009!
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Election, Part II

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Checking out election statistics can paint an interesting picture of a neighborhood. So take a look at St. Anne's Hill, Precint 12-B, 2008:

850 Registered Voters
445 ballots
52.3% turnout

For President:
286 Obama
139 McCain
9 Nader
5 Barr
4 McKinney
1 Ducan
1 write-in

DPS Levy, Issue 52
437 votes
235 For the levy
202 against the levy

Perhaps our mystery voter will post a comment and reveal his or her write-in vote! Stay tuned for the 2009 election, when 3 of our City Commission seats are up for grabs.
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Election News, etc.

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As we say farewell to departing neighbors Tom and Bobbie, we also welcome our newly-elected Board of Directors for the St. Anne's Hill Historic Society:

Greg Manger, President
Susan Gray, Vice-President
Walt Colvin, Treasurer
John Addington, Secretary
Steve Kardeen, Trustee

Sadly, we also lost two dear neighbors this past week, and our condolences go out to their families and friends.

In other news, our neighborhood Priority Board office was recognized this week for a successful historic renovation. The City is currently seeking a non-profit tenant to help fill this under-utilized space. Here is a little history from the press release:

The Dayton building, which now houses the Priority Board’s offices and community meeting space, was the original East Branch of the Dayton Public Library, dedicated in 1914 and built with funding provided by famed philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. It served as a library until 1969, then housed a community clinic and was renovated by the City of Dayton in 2000.

Finally, be sure to note the upcoming events at the Liederkranz. St. Anne's Hill is proud to support our neighbor, and we'd like to encourage everyone to enjoy their activities, such as:

November 8, Schlachtfest and Dance

December 7, Christmas Concert at the Schuster Center

December 13, Christkindl Markt

December 21, members-only Christmas Party

That's all for now. Please feel free to post or contact us with any news you'd like to share!
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Hail to the Chief

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Effective November 1, St. Anne's Hill Historic Society President Tom A. will be stepping down from his position on the Board of Directors. Tom is leaving Dayton to take a great new job in Colorado. He will be joined by our talented webmistress and membership Chair, Bobbie. Please join us in showing appreciation for their service and to say farewell at our next meeting on Tuesday, November 4.

It will be an exciting day, not only because of the national election but because we will be electing next year's officers for our organization as well. The meeting starts with a potluck at 6:30 pm in the Liederkranz building.

EDIT UPDATE, from Jack: "They have asked that we not do anything fancy or elaborate to recognize them. But they will join us for a farewell gathering at Southpark Tavern (formerly The Pizza Factory), 1301 Wayne Avenue at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday November 2nd. Everyone will pay their own way for food and drinks."

See you there!




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A Short Conversation With My Coffee

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Hazelnut and Amaretto Cafe Mocha (HACM): "Good morning, Nicole. How was your evening? Did you do anything fun?"

Me: "Well, HACM, I had a pleasant evening, indeed. I got a call from Keith at 4:30 telling me that someone from our awesome neighborhood, St. Anne's Hill, had offered up free Jim Gaffigan tickets for the show last night. All we had to do was go pick them up. So instead of getting any exercise, like we'd planned, we went to the show. Jim Gaffigan is hilarious."

HACM: "That sounds delightful. Jim Gaffigan is quite the funnyman. I love that bit about Hot Pockets. Did you, perchance, wear your "Caliente Pockets" shirt? Because that would have been apropos."

Me: "Yes, HACM, I did wear my Caliente Pockets shirt. I thought it was befitting of the evening. He did throw in his Hot Pockets bit, which is awesome as always. Since it's the second time we've seen him, we were hoping for new material. He delivered. My stomach actually hurt at the end of the evening from laughing."

HACM: "Smashing. I am pleased that you had a cracking good time, chap. Cheerio, etc."

Me: "HACM, why in the hell are you talking in a British dialect? Do you think you're fancy?"

HACM, after removing his monocle: "Why, yes, milady. I am fancy. I have many syllables in my name, or did you not notice? As known throughout the land, the more syllables that a name has, the fancier it gets. So I happen to be extra-fancy, Governor."

Me: "And delicious, you daft blighter."

Nicole takes a looooong drink, draining her cup, and suddenly-- HACM isn't talking much anymore.

Lesson: Pay attention to your St. Anne's e-mail! Your neighbor might just have something wonderful to offer up.

SAH Elections

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Reprinted from the e-mail tree, for all to see:

Now's your chance to get involved. A buzz word being used by both major parties in the national election this year is "Change". If you don't like the way things are, or aren't, being done consider stepping up and getting involved. You have a voice, ideas, energy and personality. Use them! Positions up for grabs this year are President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer (all one year terms) and 1 board seat (a two year term).

Contact John See or Jim DeWeese if you are interested in being included on the slate, or come to the October 7 general membership meeting to be nominated from the floor. All nominees must be present at the October meeting to accept their nomination. Nominations will close at the end of that meeting. The election will be held at the November 4 general membership meeting, same day as the national election. There will be a pot luck supper before the meeting. More info to come on that later. You must be a member of St. Anne's Hill Historic Society to run for office, and to vote. If you are not sure of your status contact membership chair Bobbie Puterbaugh.

All general membership meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month, at 7:00 p.m., at the Leiderkranz Turner building at High & 5th.

As a reminder, St. Anne's Hill [Historic Society] is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. As such we, as an organization, cannot endorse any candidate or issue. That is not to say we don't personally all have our opinions, just that St. Anne's [Historic Society] will take no official position.

Susan Gray on behalf of the St. Anne's Hill board of trustees.

My name is Keith and I approved this message. (just kidding!)

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St. Anne

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People often wonder how the name "St. Anne's Hill" came to represent a neighborhood. Sadly, that tale is lost in history. The first known use of the name was found in 1830's advertisements.

However, we can still ask the question: who was St. Anne? According to Catholic tradition (with a little help from Wikipedia), St. Anne was the mother of the Virgin Mary, who gave birth to baby Jesus.

She was known as Hannah by the Greeks, which means grace. Anne is the patron saint of women in labor and strangely, miners. Her colors are red and green, which can be found on the wooden St. Anne's Hill signs around the neighborhood.

She is especially popular amoung the French and French-speaking Quebec, according to one website, which states:

The French believed that Mary Magdalene, Lazarus, Martha, and other friends of Jesus crossed the Mediterranean Sea and landed at the southern French city of Marseilles.... According to this tradition Mary Magdalene's group brought with them the remains of Saint Ann.

According to the legend, the bishop, St Auspice, buried the body of St Ann in a cave under the church of St Mary in Apt. When barbarians invaded that area, the cave was filled with debris, almost to be forgotten until it was dug out by miners 600 years later during the reign of Charlemagne.

For the faithful, no tribute is complete without a trip to Scranton, PA to visit the Shrine of St. Ann. It is said to draw thousands of pilgrims every year. Of course, today Scranton is better know as the fictional home of television's "The Office" and Dunder-Miflin.

There are a number of other Ohio instutitions named for Anne, including St. Anne Mercy Hospital in Toledo, St. Anne Epsicopal Church in West Chester, and St. Ann Catholic School in Hamilton.

The Feast of St. Anne is July 26, which should perhaps be a day of celebration in St. Anne's Hill!

GoogleGroup

In case you hadn't heard, the SAH email tree has migrated to GoogleGroups. There has been a lot of good discussion lately. If you'd like to join our online crew, here's the info from Bobbie, who set us up:

Google has deemed our group appropriate and approved our SAH email
list. What this means is that each and every email you send to st-annes-hill-historic-district@googlegroups.com will go out to everyone on the email list WITHOUT moderation. So be careful of what you say and how it is worded. Please think about your post a little and re-read it for spelling and grammatical errors before hitting that "SEND" key as once it goes you cannot pull it back. Do not send your
emails to news@stanneshill.org as I will be closing that one out and using it only for tours and SAH business correspondence. The NEW EMAIL LIST ADDRESS is: st-annes-hill-historic-district@googlegroups.com.

If you still want to be able to read all the email discussions but do not want to
receive all of the emails, you can adjust your profile as such by going to the
sign in page https://www.google.com/groups/signin?cd=US&hl=en&ssip=g3&_done=http%3A%2F%2Fgroups.google.com%2Fgroup%2Fst-annes-hill-historic-district%2Ftopics

-Type in your email address and password (this is what you created a Google account with - If you have not done this, you must to access your profile)
-Once inside, click on the link at the top right that says "Account"
-Then click on the link under the right column "My Groups" that says St. Anne's Hill Historic District
-Once inside the group click on the link in the right column that says "edit my membership"
-You will see the following on the left:
How do you want to read this group?

-No EmailI will read this group on the web
-Abridged Email (No more than 1 email per day)
Get a summary of new activity each day
-Digest Email (Approximately 1 email per day)
Get up to 25 full new messages bundled into a single email
-Email Send each message to me as it arrives

You can then click the line item you wish to handle all the incoming emails. If you want to be able to read all the emails/discussions but don't want to receive them,
click "No Email." As long as you have a Google Account you will be able to
sign into the group and view the discussions at your leisure.


Bobbie P.
Questions? Call 228-2234 or write
to news@stanneshill.org

Storm of the Century

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It certainly seemed like the Storm of the Century on St. Anne's Hill. As most know by now, a severe windstorm blew through the Dayton Region as a result of Hurricane Ike. Winds reportedly reached upwards of 65 miles per hour. Many trees and branches were sent tumbling to the ground.

SAH lost power around 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Some residents had service restored around 8 p.m. but others had to wait until 6 p.m. on Monday. Other parts of the Dayton Region are still waiting for power to be restored, which may not happen until next weekend according to Dayton Power & Light's ironically named website, WayToGo.com - seriously, that's what it's called.

As our new Sheriff warned of looters throughout the County, several break-ins were reported in the neighborhood over the weekend. Meanwhile, the City of Dayton, Montgomery County, and the State of Ohio all declared a State of Emergency. Neighbors are urged to follow safety precautions and look out for one another. Always report any suspicous activity to 333-COPS.

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In the News

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Thanks to all who attended the meeting last night. We had a great turnout to hear Deputy Julie from the County Sheriff's office talk about the Montgomery County sex offender programs.

The most interesting thing I learned was that there are over 1,000 sex offenders but only 5 not accounted for in Montgomery County (and 2 of them are believed to have left the State). Other Ohio counties have hundreds of people they can't find. Kudos to Montgomery County for making sure we know where all these offenders live.

Speaking of the County, the Montgomery County Auditor will be sending out a mailing to let property owners know the results of the tri-ennial property tax appraisal process. We should get them later this week. After that, you have the opportunity to appeal. This number will determine your property taxes for the next three years. The Auditor reported that residential rates are only going up 0.5% county-wide, compared to 11 or 12% in past years.

Finally in City news, the Bomberger Teen Center will be celebrating the grand opening of the "Snack Attack Kafe" on Monday, September 8 at 5:30 p.m. at 1306 E. Fifth Street in Dayton. According to their announcement, they are "a new business venture for the City-Wide Teen Council" and they will be "serving light and healthy snacks." It is not yet clear if it is only for teens, or if it is open to the general public as well. Operating hours are also unknown, but presumably they will close early since the Kafe will be operated by teens.

Got news that impacts our neighborhood? Post it here!

Ps. Don't forget to sign up for the 1st Annual Neighborhood Conference!
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Crime Prevention

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There has been some neighborhood concern about crime lately. Just so everyone is aware, here are a few of the things going on in our neighborhood that everyone is welcome to participate in:

1. Monthly meetings - The next meeting is TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2 at 7 pm in the Liederkranz basement. Almost every month we have Police officers on hand to provide information and take notice of your concerns. This is YOUR best chance to talk face-to-face with the Police. This month we will have a special guest from the County Sheriff's office to discuss their sex offender programs.

2. Neighborhood Watch - There is a small group of dedicated people (and a few friendly dogs) who are walking, driving, or biking the streets at night to help keep the neighborhood safe. If EVERYONE just took 10 minutes to walk around the neighborhood each day or night, we would be a safer (and heathier) place.

3. Call Tree - This has recently been revived to help make sure we get the attention we need when there is a problem. Send an email to news@stanneshill.org to sign up!

4. Newsletter - Besides all the articles and neighborhood updates, there is contact information for every possible problem you might have. And if it's not there, someone will find it if you just ask. If you have ideas, contribute an article.

Communication and collaboration are two keys to preventing crime. Here are some tips for protecting your home. Always call 333-COPS if you see anything remotely suspicious.

The Board of Directors for the Historic Society is looking into some additional security measures. If anyone has specific suggestions or would like to get involved, please post a comment or email news@stanneshill.org with your thoughts.

Get involved!
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Yet another dog roaming the Hood!

Folks – there is another dog roaming the neighborhood … mostly black Shepherd with white markings and appears to have a collar. She came charging at me and my dog tonight around 720 pm while we were running laps at Stivers track and I had to use a great deal of restraint to keep my dog from going into full defensive/protective mode. No owner in sight. I was pulling back on the leash so hard I was afraid I would hurt my own dog so I took her back home – ending her exercise for the day and ruining my stress relief. I run to relieve stress and because my job requires a high level of physical fitness – I have grown to love running and I’m currently training for my third marathon this year. My dog is both my running companion and protector.
Initially I thought the loose dog belonged to a resident on Dutoit and I confronted a woman I saw later walking a shaky black and white dog – she calmly allowed me to vent and I realized she was a responsible dog owner as I ran into the stray again 10 minutes later again on Dutoit Street. This time without my dog, the stray ran away from me and seemed to avoid people in general and disappeared into a nearby yard but it must have been running loose for at least 40 minutes.

If folks let their dogs run around Stivers field, they should be nearby to leash their animal, should other people particularly with pets want to use the public space also.
Why? Liability, Safety and Responsibility.
Who is liable if there is an altercation between dogs – one is leashed and the owner is trying to control and the other is not?
What are the safety risks to a dog running loose in the streets of Dayton with Dayton drivers – who is really going to lose?
What are the safety risks to other dogs and people if two dogs get in a fight?
What is the responsible thing to do in public locales where children play (do they want to play football or soccer in dog feces when owners aren’t there to clean it up?), where people walk or jog their dogs (do they really want to interact with your dog - even if you think your dog is gentle – other dogs and people may not know or think so) and where is the well-being of the individual dog (how many dogs off leash really “come” when the owner calls them – does the dog know to avoid traffic? )

Forgive me for rambling on but I am very passionate about animals. I don’t like having to call animal control as I suspect some of the dogs I’ve been seeing run loose really are attached but then one must wonder if the owners really care if they allow their dogs to be at needless risk – so perhaps a divorce is the best thing … as my husband reminded me we found our girl at the South West Ohio Doberman Rescue after she was saved from a kill shelter – picked up off the streets of Louisville as a pup … no doubt from someone who didn’t care much.

Patricia Latham

Neighborhood Conference

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FYI...

The 1st Annual Neighborhood Conference is scheduled to be held at the Convention Center on September 13th from 8 AM to 5 PM. Pre-registration is $20.00 On site registration is $40.00. John Gower [Dayton's Director of Planning & Community Development] will be the keynote speaker.

The theme is "Neighborhood Treasures: Discovering our assets". This should be a yearly event. The ultimate goal is to host the Regional Neighborhood Network Conference (RNNC) in 2010.

Workshop topics may include Neighborhood Marketing & Promotion, Neighborhood Best Practices, Neighborhood Diversity, Recruiting and Retaining Community Volunteers, Neighborhood Revitilization, Community Gardens, Asset Based Development, Service Learning, Land Banking, Anchors, People, Non-profits, and more.

For more information call (937) 333-3670.

Edit: The registration form is now available online. See you there!

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Ruskin Dedication

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It's back to school time!

Ruskin PK-8 School
Dedication & Open House
Sunday, August 17, 2008
3:00 pm

Please stop by and show your support for this neighborhood asset!

As we learned earlier this year, Ruskin will be a charter school within Dayton Public Schools but operated by East End Community School, with additional support from the University of Dayton Fitz Center. The school is located just across the McClure Street Bridge from St. Anne's Hill.

Here is the original Ruskin School, from the late 1800's, when St. Anne's Hill was built:

Census Data

The 2000 Census seems like a long time ago, but there is a lot of interesting information to be found. Block by block, you can break down the statistics and get a snapshot of the neighborhood.

St. Anne's Hill is within Dayton's Census Tract 19, which runs from Third Street to Keowee, to Route 35, and up McClure and Terry Streets. So it isn't exactly the same as the Historic District boundaries, but it's pretty close. It includes Bomberger Park, some businesses and a small portion of the Huffman Historic District.

In the year 2000....

The median age was 35 years old.
50% of the homes were owner-occupied.
50% of adults were married.
45% of our neighborhood was female.
12% of our neighborhood was minorities.
35% were born outside of Ohio.
12% were born outside of the United States.

30% had Bachelor's Degrees.

7% had Master's Degrees.

The median household income was $37,344.

44% of working adults had a commute less than 15 minutes.

In 2010, we'll find out how the neighborhood has changed!

Oh, those summer nights!

Thanks to all who attended the meeting last night. We had a lot of folks come out on a hot summer night. Special thanks to Sgt. Tipton from the Dayton Police who came out to address our concerns. He reminded everyone to call 333-COPS if you have a problem, and that you can call the District office if you have follow-up questions or concerns.

The Board of Directors also announced their intention to pursue a "mini-grant" from the City of Dayton. After hearing many ideas from the community, we decided to go after banners for Fifth Street to help identify and market the neighborhood. They also brought forward a motion to make some minor amendments to the by-laws, which was approved.

There was some other discussion about opportunities for folks to volunteer with the re-constituted PDI (Preservation Dayton, Inc.) or at the German Picnic organized by the Liederkranz. The next social event will be another PPD later this month, so we can look forward to that as well.

The next general membership meeting will be Tuesday, September 2nd. I'll see you there!

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Summer Fun

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In case you missed the last post, we still need your help with our grant application for the City of Dayton neighborhood mini-grant program. If you have ideas or would like to get involved, please attend our next general meeting on August 5, 2008 at 7 p.m. in the Liederkranz building.

In other news, check out the new Garden Tour photo album on the SAH website. It's the same photos we saw previously, but they look a lot better on the new page.

Also, I hear turnout was good at last weekend's PPD party. I hope everyone had a good time. Unfortunately, I was burnt to a crispy pink color at the Air Show and wasn't feeling very social that evening!

Finally, please note that there has been some reported thefts in the neighborhood lately, so keep an eye on your things. The neighborhood watch program is still in effect, but your help is needed to keep our community safe. Always call 333-COPS if you see anything suspicious or dial 911 in an emergency.

Other than that, it has been pretty quiet on the Hill. Enjoy your summer!

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Grant Ideas?

The City of Dayton has announced a neighborhood mini-grant program. The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is looking for your input on what you would like to see in your neighborhood. What would you do with a few thousand dollars to improve our community ?

Keep in mind, it would be on a very limited budget. However, this is a great opportunity to leverage City money to make the most of our fundraising efforts. Some ideas include banners, large flower planters, permanent sculptures, or even water lines for our neighborhood parks.

Quote:

The corrected timeline for the grant process is as follows:

• July 11: Postcards mailed to all neighborhood groups and business associations announcing workshops.
• July 26 (Saturday, 10AM) or July 29 (Tuesday, 6:30PM): Mandatory workshop; applications will be available at this time. Interested organizations must send a representative to one of these two brief informational sessions. Location: City Hall, 6th Floor Training Room.
• August 22: Applications due by 4:30PM.
• September 5: Decisions announced.
• August 31, 2009: All projects must be completed by this date.

So let's hear it... what do you think? Post a comment below or write to news@stanneshill.org with your ideas. If you want to chat about it in detail, just stop by our events on July 19th and talk to one of the SAH Board Members.

Also, someone out there posted these great photos from the Garden Tour . . . Enjoy!

Obama at Stivers

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Regardless of your political persuasion, this is exciting news for the St. Anne's Hill neighborhood!

Obama in Dayton Friday
By Jessica Wehrman
Dayton Daily News
Wednesday, July 9, 2008, 03:50 PM

Sen. Barack Obama will make a campaign swing through Dayton on Friday, July 11, his campaign announced today.

Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee for president, will visit Stivers School for the Arts in Dayton for a town hall meeting on energy security.

Obama visited Zanesville earlier this month, and visited Columbus in June.

Stivers School for the Arts is located at 1313 East 5th St. Doors open for the event at 10 a.m. While the event is free and open to the public, tickets are required.

Tickets will be distributed on a first come, first serve basis, with two tickets available per person. To get two tickets, each person must turn in two names along with contact information.

Tickets will be available at the following locations at the following times:

Montgomery County Democratic Party 131 S. Wilkinson St. Dayton, OH 45449 Thursday, July 9, 4pm-8pm Contact: 937-223-3729

Neighbors should expect heavy traffic around Stivers on Friday. This could be a great opportunity to showcase our little community to a national audience!


For any guests or media that might be reading this, the school is adjacent to the St. Anne's Hill historic district in Dayton, Ohio. Please contact us at news@stanneshill if you would like more information. Welcome to the neighborhood!


Note and disclosure: The St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and does not endorse or support any particular candidate for office. This blogger is currently on the Board of Directors for the organization.

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Nineteen

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Nineteen is a magic number this month! On July 19, we'll have 2 special neighborhood events.

First is the semi-annual Alley Sweep, where neighbors help neighbors get rid of all their junk. The City provides the garbage truck and everybody piles trash inside. I'm sure some of it will be leftovers from the Trash 'N' Treasure sale last week. Volunteers will be rewarded with breakfast AND lunch.

That evening is the monthly social we know and love as the PPD - Porch, Patio, and Deck party. This is a progressive dinner of sorts, where three or four neighbors offer up their yards for a fun night out. There is a nominal cost to cover the food and drink.

If any of that sounds like a fun way to spend 19 hours or so, then contact us or watch for a flyer on your doorstep with more information. If not, I'll suggest that you wear your St. Anne's Hill t-shirt proudly at the Air Show.

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Success!

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Our thanks go out to all our hardworking volunteers and homeowners who participated in the first St. Anne's Hill Garden & Art Tour! The expanded garden tour event went off without a hitch, and we had beautiful weather all day long. The rain waited just long enough to cool our tired bodies after all the work was done. It was a big success all around.

Special thanks again to Lisa, Leah, and Deb for leading the charge. Kudos to the K12 Gallery, the artists, and the other vendors as well. They helped to create a fun atmosphere for residents and visitors alike. The DSPS also assisted by hosting the "Petal Power" art show and the starting point for the tour. Last but not least, many thanks to our generous sponsors!

The word on the street is that we had approximatly 750 paying customers, generating hundreds of dollars for our non-profit organization. These funds will help the St. Anne's Hill Historic Society operate over the next 18 months, until the 2009 Christmas Tour.

We also generated some great publicity for our neighborhood. These events not only bring visitors to our community, but they help raise awareness about sustainable historic properties in the Dayton region. Remember, the most environmentally-friendly building is the one that's already built!

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In other news, don't forget that next Saturday, June 28, is our annual "Trash'n'Treasure" neighborhood yard sale, beginning at 8 a.m. sharp.

Tuesday, July 1 will hold our monthly membership meeting at 7 p.m. in the Liederkranz building. All are welcome to attend and find out more about St. Anne's Hill!


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Garden Time

There's only a few more days until the inaugaural St. Anne's Hill Garden & Art Tour! Many thanks are due to the tireless volunteers who put everything together, especially our hosts Lisa and Leah.

Special thanks are due to Deb for hosting the English Tea Garden in her backyard. She is organized and ready to do battle with the crowds on Saturday!

Thanks also to our friends and neighbors who got up early saturday morning to help with litter collection and brush trimming. Our little community is really looking good!

As a reminder, all the volunteers and gardeners are invited to the after-party, so don't be late!

So if you live in the greater Dayton region, please join us this Saturday, June 21 for a fun event! For more fun, stop by next weekend for the annual Trash & Treasure community yard sale.


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Liederkranz Update

Here's the latest events from our friends (and neighbors!) at the Liederkranz:

June 15
Father's Day Brunch 11 am to 1 pm. Pre-paid reservations required. $10 per person by June 10. For information call Trudy at 864-5859.

July 12
Game Night 5 pm to 10 pm. Bring your favorite game to share. Bar open for drinks.

August 8-10
25th Annual Dayton Liederkranz-Turner GermanFest (picnic), 4-8 pm, Montgomery County Fairgrounds .

Have fun!

Ps. Thanks to all who attended our meeting this week. What a great turnout! Make sure you have the June 21 Garden & Art Tour marked on your calendar, and the annual Trash-n-Treasure Sale will be on June 28.

Garden Tour

Here's the official press release... spread the word!

For Immediate Release
June 1, 2008
Contact gardenandart@stanneshill.org
or (937) 224-HILL
http://www.stanneshill.org/

St. Anne's Hill Garden & Art Tour - June 21, 2008

DAYTON, OHIO - St. Anne's Hill Historic Society is pleased to announce the 2008 Garden & Art Tour taking place on Saturday, June 21, 2008 in Dayton's historic St. Anne's Hill neighborhood. The Tour provides the opportunity to see beautifully restored homes and gardens in one of the region's oldest neighborhoods, as well as to
browse through handcrafted original artwork and meet regional artists.

The St. Anne's HIll Garden Tour has been a popular tradition for many years, but this is the first event combining local gardens and original art. Tours will run from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. beginning at the High Street Gallery, located at 48 High Street, home of the Dayton Society of Painters and Sculptors. Live performers will entertain guests throughout the Tour and raffle tickets will be available to purchase. The Tour concludes with a Victorian-style tea party where patrons can enjoy refreshments in the neighborhood.

Visiting artists on the tour include painter Laura Dietrich of Cleveland and master
stained glass artist Frank Dulaney of Tennessee. Regional artists include Michael Bonilla, Painter; Vicki Cassidy, Clay Artist; Ronnie Doyal, Quilter; Steve Good, Personalized Works; David Lorenz, Photography; Mbaraka, Performing Artist; Dave Palmer, Metal Sculptor; Lily Whitehead, Henna Artist; and Catherine Wicks, Fine Art.

Children will enjoy the children's art and activity pavilion, presented in partnership with the K12 Gallery for Young People. They also have the chance to win a $100 savings bond by entering the Children's Art Contest. Entries for the art contest are due by June 12, 2008.

The neighborhood of St. Anne's Hill is a historic community within the City of Dayton, located one mile east of the downtown area, just beyond the Oregon District. The neighborhood was designated a Historic District in 1974 and is home to the Stivers School for the Arts. The Historic Society is a tax exempt, non-profit organization. The tour is sponsored in part by Houser Asphalt & Concrete, RSC Graphics, St. Anne’s Hill Violins, Square One Salon, and other local businesses.

Tickets are $12 with the tea party, or $8 for the tour alone. Visitors can save $2 off a tea party ticket when purchasing tickets by June 15, 2008. Additional details about the 2008 St. Anne's Hill Garden & Art Tour and the art contest can be at www.StAnnesHill.org online or by contacting gardenandart@stanneshill.org or (937) 224-HILL.

If you'd like to volunteer, be sure to stop by our meeting this Tuesday, June 3rd at the Liederkranz building and sign up!

Open House

On June 1, the Dayton Area Board of REALTORS (DABR) is organizing a community-wide "Open House" to help promote homes for sale. If you are interested in buying or selling a home in St. Anne's Hill, you might want to contact your real estate agent to find out how to get involved.

Here is some brief information from the DABR website:

Summer is upon us and so is The Ultimate Open House Event on Sunday, June 1st! The Dayton Area Board of REALTORS® and the Dayton Daily News are co-sponsors of this Miami Valley wide, open house day. If you are looking to purchase a new home, June 1st will be a prime day to visit a number of homes in every price range. With hundreds of houses open to view, you’re sure to find that perfect dream house. Plus, you can register to win home improvement prizes from Lowe's just by registering at every house you tour! So click on the banner below to view all the open houses coming your way!

The Dayton Daily News also mentioned the event:

Organizers had expected to draw around 600 homes into the event, Jones said. However, as of Wednesday, May 28, more than 550 homes had signed on and officials estimate the number of participating homes to climb to 1,000.

Happy house hunting!

PS. Don't forget, our next regular meeting is Tuesday, June 3rd at the Liederkranz! Bring a friend and your ideas for the neighborhood!

Ruskin Merger

There was a major announcement tonight regarding the future of the new Ruskin School. The school, located at the intersection of McClure Street and Xenia Avenue, is within walking distance of the St. Anne's Hill neighborhood. Read on!

Ruskin to house former charter school

By Scott Elliot, Dayton Daily News
Tuesday, May 20, 2008, 10:07 PM

The city school board Tuesday entered into what may be a first-of-its-kind partnership when it inked a deal to absorb an independent charter school but allow it to operate independently under the district’s control.

Construction of the district’s new Ruskin Elementary School in the Twin Towers neighborhood is nearing completion, but East End Community School had operated in a nearby district-owned school and draws many students from that neighborhood.

East End is an independently run and sponsored charter school founded in 2002. Under the agreement, the school board will have ultimate authority for the school but its day-to-day operations will be overseen by a five-person committee with two representatives from the school board. School officials said they believed the deal is the first such partnership in Ohio.

The school, with about 200 students, will roughly double in size when it moves to Ruskin. Its students will become part of the district’s enrollment count for school funding and the students’ state test scores will count toward the district averages.

So that seems to suggest a student head-count around 400 when the school opens in the fall. That number is consistent with the other new elementary schools in Dayton.

Along with Stivers, the new school will be a huge asset for the neighborhood in terms of attracting new families to our community. We should all look forward to welcoming these students to the new Ruskin School!

Lights on!

Now that the weather is warming up, I've taken to jogging around the neighborhood again. I prefer to go out in the evening, when the air is crisp and cool. However, in some areas there are few street lights and it can be hard to see where I'm going, much less what might be around the next corner.


Although scientific studies have shown mixed results, it seems intuitive that effective lighting will generally make a neighborhood safer and help deter crime by keeping our homes and sidewalks lit for all to see.


So with that in mind, I'd like to suggest... Lights On! Please consider leaving your porch and patio lights on overnight. For pennies a day, you can help keep our community safe, especially for those (like me) that enjoy late night walks around the neighborhood.


Special thanks are due to the neighborhood watch crew. They've been driving around at night to help keep an eye on St. Anne's Hill while most of us are asleep or watching late night television. If you'd like to join them, stop by our next meeting or simply spend a few minutes sitting on your porch or patio at night. It's also a great way to meet your neighbors!


This year, National Night Out will be celebrated on August 5, 2008. Join Dayton and other local communities as they build support and awareness for public safety issues.


So this year let's turn the Lights On! for a safer community.

Free money!

Did you know that if you are a homeowner in St. Anne's Hill, you could be eligible for a property tax discount? That's like free money!

The City of Dayton has a program called Community Reinvestment Area (CRA). To qualify, you must complete a major renovation or build an addition in an eligible area, like a historic district. If you meet the criteria, you won't be taxed on your investment for a certain period of time. Contact the City's Department of Planning and Community Development at 333-3670 for details.

Also, if you are a homeowner over age 65, you may qualify for the Homestead Reduction through Montgomery County. Contact the County Auditor's office at 225-4341 for more information.

So there's two great reasons to invest in St. Anne's Hill.

Now what are you going to do with that free money?

Reminders

Just a quick reminder that our next meeting is this Tuesday, May 6th at the Liederkranz. If you have any ideas to share, or just want to meet your neighbors, you are welcome to attend. The fun starts at 7 pm.

Also, don't forget to volunteer for the Garden & Art Tour, scheduled for June 21. There are plenty of opportunities to help out, even if you dont' have a green thumb!

SPAVA

There's a great event happening at Stivers School for the Arts this week...

Stivers to host centennial arts festival
School celebrating 100 years

The exuberance, talent and energy that flows through Stivers School for the Arts
keeps it youthful; it's hard to believe the school is 100 years old! In that joyous spirit, the school will continue to honor that storied artistic spirit and celebrate its centennial year of existence with a four-day spring arts festival.

The Stivers Performing and Visual Arts (SPAVA!) Festival will take place May 1-4 at Stivers' new and renovated facility at 1313 E. Fifth St. Beginning with the opening session Thursday evening on through a birthday party (complete with cake) on Sunday, SPAVA! will showcase local, regional and national artists in concerts, demonstrations and gallery exhibits. Some artists will conduct master classes with students during school hours on May 1 and 2. In addition, free workshops on everything from glass blowing to swing dancing will be offered to the public on May 3.

Stivers students will showcase their talents, as well. The festival features performances by the Stivers orchestra, string academy, pianists, hand bell choir and dance ensemble. Another SPAVA! activity will honor a Stivers alum who also turned 100 this year. The street adjacent to Stivers will be renamed Milton Caniff Drive in a special ceremony honoring the famed cartoonist.

Most festival events are free, with the exception of evening concerts and the school's annual "Soup Dressed Up" fund-raiser (soup served in bowls created by Stivers students). Admission for the concerts is $10 each evening; a $30 ticket buys admission to evening concerts May 1-3. Cost of "Soup Dressed Up" is $10. SPAVA! concludes on the afternoon of May 4 with a free concert by the Air Force Band of Flight and free birthday cake for all attendees. For more information, go to http://www.spava.info/.

Also, here is a copy of their Fall student newspaper , with a great article about what it was like to return to the renovated Stivers for the first day of class. Take a look!

Finally, on a somewhat related note, here is the Sanborn Map that shows what the Stivers site looked like back in 1887, with today's school site outlined in red:

UPDATE: The opening ceremony and concert were really something! Our own Ms. Bobbie P. presented Stivers with a plaque recognizing their status on the National Register of Historic Places in honor of their 100th anniversary.

After short speeches from Rep. Lucky, Sen. Roberts, and Superintendent Percy Mack, the Stivers Orchestra wow'ed the crowd with an assortment of classical and modern works. The highlight was easily the medley from Phantom of the Opera, which included flashing lights, a fog machine, and a peek at the Phantom himself.

Trust me, you owe it to yourself to check out SPAVA this weekend!

Wright State

Just a quick note of thanks to all who attended our very special Archive event. It was a beautiful day and we had a great turnout, including a few elected officials and folks from the media.

Here's a few shots:

Special thanks to Susan for leading this effort, and to Lee for hosting the ceremony and the celebration that followed. Most of all, our sincere thanks to Dawne Dewey and all the Library staff at Wright State University for their commitment to Dayton's history and St. Anne's Hill.

Archives

Here are the details for Sunday, as quoted from the newsletter:

You are cordially invited to

a Celebration of

the Donation of our Archives collection

to Wright State University

April 27, 2008

2 to 4 p.m.

at the

Bossler Mansion

136 Dutoit Street

For more information, visit our website or Wright State University's website. Kudos to Susan for organizing this project!

We hope to see you for this once-in-a-lifetime event, which represents over 100 years of history in St. Anne's Hill.

UPDATE: The Dayton Daily News printed a blurb about the event on Thursday.

P.S. As a reminder, our next general meeting is Tuesday, May 6 at 7 p.m. in the Liederkrantz.

Letter from the Mayor

Of Kings

We had a great turnout for the Mayor's Walk this week, and the new t-shirts were a big hit. The walk was fun and productive, and a great demonstration of the strong community we have in St. Anne's Hill.

Just for fun, here is a 1989 rock song that appears to mention the neighborhood!

Song: The Difference (in the garden of St. Anne's-on-the-Hill)
Artist: King's X
Album: Gretchen Goes To Nebraska

I walked through a garden in the morning
I walked right into a change
No words were spoken
just a feeling and I cannot explain

but I can feel the difference
I can feel the difference

wind it comes and it blows
where it comes from, I don't know
to look for a reason might just kill it

and I cannot explain
but I cannot explain
I can feel the difference
in the garden of St. Anne's-on-the-Hill

Remember, we have our big archive event coming up next!

Mayor's Walk

Please join us this Monday, April 14 for the "Mayor's Walk" in St. Anne's Hill with Mayor McLin and other top City officials. This is your opportunity to talk to City Hall about the postive and negative things happening in the neighborhood.

There are rumors that the SAH t-shirts might be available in time for the walk, so if you get your shirt please wear it with pride! It would be great to have a lot of people turn out for the Mayor's Walk to represent our community.

EDIT: The walk will begin promptly at 5:30 p.m. and everyone should gather outside the Bomberger Center at the corner of Fifth and High Streets. (Sorry I forgot to mention that!)


Also, don't forget that on Sunday, April 27 we will be having the special ceremony to officially hand over the SAH Archives to the Wright State University Library. It should be a really nice event and it's our social activity for the month, which will be held at the Bossler Mansion.


Finally, there is some new information about the upcoming Art & Garden Tour, so take a look and make sure you save the date - Saturday, June 21. Volunteers are welcome!

Graffiti

This saturday, our Spring Cleaning volunteers were suprised to find graffiti at several spots along Josie Street, in the south end of St. Anne's Hill. Unfortunately, this was not the first attack and it seems to be a growing trend in our community. Several buildings along Fifth Street have also been "tagged" in recent weeks as well.

Here are three photos of the latest crimes (click for larger size):

Other neighborhoods, like Walnut Hills, have been dealing with this issue, too. Some of these same designs have been spotted along Wayne Avenue. So it appears that this was not a first-time offense. The feminine handwriting seen above suggests that at least one of the perpetrators is most likely a young woman.

If you have ANY information about these incidents, please contact the Dayton Police at 333-COPS (non-emergency line) as soon as possible. Calls to the DPD found that the dipatchers require the property owner to make the report.

So if you are a vicitim/witness of graffiti or any other crime, please make sure to contact the Police and provide as much detail as you can. The more information they have, the better they will be able to respond. So to borrow a phase, call early and call often.

Take the Bus

Do you take the bus to work or school? Maybe just for fun? The Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority (GDRTA) wants to hear from you. By special request, here is their recent announcement:

We know that our riders have a lot to say about our service. More importantly, we know you have great ideas to share. RTA is accepting applications for members of a Riders’ Advisory Council to begin meeting at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of every other month. Refreshments will be served. Applications are due by April 11th.

Council members’ thoughts and ideas will be directly reported to the RTA board of trustees. If you are an RTA customer, please apply to fill one of 21 seats on the council. Members will not be paid, but your ideas can help make a difference in the way the RTA provides service to all customers.

For more information, please visit our website or call Nathan Owens at (937) 425-8374. For assistance in planning an RTA trip, visit the website or call RideLine at 226-1144.

"Providing transportation for 138 years, Greater Dayton RTA is Ohio’s fourth largest public transit system serving Dayton and 19 surrounding communities in Montgomery and parts of Greene County. RTA provides more than 11 million passenger trips per year on fixed and paratransit vehicles. The RTA is the only public transit agency in the country to provide continuous electric trolley service for 120 years."

That last part is pretty cool. 120 years? Think about that. They were around when the houses in St. Anne's Hill were just being built. Maybe the family who built your house took the trolley down the hill to go downtown and buy some tools.

So if you're interested, lend your voice to help shape the next 120 years.

... and don't forget, we're doing some spring cleaning on Saturday morning!

Spring Cleaning

We had a great turnout at our regular meeting this month. Over 25 people came out to the Liederkranz to spend time with their neighbors. As usual around here, Maggie the dog happily wagged her tail all night long and a few folks enjoyed drinks at the bar.

Our guest speaker, Roane Smothers from the City of Dayton, gave a nice refresher course on the guidelines for owning property in a historic district. His main point was to remind everyone that ANY exterior work requires a call to the City. He can handle most situations, like minor repairs or painting, over the phone. Roane can be reached at 333-3670.

In other news, Tom is looking for volunteers this weekend to do some Spring Cleaning in St. Anne's Hill. If you'd like to help, bring your work gloves this Saturday, April 5 and meet at the corner of High and Josie Streets at 9 a.m. The team will take a relaxing walk around the neighborhood to pick up litter.

At the meeting we also talked about some of the great events coming up, so mark your calendars and look for more information in the April Newsletter, which should be in your mailbox this week. We'll have more information here on the blog, too.

• April 5 - Spring Cleaning Walk
• April 14 - Mayor's Walk in SAH
• April 27 - SAH Archive Event with WSU
• May 6 - General meeting
• May (?) - Social Event
• June 3 - General meeting
• June 21 - SAH Garden & Art Tour
• June 28 - Trash & Treasure Sale

If you have any ideas, questions, or just need more information, please feel free to post your comments here!

An Invitation

Please join St. Anne's Hill Historic Society for our next meeting!

Tuesday, April 1, 2008 at 7 p.m
Liederkranz Hall - Lower Level
Corner of Fifth and High Streets

This month we have invited a special guest:

Roane Smothers, Principal Planner
Department of Planning and Community Development
City of Dayton, Ohio

He is the City staff person responsible for providing "Certificate of Appropriateness" (COA) to property owners doing exterior renovations or repairs in historic districts. Mr. Smothers will give us a refresher on the City's guidelines for the COA process and answer any questions we might have for him.

The new fundraising stickers will be available for sale. As always, we'll also talk about some of our projects and upcoming activities for the neighborhood. Here's just a few to keep on your calendar:

• April 14: "Mayor's Walk" with Mayor McLin and City administration;
• May 6: Next general meeting
• June 21: St. Anne's Hill Garden & Art Tour

If you'd like to become a member or join our mailing list, just write to news@stanneshill.org or stop by the meeting.

See you there!