Above: volunteers Bob Wieneke, Dottie Wieneke, Shirley Smith and Sharyn Edelen. Below: Clockwise from left: Volunteer Pearl Danbury. The Treasure Barn is located on Seminary Drive next to the Children's Village Day Care.

Co-chairs Dottie Wieneke and Shirley Smith, along with a dedicated group of volunteers, help play matchmaker to items collected over a lifetime and new owners who give them a new home.

The Treasure Barn houses many beautiful decorative items, as well as furniture, art, and much more.

The Monroe Police Department will conduct several free bike rodeos throughout the area to help educate the community about bicycle safety. Officer Kahny will discuss ways to stay safe while riding, and participants will have an opportunity to try out their skills on a mini obstacle course.

For more information, please contact Officer Brett Kahny with the Monroe Police Department at 539-9234. 

Bike Rodeos will be held in the following locations: 

July 25th

July 1st

submitted by Mark Bursley

Monroe's "Light Up the Sky" Fourth of July Festival will end in a bang with fireworks displays on July 4th at Monroe Community Park.

 Fireworks will begin at dark, with gates opening at noon on Saturday. Events are planned for the whole day, including a parade, rides and games for the kids. The schedule for the 4th of July events and games is listed below. A schedule and more information is available on page 12. 

12:00 Little Miss/Mr. Red, White and Blue

1:00 Sack Races

2:00 Best Apple Pie Judging

2:30 Hot Dog Eating Contest

4:00 Watermelon Toss

submitted by Jane Majors

The Monroe Historical Society will meet on Thursday, July 30 at 6:00 pm. in the Activity Building at Mt. Pleasant Retirement Village. This will be a carry-in-dinner. Meat, beverage and rolls will be provided. Members and guest are asked to bring a vegetable, salad or dessert to share and your own table service. Business meeting will follow dinner. The program, following the meeting will be presented by Mr. Gary Kersey. Mr. Kersey's topic will be" Lincoln visits General Hooker's Army." Guests are welcome. Any questions contact Norm Hayes, 432-6363 or Jane Majors, 539-7109.

submitted by Amie Earls

To Fellow Monroe Moms,

 I would like to invite you to join Moms Supporting Monroe, a group formed to represent Monroe Moms who are in support of the levy. 

 In November, citizens of Monroe will go to the polls to vote on a levy that will impact our community, our schools and our children.  It is imperative for the voters to understand that they will not be paying any additional tax dollars with the passage of this levy.  As the mothers of Monroe students, I feel that we are the ones with the most at stake and that our voices are strong and deserve to be heard.

submitted by Peggy Abernathy

Join us at the Lending Library for our summer reading/art program, introducing children to artists: Dale Chihuly, Jackson Pollack, Louise Nevelson and Cincinnati's own Charley Harper!

Four Week Program: July 11, 18, 25 and August 1. Open to the community on Saturday mornings at 11 a.m. Art projects the children will be working on are Dale Chihuly plastic glass sculpture, Jackson Pollack Rock Splatter Paint, Louise Nevelson junk art and Charley Harper wildlife.

Register your children today for this fun and exciting summer program. Registration forms can be picked up at the Monroe Lending Library or visiting our Website www.monroelibrary.net.

Join us for our Art Show, Saturday, August 1st. We will display all of the art pieces created, hand out prizes for best of show and celebrate with a picnic party!

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company (CSC) returns to the Community Park this summer with their performance of Romeo and Juliet. The production will be directed by CSC Artistic Associate Christopher Guthrie in a very contemporary urban setting using Shakespeare's original text.  

Last year's Midsummer Night's Dream was a hit with even the youngest audience members. CSC presents Shakespeare in  a way that is fun and exciting for those new to Shakespeare as well as seasoned fans. Romeo and Juliet's story of teenage romance and explosive family feuds is perfect for an outdoor setting and a great way for the whole family to enjoy Shakespeare together. 

The Red Stockings Baseball Team (of 1869) will be coming to Monroe to take on the Monroe's Golden Lads as part of Log Cabin Days in the Park on August 8 at 1:00. 

Players are still needed for Monroe's team. If you are interested in playing, please call Tracy Shell (email) at 600-0366 or Gene Williams at 539-9581 (email) to sign up. More information about the Red Stockings at www.1869reds.com.

submitted by Steven Urso

On June 18 SunCoke Energy announced they would like a New Source Review permit issued for construction by September 1, 2009.  SunCoke has obtained emission credits for the new proposed SunCoke facility on Yankee Road.  There is a question as to whether SunCoke is eligible for the New Source Permit since one of the requirements for the new permit is that they need their other facilities to be environmentally compliant.  SunCoke was issued a notice of violation in April of 2009 at their Haverhill, Ohio facility.  SunCoke has not submitted a complete application to Hamilton County Department of Environmental Services and SunCoke has failed to provide any information on their offsets for the SunCoke facility in Middletown, Ohio.  

submitted by Cinda Pelfrey

The Fighting Hornet Band Department is looking ahead to making two major purchases. We are in need of new uniforms and repairs/repainting for the band trailer. Our uniforms are over 10 years old and are showing the wear and tear that is no longer repairable. The trailer is essential for transporting instruments and supplies to football games, parades and competitions. As you can guess, these projects are a very large expense, especially for a small school with a limited budget.

We are seeking sponsors to help us with our goals. New uniforms cost approximately $400 each and the trailer repairs/repainting is a little over $3500. In order to meet these needs we need to raise $23,500. We are offering to our sponsors numerous advertising options for their support.