Monroe HS Senior Prom Set for April 30

Monroe High School's Senior Prom has been set for April 30th. The theme is "If Only for a Night." The event will take place from 8:00 PM - midnight at the Lake Lyndsay Lodge and tickets are on sale as of today. Tickets can be purchase from Ms. Black in Room E105 at the school or Ms. Gray in Room E201, or in the school's rotunda before and after school hours. Prices are as follows: $35.00 if tickets are purchased between March 25 and April 1, $40.00 if tickets are purchased between April 12 and April 23, and $45.00 if tickets are purchased between April 26 and April 29.

Students who purchase tickets must be juniors or seniors at Monroe High School. The dress code will be formal, meaning girls should wear dresses and boys coats and ties. Guests cannot be over the age of 20 and must be in at least ninth grade and guests from other schools must return a signed permission form. Students must arrive to the prom by 9:00 PM or their parents will be notified and will not be allowed to leave until the crowning ceremony, which begins at 11:00 PM, is over.

Your ticket includes hot and cold hors d'oeuvres, as well as soft drinks. Tickets and directions will be handed out in the Auditorium on the day of the prom at 11:01 AM. Students must be in school that day by 7:30 AM and stay until after the prom meeting that day. If students plan to leave early, they must return a form, granting them permission to leave early by April 28. No tickets will be sold after the 29th.

For more information, visit the Monroe High School Prom website.

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Dayton Shrinks While Cincinnati Grows

The U.S. Census Bureau released some preliminary estimated data on Tuesday and according to the Dayton Business Journal, Dayton's metro area is shrinking, losing 1.5 % of its population in 2009. Dayton's population dropped from 848,000 to 835,000, making it the 61st largest city in the United States (it was the 54th). The official information won't be released until December.

On the other hand, the Cincinnati-Middletown metro area, the largest metro area in Ohio, gained about 162,000 people since the last census was taken. Currently, it is the 24th largest metro area in the United States with a population of 2.1 million people. It was also the 24th in 2000, when the last Census was taken. Many experts believe that after the 2010 data is retrieved, the Cincinnati and Dayton areas will be joined together to form one large metro area.

In the rest of the state, Cleveland-Elyria-Mentor also lost rank. In 2000, it was the 23rd largest city and became the 26th in 2009. It's population dropped from 2.15 million to 2.1 million. Columbus, on the other hand, gained population over the last ten years, going from 1.6 million to 1.8 million people. However, it lost rank, moving from 31st to 32nd place.

In other nearby cities, things didn't change too much. Indianapolis, Indiana stayed at 34th place, but saw a rise in population: 1.5 to 1.7 million people. Louisville, Kentucky moved up from 43rd to 42nd largest metro area and saw an increase in population as well (1.16 to 1.26 million people).

New York - Northern New Jersey - Long Island is the largest metro area in the United States, with a population of 18.3 million, with Los Angeles - Long Beach - Santa Ana's 12.4 million coming in second and Chicago - Naperville - Joliet's 9.1 million coming in third place. For the complete list with more information, visit Buffalo Business First.

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Monroe's Lady Swarm Has a Great Season!

Monroe's third grade Lady Swarm won their post-season tournament, making them the 2010 Dayton Metro 3rd grade Tournament champions! They beat Middletown 22-2, Waynesville, 26-9, Madison 29-27, and Franklin 28-16.

In addition to winning the Tournament, the team went undefeated all year at 17-0, making them the League champions. They also won the pre-season Thanksgiving Day tournament at Kingdom, with a 3-1 record, making their total record for the entire year 22-1. The girls are coached by Suzanne and Gary Sloneker.

The team is pictured above. In the front row, you have Lauryn Dessauer, Shelby York, Ashlynn Yarletts, and Makenzi Moore. The back row features Head Coach Suzanne Sloneker, Averi Glick, Haley Brabant, Sophie Sloneker, Katie Sloneker, and Assistant Coach Gary Sloneker

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Monroe Students Get Excited About Reading

The students of Monroe Local Schools have all sorts of reasons to get excited about reading this spring. From author visits to book fairs, there is a lot going on in March and April!

On March 11-12, author Shelley Pearsall will meet with fifth and eighth grade students. The students are reading her book Trouble Don't Last before her visit. The book, which tells about an eleven-year-old's Underground Railroad journey, won the 2003 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction and is a 2009 Choose to Read Ohio Community Read selection. The author will talk about historical fiction writing and how she used primary source documents to write the book. Students will be allowed to create a character sketch of their own.

Later this month, on March 22-23, author Candace Fleming will visit the School System. She is the author of a number of chapter books, pictures, books, biographies, and historical fiction. Her latest book is The Great and Only Barnum: the Tremendous, Stupendous, Life of Showman P.T. Barnum.

March 9-11, the Scholastic Book Fair will be visiting Monroe Junior High. It will be open from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM each day, and parents, families, and members of the community are invited to attend. The theme is "Catch the Madness-Read a Book!" and on March 11, from 2:30 -6:30, Family Night will be held. Several local businesses have donated prizes, including Cincinnati Bell, MacDonald Insurance, Skilled Care Pharmacy, Kings Island, Danbarry Cinemas, Gold Star Chili, IGA Express, Wendy's, Eastern Bowling Lanes, AXA Equitable, and Kohl's.

Two Monroe Businessmen Open GreenSource Cincinnati

The Midwest building community is going green - that is if William "Ez" and Will Housh of Monroe Mechanical have anything to do with it. The father and son duo are hoping their new project, GreenSource Cincinnati, will do just that!
Over the last year, the Housh's have worked to restore and renovate a historic building in downtown Cincinnati. Located at 19 East 8th Street, the $1.5 million resource center will showcase green building products, services, and education. It is scheduled for a grand opening in about two weeks.
The building, which was built in 1875, was given a "green" makeover. They recycled the existing materials when possible, re-finishing wood floors, adding insulation, and installing new heating, plumbing and lighting.
"The center is registered for LEED Gold certification. LEED is the standard in the green building industry. Our goal is to be a resource center and to inspire the Midwest building community with energy efficient, sustainable technologies," Will House told Cincinnati.com.
In addition to consulting individual clients, the group will offer educational training at "green" events and seminars. They also plan to schedule regular events that will showcase energy efficient HVAC systems, electrical technologies, water reclamation systems, green roof systems, a green data center, and more. They hope to appeal to building professionals such as commercial builders, architects, designers, engineers, building owners, property managers, and other event attendees.
Right now, over 50 technology partners plan to display their products and services at GreenSource. They include: Schneider Electric, Lennox, Kohler, APC and Sun Windows. All technologies are installed, serviced, or distributed by Monroe Mechanical, which serves commercial clients or by their sister company HOUSH - The Home Energy Experts, which serves residential clients.
The grand opening for GreenSource Cincinnati will take place on March 18t from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Cincinnati Mayor, Mark Mallory and Cincinnati U.S. Green Building Council Vice Chairperson Susan Brownknight will both be in attendance. For more information or to register for the event, call 866-846-4733 or visit GreenSourceCincinnati.com.

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Butler County Activities for March

If you're tired of being stuck in the house, due to cold, snowy weather, never fear; Butler County has a list of fun events for the month of March that will get you and your family out of the house and out on the town to have a good time! Here is a look at some of them.

March 1st: Beginning March 1st and running through May 2nd, the LaComedia Dinner Theatre in Middletown will be performing "Phantom." Come out for a great performance plus a great buffet dinner!

March 3rd: If you're looking for a fun, educational activity for you and your children, West Chester Township will host "The Nature Basket Program" at the Station Road Schoolhouse. The storytime and nature-inspired craft is a great activity for preschool age children.

March 5th: If you're looking for an evening of great music, head out to the Fairfield Community Arts Center on March 5th. Larry Kinley will team up with a quartet for a concert. Kinley has performed with musical greats such as Tony Bennett and Nick Clooney. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for students and seniors.

March 6th: The Middletown Symphony Orchestra will be performing at the Finkelman Auditorium at Miami University at 8:00 PM. Selected performances will include: Samuel Barber's "School for Scandal Overture," Beethoven's "Symphony No. 2," and Brahm's "Double Concerto for Violin and Cello."

March 12th: For just $10 you can attend the Best of '09 Fest at Little Sonoma. The wine tasting event takes place on the 12th from 4:30 - 7:30 PM and the 13th from 3:00 - 6:00 PM. You'll have the opportunity to sample six winning wines from the 2009 Cincinnati Wine Festival. Cheese and crackers will also be available for purchase.

March 13th: Have fun, get fit, and give to a good cause at the 4th Annual Shamrock Shuffle in West Chester. The event will include a 5K, 10K, "Kegs & Eggs" breakfast at the DingleHouse Pub, and a block party. All proceeds go to The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty and the Union Centre Boulevard Merchant Association.

March 14th: If you like Celtic music and are looking for a way to celebrate St. Patrick's Day, the free concert from White Orchid at the Oxford Community Arts Center is for you! It starts at 3:00 PM and includes a variety of musical style from seven Celtic nations.

March 17th: For even more St. Patrick's Day fun, Miami University's Hamilton campus will be hosting a Taste of Ireland. Enjoy traditional Irish food and and a film of Irish culture. The event is free to attend!

March 20th: If you're little one is already anxiously awaiting the Easter Bunny, you can have lunch with him or her at the Michael J. Colligan Lodge in Hamilton on the 20th. The event will last from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM, and include lunch, crafts, a visit with the Easter Bunny himself, as well other entertainment and a 4x6 photo to take home. Cost is $14.

March 27th: Country music fans can enjoy this two-hour concert by Hal Ketchum and the Quebe Sisters Band, beginning at 7:30 PM. The event takes place at Miami University Hamilton. Tickets are $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and staff, and just $15 for students and children under twelve.

To find out more about these events or find out what else Butler County has in store for March, visit Butler County March Events

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March Activities at the Monroe Lending Library

If you're looking for something fun to do in March, the Monroe Lending Library has lots of great activities!

For children:

-Saturday, March 13th at 11:00 AM: Storytime and Craft. The book will be Day of the Wind and the craft will be a gyroscope.

-Saturday, March 20th at 11:00 AM: Storytime. The book will be Little Red Riding Hood.

For Adults:

-Wednesday, March 17th at 7:00 PM Book Review. The book will be South of Broad by Pat Conroy

-Monday, March 22nd at 7:00 PM Needlecraft Group. Finish projects you started before Christmas or start something new!

Quarter Auction:

The Monroe Lending Library Quarter Auction is on March 5th, at the Mount Pleasant Activity Building. The auction is from 7:00 - 9:00 PM with a preview at 6:00 PM. Reserve a seat and a special bidding paddle number, contact Judy Mann at 513-539-2158 (home) 513-594-4845 (cell) or judyandlarry@yahoo.com by March 2nd. All proceeds go to the Library Building and Operating Fund.

The auction will include items from Vera Bradley, Just Jewelry, Tastefully Simple, Southern Comfort, Tupperware, Dove Chocolates, Sumner’s Sweets, Celebrating Home, Bare Paws Animal Stuffing, Pampered Chef, Elegant Expressions, Wildtree Products and Two Men and Their Tools.

The Monroe Lending Library is open:
- Monday from 3:00 - 8:00 PM
- Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM & 2:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Thursday from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
- Saturday from 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM

The library is located at 231 Macready, behind Monroe Primary School. You can find out more by calling 513-360-0714.

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