The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 11

Grieving mother IN BUSINESS THE ClXflXXAH ENQLIREK METRO Cinergy Corp. is I Today's number 1 of 5 About 1 of every 5 Americans aged 18-24 voted congressional elections two years ago. embarking on one of the largest construction projects in its history, installing more than $700 million pollution control equipment. Story, BIO FN off, Luken scolds Bedinghaus Says candidate injecting politics into Back By Robert Anglen The Cincinnati F.nqmrrr Cincinnati's mayor is telling Hamilton County Commissioner Bob Bedinghaus to quit using The Banks as a political platform. In a terse letter Monday, Mayor Charlie Luken said efforts to renovate the riverfront are "not served by in river project and providing parking for the new stadium.

In a letter on county stationery, Mr. Bedinghaus accused Mr. Portune of "putting at risk the riverfront development that hundreds of people have worked on for the last three or four years." flammatory language" and urged Mr. Bedinghaus to "put politics aside and do the right thing." Those are the same words Mr. Bedinghaus has used in a letter and a series of press releases to describe Councilman Todd Portune's "lack of leadership" on creating a new port authority to lead the $250 million Banks development between the new stadiums.

Mr. Bedinghaus, a Republican, and Mr. Portune, a Democrat, are vying for a county commission seat in the November election, anc the port authority has become a campaign issue. In council meetings, Mr Portune has questioned the county's motivation in pushing approval of the port authority, saying it's tied to a contract with the Bengali lB mf PSVs BBt BBt 7 tkii tMHbY Politics Getting young people involved A hope that youth will serve Business visit slips from city Convention center not large enough Luke Blocher instructs high school Cranley volunteers Gabe Robinson, Amy Hill (center) and Miriam Yu By Ken Alltucker I'tit Cincinnati Enquirer Cincinnati is poised to lose a large, lucrative John Deere convention that promises more than 14,000 hotel room bookings because the Albert B. Sabin Convention Center isn't large or versatile enough to handle two groups at once.

Moline, Ill-based Deere Co. picked Cincinnati as one of two possible sites for a five-week convention in 2002, but local convention planners were unable to promise the farm equipment manufacturer space because of a scheduling conflict with a church group. In a letter to convention center planners, John Deere said it would look elsewhere if it was not guaranteed space by Sept. 15 for its annual new-product convention. "John Deere will commit to Cincinnati only if the dates of Aug.

4-Sept. 11, 2002 can be made available to us," wrote John Deere's Dean C. Hungate, marketing information administrator. "If you Grateful i ior miracie of Chance Jan Can was standing a parking iot when she got the terrible news. Her miracle baby, her 'jne-m-a-million Chance had been found dead, his arms wrapped around his best friend, Lincoln Schlueter.

Rushing water trapped them in a culvert. Officials still don't know exactly how it happened. The boys, both 13, had been skating Saturday, 'whooping it up," Jan says. "Some people who saw them earlier mhf the kids IP were having a WfaM blast" She takes some comfort Laura from this. PuHer 5T- And from their last words to each other.

"Love you, Mom." And her words as he ran out the door were, "Be careful. I love you, too." Not that she thought he was headed for danger. Nor did he. "I saw where they were skating. They had no clue.

No signs. No barriers of any kind." She says that's one of the things she's going to work on. Earlier tragedy The other thing Jan and her husband, David, have promised themselves is that they will not let this destroy their marriage. They know something about stress. David awaits a kidney and pancreas transplant, so sick he couldn't go with Jan Saturday night to that parking kit at Park 50 Tech-neCenter southeast of Mil-ford.

Jan's twin brother died in an automobile accident when she was 19. "It was awful. But the good thing is you know that someday you really can say his name without crying." She looks for the good thing. She really does. "A remarkable person," says Eileen Murphy, principal at Summerside Elementary School where Jan teaches fourth grade.

Eileen waited with Jan, "holding on to the idea that it won't be the worst." I Sunday mining, a man asked the ffnilies of Lincoln Schlueter and David Chance Carr to come with him for "an update." They trailed through a building to a parking lot. The man cleared his throat. "Can everybody hear me?" he asked. Then he told them. A miracle "You just can't believe this could happen to Jan," Eileen says.

"Chance was a terrific, funny kid. The light of her life, the light in her eyes." A miracle. After years of trying to have a child, including some help from fertility specialists, the Carrs finally gave up. "Then I just got relaxed and got pregnant," she says, laughing a little. She worries about her parents.

Her father was superintendent of schools in Paducah, when a shooting spree left three children dead and five wounded. "Very hard. And now Chance's death brings back all the feelings they had when my brother died." She worries about David. Of course. And she worries about the Search and Rescue Team.

"They were the kindest, most caring people." Jan is thinking maybe she could help them. Later on. "Maybe 1 could volunteer to be with a family. When something happens to you, I think maybe you know best how to help others." That is what this anguished mother says to me. Thick voice.

Tjrs off and on. She is not denial. She knows what has happened to this boy of hers. The calls from Chance's claataiates have helped, she says. Funny stories.

And tears. More tears. Shared grief. Her fourth-graders have made cards. The casserole patrol has visited.

"Love is a very healing thing," Jan says. A miracle, you might say. E-mail Laura at or call 768-8393. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. 2000 The letter, dated Satur day, blames Mr.

Portune for a "dysfunctional council" and challenges the councilman's voting record on other city issues, and over the parking ISSUe Mr Luken, a Democrat, defended Mr. Portune, saying he vited in favor of a See LUKEN. Page B5 are unable to free up those dates, we will no longer be committed to Cincinnati and will look at another city after a 10-day period beginning Sept. 5." The Greater Cincinnati Convention Visitors Bu reau, which tried unsuccessfully to persuade the Progressive National Baptist Convention to reschedule or modify its convention needs, does not expect to hear from John Deere until later this month. That's when the company visits Louisville, the other Midwest city vying for the convention.

Officials for John Deere and the Louisville convention center did not return phone calls Monday. "To say it looks good is not accurate," said Mike Wilson, president of the Greater Cincinnati Convention Visitors Bureau. "This is a pretty good exam pie for the need of an expansion of our convention center." Hotel managers and oth- See CONVENTION. Page B5 and 208 required continuing services, she said. "Many of the cases can be closed right away or short-term services can be provided," Ms.

Vallance said. In the past two years. Children Services drew heavy criticism from the state and from some local officials and parents who said the agency unnecessarily took some children from their homes. At the direction of county commissioners, the agency says it has been trying to help more children stay in their homes or with relatives or neighbors instead of being placed in foster homes. Commissioner Mike Fox, who led the initiative for agency reform, praised Ms.

Vallance for her leadership. But Mr. Fox and Commissioner Courtney Combs said the agency must improve its recruitment of foster families in Butler County. Children Services has 122 children with Butler County foster parents and 178 with foster parents who live outside the county. Ms.

Vallance acknowledged this shortcoming and said the agency is trying to use neighborhood leaders to recruit foster parents. She said children usually are better off remaining close to home. 'lESDN mm i 4 in 9fm Bmm mm Ik mk mm mm fSsmmmw Lm mm mm mw mwmmwr IJHbbLI bm ii Campaigns reach out By Howard Wilkinson TV Cincinnati Enquirer There is no end to the things you could be doing with your spare time if you are a high school senior like Tess Kleinhaus. Your homework. Hanging with your friends.

Watching TV. Surfing the Net. Or working to change the face of Congress. Ms. Kleinhaus, a 17-year-old from Clifton, spends several nights a week in a cluttered storefront office on Hamilton Avenue in College Hill, one of a growing cadre of high school and college students volunteering for the congressional campaign of Democrat John Cranley.

She and her fellow students are doing voluntarily what an alarmingly small number of her peers are doing getting involved in politics. For the St. Ursula Academy student, she made up her mind to get involved when she read a short piece about Mr. Cranley's campaign in a magazine and decided the 26-year-old first-time, candidate was the kind of politician she wanted to see in Congress. "I've never done this before; and I wasn't sure about politics before this, but I have to admit it's pretty exciting," Ms.

Kleinhaus said. "I know now this is where I want to be." What she is doing as a campaign volunteer is rare among those of high school or college age. Just under one of every five Americans between the ages of 18 and 24 voted in congressional elections two years ago out of about 15 million in that age group, according to a poll conducted by NASS, the National Asso- See POLITICS. Page B5 Child service progress seen Butler agency emphasizes family aid instead of removal Enquirer photos by BRANDI STAFFORD Devin Faux a Walnut Hills High School junior, fills out address labels at the headquarters for John Cranley's congressional campaign. Clinic opens in Avondale school B1BESM mwim I LiTaBasW flfl Bl BBBT-BBf 'BBBLflfewB9piR vBl Bl IBtBB BLtfBHLl A Bfl HBIDvmkBBBj BBJ BJJPBJB BjBlJJrBBjK BjBjBjBjBjBjBj BBBfe BBBBMT Bh Blji PXflQEMflMW'cBBBVNGfiBpV'' I BBT BsRyBBBpSEsyyHSfi- I BlF By Steve Kemme The Cincinnati Enquirer HAMILTON After being criticized in a state audit last year as having removed children from their families too quickly, Butler County Children Services says it has been making a greater effort to preserve families.

The reduction in the number of children in agency custody from 874 in 1998 to 597 through the first six months of this year reflects that change in philosophy, Executive Director Ka-thy Vallance said Monday. "Sometimes children have to be removed from their homes for their safety," she said during her report to county commissioners. "But our agency believes that children generally do better with their families." Children Services is directing more money and more counseling services into easing family problems and helping people be better parents, Ms. Vallance said. Families are receiving more services much earlier for mental health issues, drug and alcohol problems and housekeeping standards, she said.

"We're putting more money and resources at the front end," Ms. Vallance said. The agency received 1,619 referrals during the first six months of this year, the barriers of achieving success," she said. The center is housed in four rooms in the school. The center will include a full team of providers, including doctors, social workers, technicians and nurses.

Children's anticipates 1,200 student visits this year. Services are available to all students free of charge. A $350,000 grant from the Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati will cover operational costs. The center will also work with community physicians, local health departments, Central State University, the Sickle Cell Parent and Family Network and the Children's Defense Fund to provide a broad range of care. For information, call the school at 872-7950.

By Andrea Tortora TV Cincinnati Enquirer Students and their families at Rockdale Academy can now receive health care services along with their education. A school-based health center opened at the Avon-dale school Monday. A partnership between the school and Children's Hospital Medical Center will provide pediatric care, parent education, teacher training and a focus on preventive health. Shirley Brame, health center director, said the goal is to make quality health care available to the community. Principal Dawn Crook said the health services will help students academically.

"If you offer students health care with instant access, you eliminate one of The Cincinnati Enquirer. STEVEN M. HERPPICH Raindrops keep fallin' on my head Ernest Britton of Hyde Park, who works for the Freedom Center, uses his jacket as a makeshift rain protector Monday on Fourth Street. Julia Klein, a business visitor from Philadelphia, was better equipped for the daylong downpour..