The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 91

METRO The Cincinnati Enquirer B2 Thursday. August 3. 1995 Teachers support drive to repeal stadium tax AROUND THE TRISTATE effort without some modification." Lack of representation The sales tax increase will go to pay for stadiums for the Reds and Bengals. It also will be used for property tax relief and county projects. The increase will raise the sales tax from 5.5 percent to 6.5 percent.

Rejecting Mooney's ideas, county commission President Guy Guckenberger said voters have repeatedly turned down ballot measures to raise more money for schools. Doing so through the county would open the commission BY ANNE MICHAUD The Cincinnati Enquirer The Cincinnati Federation of Teachers will throw its support behind a petition drive to repeal the penny-on-a-dollar sales tax increase, federation President Tom Mooney said Wednesday. County commissioners formally rejected Mooney's plea Wednesday to shift some of the sales tax money to schools. "We tried to throw them a life raft, but they prefer to go down with the ship," Mooney said, predicting the tax's demise. "It has not a prayer of surviving the repeal Imrm- iiXL ii in.

,1. m' -M to more criticism of "taxation without representation," Guckenberger said. "We are now being called on the carpet, with some validity, for not putting the one-cent sales tax before voters," he said. "To give money to the schools and tell people, 'You're not going to vote' I believe that exacerbates the problem." Mooney had suggested funnel-ing to schools $30 million of the $100 million the sales tax hike would raise annually. Bedinghaus argued that $30 million is not much if spread 1 The Associated PressMark Bealer provide a towering spray and Stories, A16, B1.

with relative first contact with the Ritchie fami ly in 1993 on allegations of neglect, will continue its investigation as police are continuing theirs, Stevens said. There have been no arrests. Samantha's body was found July 22. The 1993 allegations were found to be unsubstantiated, Stevens said. She added that Ritchie did not contest the ruling and is allowed to visit her sons.

The parties must all be in court again in a month. At that time, Children Services can ask for another 30 days' custody, can ask for a year's temporary custody, or can return the children to their mother, Stevens said. throughout 25 school districts. Cincinnati schools cut $31.4 million from their budgets this year. $30 million insufficient "It would be shortsighted of us to give a small amount to schools when there's a much bigger problem," Bedinghaus said.

Mooney's organization will work with the Citizens for Choice in Taxation to collect more than 55,200 signatures before an Aug. 25 deadline. The petition would put the sales tax increase to a popular vote during the March primary election. Inner-city gardens grow in stature The Cincinnati Enquirer It was an empty plot of overgrown weeds until a group of 20 seniors tilled soil and sowed seeds. Now, the inner-city plot on the corner of Columbia Parkway and Delta Avenue in Columbia Tuscu-lum is hailed as one of three gardens that best exemplify what can happen when a community works together.

On Wednesday, a group of 80 visited all three gardens the Pendleton Children's Garden, the Columbia Parkway YMCA Senior's Garden, and the West End (Sands Montessori) garden during the 12th annual Neighborhood Gardens Trolley Tour. The tour was led by O'Bryonville philanthropist Frederick Hauck. The program of the Civic Garden Center helps residents of inner-city neighborhoods build, cultivate and harvest food gardens. "It's a combination of beauty and of seeing a wasted resource put to productive use," said Ben Long, Civic Garden Center program director. Collectively, Cincinnati has 30 neighborhood gardens.

Gardeners expect to harvest about $73,000 in produce, Long said. More fascinating than the gardens, Long said, are the people who cultivate them. Joe Thomas, a part-time YMCA custodian, tends to a small portion of the senior's garden on Columbia Parkway. It is his first garden, and he's excited about the cantaloupe, okra and bell peppers. "I find myself coming out here every day, and walking through the garden and looking at things," said Thomas, 67, of Winton Terrace.

"I can hardly wait for next season." High temps, high water: Fire department water cannons some much-needed relief for children in Trenton on Wednesday. Slain girl's brothers to stay temporary custody, Stevens said. The boys will live with their relative while authorities continue to investigate Samantha's death. "We don't know what the circumstances were surrounding Samantha's murder, so we want to take every precautionary measure to ensure the safety of these kids," Stevens said. The children's mother, Ther-ressa Jolynn Ritchie, 24, chose to send them to a relative shortly after Samantha disappeared, Stevens said.

Children Services arrived later to conduct an investigation, as is standard when a child disappears or is killed. Children Services, which had its BY JULIE IRWIN The Cincinnati Enquirer DAYTON, Ohio The half-brothers of slain 4-year-old Saman-tha Ritchie will continue to live with a relative for at least 30 days, a Montgomery Juvenile Court magistrate has ruled. They were placed in the custody of Children Services on Monday. The three boys, ages 7, 8 and 9, went to live with the relative shortly after their half-sister disappeared July 18, said Montgomery County Children Services spokeswoman Ann Stevens. On Monday, the court granted the agency's request for interim Two Cincinnati firefighters climb down a ladder Wednesday while fighting a four-alarm fire in a Mount Auburn apartment building in the 2300 block of Vine Street.

No one was injured, but one family was displaced. The cause of the fire is under investigation. The Cincinnati Enquirer Tony Jones News Tips: Call 24 hours a day to reach our recorded News Tip Hot Line: 768-8602. If it's an emergency, press zero when the recording begins to be connected with an editor between 8:30 a.m. and midnight.

OHIO Bank robber sentenced to 20-50 years A Dayton, Ohio, man who robbed a Mason bank in February and fired more than a dozen shots at a Montgomery police officer during his getaway attempt was sentenced Wednesday to 20jo 50 years in prison. Before the sentence was announced, Mark Christopher Par-rish apologized to his family and to Detective Don Jasper, who was struck four times by shots from Parrish's 9mm pistol. Parrish, who pleaded guilty in June to charges of attempted murder and aggravated robbery, also said he didn't know why he stole nearly $4,000 from the National Bank Trust, near Kings Island, then fled south Feb. 28. Police said Parrish fired 16 rounds at Jasper after the officer rounded a bend on Hopewell Road in pursuit, only to find Parrish waiting for him.

Judge Robert Kraft of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court sentenced Parrish to eight to 25 years for the attempted murder and six to 25 years in prison for the aggravated robbery. He said the two charges will run consecutively, and consecutive to a six-year sentence for using a gun in both crimes. Man guilty in death A Winton Place man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter for the Jan. 18 shooting death of Michael Caudell. Caudell, 29, of Cheviot, was shot in the chest during what police called a drug dispute in English Woods.

John Pope, 20, originally was charged with murder Pope in the shooting. Pope also pleaded guilty Wednesday to an unrelated charge of rape, for an Oct. 2 attack on a woman. Judge Thomas Crush of Hamilton County Common Pleas Court sentenced Pope to 10 to 25 years in prison on each charge, plus another three years for using a gun. All sentences are to run consecutively.

School seeks volunteers Volunteers are still needed for United Way Community Chest's first Family Affair. Family Affair is designed to allow families to perform community improvements together. This year's project includes cleaning, painting, landscaping and other improvements at He-berle School in the West End. More than 175 volunteers completed preparation work earlier this month, but more are needed for the final round of improvements on Saturday. For information, call the Family Affair hot line at 762-7230.

Three teens indicted Three juveniles accused of shooting an Avondale man during a botched robbery attempt were indicted Tuesday by a Hamilton County grand jury and will be tried as adults. Dwight Price 16, Jamaica Carter, 17, and Orlando Crawford, 16, each was charged with aggravated murder and aggra- A Videotaped shooting is called self-defense ...111 J. I M. vated robbery in the June 15 shooting death of Tijuan Pul-liam. Pulliam was shot in the back as he ran along Van Antwerp Avenue.

Police said he was running to avoid the teens, who stopped in front of a neighborhood craps game, hopped out of a brown van and fired a shot into the air. Police said the teens were looking for someone to rob. Ronald Walker, 19, of Walnut Hills also is charged with aggravated murder and aggravated robbery in the case. Anti-graffiti campaign Cincinnati City Council unanimously adopted an anti-graffiti program Wednesday proposed by Mayor Roxanne Quails. The program will permit the removal of graffiti on private property with an owner's consent.

Officials are working on language allowing removal of graffiti without an owner's permission. Councilman Nick Vehr asked the administration also to draft laws allowing the city to correct violations on private property concerning health, building and other codes if the property owner fails to do so after three warnings. In other action, Wednesday council unanimously approved licensing laws for bicycle-powered pedicabs, similar to horse-drawn carriages; as well as Councilman Todd Portune's motion to expand a discount-parking program for carpoolers to help smog-reduction efforts. KENTUCKY Suspect kills self ELIZABETHTOWN A Kentucky State Police detective said Wednesday the agency had closed its investigation into the death of 1 5-year-old Billie Jo Quire. Detective Stuart Brumfield said authorities had followed up on a suicide note left by Kirby Smallwood, 20, charged with killing his former girlfriend in 1992.

Smallwood committed suicide Sunday. His mother found a suicide letter the next day in which Smallwood implicated another former girlfriend in Quire's death. Brumfield said the girl was questioned by state police and FBI and given a lie-detector test. Scores not predictor LEXINGTON A study that found a weak link between student scores on state tests and their grades as college freshmen is good news for the state testing system, an Education Department official said. The University of Kentucky will not use state test scores to determine whether to admit students after a study of its own showed a very weak relationship between students' scores on the state tests and their freshman year grades in related classes.

Some students who scored poorly on the state tests aced their freshman courses, and some students who scored very well on the state tests flunked the college courses, the study found. INDIANA Artifact sale sought EVANSVILLE A man convicted of illegally taking Indian artifacts has asked for permission to sell part of his collection at a show in Kentucky, where he once sold items he took from a burial site. No decision has been made by court officials on the request from Art Gerber, who was released from prison in May. Some American Indians oppose Gerber's request, saying they question how Gerber obtained the artifacts. Hearing Examination Your hearing shouldn't be a problem Board Certified Clinical Audiologist 35 Years Experience Hearing Aids at Wholesale Prices 30 Day Money Back Guarantee Latest Technology Automatic Follow Up Care and Service STRAIGHT TALK NO HASSLE HONESTY back she had Blankenship and another guy with her," Compton said.

"Cole wouldn't argue with Blankenship. He just said it was his Drooer- ty and they Blankenship couldn't come on it, and Blankenship went in anyway," she said. Cole went downstairs and got two pistols from his apartment, Compton said. He gave one to Compton's boyfriend, who threw it in a trash can, and placed the other in the waistband of his shorts. Blankenship walked a short way down the street, then began swearing at Cole and walking back to the porch, even after Cole pulled the 9mm pistol, Compton said.

Cole fired as Blankenship reached the porch, she said. A preliminary hearing in Cole's case was set for Aug. 11. pw jf i iii mm in tfx bestlabs I lHfr CUSTOM MADE I lY IN THE EAR tm mm wm mm mm mm mm nnn onnn TtW Iwa mm Kfl XCEL LRR AUDIOLOGY 5963 Glenway Ave. BY ADAM WEINTRAUB The Cincinnati Enquirer Charles Cole acted in self-defense when he shot Charles Kevin Blankenship in a slaying captured on videotape, Cole's attorney and friends said Wednesday.

Cole, 44, is charged with murder in the shooting that took place on his porch on Tremont Avenue about 3:45 a.m. Tuesday under the security camera lens. Despite defense attorney Ken Lawson's arguments that Cole was a lifelong area resident and no threat, Judge Karla Grady of Hamilton County Municipal Court ordered Cole held on $250,000 cash bond. Cole's relatives said Blankenship stepped into the middle of a quarrel between Cole and Tina Day, a tenant in Cole's building. Day could not be reached for comment.

But a friend of Cole said Day brought Blankenship back to Cole's building to stir up trouble. "They (Cole and Day) were arguing because Tina was cussing her kids," said Tonya Compton, who was visiting from Tennessee and stopped by Cole's porch to see if he had an apartment to rent. Day left, and "when Tina came NEED A VACATION Find your dream place to stay In our travel and resort places for rent. Check classified every day of the week and the Travel Resort directory in the Sunday Enquirer Travel section to find your dream vacation and get awayl Classified works for you every day of the week Call Classified 421-6300 Call today! Appointments are limited. taamr j- MWfiv MMHr mr Peppe Mamundo Son TAILORS CUSTOM CLOTHING FOR MEN WOMEN TUXEDO RENTAL SALES NOW IN PROGRESS -OUR SUMMER CLEARANCE SALE Professional Alterations 50 Years Experience In if I i v-s Family Owned Operated 5217 Glenway Ave.

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