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THE CINCINMTI ENQUIRER CINCINNAT1.COM nW4l mui FINAL NEWS $1.50 RONALD WILSON REAGAN: 1911-2004 Reagan as president, as politician and as personality. A3-5 Greater Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky remember 'The A12 FIVE PAGES OF COVERAGE INSIDE An editorial assessment, and a farewell cartoon by Jim Borgman. A13 MOURNING IN AMERICA 40th U.S. president left legacy as model of courage IN HIS WORDS By Cindi Andrews The Cincinnati Enquirer and Terence Hunt The Associated Press Ronald Reagan, the president who battled Communism and big government while leading the nation with a genial optimism, died Saturday at age 93. A native Midwest-erner, Reagan had close ties to Greater Cincinnati, which was an early and steadfast political stronghold for him.

"If we get the federal government out of the classroom, maybe we'll get God back in." (Washingtonian magazine, July 1976) "Honey, I forgot to duck." (To his wife, Nancy, after being shot outside the Washington Hilton Hotel, March 30, 1981) HHBHi JfHlf HB RSi Arrangements President Reagan's body is expected to lie in repose at the Reagan library in Simi Valley, before being flown to Washington to lie in state at the Capitol. After the state funeral at the National Cathedral, Reagan is expected to make his last journey home to be buried at sunset on the grounds of his hilltop library. GO ONLINE: Go to Cincinnati. Com for updates and to post your thoughts about the life and death of Ronald Reagan. "These are the boys of Pointe du Hoc.

These are the men who took the cliffs. These are the champions who helped free a continent. These are the heroes who helped end a war." (40th anniversary of the Normandy invasion D-Day ceremony, June 6, 1984) "And let me add, in the party of Lincoln, there is no room for intolerance and not even a small corner for anti-Semitism or bigotry of any kind. Many people are welcome in our house, but not the bigots." (Acceptance speech, Republican National Convention, Aug. 23, 1984) "We all mourn the loss of an extraordinary leader who revived our spirits and restored our self-confidence as a nation," said Ohio Gov.

Bob Taft, an active supporter of Reagan's campaigns here. "It's an opportunity for us all to be grateful for his leadership that came at a very important time." Nancy Reagan, along with children Ron and Patti Davis, were at the couple's Los Angeles home when Reagan died at 4 p.m. EDT of pneumonia complicated by Alzheimer's disease, said Joanne Drake, who represents the family. Son Michael arrived a short time later, she said. White House spokeswoman Claire Buchan said President Bush, in Paris, was notified of Reagan's death about 4:10 p.m.

EDT. The U.S. flag over the White House was lowered to half staff within an hour. Reagan's body was to be taken to his presidential library and museum in Simi Valley, and then flown to Washington to lie in state in the Capitol Rotunda. His funeral will be at the National Cathedral, an event likely to draw world leaders.

The body was to be returned to California for a sunset burial at his library. Bush planned to participate in D-Day ceremonies in Normandy today Sunday and then fly back to the United States for an international economic summit in Georgia. It was unclear whether Bush would change his travel plans because of Reagan's death. Five years after leaving office, the nation's 40th president told the world in November 1994 that he had been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer's, an incurable illness that destroys brain cells. He said he had begun "the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life." Reagan lived longer than any U.S.

president, spending his last decade in the shrouded seclusion wrought by his disease, tended by his wife, Nancy, whom he called Mommy, and the select few closest to him. Now, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton are the surviving "Four years ago we raised a banner of bold colors no pale pastels. We proclaimed a dream of an America that would be a shining city on a hill." (Acceptance speech, Republican National Convention, Aug. 23, 1984) Although fiercely protective of Reagan's privacy, the former first lady let people know his mental condition had deteriorated terribly.

Last month, she said: "Ronnie's long journey has finally taken him to a distant place where I can no longer reach him." Reagan's oldest daughter, Maureen, from his first marriage, died in August 2001 at age 60 from cancer. Three other children survive: Michael, from his first marriage, and Patti Davis and Ron from his second. Reagan, whose appeal to blue-collar "Reagan Democrats" as well as traditional Republicans gave him powerful appeal locally and across Ohio, visited Greater Cincinnati three times during his 1980 campaign. "He was very popular here in Ohio," said Eugene Ruehlmann, former Cincinnati mayor. Reagan's local stops ranged from Lebanon's Golden Lamb Inn to Procter Gamble's Ivorydale plant.

On one visit, he ate LaRosa's pizza; twice he called Pete Rose to congratulate him on hitting milestones. "The most impressive thing about him was his constant air of optimism about the world and about the United States," said William J. Keating, former congress- "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" (Brandenburg Gate, West Berlin, June 12, 1987) "I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life. I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead." (From his letter to the American people about his Alzheimer's disease, Nov.

5, 1994) The Associated Press Former President Ronald Reagan died Saturday at age 93 after a years-long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. In this 1997 photo, he bid farewell to a crowd of admirers as he wrapped up a visit to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, Calif. See REAGAN, Page A5 WEATHER INDEX 10 sections, 164th year, No. 58 Lotteries C2 Movies D5 Obituaries C5 Sports Bl TV TV Week Abby D9 Business Fl Editorials E2 Forum El Kids' Corner C6 Up Front Could be another Vin-win situation Vin Diesel, the former bouncer who set Hollywood on its ear, is running for daylight in the sequel to Pitch Black. Today, he shares his lighter side.

USA WEEKEND Smarty Jones fails in Triple Crown bid Smarty Jones lost his Triple Crown bid and his perfect record when Bird-stone ran him down near the finish of Saturday's Belmont Stakes, ruining Smarty's chance to end a record 26-year drought without a winner of thoroughbred racing's most coveted prize. SPORTS Bl EDITOR'S NOTE Today's Forum section, which quotes Nancy Reagan, was printed before the death of her husband.v A story on the Freedom Center, scheduled for today, will run at a later date. COMING MONDAY Scene and herd: We look back at a wide-open range of highlights from the four-day Country Stampede music festival. TEMPO Must reads inside today's Enquirer Sunday extras TEMPO A two-page guide to the best bets in summer tests. TV WEEK Fox's new Jury has appeal.

TRAVEL Honolulu's a lulu in its reach beyond the beach. TASTE All we are saying is give peas a chance. Classified Gl-16, Hl-24, 11-14 First Run Classified B14-B15 Copyright, 2004, The Cincinnati Enquirer High 81 Low 62 A mix of sun and clouds. COMPLETE FORECAST: C6 Portions ol todap's I "ii, ere pnnled OT recycled peor The Associated PressMARK IENNIHAN Blrdstone (left), with Edgar Prado aboard, passes Smarty Jones, with Stewart Elliott up, just before winning Saturday's Belmont Stakes. 0101" llll40901ll2.