The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 53

The Enquirer 12 Thursday, January 17,2008 NE MOUNT LOOKOUT Jewish lawyer replaces Baby Jesus figure in i liiin" ullSSI ilrmifll.J,. L. While surfing the Internet last month, a Cincinnati Jew found a way to help his Christian friends and celebrate the Christmas spirit. Jeff Harris, a lawyer with a downtown law firm and Mount Lookout resident, was reading a story that said someone had stolen a Baby Jesus figurine from a Bal Harbour, Nativity scene. Harris dipped into his pocket and paid for a replacement.

"I'm Jewish and Christian people have always done nice things for me," Harris said. A lawyer for 31 years, Harris read of the theft from Dina Cellini's private Nativity scene in Bal Harbour, near Miami. Believing the Nativity scene was municipal property, Harris sent an e-mail to city officials asking if he could pay for a replacement. "Each Christmas season as a thank you to all my Christian friends I try to do something to acknowledge what a great country this is to live in and to acknowledge the tolerance and good will of the Christian community," Harris wrote in an e-mail to Bal Harbour officials. Harris sent the e-mail Dec.

5 -the first day of Hanukkah. Officials forwarded the e-mail to Cellini. "I couldn't believe it I was so excited but, by the same token, I thought it might be a prank," Cellini said. in Florida STUDENTS TREAT SENIORS TO CHRISTMAS OUTING: Area seniors were treated to an afternoon of music, treats and friendship Dec. 17 by students at St.

Ursula Villa. Preschool and kindergarten students of the Mount Lookout school serenaded the 16 guests from Sunrise Assisted Living Center with carols, while junior high school students engaged them with conversation and cookies. Rachel Richardson, The Enquirer Norwood Provided photo Preschoolers Lucy Fleming, Regan Long, Caroline Tollefsen, Sarah Contini, Connor Martin, Caroline Schoettmer and Kelsey Horst perform for guests from Sunrise Assisted Living Center on Dec. 17. ligion lines and do what's right," Cellini said.

She's had the Nativity scene for six years. All of the figurines were bolted to a platform. Now, because of the theft, she's erected a 4-foot Plexiglass wall around the Nativity scene and implanted a Global Positioning System chip in the new Baby Jesus so officials can track it if it's stolen. Kimball Perry, The Enquirer Provided photo Cincinnati attorney Jeff Harris, who is Jewish, read about a Baby Jesus stolen from a Florida Nativity scene and paid to have it replaced. Harris is a lawyer for the downtown law firm of Statman, Harris Eyrich.

Cellini, who is also a lawyer, looked up Harris and confirmed that he was a Cincinnati lawyer. She called him to accept his generous offer to buy the replacement Baby Jesus. Harris declined to say how much it cost. The figurine was made in Italy but Cellini was told by the company that it had one in Chicago. Harris called the company, bought it and had it shipped to Florida.

This is unbelievable. He's a complete stranger, has no con "We will continue to evaluate the most appropriate long-term location in Cincinnati over the next two to three years," said chief executive Claude Davis. The new parent company headquarters will be in the Cornerstone at Norwood complex at 4000 Smith Road. First Financial maintains "hub" operations there employing 75 associates. The new headquarters will house senior managers as well as key personnel from finance, legal, marketing, information technology, investment management, sales support and human resources.

Davis will maintain offices in NORWOOD OAKLEY First Financial moving headquarters to nection to south Florida," Cellini said. "He did this out of the goodness of his heart It's a beautiful gesture." Harris downplayed it. While he celebrates Hanukkah, Harris admits he "likes the Christmas spirit of giving." He was surprised, he said, when Cellini told him the Nativity scene actually was next to a Me-norah. "It just makes him so special because he's able to cross re Norwood as well as at High Street in downtown Hamilton, where 150 associates work. Officials stressed Butler County remains key to First Financial.

Roughly 540 associates work in Butler County, which is also the largest base of its $3 billion in assets. First Financial operates 83 bank branches throughout Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. The company's wealth-management services include First Financial Wealth Resource Group, First Financial Capital Advisors and First Financial Insurance. Alexander Coolidge, The Enquirer First Financial Bancorp recently announced it will move its headquarters to Norwood by early this year. The shift by the bank holding 'company will affect only a handful of employees since the subsidiary First Financial Bank will remain based in Hamilton.

The bank was founded in 1863 as the First National Bank of Hamilton. Officials said the move is designed to help the bank grow in metropolitan areas by helping attract and retain talent. They also indicated the company may move its headquarters again in the CHILDREN'S BOOK AUTHOR TO HOLD BOOK SIGNING IN OAKLEY: Bestselling children's book author Jon Scieszka will sign and discuss his latest book from 11 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Blue Manatee Children's Bookstore at 3054 Madison Road in Oakley. Scieszka author of The Stinky Cheese Man," "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" and the Time Warp Trio novels will sign "Smash! the inaugural release of his new series Trucktown.

The series is illustrated by David Shannon, David Gordon, and local illustrator Loren Long. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call 513-731-2(15. Rachel Richardson, The Enquirer GOP PICKS STITH FOR AUDITOR POST: The Norwood Republican Party's central committee has selected Jim Stith as the new city auditor. He will replace Donnie Jones, who resigned shortly after being re-elected.

In that same election, Stith narrowly failed in his bid to unseat Democrat Keith Moore for the 1st Ward Cily Council seat. The part-time auditor's position carries an annual salary of about $24,000. The Enquirer.