The Cincinnati Enquirer from Cincinnati, Ohio • Page 24

SECTION I 1 -s f- INSIDE New location works for Taste of Cincinnati. B3 Editor: Julie Engebrecht, jengebrechtenquirer.com, SUNDAY, MAY 25, e008 UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS mm i r. wm 7 a.m. Noon 74 7 p.m. 79 (0 i Aft.

Our seven-day forecast on B8. Go to Cuicinnati.Com for up-to-the-minute weather. video Watch Ohio Patriot Guard and Rolling Thunder Chapter 9 from West Chester visit the grave site Saturday of Marine Lance Cpl. Taylor in Prazynski at Arlington National Cemetery. Pra-zynski, a Fairfield Marine, was killed in Iraq May 9, 2005, in Anbar Province.

Go to to see the video. Search: Prazynski The EnquirerCara Owsley A 1 INF WFINFR Madeline "Maddie" Weiner (center), 14, and her classmates in i i. ii i ii Leah 0achs (eft) and Meghan Kennedy, put together an airplane to test aspects of flight in their eighth-grade science class at Turkey Foot Middle School. ALL READY TO SPELL YMCA Free water-safety lessons offered for kids The YMCA of Greater Cincinnati will offer free water-safety lessons for kids ages 5 to 11 and their parents at these branches: Campbell County, R.C. Durr, Blue Ash and M.L Lyons v.

(Tuesday-Friday); Clermont County, Gamble-Nippert and Powel Cros-ley (June 2-5). The Splash! program focuses on backyard and community pool, boating and V- Judaic Studies head fights charge By Cliff Peale cpealeenquirer.com The University of Cincinnati is attempting to fire Mark Raider, the head of its Judaic Studies Department after charging him with improperly billing the university for more than $11,000 in personal expenses. But Raider, in a complaint filed Friday with the Ohio Employment Relations Board, says he was fired in retaliation for objecting to his boss's "overly harsh and incorrect handling" of a colleague's application for tenure. UC removed Raider from his department-head position and as co-director of the Center for Studies in Jewish Education in a letter May 6. Valerie Hardcastle, dean of the McMicken College of Arts Sciences, told Raider that because a university audit of his expense reports found some to be improper she proposes firing him from his teaching assignment She said he would remain as a faculty member "pending the outcome of the dismissal process." Hardcastle said some of the expenses were "inappropriate, abusive and violate university policies." This constitutes serious professional misconduct and gross neglect of professional responsibilities, and adequate cause for dismissal," Hardcastle wrote.

The most prominent example cited by UC concerned a monthlong trip to Santa Barbara, by Raider, his wife and two children last July. He called it a "working vacation" during which he worked on an academic article and a grant proposal, and submitted plane fare and other expenses. "While Dr. Raider may have been finishing a book project and working on a grant it is unclear why this necessitated traveling to Santa Barbara, the report said. "Since family members accompanied Dr.

Raider and his father lives in California, this would appear to be a personal rather than a business trip." Raider responded that he believed a $15,000 account negotiated when he joined UC, could be used for family travel at his discretion. But the university said the account was for "research support and professional travel." Raider has hired a lawyer and requested mediation under the terms of UC's contract with the American Association of University Professors. If mediation is unsuccessful, he can file a grievance and request a hearing. Hardcastle declined to comment on the case, and Mitchell McCrate, UC's interim general counsel, declined to provide details. "We want this process to be fair for all the parties, so we're not going to comment" McCrate said.

In his complaint to the Ohio Employment Relations Board, Raider said Hardcastle was using the expenses as a pretext to retaliate against him after he complained about the way she handled a tenure application. Enquirer tile head) safety. Jo get them comfortable around water, children will receive introductory swim lessons taught by YMCA-certified instructors. Reservations are required. Call the branch or 513-362-9622.

John Johnston COVINGTON Preparation differs for two finalists By Tony Lang tlangenquirer.com How do you spell "lexicologically precocious?" Try spelling it "Anna Cusi De-lamerced" and "Madeline 'Mad-die' Weiner." They're the two kv cal eighth-grade students who bested 300 students from 24 counties to win rights to represent Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky in this week's Scripps National Spelling Bee. The top speller wins more than $37,500 when the televised bee concludes Friday in Washington, D.C. Anna, 13, from Summit Country Day School in Hyde Park, and Maddie, 14, from Turkey Foot Middle School, in Edge-wood, are so good at spelling obscure words that they didn't even cram for the regional bee sponsored by WCPO-TV in March. But they differ sharply in how they're prepping for the national contest Since March, Anna has been plowing through the dictionary, page by page, trying to master 480,000 words. Teachers and parents periodically fire 50ent words at her to keep her sharp.

And sharp she is: Anna didn't even learn English until kindergarten because her parents, both physicians, spoke mostly Philippine Tagalog at home. Last year, she won the Ohio 3d Roeblingfest celebrates historic bridge Kentucky will celebrate the historic John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge between Covington and Cincinnati with Roeblingfest 2008 from noon to 4 p.m. on June 8. Festivities will be based at the foot of the bridge in Covington and will feature period dancing, singing and costumes, plus food and beverages.

Sponsored by the Covington-Cincinnati Suspension Bridge Committee, which funds decorative lights and the flags on the bridge, the event will offer tours of the bridge, riverfront mural and nearby historic statues, including a tour of Daniel Beard House. Tour tickets are $2, or $5 for families. 513-561-1661 or visit www.roeblingbridge.com Margaret McGurk The EnquirerAmanda Davidson ANNA DELAMERCED "SSSSriv no, 12, in their Hyde Park home. Anna is representing Southwest Ohio in the National Spelling Bee. Inside Biography of competitors, schedule of events.

B4 competition. She also plays piano and clarinet, and has been studying Latin the past two years. She's so shy she didn't even want her family and friends to watch her at the regional bee. They've promised to sit in the back row at the national contest ALLEN HOWARD'S GOOD NEIGHBOR State girls chess championship and competed in a weeklong national tournament in New Jersey. She's a state finalist in the 2008 Power of the Pen writing See UC, Page B4 See SPELLING, Page B4 Thirty-nine years ago, Bonnie Roberts realized being a BLUE ASH "switchboard operator required special skills.

She knew she was the first contact for the public at the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, which operates Head Start, job training and emergency hous- ing assistance. As a switchboard operator, her One very lucky pilot 14 -yi -v 1 Aviator unhurt after crash The pilot walked away unharmed from a crash landing at the Blue Ash Airport on Saturday. Boris Mikhaylenko, 58, of Mason, got caught in electrical wires. Roberts job was to direct people to assistance. "God gave me a gift to listen and communicate," said Roberts of Silverton.

She plans to retire Friday. "Aside from about 35 years of housework I have to do, it is off to the Carolinas for me," said the widowed mother of four. To nominate a Good Neighbor, contact Allen at 513-768-8362 or e-mail ahowardenquirer.com By Carrie Whitaker cwhilakerenquirer.com Boris Mikhaylenko should have bought a lottery ticket on Saturday. That was one comment by an official after the 58-year-old Mason resident defied the odds and walked away from a crash that left his plane crumpled on a hillside at the Blue Ash Airport One look at the plane and it's hard to believe he walked Trooper Mike Steele said of the wires. That's when Steele made the comment about Mikhaylenko buying a lottery ticket Mikhaylenko is a student at Blue Ash Aviation, which offers flight training, plane rental and plane repair, manager Bill Christian said.

ff away without any medical attention. According to Blue Ash Airport Manager Fred Anderton, the pilot made an emergency landing and, instead of hitting the runway, got caught up in electrical wires and crashed short of the runway, barely clearing Plain-field Road. They were hot the bad stuff," State Highway Patrol An edition of The Cincinnati Enquirer The Enquirer Amanda Davidson See CRASH, Page B4 I i'ss.