Off the Hook Archive  Home

Off the Hook - Archive 2009
by Melanie Behrens

12/18/09
Christmas is near
  In just a week we will be celebrating Christmas. I am sharing with you today some thoughtful notes from my friends. The first deals with 
a carol we all learned as children.
___
  There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and 
especially, a partridge which won’t come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
 From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this 
carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: The surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of the Catholic church. Each element in 
the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ. Two 
turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love. Four calling birds were the four gospels of 
Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament. Six geese a-laying stood for the six days of 
creation. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit — prophesy, serving, teaching, exhortation, 
contribution, leadership, and mercy. Eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the 
Holy Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.
Ten lords a-leaping were the 10 commandments. Eleven pipers piping stood for the 11 faithful disciples. Twelve drummers drumming 
symbolized the 12 points of belief in the Apostles’ Creed.
So there is your trivia lesson for today. You never know when this will come in handy!
___
Another friend sent this to me recently and now I share it with you. In keeping with the Christmas holiday, here are some thoughts for 
life, hopefully inspired by the “Reason for the Season.”
Letter from Jesus about Christmas:
It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking my name out of the season. Maybe you’ve forgotten that I 
wasn’t actually born during this time of the year. It was some of your predecessors who decided to celebrate my birthday on what was 
actually a time of pagan festival, although I do appreciate being remembered anytime.
How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children 
of your own. I don’t care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate my birth, just get along and love one another.
Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all 
trees. You can remember me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish. I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, 
explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1-8.
If you want to give me a present in remembrance of my birth, here is my wish list — choose something from it:
1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way my birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to 
soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell me all the time.
2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don’t have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.
3. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can’t afford and they don’t need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of my 
birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.
4. Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.
5. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since 
you don’t know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.
6. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary — especially one who takes my love and good news to those who have 
never heard my name.
7. Here’s a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no “Christmas” tree, but neither 
will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don’t know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation 
Army or some other charity which believes in me and they will make the delivery for you.
8. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to me, then behave like a Christian. Let people know by your 
actions that you are one of mine.
Don’t forget: I am God and can take care of myself. Just love me and do what I have told you to do. I’ll take care of all the rest. Check 
out the list above and get to work; time is short. I’ll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love, and remember, I love you.
Jesus
Merry Christmas to all of you.

12/11/09
A soldier’s Christmas story
She was only 14 years old in 1968 and that’s the year that Nancy Fisher Thomas’s brother, David, died in Vietnam. At the recent Veteran’s Day ceremony in Marysville, she was asked to tell her story. Here’s how it went.
Nancy had three brothers, Walter, Joe and David. She was the youngest and only daughter. David had enlisted in the Army and was stationed 
in Vietnam. It was September of 1968 and when he was asked in a letter (the only way in those days) what he would like for Christmas, he simply said, a small Christmas tree that he could take to a village nearby that had a lot of children.
Of course, they wouldn’t have a Christmas tree. Nancy said there weren’t any available in September in those days, so her parents ordered one through Lazarus. It arrived in October. She and her mother were very excited to head to downtown Columbus to pick up the tree. It was all boxed up and ready to go, so they took it to the post office to send it off to her brother, so he could do a good deed in Vietnam.
That was Saturday, Oct. 26, 1968, and that evening they received the devastating news. David, only 21, had been killed four days earlier, Oct. 22, and they were just learning of it. Even though that was 41 years ago, Nancy can remember every minute of that terrible time for her family, which included David’s wife, Janet.
The thought of the Christmas tree may have just gone out of their minds at this sad time, but many weeks later here came the tree, back in the mail, unopened. What could they do with that tree that had meant so much to their son, brother and husband? How would they remember him with this story?
The answer was easy — it became the Christmas tree of her parents, Herb and Ruby Fisher (now deceased). For many years it was the only tree decorated and enjoyed in their home.
Sometime later, as their lives changed, Nancy became custodian of the tree. She is a sixth grade teacher in the Fairbanks School system and this tree became part of her classroom. Her students would make their own ornaments for it every year and she would tell the story of her brother and how he hoped to share this tree with children in Vietnam. Now they were the ones who would benefit from his kindness.
Nancy said: “I believe God put that on David’s heart to ask for that tree — the tree that was never given any water, didn’t have any roots, and never grew any taller, but actually brought smiles to hundreds of children.”
“I think one lesson to be learned from this story is that there’s a lot more to the military than battles, guns, and bloodshed. Acts of kindness are done each and everyday by America’s servicemen and women, acts that they themselves may never be aware of. In the eyes of my teenage self, these are some things that my brother loved. He loved a nice car (both driving it or being underneath it), a clean car (he’d pay me a quarter to do that) and a straight ironed crease in his pants (he paid me a quarter for that, too.)”
“He also loved his mother-in-law’s (Frieda Nicol) pecan pie, a good hunting day, his friends and family and being a soldier.”

12/4/09
 Forty years ago in Marysville
It was 1969. I remember most of it like it was yesterday. My husband of less than two years and I were moving to his hometown — Marysville.
Of course, I had been there many times, but we were now going to make our home there. We were coming from Columbus where my family and many of our friends were, so it didn’t seem like such a big move. But it was. Moving to Marysville for me was like entering a different world, one where I felt sometimes like I didn’t belong.
Marysville, 40 years ago seemed to me like a closed society for the most part. Certainly not like it is today. At that time, if you didn’t grow up in the area, the natives were distant or so it appeared to me. They didn’t know me and I didn’t know many of them.
It was difficult to develop friends. One exception to that was Jody Streng. She was our neighbor and soon a good friend — she was a lifesaver. Her husband, Don, worked at the Journal-Tribune and my husband had known them most of his life.
As is common in these situations, Dan went to work where he had plenty to do and knew many of the people in the town of about 5,000. (That number is now about 17,000.) He knew his way around town and I began to learn.
Soon it became apparent to me that tree streets went one way and number streets the opposite. We lived on Collins Ave. at the edge of town and I only got lost a few times. Dan thought that was really funny. As he and I became involved in the community, I met many people, but most already had their busy lives set.
Shopping in downtown Marysville was quite different then. Most stores closed on Wednesday afternoon. There were two shoe stores, Hecker's (Bill Hecker now works at the deli at Kroger) and Hayes and Gray; a men’s clothing store, Otte’s; and a small department store, Weiss brothers. There were two drugstores, Shields on the square and Orahood and McCarthy on S. Main St. with a soda fountain and nickel coffee.
In the early 1970s women dressed quite differently and pants were just coming into popularity for anything other than casual wear. Dresses were still the norm to be worn for any sort of occasion and there were two dress shops in downtown Marysville, Freida’s (near the movie theater) and Alice’s located at the site of the Elks Lodge at the corner of E. Fifth and Plum Sts.
There was also a children’s store, Tot and Teen, on N. Main St. This was a regular stop for me since Dan and I had our first son, Mike, about six months after moving to town. I remember most of the clothes were stored in boxes and after seeing a sample on display, the customer had to ask to see a specific size or color of the Buster Brown clothes for small children.
If you wanted to go out for a very nice dinner in this area the place was Timber Trails Country Club on Rt. 38, which is now the Marysville golf course. If you enter it today you would never believe this was a lovely dining room with white tablecloths and good food. I miss that place, which has been gone as a nice restaurant for about 20 years.
It seems hard to imagine a world without fast food restaurants, which dot the town now in several locations. In 1969, the popular spot downtown was the Lamplighter Restaurant located where Adecco is — just off the corner of Fourth and Main Sts. It was great home cooking at a decent price, run by the Rockenbaugh family including Catherine’s mother, Sarah Roosa, who baked wonderful pies daily.
Even though this good restaurant was located right next to the Journal-Tribune, Dan came home for lunch every day. His father had done the same. I guess that was the custom of many Marysville business people. I thought it was great because now I had a little baby I was home with all day and was grateful for the short time I could hand him over to someone else.
I don’t know when all that ended (maybe because we had a second child, Kevin) but Dan’s schedule certainly filled up as managing editor of the Journal-Tribune, only allowing for a quick bowl of soup downtown.
It’s hard to believe I am becoming a senior member of this community, but this is the beginning of my memories of Marysville which will continue in the future.

11/27/09
The Geer family — a commitment to excellence
Mark and Linda Geer have known each other for a long time. In fact, they were sweethearts while students at Fairbanks High School, and later
married and had two children, Marcus and Margo.
The children’s claim to fame has been that of two champion swimmers and their parents couldn’t be prouder. Marcus is at Denison University in his senior year on the swim team and is applying to medical school. Margo is a world class swimmer and only a senior in high school at
Fairbanks. Both have achieved their status because of the commitment their parents have made to excellence and to helping their children
achieve their potential.
Margo has just returned from the World Cup Tournament in Stockholm and Berlin as a representative of the U.S. on the Junior World Cup swimming team. No one on this team can be over 18 years old. Others from the U.S. going head to head with the students included Michael Phelps plus other members of the Olympic team.
If these professional swimmers break a record (Peter Marshall did) they can earn as much as $10,000. Of course, college and high school swimmers are not eligible for these awards. Incidentally, Michael Phelps was a big help to the young junior members of the U.S. team. He gave
inspirational speeches and practiced with them, encouraging everyone.
Margo swam in five events (against older swimmers from countries like France, Italy and Japan) and her highest place was 15th, but it must be
quickly noted that she was, in some places, only 1/100 of a second off making the finals. Her training to help knock off that 100th of a second
in the future includes swimming with buckets attached to a bungee cord and swimming also with weights on her body. This is a daily training
routine that she has been dedicated to. In the last year she has only taken one week off.
Mark says that the small split second can come off her time when everything just falls into place at once! He is a coach at Mechanicsburg
High School and Margo’s mother, Linda, also coaches there. Margo has come from an athletic family and the understanding that her parents have of student athletes surely must benefit her. Mark said the most important thing to keep an athlete from being burned out is to change
the routine and Margo does that, plus travels a lot, competing in meets all over the country and of course on the world scene. That includes
just returning from Stockholm and Berlin and previously Australia. She’ll be out west next year since she has signed to swim for the
University of Arizona in Tucson.
Margo said she loved Stockholm even though it was dark at 3 p.m. every day. The climate was more temperate and at this time of year there was no snow. The people were friendly and most spoke English. Berlin was also great and she was able to squeeze in a tour to see the remnants of
the Berlin Wall. The city didn’t quite have the warmth of Sweden.
Mark and Linda have traveled with Margo for most of her competition and they turned to each other last week and said, “Can you believe we are in Berlin?” It was a last minute plan since Mark coaches football at Mechanicsburg. He had to wait to see if his team made the playoffs. It
didn’t, so when that happened the Geers made speedy plans to head to Berlin for four days and watch Margo swim.
She is a young woman of few words and much humility, maintaining a 4.0 at Fairbanks in spite of her travel and practice schedule. Her dad said
she swam last Sunday in a meet at Cleveland State and broke the pool record, then preceded to calmly just get out and grab her towel to move
on to the next event. Her mom and dad have cautioned her to keep everything low key and in perspective and that’s what she does. All the
hard work has started to pay off for her, and her parents are sure she has learned from her older brother, Marcus. He’s extremely analytical,
so he watches her swim, makes suggestions and has set a good example at training hard, which Margo follows.
The Geer children have benefited from all the hard work of their parents, both teachers, who are lucky enough to be able to take some
time away from their jobs and follow their children in what are actually short competition years. The Geers believe that even though it seems
there’s so much ahead, it will go quickly. They don’t want to miss a minute of it, including all home meets for Marcus at Denison.
They say it’s been the ride of a lifetime and that time will be gone too soon and become great memories.
(Melanie Behrens - melb@imetweb.net) 

11/20/09
The Irish meet the Irish
For him it was a trip long planned, one he had hoped to take with his father. But his father, Paul Cotter, passed away too soon. So, Bob 
Cotter and his sons, Bobby and Kevin, plus Bob’s brother Pat and his sons, Sean and Patrick, went to Ireland to see their ancestor’s home.
Bob Cotter grew up in Worthington and was able to know his grandfather Maurice Murphy Cotter, who was born in Ireland in 1879 
and died at the age of 86. Bob heard stories from him of beautiful Rathcormack, Ireland, the place where Maurice grew up. He was the 
youngest of 13 children who lived in a tiny home surrounded by farmland. At age 20, he left the homeland to come to Columbus, Ohio, 
where his 40-year-old brother lived.
But, as Bob said, “In those days, which would be about 1900, if you were Irish you worked on the railroad” and that took his grandfather 
to Galion, Ohio. There, Maurice married and eventually made his way back to the Worthington area, where his children grew up. One of them 
was Bob’s father, Paul.
Finally this trip came to fruition and the Cotters went back to visit the home that Maurice talked about so much. Just being in Ireland had 
to be great for them as Irish as the Cotter family is (never missing a St. Patrick’s Day parade in downtown Columbus).
Every picture I saw of their trip involved beautiful, lush, green grass and for good reason since Bob said it rained every day. This 
time of the year the weather is usually in the 50s and wet, but its stays temperate and never snows in southern Ireland where his family 
came from.
The trip covered towns like Kilarny, Kilbush, Blarney, and Cork, certainly places many have heard of when talking about Ireland. There 
are beautiful cliffs which drop off 150 feet down to the sea, and large hills surrounded by green pastures.
There was also a round of golf with a caddie who kept calling them “lads” (there was sleet pelting them and no golf carts), and even a 
tour of the home of Guinness Beer.
Their trip was sort of on the “freelance” side. That is to say, they had no reservations and had decided to just play it by ear and see 
where the day would take them. Their stays were mostly in very quaint bed and breakfasts, all which included their own bathroom. This 
surprised me, because in pictures, Irish towns look old and Bob said he didn’t see any new construction.
Then there was the semi-screw up.
It seems the six men had traveled to the town of Dublin by mass transportation, being a DART train. Up to this point, they had a 
large SUV-type vehicle that they were driving around. Dublin looked like too much traffic for them, thus the train travel.
It was a wonderful day of touring cathedrals (and I believe a few pubs) in Dublin. After dinner the guys realized that they had missed 
the last train back to Malehide, where they had been staying. So, they started looking for a place to sleep and their best bet turned 
out to be a hostel.
That included a small 10x12 room with three bunk beds — one little metal bed for each person — and a very tiny bathroom. The cost was 18 
Euros per person, which is I believe about $30 each. Then there was the rental of towels and soap, and the purchase (not rental) of 
toilet paper. This was not a cheap night and the accommodations were meager, to say the least. In the morning they put on their same 
clothes and had a quick breakfast, then got on the first train out of town with quite a night to talk about.
Of course, the highlight of the whole tour was when the family descended on the home in the area of Glannagoal, near Rathcormack, 
where Maurice Cotter grew up in the late 1800s. It had been built of the typical light gray stone, the same type of construction as many 
buildings in Ireland. Over the years the stone had been covered with stucco.
The home remained in the family until just a few years ago. Now it sits vacant, so the Cotters made their way in to look around at the 
small five-room home (one tiny bath) which at one time housed a husband and wife and 13 children.
Even though it rained every day, Bob said, on the good side, every day they saw a rainbow. It was a trip of a lifetime and one that the 
Cotter boys can tell their children about.
(Melanie Behrens - melb@imetweb.net)

11/13/09
A possible TV series?
Jarrod Zimmerman (MHS class of ‘05) now lives in Chicago since his graduation from Northwestern University. He works as a web designer 
to pay his major bills and is also an actor, probably his first love.
At Northwestern he met three guys, also actors, Alan Schmuckler, Michael Mahler and Blake Silver. Jarrod and two of the three, Alan 
and Michael, stayed in Chicago and Blake relocated to Los Angeles.
In late 2008, the Chicago trio concocted the idea of writing a web series titled “Boyfred” about several young men in their 20s living 
in Chicago. The theme of the show is how to stay connected using 21st century technology.
They gathered together $6,000 to pay for production of this 15 minute event, then they contacted their friend Blake in Los Angeles to join 
them. He served as director and the Chicago boys were the stars.
This was to be the beginning of a web series, but was brought to the attention of well-known producer Thomas Schlamme. Last month they all 
met with Schlamme, who is a very big name and whose help would be important. He liked the production and saw it as a possible ABC 
comedy series. Original music written by part of this group will also be featured in the comedy series, but not in the traditional musical 
production sense.
The four young men now have an agent (who convinced them in the first place to pitch this as a TV series) and are writing the script. There 
is some pay for them at this point, and the writers will be submitting it in December to be considered for a pilot on ABC. It 
could be a future product of Sony Pictures television. They should know by January if it will be accepted and then the fun could really 
start.
Jarrod told me that wherever this project goes, they have met amazing people and feel that they might have their foot in the door for 
future projects.
She’s in print
Local resident Tessa Floehr is a teacher, mother and now a published author. She has had several recipes published, including some from 
her childhood. She loves to bake and has entered several contests where the winner could receive as much as $1 million for original 
recipes. Unfortunately she didn’t win any of those, but still wanted to get her original recipes into print. She researched opportunities 
and the Gooseberry Patch was to be her venue.
  This is a recipe book founded in 1984 by two mothers from Delaware, Ohio. They wanted a business which would allow them to stay home and sell their cookbooks at retailers throughout the United States as well as on their company web site, www.gooseberrypatch.com.
Tessa’s recipe for raspberry-marshmallow (two of her favorite ingredients) cookie pizza can be found in the latest addition of “101 
Christmas Recipes.” Desserts are her favorite creations and she has experimented with different versions on husband, Eric, and daughters, 
Amelia and Sophia.
So, while her day job is as a teacher at Dublin Coffman High School (physical science), her future may include more recipes in print. 
Look for this and other recipes from the cookbook in Mel’s Favorite Fare on Thursdays in the J-T.
Shared anagrams
  An anagram is rearrangement of one word or phrase using the same letters to form another word or phrase. Recently a friend shared some 
good ones with me.
1. Presbyterian - best in prayer
2. Astronomer - moon starer
3. The eyes - they see
4. The Morse Code - here come dots
5. Dormitory - dirty room
6. Snooze alarms - alas no more Zs
7. The earthquakes - that queer shake
8. Election results - lies! let’s recount
(Melanie Behrens - melb@imetweb.net)

11/6/09
Home from Baghdad
He’s a 2006 graduate of Marysville High School and was a champion wrestler there — state qualifier at 135 pounds. Ryan Hopkins thought 
he might like to be a policeman. He’s been sidetracked a little, but still has that eventual goal. He is now known as Airman First Class 
Hopkins of the United States Air Force and his home base is in Tucson, Ariz.
After high school Ryan moved to New Orleans with his brother and there he trained in mixed martial arts. But when he came back to 
Ohio, he joined the U.S. Air Force. That was in January of 2008 and nearly two years later he has seen a lot.
His first preference as a specialty in the Air Force was to be part of a special forces unit, but he was sidetracked into something they 
need a lot more — an operator of heavy machinery in the construction end of the Air Force.
The location where the construction was needed was Baghdad, Iraq, and Ryan has just returned from seven months in that part of the world. 
There, he was in a secure base (they rarely left it) surrounded by crumbling stone and barbed wire. The “dirt boys” as they are known 
as, helped build a $1.5 million hospital for Americans. He explained that the U.S. has turned over operation of most everything to the 
Iraqi forces including their hospitals that we used. Now we have to have our own, and when we pull out, this will probably be theirs, too.
It was hot — well over 100 degrees — during the construction time of only 90 days to build the hospital. Fortunately, he was not required 
to wear a helmet or a bulletproof jacket while he was running bulldozers.
It was a long trip from the U.S. to his base in Iraq, some 16 hours and two stops on what you would call a regular airline. Then once 
landing in Qatar, the troops were loaded on board a C130 aircraft where the passengers ride in cargo nets for the 2 1/2 hour rough trip 
to Baghdad. Ryan said the plane also comes down to land very quickly. There’s none of the hesitation of a passenger airline. It’s so they 
can’t be shot down. That’s reassuring!
When I asked if he felt safe, he nodded, but said that mortars were a common occurrence and you’d better run fast when you hear the alarm 
sounded. Apparently this alarm gave them enough time to find shelter. He also explained that Iraqi insurgents fire these mortars, well, that is, they get them ready to go. Then they often hire local farmers who need money to go in and set them off, videotaping themselves as proof they did the job. Then the videotape is taken back to the insurgents and the locals are paid their money. So, as Ryan pointed out, it’s always dangerous to see an Iraqi taking videos. It usually means trouble.
Even though they shared a base with the Iraqi Army, the two groups were separated and never went to the other side, except on one 
special occasion while Ryan was building a patio for the Iraqi special forces. Then they were invited to eat with the Iraqis. Many 
were friendly and spoke English, but other locals they met wanted no part of the U.S.
The hazard pay was a good, but Ryan is home now on leave. He will be heading back to Tucson for about six to eight months and then will 
return to the Middle East, probably to Afghanistan.
This will be a different kind of duty for him. Ryan says all equipment and materials will have to be shipped over there because, 
unlike Iraq, most things would not be available for construction in that country.
He’s only 21 and has already seen more than most of us. When he is finished with the Air Force in about four more years, he plans to 
take advantage of the college education that his service can provide him. Then maybe he’ll go back to Tucson to be a cop!
(Melanie Behrens - melb@imetweb.net)

10/30/09
Witches are here ... almost
Tomorrow is the day of witches, goblins, vampires and ghosts. It is the day many children wait for. It is Halloween. Residents, get your 
candy ready at the front door.
While we will be feeding neighborhood children, that’s not the way the holiday began.
Halloween’s origins date back to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts, who lived 2,000 years ago in 
the area that is now Ireland, United Kingdom, and northern France, celebrated their new year on Nov. 1. This day marked the end of 
summer — the harvest and beginning of dark, cold winter, a time of year that was often associated with human death.
Celts believed that on the night before the new year, the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred. On the 
night of Oct. 31, they celebrated Samhain, when it was believed that the ghosts of the dead returned to earth. In addition to causing 
trouble and damaging crops, Celts thought that the presence of spirits made it easier for the Druids, or Celtic priests, to make 
predictions about the future.
They were a people entirely dependent on the volatile natural world. These prophecies were an important source of comfort and direction 
during the long, dark winter. To commemorate the event, Druids built huge sacred bonfires, where people gathered to burn crops and animals 
as sacrifices to the Celtic deities.
During the celebration, Celts wore costumes, typically consisting of animal heads and skins, and attempted to tell each other’s fortunes. 
When the celebration was over, they re-lit their hearth fires, which  they had extinguished earlier that evening, from the sacred bonfire 
to help protect them during the coming winter.
By 43 A.D., Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. In the course of the 400 years that they ruled Celtic lands, two 
festivals of Roman origin were combined with the traditional Celtic celebration of Samhain.
The first was Feralia, a day in late October when Romans traditionally commemorated the passing of the dead. The second was a 
day to honor Pomona, the Roman goddess of fruit and trees. The symbol of Pomona is the apple and the incorporation of this celebration into 
Samhain probably explains the tradition of “bobbing” for apples that is practiced today on Halloween.
By the 800s, the influence of Christianity had spread into Celtic lands. In the seventh century, Pope Boniface IV designated Nov. 1 All 
Saints’ Day, a time to honor saints and martyrs. It is widely believed today that the pope was attempting to replace the Celtic 
festival of the dead with a related, but church-sanctioned, holiday. The celebration was also called All-hallows or All-hallowmas (from 
Middle English Alholowmesse meaning All Saints’ Day). The night before, the night of Samhain, began to be called All-hallows Eve and, 
eventually, Halloween.
Thus, our children dress in garb remembering the scariest of times and say “Trick or treat!” That used to mean, give us something tasty 
or we will soap your windows, which often happened to those not home during beggars night.
Thankfully, the vandalism seems to have mostly disappeared and the emphasis has switched to loading those small bodies with calories and 
sugar. OK, it’s only one day a year, so children brush your teeth well!
(Melanie Behrens - melb@metweb.net)

10/23/09
Thoughts on the dollar
The word dollar can mean a monetary system covering a large scope of money or it can mean just $1 that you have in your pocket which 
unfortunately doesn’t buy much these days. But for decades, the dollar has been the world’s most widely used currency.
Crude oil and many commodities are priced in dollars. Business deals around the world are done in dollars. Now the Chinese and Russians 
are leading the charge to change the world economic base by possibly creating a new currency, leaving our dollar behind.
Even though I’m not an economist, this could be very bad for the U.S. China holds over $1 trillion in U.S. debt and is undoubtedly worried 
about our future, especially in light of the shaky economy of the past year. But before we get too excited about the dollar’s 
elimination, many world economists have said this can’t happen quickly and that it’s just saber–rattling by the Chinese.
All that is good news and I won’t stay awake worrying about the change for now.
The discussion about the dollar in general leads me to share the following information sent to me by Ron Wietelmann specifically about 
the one dollar bill:
We take those ones for granted since they honestly don’t buy much anymore by themselves. I rarely look closely at the bills in my 
wallet, but here is an overview of the one dollar bill designed and printed in 1957.
This so-called paper money is in fact a cotton and linen blend, with red and blue minute silk fibers running through it. It is actually 
material. We’ve all washed it, usually by mistake, without it falling apart. A special blend of ink is used, the content of which we will 
never know. It is overprinted with symbols and then it is starched to make it water resistant and pressed to give it that nice crisp look.
Now for a short tour of the bill: On the front of the bill, is the United States Treasury Seal. On top is the scales for a balanced 
budget (that idea is long gone). In the center there is a carpenter’s square, a tool used for an even cut. Underneath is the key to the 
United States Treasury. That’s all pretty easy to figure out, but what is on the back of that dollar bill is more involved.
Turning the bill over, you will see two circles. Both circles, together, comprise the Great Seal of the United States. The First 
Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a seal. It took them four years to accomplish this 
task and another two years to get it approved.
In the left-hand circle, there is a pyramid. Inside the capstone is the all-seeing eye, an ancient symbol for divinity. It was Franklin’s 
belief that one man couldn’t do it alone, but a group of men, with the help of God, could do anything. “IN GOD WE TRUST” is on this 
currency. At the base of the pyramid is the Roman numeral for 1776.
On the right-hand circle is the seal at every National Cemetery in the United States. Slightly modified, it is the seal of the President 
of the United States, and is always visible whenever he speaks.
The Bald Eagle was selected as a symbol for victory for two reasons: First, it is not afraid of a storm; it is strong and smart enough to 
soar above it. Second, it wears no material crown. We had just broken from the King of England. Also, notice the shield is unsupported 
meaning the country can now stand on its own.
  Above the eagle, there are 13 stars, representing the 13 original colonies and any clouds of misunderstanding rolling away. Notice what 
the eagle holds in its talons — an olive branch and arrows. This country wants peace, but we will never be afraid to fight to preserve 
it.
  The number 13 has been lucky for the U.S. We had 13 original colonies, representatives of 13 states as signers of the Declaration 
of Independence and 13 stripes on our flag. Along with the 13 stars above the eagle on the dollar, there are 13 bars on that shield, 13 
leaves on the olive branch and if you look closely, 13 arrows.
  From the thoughtful beginning of the design of the dollar bill has followed, a wonderful, free country, which is experiencing a change, 
possibly economically and philosophically. I pray the freedoms we experience will not be taken away!
Random thoughts
How are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?
I would rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than make two trips to bring my groceries in.
Was learning cursive really necessary?
“Do not machine wash or tumble dry” means I will never wash this item — ever.
(Melanie Behrens - melb@imetweb.net)

10/16/09
A busy family weekend
Their daughters are queen material, one for sure and the other highly portbable. Tom and Kim Benedict Barrick (FHS class of ‘80) are the 
parents and here’s their pleasant situation.Daughter Logan has already won the title of homecoming queen of Wheelersburg High School in southern Ohio. It’s located near  Portsmouth. She will preside over the festivities, that is, football  game and dance tonight. Her grandparents are longtime Union County  residents Dale and Evelyn Benedict.The reason their activities will be very busy this week is because 
their oldest daughter, Kayla, is also vying for a similar title at  Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond, Ky. the next day. She is a  sophomore.
Saturday morning there will be a homecoming parade and then she will  go through interviews as a part of the last minute selection process  — then the queen announcement and the 3 p.m. football game.
Because these events are going on hundreds of miles apart, the race  is on to attend both functions and then there are the expenses that 
Kim (guidance counselor at Wheelersburg H.S.) and Tom (basketball  coach at Wheelersburg H.S.) have, getting gowns, dresses, flowers and 
accessories. But they will stay up late for Logan’s day and get up  early to make the trip to Richmond on Saturday morning to support Kayla.
The girls’ grandparents, Dale and Evelyn, have been an important part  of the Union County area for many years. Dale, a retired Scotts 
employee after 23 years, is a bee keeper. He has 30 hives and in each  are 50,000-70,000 bees. His products are sold at the Farmer’s Market  in Marysville. Evelyn has owned and operated Benedict Hardware in  North Lewisburg for 30 years.
Of course, they will be part of the entourage supporting their  granddaughters this weekend.
DWTS area connection
If you are a fan of “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC television you  may have noticed cute Louie Vito, who is a professional snowboarder 
and in the competition as a would-be dancer. He is a native of  Bellefontaine, attending school there through the eighth grade. After 
that he went to Vermont for professional snowboarding school and I  guess it has paid off. His family is still in the Bellefontaine area.
Local fundraisers there have organized meetings at the Holland  theater (with a 20x24 ft. screen) two times a week to watch Louie  perform, and then for the results show, to see if he gets to stay on  the program. There is a charge each night and some 200 people attend  most events. The funds ($5,000 so far) will be used for the  renovation of the theater and the gathering is to ensure that Louie  gets local voting support done by phone.
As I have watched the show, Louie has been up and down in his  performances. This week he survived the cut and will go on again next  week on Monday evening.Thanks to the Bellefontaine Examiner for the information.
Random Thoughts
 1. Nothing is more disgusting than that moment during an argument  when you realize you're wrong.
 2. MapQuest really needs to start its directions on #5. I’m pretty  sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I  was younger.
(Melanie Behrens - melb@imetweb.net)

10/9/09
Ten years — but who’s counting
Ten years goes by very quickly and I have been the one doing the counting. That’s how long I’ve been writing this column — that means 520 stories over the last 10 years. I’ve not taken one day off in all that time, not through illness or travel out of town or the consideration that it’s just too hard to work for your husband ... sometimes.
The way this began is a story in itself. First you should know I’m a college-trained dental hygienist and never did any professional writing. When society editor Clara Miller retired from the Journal-Tribune, so did the column she wrote for many years called “Off the Hook.”
There were several years when this column did not appear and the publisher saw that it created a void. He was anxious to get it going again. Since he happens to be my husband, Dan, I can say that I watched him try to find someone to write the column. I witnessed 20 or more people say no, so I thought maybe this was a place for me.
I offered my services several times telling him that I thought I could do it. He realized we would be hard pressed to work together and also questioned whether I had any writing ability. That might have been correct, at least at first.
Finally he turned to me one day and offered to give me a chance saying, “let’s see how it goes!” It was quite rocky in the beginning. He edited most everything I wrote and I was insulted. He never gave me credit for actually doing some writing on my own during my college days, but it was not in the journalistic style. He insisted I learn to do it that way.
Then, of course, there were some modifications I wanted to make to the style of the column. For instance, I wanted to use pictures occasionally and he originally refused. But I persisted, and went ahead to use pictures of our students teaching overseas, servicemen in Iraq and people traveling abroad. Generally they were well accepted.
Then there was a time where I wanted to include a story about myself. He said, “This column is not about you!” Oh, yes, I wasn’t supposed to use quotes either.
One of my favorite stories is when the ATM machine ate my card and I had to “duke it out” with the bank to get it back immediately instead of 10 days later. Many people could identify with that story.
Then there was the time that I was in a carwash in my friend’s car and she got out in the middle of the cycle. Her car was severely damaged because the carwash arm hit it. I was frozen in my seat and was no help at all! Four years later, people are still asking me about her.
Personal stories were not accepted at first, because, according to the old style, the column was not about the author and pictures weren’t used. You can imagine how it was last August when I wanted to do a story about me flying in a hot air balloon in conjunction with the All Ohio Balloon Fest in Marysville. That involved not only an article about me, but also the use of a picture of me in the balloon.
Working with my editor/husband has settled into much more of a routine now, even though we occasionally have to have a — let's call it meaningful — discussion about some aspect of the column. There have been times when he has saved me with his editing and for that, I’m grateful.
For his part, I believe he can now breathe a little more easily as I submit each column, and I hope to say I have learned something over all this time — that is, 520 times.
I’m always looking for good story, so if you have one, please contact me.
Church choir to appear on national TV
The First English Lutheran Church Chancel Choir will appear on ABC television Sunday, Oct. 11 at 1:30 p.m. during the airing of “TOGETHER: The Hendrick Motorsports Story.”
First English Lutheran Church is located at 687 London Ave., on the corner of London Avenue and Stocksdale Drive in Marysville.

10/2/09
John Merriman, alias the closer
He is a 1955 graduate of Marysville High School and has spent all of his working life as a teacher, principal and student mentor. That spans more than 50 years in education. John Merriman has touched the lives of thousands of students and began as an elementary school teacher. That was never how he intended to spend his life.
As he graduated from high school, he realized he would probably also never be able to go to college because the money wasn’t there. Then the cadet program came into his life. It involved choosing two students from each county in the state to receive a full scholarship at a college in Ohio (majoring in education). Their repayment was to agree to teach for three years in the state.
John was one of those selected and chose Otterbein College. After two years in education, he was allowed to go into the classroom as long as he continued to finish his degree. That’s what he did and began teaching in 1957. Later he graduated from Otterbein with a bachelor’s degree and from Ohio State University with a master’s in education.
His early years were in the Richwood Local School District and the first year, 1957, he was paid $3,400. It seems that probably only by coincidence John worked at many schools which closed (some even  demolished) either right after he was there or in the following years. One of the first schools to go was the elementary school at Pharisburg. John was actually administrator of the Leesburg-Magnetic School District, which had students from K-8. The school building was just being constructed when John came to that job and so the students had to attend the Pharisburg School until the Leesburg-Magnetic school was done. John chose the brick, colors and the furniture for that building.
It was in the Pharisburg building that John proposed to his wife, Sharon, who was helping him pack books to move to the new Magnetic building. Isn't that romantic?
When the Leesburg-Magnetic school opened in 1962, the Pharisburg school was then torn down making it John’s first closure. The Leesburg-Magnetic building was just demolished this summer and that’s what brought this whole story to light. John and Sharon went to the school to retrieve a brick remembering that he helped build the school about 47 years ago. School number two is gone now.
John was a teaching principal from 1962 to ‘68, but during that time even with his coaching (football, basketball and tennis) he earned  less than $9,000 a year. Then he moved on to be principal at Claibourne Elementary in Richwood. He said that those were very difficult times to find teachers and substitutes. He chided, you 
could work as a sub if you were breathing!
He was in Claibourne for school year 1968-69. The building has since been demolished. That makes it closure number three.
For two years, still working in the North Union District, John was principal of three schools at one time (what a guy!) — Magnetic, Jackson and Byhalia. We already mentioned that Magnetic (Leesburg) is gone. Now Byhalia is also gone — closing number five. During this time, York Center School, which was also a part of North Union, was closed. John actually never worked at York Center, but was responsible for moving all its furniture into his charge of the three other schools just before it was closed. School number six, York Center, is no longer there.
In 1971, John went to the Fairbanks School District. At this time, his salary was clear up to $13,000. He was principal of Watkins Elementary and Unionville Center. Both are closed at this time. That makes number seven and eight.
For three years, John served as high school principal at Upper Scioto Valley in McGuffey, Ohio. It was an experience he cherishes. His entire school population, grades eight through 12, was only about 300 students. But he loved the work even though it was a long drive. The school is located near Ada, so he applied at Marysville to actually work where he lived.
He was hired there in 1996 and was placed at East Elementary where he served for many years. Of course, that school is now closed — that would be school number nine.
John now serves as attendance officer at Marysville High School and  it seems the perfect job for him. Tennis is his sport and he still acts as assistant coach for both boys and girls teams.
Because he’s been in education for more than 50 years, he’s seen it all and is full of compassion for his students. He’s retired and rehired, so now works about 10 hours a week. After this story, we may all have to refer to John as “the closer.”

9/25/09
Jenna sees the world ... again!
She was part of the class of 2005 at Marysville High School, a recent graduate (cum laude)) of the University of Cincinnati, and already a seasoned world traveler. At Cincinnati, Jenna Yoder received a BA degree in marketing and a double minor in international business and Spanish. That sounds like success in the making.
Unlike many college graduates in these times, Jenna already has a job. She is currently learning to be a clinical training resident with a Johnson & Johnson company, Ethicon Endo-Surgery. Her eventual career path is headed toward medical sales, but she will be in Cincinnati for the year developing clinical knowledge.
Earlier this year she spent a term in Spain and I did some stories about her adventures there. To make sure her international experience 
was varied she returned from China this summer just in time to graduate.
Jenna says of her recent trip: “My decision to go to China was to  fulfill my international business degree requirements. Just as I did  with Spain, I took the opportunity to travel and receive school credit as well. China’s climate was hot and humid! I only saw the sun a handful of days due to the intense smog.”
“Living conditions in China are mixed. Because it is a developing country, you see anything from shacks to brand new high-rise condominiums. I stayed in a hotel the whole time. Each was affiliated with the universities we visited in each location. Class lectures about Chinese culture and business practices filled the days.”
“Not as many people spoke English as I thought and if they did, it  was broken. We usually communicated via hand signs or by pointing to a picture on a menu. Oddly enough, the one place you could count on someone speaking fluent English was in McDonald’s or Pizza Hut.”
  Her trip spanned three weeks traveling to Beijing, Guangzhou, and Chengdu. In the mornings there was a lecture at the host university and then they would head off to either business visits (American companies such as P&G and J&J) or sightseeing. The biggest surprise for Jenna was the fact that there are so many people and no matter where she went or what time of day it was, she was never alone.
Jenna continues: “The pollution was pretty bad, especially in Beijing, and at times it was hard to breathe! The people though are truly what make China. They are very kind hearted and were so welcoming. Sometimes I felt like a celebrity because they would ask to take our picture. In one instance, a Chinese woman just handed her baby to one student in my group without even asking and then proceeded to take a handful of pictures.”
“Another interesting and somewhat shocking cultural difference in China is that babies do not wear diapers. Most children wear split pants and use the bathroom where needed. This of course means the bathroom is just about anywhere.”
Guangzhou is the second largest city in China and has grown into one of the biggest industrial marketplaces. Here, the students visited Beauty Star which is the largest plastic bottle manufacturer in China. Most of the time spent was in class lectures at Jinan University. Chengdu was her final and favorite destination.
Jenna said: “The city was not nearly as big as Beijing, but it offered a lot of culture and great food! The food normally served in this region is very spicy and typically a numbing spice, called flower pepper, is used. Your whole mouth truly goes numb and it feels like you just left the dentist. Traditional Chinese food is some of the best food I have ever had. I was a little adventurous at times though and did try donkey, pigeon, and a silk worm. But no worries, no dog or cat were served!”
Near Chengdu, the students took a day trip to the city of Han Wang, which sat near the fault line connected with last year’s 8.0 earthquake that completely shook the entire Sichuan Province. Jenna said she was shocked to see the city still in rubble; as if the earthquake had just happened the day before. However, the positive attitude among the people in the Sichuan Province in general was truly inspiring.
When I asked about the seemingly grueling trip just to get there, she said going over was a breeze, but coming back was a different story. She was really sick. The she added, “I guess that’s what I get for eating a worm!”
Now off to the real world of business and supporting herself!

9/18/09
Pastor Charles Runion
He was a member of the Marysville High School class of 1984 and has gone on to become a full-time pastor and recently an author. Charles Runion has taken on the job as pastor at the Urbana Church of Christ in Christian Union and currently lives in Bellefontaine. That’s necessary because he still has children in high school there. His wife, Paula, is also the church secretary at their new assignment. He’s only been on the job for about a month, but is already quite excited about his new church.
For 15 years, Charles had been pastor of the Monroe Community Church, an independent church located in Logan County. It was his first call after being ordained in 1994.
The son of Don and Eileen Runion of Marysville, he grew up on Weaver Road and at 14 began attending Raymond’s Church of Christ in Christian Union. At about that time he was “born again,” which is a requirement to be baptized in that church. His baptism took place several years later.
The denomination has a membership of approximately 17,000 in the United States and extends to the West Indies. The Church of the Nazarene is its sister church in Marysville.
Charles says his denomination demands much of its members and that includes no gambling, smoking or drinking. Members can be expelled for such behavior. One of 11 children, he says he was raised with a strong sense of right and wrong.
After high school, he found himself working at Honda, going to college at Circleville Bible College and employed as youth pastor at the Bellefontaine Church of Christ in Christian Union. During this time he married and had three children, and as a father could only go to college on a part-time basis. Later he would also teach in the Bellefontaine schools and coach his children in school sports.
Finally he graduated and went on to receive his master’s degree from  Ashland Theological Seminary, which is run by the Church of the  Brethren. That degree in church history required Charles to do a  written project, which has eventually evolved into his book titled  “Living Legacies.” It is a history of the Church of Christ in Christian Union from its organization in 1909 to present day. One thousand copies were printed and are sold mainly to members of the denomination, serving as a history of the church.
There’s a great energy about Charles and a pride in his church. His next adventure may be to continue his studies for a Ph.D. He strikes me as a man who has to stay busy!
A perfect Festifair
It was an event that had all the markings of a huge success. I am referring to the Festifair in downtown Marysville last Saturday.
I have been to many of them over the years, but I’m sure this was one of the most well attended. That was not only due to the absolutely perfect weather, but also to the hard work that went into its planning.
There were many quality artisans displaying their wares and it looked as though they were all doing a good business. We acknowledge the organizers as it was a great event.

9/11/09
50 years of snipping
He is a husband and father, an outdoorsman who loves to fish and a man who has been cutting hair as a barber in Marysville for 50 years. Rex Dennis grew up in Delaware County on a little stretch of land  called Dennis Point, a place his father purchased in 1938. It’s a spot which included a grocery store, a gas station, and a barber shop where his father worked. The family, which included three sons, lived  upstairs.
Barbering was apparently in the blood of the Dennis family. Herman, Rex’s father, worked in the rubber mills of Akron. He married in 1934 and about that same time became a barber. In those days, all one had  to do was work as an apprentice to get a license.
In 1935, Herman and his wife started on their way to San Diego. He worked as a barber across the country. He would stop and work a few months in one town and then they would have enough money to move on to the next town. They stayed in San Diego for several years and after deciding the weather was just too perfect there, they worked their way back across the country and eventually ended at what was to be known as Dennis Point.
Rex was the youngest child and was born in 1940. He graduated from Scioto Valley High School — later called Buckeye Valley — in 1958.
Rex wanted to be a barber also so he headed off to the Columbus School of Barbering also known as the Andrew School. He had recently decided not to be a forest ranger, and after 11 1/2 months and 1,800 hours of training, he was ready to go to work.
Rex had a friend named Don Stout (also from Ostrander) who was already a barber in Marysville and assistant fire chief at the same time. Don had two barber chairs at the corner of W. Fifth and Court Sts. so Rex went to work with him. In 1960, Rex took over the shop and in 1961 began working with Keith Greer.
In those days, a haircut was only $1.25. Now they do the same thing  for $13. Flat tops and crew cuts were the favorite. They required a lot of maintenance, but then the years of the Beatles came to haunt barbers. Everyone was letting their hair grow and so barbers were just waiting for when their customers needed a trim job. Rex said he was grateful when those styles were gone.
It appears that the only good thing about that time for barbers was that there was a lot less hair to sweep up. When I was there talking to Rex, there was a mound of it on the floor — a perpetual problem in his business now!
About 20 years ago Rex’s son, Steve, joined him in the barbershop. They are now located on S. Main St. for just a few more days. In fact, the shop will be closing on Sept. 19.
Not only have there been changes in hair styles over the years, but also Rex has lived through the personal problems of his customers and sometimes even acts as a counselor. He does not cut women’s hair and they’re rarely seen in the shop. He said one of the nicest things has been the regular meetings with his customers, some of whom have been with him for all those 50 years. He said that just when you haven’t seen them for awhile, there they are — they must need a haircut. It’s 
been a good relationship and he’s thankful for this town which has been good to him.
Rex said there are two things you should not talk about in the barbershop — one is politics, the other is religion. But many of the town issues are hot topics.
Now that he’s put in his 50 years, Rex plans to be a much more active fisherman. His wife Susan is retired, too. Rex is also a woodworker and there’s much evidence of it as you enter his shop.
He owned the building, which also houses Salon 122, a beauty shop owned by Kerri Alexander Duncan. She has been his renter and just purchased the entire place. She plans to expand her beauty shop into the area that has housed Rex’s barbershop for many years.
It’s the end of an era for Marysville and for Rex Dennis. We wish him a happy and healthy retirement!

9/4/09
The crime, the trial, the memories
The crime took place in 1997 involving India and Cody Smith of Urbana, who were being cared for by their stepfather, Kevin Neal, while their mom worked. Kevin reported that the children disappeared from the front yard of their home while he was doing laundry. The children were eventually found murdered and their discovery was due to help from the Marysville lab, Seed Technology, owned at that time by Dale Kern, now deceased. Anne Daniel was an employee and proved to 
be a valuable witness in the murder trial.
This case will now be featured on the Discovery Channel Monday at 10 p.m. titled “Forensics, You Decide.” Anne will be a part of the TV show and shares with us some of what she remembers from the case:
“In July of 1997, I received a call from BCI in London telling me the agency had gotten my name and Seed Tech's from the Ohio Dept. of Agriculture (we had been doing state work for several years and I was their point of contact). We were asked to close the lab and wait for one of their people to bring something they wanted us to examine. Dale Kern and myself were asked to look at seeds. We were not told what case they were connected with but they wanted us to identify them and to document our findings as well as to advise where these particular seeds might be found.”
Anne said they had seen these seeds many times. They were Gallium Aparine (Bedstraw) and we discovered a few days later that it had to do with the disappearance of the Smith children from Urbana who everyone was looking for at that time. How did this fit into the murder case? It seems some of those seeds had been found on the pants of the suspect, Kevin Neal, and were later also discovered at the makeshift grave site, which contained the remains of the murdered children in Urbana. Anne, with the help of Bob Hesson (specialty seed man at Scotts), was able to identify the seeds at the grave site and since a murder weapon was never found, this circumstantial evidence became crucial to the case.
Anne remembers when they went to the gravesite. “We could see the outline of the shallow grave that had the form of the two bodies side by side and we could not find the plant. I got down on my knees and was looking through the weeds that had been stamped down by workers that night and when I stood up, Mel (her husband) said to look at what is sticking to your pant leg. I had on white knit knee pants and, sure enough, there was the bedstraw.”
“Bob and I went back to the lab and completed a written report and faxed it back to the sheriff's office in Urbana. Later in September, Bob and I were asked to go out to the location where the children lived and the last place where they were to have been. We were to completely walk the fence rows and weeded area, and catalog every plant we found and where it was located. We were specifically looking for bedstraw. We did not find any in the over 100 seeds we found. We worked with the prosecutor from Champaign County over the next couple of years.”
“The trial for Kevin started on May 1, 2000, and at that time I was asked to go back to the grave site and see if we could still find the seeds. Sure enough bedstraw was still there. We then were asked to return to the home where the children lived and found bedstraw in a few moist overgrown areas. Then it was stated by the defense (during the trial) that we missed it the first time we were there years  before and that could explain the seeds on the defendant’s pants,  because they were at his home, too. Bob and I both knew we did not and remembered that some plants, which were annual could become biennial under certain circumstances, particularly due to weather. We noted according to records it was drier in 1997 (low plants - no seeds) and wetter in 2000 (big plants – seeds everywhere). This implied the seeds on his pants came only from the site where he disposed of the children’s bodies and implicated him enough to get a long prison sentence.
Anne said, “I was on the witness stand for a total of 11 hours over a two-day period and the defense attorney tried everything he could to break me down. However, as I had been taught by Dale Kern, if you can back your findings with more than one source (both the late Dr. Marvin Twigg for plant growth and the Urbana Airport weather center for conditions) then you should not let anyone make you back down. As there was never any weapon or cause of death determined, officials said that our work was significant in being able to get a guilty verdict for two life sentences and abuse of corpse.”
You can hear more about this story Monday, Sept. 7, 10 p.m. on the Discovery channel.

8/28/09
In the middle of a war
I’m sure you know that at this time in our history, many men and women in the military service are fighting to protect our freedoms and safety. They serve in the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. Sometimes it is quite surprising to me to think that even though we are many years past the military draft, young Americans continue to volunteer to serve our country in this way when they could be relatively safe at home. We should be thankful every day for their efforts.
Eric Thrush (MHS class of ‘01 and Capital University graduate with a degree in history) is part of one of those wars now. He is in the U.S. Army stationed in Afghanistan. He has been adopted by a Marysville Brownie Troop and represents our part of the world in that craziness of the Middle East. As Eric says, it is almost a land where time stood still.
I have also read that most of Afghanistan is illiterate. I asked him to tell us what it’s like to be there. It’s obvious that his time on the Internet is very limited now, but here is some of what he has said recently:
“I’m in Military Intelligence, so my job is to talk with the Afghan people and find out where the bad guys are located. That is basically breaking it down to the lowest level. I often tell people to watch the ‘Body of Lies’ movie and my job is what Leonardo Dicaprio does in the movie. It definitely has Hollywood glamour in it, and he is in the CIA, but it’s essentially the same thing.”
“I moved to a new base because my team’s capabilities are needed in a different area. I am now up in the area of the Korengal Valley. The  local people are poor and dirty. It really is like stepping back in  time a couple of hundred years. For the most part, they appreciate what we are trying to accomplish in their country. The elections are coming up over here (now actually completed last week but results are slow) and there are political posters everywhere you look.”
“Most of the locals are farmers. Being from Marysville, I was surprised to see how well they grow corn over here. Every once in a while, you will see a tractor, but most of the work is done by hand.”
“The local food is actually very good as well. It mainly consists of rice, bread and goat meat. They do have cows as well, though. They also have an abundance of watermelons and mangos that are excellent. The temperatures usually gets to be around 120-130 degrees.”
“My camp has the basic necessities. Some of the guys have beds, but I have a cot with a mattress on top of it. It’s not too bad and the room has an air conditioner, so I can’t complain. I don’t have any ‘regular’ hours, so I pretty much make my own schedule and work whenever I’m needed. Some days are slow and some I work more than anyone else on the base, I think. I’ve picked up a little bit of the language — the basics I guess you could say. Some people speak Farsi, but the main language is Pashtu.”
“Afghans, for some reason, absolutely love playing volleyball. I have no idea where this came from, but every unit of the ANA (Afghan National Army) has a volleyball court outside in the compound and some of them are actually pretty good too.”
I hope to have more from him later. Stay safe, Eric!

8/21/09
Up, up and away
I never thought it was something I needed to do before the end of my life, like a bucket list. I never thought it would be so quiet up there and I never thought I would enjoy it so much.
Just a week ago I was given a rare opportunity to experience flying in a hot air balloon. I needed a story for this week, so I went. It came in conjunction with the All Ohio Balloon Fest held at the Union County Airport last Friday and Saturday evenings.
I was notified early on Friday morning that I would be flying with Tim Grissom in the Ohio Caverns balloon. The balloons were set to take off on Friday at about 6:30 p.m., so I arrived a little early  and met Tim and his wife Andrea (who would also be coming along) as they were preparing the balloon for launch. They live in West Liberty and he is the manager of Ohio Caverns, thus the name on his three-year-old balloon. Tim has been flying for that many years. He seemed  extremely careful and gave me a great ride.
The balloonist needs at least two other people to help him as part of  the ground crew, but this evening there were two additional people, Tim’s father and his friend, both from Tim’s native central Tennessee area.
The main ground crewman is Kent Amey. He serves as a volunteer just because he enjoys the excitement of helping launch the balloon, driving the chase car and packing up after the landing. Kent has never ridden in the balloon and appears to have no desire to do that. Actually Tim’s wife, Andrea, has quite a fear of heights so in the three years Tim has had his license she has only been up six times and prefers to help with the ground crew.
You can imagine the conversation in their house when Tim said he wanted to buy a $40,000 balloon, and she wouldn’t even be able to really enjoy flying in it. Apparently there was some toy tradeoff and Tim won the discussion.
His balloon basket will hold five people and up to 2,000 pounds in absolutely perfect conditions, including temperature and wind. With only three of us, there was plenty of room inside the basket. We also had a 150-pound propane tank, which powers inflation of the balloon, also called the envelope. The acrid smell of the burning propane is a nuisance.
Balloonists are careful for obvious reasons and every year have a check ride to retain their license. For the license, there is a written and practical exam. At that time, the balloon itself (the envelope) is also tested with metal tools which attempt to tear apart the seams. Andrea says every balloonist holds his breath while this test is being done because if the balloon tears, it means buying a new one and that could cost as much as $20,000. That test could also save their lives because it would show any tendency to give way under pressure.
Tim’s balloon is made of 1,200 yds. of fabric. Most balloons will last six to eight years.
It costs balloonists about $100 an hour to fly on propane gas and that was the length of our trip. Tim said that after that period of  time he is mentally tired because attention to details for flying is somewhat stressful.
If someone is paying for a trip, it generally costs about $200 an hour per person mostly because the insurance is so expensive. Apparently there are only two companies which provide this type of insurance.
My only question as I entered the balloon, not too gracefully I might add, was could this thing catch on fire? Tim explained that the fabric at the opening of the balloon, where the fire rises to heat the air, is flame resistant and actually melts a little, rather than burn, if the flame hits it. He guaranteed me the balloon wouldn’t  catch fire. That was my only concern since I’m not afraid of heights.
I was good to go! Once we were up on this very hot and still evening it was so amazingly beautiful. We moved very slowly because the winds were light. We began at the airport and an hour later, after going  over many fields, we landed in the backyard of a house on County Home Rd., east of Waldo Rd. No one was home.
That’s not very far to go in an hour. I asked Tim if there was ever a problem landing on private property and he replied that most people are intrigued and excited to see the balloons come down. Only once did he have a problem with a farmer even though his landing was not on the crops. If someone is unhappy, the balloonist always offers to make repairs or compensate them in some way.
As we rode along, we were maybe 600 feet in the air and we could hear people talking on the ground below us as many drivers pulled their cars over and got out to watch us fly above them.
People are not afraid of the balloons, but animals are. Tim explained that if sheep or horses are spotted, balloonists make every effort to avoid flying right over them. It seems the noise of the propane burner is unfamiliar and scares them. It causes animals to run in circles and try to escape, so they are avoided as a courtesy.
Tim said flying in his own balloon has been one of the most wonderful things he’s ever done. My thanks to him for a great floating ride and spectacular landing, the most difficult part. I didn’t even notice it!

8/13/09
English — our language
I receive lots of thought provoking e-mails each week, so I am sharing some with you. The subject this time is one of my favorite  things — words (thus my job). The first is from Sandie Weller and deals with the idiosyncrasies of the English language, which we all deal with daily.
Idiosyncrasies of the English language —
Atheism is a non-prophet  organization.
If man evolved from monkeys and apes, why do we still  have monkeys and apes?
What if there were no hypothetical questions?
If a deaf person signs swear words, does his mother wash his hands with soap?
If someone with multiple personalities threatens to kill himself, is  it considered a hostage situation?
Is there another word for synonym? 
If a parsley farmer is sued, can they garnish his wages?
Would a fly without wings be called a walk?
If a turtle doesn’t have a shell, is he homeless or naked?
Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?
If the police arrest a mime, do they tell him he has the right to remain silent?
One nice thing about egotists: They don’t talk about other people.
If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?
Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?
Can an atheist get insurance against acts of god?
Also — Did you know: That the words race car spelled backward says race car.
That eat is the only word that if you take the first letter and move it to the last, it spells its past tense ate.
More English language things to make you think from Don Degood.
Aphorism: A short, pointed sentence expressing a wise or clever observation or a general truth. Some examples are seen below.
The nicest thing about the future is that it always starts tomorrow. 
Money will buy a fine dog, but only kindness will make him wag his tail.
If you don’t have a sense of humor, you probably don’t have any sense at all.
Seat belts are not as confining as wheelchairs.
A good time to keep your mouth shut is when you’re in deep water.
How come it takes so little time for a child who is afraid of the dark to become a teenager who wants to stay out all night?
Business conventions are important because they demonstrate how many people a company can operate without.
Why is it that at class reunions you feel younger than everyone else looks?
No one has more driving ambition than the boy who wants to buy a car.
There are worse things than getting a call for a wrong number at 4 a.m. — Like this: It could be a right number.
No one ever says ‘It’s only a game’ when their team is winning.
Do you realize that in about 40 years, we’ll have thousands of old ladies running around with tattoos? (And rap music will be the Golden Oldies!)
Money can’t buy happiness — but somehow it’s more comfortable to cry in a Corvette than in a Yugo.
Always be yourself. Because the people that matter, don’t mind. And the one’s that mind, don’t matter. 
And finally — Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.
Beautiful downtown flowers
This year the downtown flowers, both hanging baskets and pots, are quite beautiful. I love flowers and respect the time spent to buy, plant and care for them. Occasionally Dan and Judy Adelsberger have  been spotted supervising the watering process. The purple colors are also a nice touch. Thanks to all those who have done this work to make our town more attractive!
Balloon Fest this weekend
With all the recent publicity, I guess you would have to be living under a rock to be unaware that the Balloon Fest is in Marysville this weekend at the Union County Airport. There will be, weather permitting, balloons in the air, lemonade, pulled pork, kettle corn, funnel cakes, beer and lots of other good things to eat and drink. 
Each evening features a great band and at dusk the balloons will be tethered with a beautiful warm glow, that’s one of my favorite parts.  I’ll be there and I hope to see you all too.
Today’s Message of the Day is:
Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

8/7/09
Erin Snowden and Mt. Mckinley
Early last winter I told you about Erin Snowden and his quest to reach the top of Mt. Everest. First he had to have bariatric surgery in 2004, and two years later had lost 155 lbs. going from 360 to 205 lbs. and 13 percent body fat. Then in preparation, he worked out heavily at the Marysville YMCA and worked the night shift at Mt.  Carmel Hospital in Columbus, all this while going to college and  earning an associate degree in finance (Magna Cum Laude).
He is continuing his studies for a bachelor’s degree to be finished this winter. Oh yes, each day he also drives 55 miles each way to his job at Mt. Carmel.
  Last summer he climbed the first leg in his journey, Mt. Rainier in Washington State. It was a six-day expedition. The second leg has  just been completed. He conquered Mt. McKinley in Alaska this July.
Erin said: “Mt. McKinley has larger bulk and higher rise than Mt. Everest. Additionally, because of the high altitude (20,320 ft. above sea level) and also the higher latitude, the levels of oxygen are much lower than that of mountains of similar height. The weather is typically worse than is experienced on Mt. Everest. Mt. McKinley is also referred to as Denali, the native name, which is the name currently recognized by the state of Alaska.”
Erin’s cost to climb Mt. McKinley was about $8,600. The expedition lasted 18 days (climbing six to eight hours each day) and began with their base camp at Talkeetna, Alaska. His group was comprised of six  climbers and two guides and there were seven other teams on the  mountain at the same time.
It was cold with lots of snow and Erin admits he was nervous. It’s a treacherous climb beginning across a glacier. Team members would go up 3,000 ft. and back down to get their bodies used to the altitude. They were tied to each other and quickly learned to trust the other people in their group.
On the way up, there was an earthquake and even though they didn't know what it was at the time, an avalanche of snow came roaring down the mountain at them and they had to run to get out of the way. There was an emergency radio and a satellite phone if needed.
Also, there just happened to be a physician on his team who came in handy when one member experienced extreme altitude sickness and his lungs filled with fluid. He had to be flown off the mountain on an emergency basis. At that point the others had to start hauling his gear in addition to their own. Each man had a 65-lb. backpack and a sled full of supplies.
On the worst night of snow and cold, the climbers laid in their two-man tents in sleeping bags — guaranteed to 60 below zero. Two feet of  snow fell.
Erin and his bunkmate awoke gasping for air. The two feet of snow was laying on their tents and all the oxygen was gone inside. They woke choking and couldn’t breathe, but eventually Erin reached up and got  his arm through the snow to make a hole that let air inside. The other campers had not noticed their plight until Erin and his friend had rescued themselves. Let’s just say that could’ve been the end of the journey for these two men.
They reached the top and returned safely. At that point, Erin was anxious to see his family and eat some regular food.
As you may expect, Erin is already planning his next climb. It will be Mt. Aconcagua in Argentina. Not only is this the highest mountain on the South American continent at 22,841 feet, but also it will have less ice than on Mt. McKinley. This will also cost about $8,000.
Erin always has a new goal and it keeps him focused on fitness. He hopes to be a model for those who have bariatric surgery, showing 
what can be accomplished.
  This is a very driven and determined young man, who has already conquered a huge weight problem, completed 200-mile bike rides, and climbed two mountains, all while earning a college degree. He has a goal and could use some help getting there. To learn more about Erin’s mountain climbing adventures and sponsorships you can go to his web site, www.myjourneytothetop.org.

7/31/09
Where are they now?
He’s a transplant from Marysville to the Far East and subscribes to the Journal-Tribune online to keep up with the old hometown. Lloyd Arnold is a member of the MHS class of 1961 and returned here for his 20th and 30th class reunions. I remember meeting him and his wife  Yasuko since my husband Dan is a member of that class also.
They live in Japan where Lloyd worked for a Japanese securities company as an editor, rewriter and translator. Now he is a freelancer and works on anything related to English from correcting spelling to teaching to translations.
When I asked him if he was retired he quipped: “I’m still working. My wife won’t let me retire! I think it has something to do with the Japanese work ethic.”
He said that many Japanese continue to work, mostly in the rural areas. “TV programs go into farming areas and interview people who are in their 80s and 90s who are still active in the fields,” he said.
Here is what Lloyd also said: “I miss Marysville sometimes, but by  that I mean the old Marysville. Since it has become bigger, every time I return, I feel that I don’t belong. One thing I don’t miss is the weather, especially the cold rain. Maybe that’s why so many people from Marysville go to Florida and Arizona. It’s hot and humid in Tokyo in the summer and sometimes there is cold rain in the fall, but not as much as I remember in the old hometown. I believe it 
snowed here only once last winter, but it didn’t stick to the ground.”
“I think what I miss most is meeting people on the street who I know. Of course, I meet people on the street here, but it’s not the same. I like to read your columns (‘Off The Hook’ in the Journal-Tribune) especially when you mention that some young person is on their way to Japan.”
“The biggest group of foreigners in Japan is the Koreans who stayed after WWII, followed by those who have come to make a better living than they could in their home countries. Then there are the executives who were sent here by their companies and next is the U.S. military. Lastly, are the rest of us who have come here not for  improved financial situations, but for other various reasons.”
“Recently, a friend introduced me to a man who was walking past one afternoon. His name was Jobu and he was from Senegal. We talked for a while and I mentioned I was from Ohio and he said, ‘Oh, my brother is in Ohio.’ Surprised, I asked him what his brother was doing there and he said, ‘Oh, he works for Honda at a place called Marysville.’”
___
I recently heard from Joan Simmons Ruff, who also reads the J-T online and she told me the following: “I graduated from Marysville High School in 1971 and Ohio State University in 1975 with a degree in Health Information Management. I have been working for the Toledo Children’s Hospital in the newborn intensive care unit for 27 years as a quality assurance/data specialist. I am married to Gary who graduated from the University of Cincinnati and is a compressed air engineer (kind of unusual).”
“Our children are grown now. Kristen Barbara Boggess was married last June and is a graphic designer in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Stephen James is an information technology consultant for Attevo. He lives in Columbus, Ohio, but currently works in New York City. They are very proud of the Simmons Trail in Marysville (named for her father, Jim), and we all try to stop and walk it on occasion.”
“I keep in close contact with several people from the MHS class of  ‘71 — Karen Crosman Herold, Molly Scheiderer Wagner and Rita Dailey Hayes. We still get together on a regular basis.”
“My brother Jim (Simmons — MHS class of ‘68) has had an interesting career as a golf superintendent. He was the head superintendent at Muirfield when it was built by Jack Nicklaus. He is now the ‘super’ at Shoal Creek Golf Course in Alabama. He has two daughters — Barbara and Patty.”
Retires from  Recorder’s office
She has been a mainstay in the Union County Recorder’s office since 1984, but today is her last day on the job. Dorothy McCarty is retiring after 25 years. Her last position was chief deputy which means she was in charge when the recorder was not there. Before taking the job at the Recorder’s office, she worked 16 years at the Ohio Orchard near Milford Center.
She reports that the biggest changes in the office during her years there came about 10 years ago when computers were finally installed. She said that it made their lives crazy at first, and then so much better.
In the old days, perhaps only 10 documents needed to be recorded daily, which would include deeds and mortgages. Now there are 50-100 a day and many more than that during the big building boom a few years ago.
Dorothy has worked for Betty Poling (who hired her), Beth Temple and now Teresa Markham. She said that they all had different management styles and yet she enjoyed working for all of them. She stressed it has been a fun job.
Now her retirement will include quilting and working in her garden where she has flowers and vegetables. There will also be time to take care of those things which can be done when you don’t have a full-time job. She and her husband, Ray, who is already retired, have three sons.
Happy retirement, Dorothy!

7/24/09
Vineyard members take on Brazil
Eight members of the Vineyard Church of Marysville, Tony and Susie Pfarr, J.J. Hane, Megan Lahman, Kelsey Browne, Christina Planck, Morgan Beeching and Judy Michael, traveled to Castanahl, Brazil, as missionaries for 10 days. They went to help a family — Scott, Becky and Trevor Jollenbeck — who have been full-time missionaries there caring for people of the region for about four years.
The Jollenbecks’ goal there is to build a series of large home-like buildings which will serve as orphanages, and should house around 100 children when completed. The group of helpers from Marysville were there to paint the insides of these large homes and it was hard work.
In addition, they served as teachers aboard a riverboat as it cruised down a tributary of the Amazon River. As Judy Michael put it, riverboat is a glamorous name for what was a very old, somewhat rusty boat which was just basic transportation for the group as they traveled to see those who live on the river and spread the word of God.
The group presented a series of what Judy termed “Vacation Bible schools” to help people learn about Christ. Inhabitants of the region (where it’s dark at 5:30 p.m. even now) live in tiny shacks built of anything leftover or available in the area. At night, people sleep in  hammocks that are suspended from the rafters of these shacks.
During the day, families spend their time on the river in a small boat somewhat like a canoe. They use the river as a bathing facility and bathroom even though there are alligators and tarantulas in the area.
The people have nothing in the way of possessions and this group of missionaries was there to give them spiritual help. The Marysville group visited three churches along the way where everyone spoke Portuguese. They prayed with over 100 people, and played games with children sending them home with goodie bags. Judy said that people were so appreciative of the smallest thing you might do for them and the group was very humbled and glad they’d come to this place.
Churches on the river were built through funds raised by Project  Amazon, started over 25 years ago to reach the river people and tell  them about Christ. Estimates are that some 40,000 towns exist in the  river area. As villages grew up away from the river, people would move to them and that’s where a lot of the “invasion colonies” were formed. Any time there is a large vacant area, people will move in and construct shacks. When there are enough, sometimes the electric company will come to provide service and then a nearby city will provide water. Up until that time, people live with no amenities.
Most of the river people walk or ride bicycles to get anywhere. All bikes have a hauling device over the back wheel. The group saw hundreds of bikes hauling people, several with women holding babies. Not only can these people not afford cars, but also gas is over $6 a gallon.
This venture into missionary work was a real eye opener for the group of travelers from Marysville. It was a period of hard work and an adventure in a foreign country. But the most important time was that of spreading the word of God to people who truly live in another world.

7/17/09
From Vietnam to Marysville restaurateur
He was a young boy from a farm in Pike County who went to Vietnam at age 20 and ended up in Union County as a restaurant owner.
Bob Montgomery started school at age five in a country school with two grades in each room. The reason he had to begin early was his cousin, who was also in school, wouldn’t stay inside the building for  class and the answer was to have Bob there to keep him in place. With  two grades in a room, by the time Bob got to the seventh and eighth  grades it became quite an advantage. The same teacher taught both  grades about a half hour at a time, so Bob couldn’t help but pick up a little bit from grade eight when he was in grade seven.
After graduating from Waverly High School in 1966, Bob landed a job making metal components for aircraft landing gear. After two years there, the sound of metal on metal became very familiar to him and would probably save his life in Vietnam — more about that later.
The late sixties were days of the military draft and just before he would have been drafted, Bob enlisted in the U.S. Army so he could choose a specialty. Aviation was high on his list even though at age  19 he had never been in an airplane. His specialty training was as a  helicopter mechanic, and he focused on the Chinook cargo helicopter.
After just 12 weeks training he was shipped off to Can Tho, Viet Nam, a small village just outside of Saigon. There was a tiny Army  airfield there in the southern part of Vietnam, which was the rice  growing region. It’s hot there and it rains every day in the spring,  sometimes so hard you can’t see in front of you. Flying in this weather can be scary.
The men slept under mosquito nets in buildings with screen for walls. There were bugs and lizards everywhere. They had electricity most of the time, and the men would run fans to try and keep mosquitoes away.
At age 20, Bob’s job at the base was to take care of his Chinook  helicopter, so large it could hold two jeeps. He began as a gunner,  then crew chief, and then flight engineer, the senior enlisted man’s  position next to the pilot. His job was to handle the cargo that they  hauled daily. It could be people, it could be things, it could be  bodies. The crew had armor plated vests because they were shot at regularly. They would be best protected by sitting on these metal vests because the artillery came from below them. In 1,100 hours of flying time, Bob was never wounded.
One day on a routine mission, things went wrong aboard the helicopter. Bob heard a noise that sounded like metal on metal. He  recognized the grinding from his days in the machine shop. He told the pilot they needed to land quickly and he did so in hot, enemy territory on a beach, openly exposed. In five minutes Bob learned that the grinding, cutting noise involved the shaft which drove the duel helicopter blades.
Soon crew members heard movement in the jungle and even though they had radioed for help, they didn’t know if it would be coming in time. They began digging in the sand and forming a wall around the helicopter and, just in time, friendly South Vietnamese aircraft appeared and began strafing the tree line with their guns. American helicopter gunships showed up firing, too.
Within minutes, even more American helicopters showed up with extra troops and the part needed to repair the disabled helicopter. Within  20 minutes, the part was replaced and everyone got away safely, dodging the big bullet, so to speak. No Americans were hurt that day. Bob was only 22 years old — so much responsibility for such a young man!
A few years after entering Vietnam, Bob went home to the real world. In 1983 he married Song Cha (also known as Sandy). They lived in Columbus and Bob worked as a civil service employee for Don Scott airfield. There, he again worked on helicopters and became a pilot in the Army National Guard.
In 1988 he and Sandy opened Monty’s bar and restaurant in Marysville with a very tiny kitchen. That business grew quickly and they moved to Marysville. By 1998, they were now self-taught and experienced in the restaurant business. So when they opened their new place, they named it Sandy’s. It was located on the east side of town, just off Rt. 36. They worked hard — 85 hours a week — and just two months ago sold it. It is now Lucasey’s, an Italian restaurant.
Life is suddenly simpler for Bob and Sandy. They are both happy to be retired at a young age and actually having a life now. It is much  calmer certainly, compared to the stressful yet exciting, life-threatening days on a giant helicopter dodging bullets.

7/10/09
Richwood native in Shah’s Iran
For a farm boy from Richwood, who said he was naïve about the world, Chuck Minter has come a long way.
When he was college age, he didn’t even know how to drive to Columbus. He began his life on a 430-acre dairy farm near Richwood. He spent some years in the U.S. Air Force and worked for the country of Iran. He then returned to the farm. Obviously, his life has been diverse.
After two years at Ohio State University majoring in dairy herd management, Chuck was about to be drafted. Instead, he joined the Air Force receiving one stripe for his college years (airman third class). His first assignment was the stressful one.
He was sent to a SAC Air Force base in Lincoln, Neb. and worked on  the two-man concept. That was, two people of equal rank and skill doing the job of one man, in this case on an aircraft carrying nuclear weapons. Chuck was required to carry a sidearm and had to agree that he would shoot his partner if necessary. The reason for that would be some interference with nuclear weapons aboard the plane they were working on.
They each had to see a psychiatrist regularly to make sure that their mental state was up to the job. Chuck only lost one partner during his two-year stint and he doesn’t know what happened. The guy just disappeared one day.
The Air Force moved him from this stressful job to Osan, Korea, where his job was to distribute aid and help the locals, showing compassion in any way he could. This is where he met his wife Chong Hui and they married in 1966. There were three separate ceremonies — one in the mayor’s office in the Korean language, one at the American Embassy in English and then one under the eyes of God back at his base.
By 1968 he was out of the Air Force and, through the GI Bill, finally got his commercial license to fly. Unfortunately, the airlines were not hiring at that time, so the ad in a newspaper was extremely enticing. It said, “work in Iran,” and the money was very good. He and his wife were interviewed extensively (mostly her because Iran was not that friendly to women). An American company did the hiring for the Shah of Iran. He needed people to work on his airplanes, to  modify them, repair them and then test fly them after the repairs. All that was Chuck’s job along with 33 other people who made the trip to live in Iran.
The Iranian government provided Chuck and his wife with an 18-room  house in the desert. It had running water only four hours a day so they filled the bathtub for later use. The toilet was just a hole in the floor and that was a problem because ugly bugs came crawling up out of it. Finally, a modern western toilet was installed. There was only one window air conditioner for the house in that terribly hot country, but they were also only a mile from the beach.
Drinking water was a problem, so they had to balance the intestinal effect by eating goat cheese, which served as a binding agent.
The American workers were married and most of the women were natives of other countries. One wife was Russian and served as teacher for  the children and another wife was a nurse who took care of health  needs. The doctor only arrived once a month from Tehran, which was 500 miles away.
Usually the job lasted 18 months in Iran, but many people stayed more than one stint (Chuck stayed 7 years). The pay was excellent. In  fact, if you stayed away from the U.S. for more than 510 days at a  time, all the money you made was tax free.
Many spoke English in the large cities and Chuck became fluent in their native language, Farsi.
While there, Chong Hui was able to wear American clothes and did not  have to cover her head. In fact only about 25 percent of the women 
covered their heads in the 1970s, because the Shah was a moderate  (friendly to the U.S.) and let women become lawyers and drive cars.
Political problems in Iran began just a few months before the Shah  left power. There was much unrest in the country and Ayatollah Khomeini was about to take control. Chuck knew it was time to get out because the atmosphere everywhere was anti-American.
As quickly as possible, he and his friends returned to the U.S. Chuck went back to the farm, which he managed with his brothers, and even implemented an ethanol system to run the farm equipment. All the knowledge he gained in the Air Force and his work in Iran made him somewhat of a pioneer in this field.
Chuck and his family, which includes two adopted Korean sons, sold their farm in the early 1990s and he now works as a night watchman at a plant in Marysville. He’s very proud to have conquered dyslexia and of learning to fly an airplane with a commercial license. He also loves to talk to students and stress the importance of an education, particularly if you enjoy planes as he does and want a career in aviation.

7/3/09
Officer in charge - part 2
Last week Chief Floyd Golden of the Marysville Police Dept. took us through his early years in law enforcement. He grew up in Plain City where his father, Bill, was police chief and also served the Union County Sheriff’s Department as a deputy. He would even let his son  ride in the cruiser with him at times. That was when his fate was  sealed. Floyd entered the Ohio Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus and  was on the road as a trooper in 1971.
The highway patrol assigned him to Granville and later to Van Wert. By 1992, he was living in Milan and his territory was the Ohio Turnpike. At that time, there were three patrol posts on the toll road which runs along the northern part of the state. The area which spanned 240 miles was covered by 91 troopers.
There were drug busts, counterfeit arrests, and, of course, the usual traffic violations. One of the toughest things about patrolling this long stretch of highway with limited access is that help could be 20 minutes away in the event of a serious accident or a situation in which the trooper needs help with an arrest, particularly drugs. Aid would not come immediately. He was never physically attacked while working, but now things in the world and people are quite different.
According to Floyd, one of the most important things is your image as you approach a car that you’ve pulled over. You need to be confident and have good people skills. If you don’t have them, you better get them. Drugs busts usually begin by noticing nervousness or the smell of pot. The stress level for the officer can rise quickly.
Even though the patrol transferred his family several times, by 1980 they were back in central Ohio. He worked at the Delaware Post just south of that city. There was no Marysville post, but there were three resident officers assigned to this area, Charlie Beams, Ted Byus and Tom Bidlack.
When the Marysville Post opened, Lt. Floyd Golden became the commander there from 1994 to 1997. When he retired from the patrol, he stayed right in the same line of business as court services and 911 coordinator for the Union County Sheriff’s Dept. with his eye on the Marysville police chief job. In 2004, he was named to head the Marysville Police Department and in his words, he really likes it.
He knows that things have changed in the county over the years with regard to law enforcement and crimes committed. When he was growing up in the fifties and sixties there was beer and maybe an occasional town drunk who everybody knew. In those days, it was safe to just pick him up and take him home. But now, because of liability and  other changes in the law, that’s usually not possible. The days of  small time law enforcement are gone.
Now a big problem is drugs, not just pot, but very serious stuff like heroin and all the problems it brings. People who are hooked on this drug or other opiates need $200 a day just to maintain normalcy. They wake up every morning thinking how they can get money to buy the drugs. That often involves burglary, thefts and other crimes. When a person has to go for rehab, it costs thousands of dollars and usually means an out-of-state facility.
Not only are illegal drugs a problem, but so is the theft of prescription painkillers which are based in opiates. Homes of senior citizens and retirement centers can be the target for criminals because it is known that there may be some prescription drugs on hand. Chief Golden’s advice is, lock your doors.
Our police department is a full service operation. There are calls ranging from refereeing neighborhood disputes to tackling abuse situations. My favorite is the call to the police from a mother to get her teenager out of bed to go to school. Maybe it is still a small town!
During his five years as chief, Floyd has made many improvements in our police force. One is a focus on finances. For example, since gasoline has been so expensive the three bicycle officers have been added who use nothing but their own power to ride around. They were actually sent to a bike riding school - don’t laugh (I did). They learned how to ride the bike down steps when in pursuit without getting hurt, how to shoot from a bike and tactics for chasing a  fleeing person. The addition of electronics like mobile computers, in-car video and GPS tracking have brought us into the 21st century of law enforcement.
Chief Golden is proud of his staff of 33 officers (including two women) and dispatchers, 19 of whom are Union County natives. With his  calm demeanor and years of experience, it looks like we are in good  hands.

6/26/09
Officer in charge!
When you first meet him, the only thing that tells you he is the police chief is his uniform. His calm, kind, assured demeanor would not say “cop” to the average person, but law enforcement has been his life and his love.
Floyd Golden has been Marysville Police Chief since 2004 and he considers it five very good years in his life. Here’s how he got to this point.
He grew up in Plain City and his father, the late Bill Golden, worked at least two jobs to care for his family. One very important job was 
serving as police chief of Plain City. He also worked for the Union County Sheriff’s department.
That’s where Floyd really got a taste of police work as he rode with his father in the police cruiser some evenings. It may also be where he heard early stories about the Marysville and Plain City police departments.
One story was of the red light at the intersection at Fifth and Main Sts. in Marysville, and a similar one at the main intersection in Plain City. There were no police dispatchers in those days (’40s and ‘50s). When a call came into the police for help of some kind, the red light was turned on at that intersection to alert the officer as the police cruiser drove by. He would know that he needed to call in or go to the station to see who needed help.
Floyd also remembers that in the 1950s and ‘60s there was a police radio the size of a briefcase which was passed around from car to car. Also, the police phone would sometimes be set to ring into their house in Plain City so that they could take calls when not in the office. Sometimes his mother answered the phone and relayed the message.
After graduating from Jonathan Alder High School in 1964, Floyd had several jobs, one at a factory, a stint as a letter carrier and finally the U.S Navy. In was in 1966, during his Navy years, that he married his sweetheart, Phyllis Pine. They moved to Lemoore, Calif. where he was based at a naval air station in the desert for four years. He never served aboard a ship.
By August, 1969, he was out of the service and back serving as a letter carrier. When the weather became very cold, he knew this wasn’t for him. He put his electronics training from the Navy to work at Industrial Nucleonics in Columbus. But none of this was really how he wanted to spend his life.
One evening he was riding in a sheriff deputy’s car and he told his dad he was really interested in police work. They agreed the Ohio Highway Patrol might be for him. His father made a phone call and within minutes a highway patrol car drove up near them and inside was Charlie Beams, already a member of the highway patrol and a resident of Marysville for many years. He had an application for Floyd and within six months Floyd found himself in the Highway Patrol Academy in Columbus.
The patrol was founded in 1933 for crash investigation and commercial vehicle enforcement. It has since evolved into other duties such as criminal investigation.
His wife was what you might say not all that happy since she had seen police work interrupt the lives of their family over the years and saw that this would be Floyd’s life. Then he said (later), without her eventual support he could not have made it through those days at the academy. Students live there for three months and learn shooting, perfect public speaking and even spelling, criminal investigation and self defense including boxing. It was very regimented, but he was well prepared from his Navy boot camp experience.
Floyd says the academy gives you all the tools you need to be out on the highway, plus 60 to 90 days of on-the-job training with another experienced officer.
I asked him if he remembered his first traffic stop by himself and he could not. He did, however, remember his first crash scene investigation. It was at a busy intersection in North Columbus and his job was to keep everyone safe and traffic moving, and get those injured to the hospital. It was stressful and he was glad to get through it and confident that the situation didn’t get any worse after he arrived.
The worst part about his job as a highway patrolman was notifying the next of kin after a deadly accident. One situation sticks out in his mind some 20 years later. It involved telling people that their family members had died. In one case, two members of one family were dead and so was one in another family. Floyd remembered as he walked up to the door he could see a man sitting in a chair watching TV and realized he was about to change his world. It is something you never forget.
He said that the best part about being a highway patrolman was helping people, especially those whose car had broken down on the interstate. Floyd came across a family one evening whose car was out of gas. They had no money to buy gas and he gave them a little bit of cash from his pocket so they could fill up and go home, never expecting to hear from them again. (I suspect this action is quite typical of our police chief.) Then one day there was a letter in the mail with a big thank you and all the money returned to him.
Next week we’ll have more about Chief Golden’s 26 years with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and how he got back to Marysville to run our police department.

6/19/09
Of Army, Africa and Airborne
His demeanor is calm and kind, he is well educated in his field and he exhibits a sense of knowing what he’s doing. This is Jon Bailey 
(Fairbanks High School class of ‘92) and the description is undoubtedly why he’s been chosen to represent our country in African 
countries as part of the U.S. Army Reserves.
His road to that job began shortly after graduation from Ohio State University with a degree in finance. He worked for Andersen 
Consulting in Columbus, where he developed good IT (information technology) skills and traveled all over the country for the company.
He moved on to work for OCLC in Dublin and just one year later in 2002 (at age 28) decided to join the Army Reserves. He had events of 
911 in his thoughts and all of his family members had served in the armed forces. There was a strong military tradition there and so he 
signed up for the reserves.
His unit is designated civil affairs and is an airborne unit (they jump out of planes!). More about that part of it later.
In civil affairs (special operations school) Jon learned that our armed forces are more than just fighting with a gun. They fight 
terrorism and aggression with kindness and aid for countries that are new to democracy and struggling to maintain it.
In 2004, Jon’s unit was called up for the first time. He was originally told he would be going to Iraq and that was fine with him. 
It was his idea of serving his country.
Then came the callback — no, you’re going to Afghanistan. That was OK with him, too, but the final destination turned out to be Djibouti, a 
small country in Africa (borders on Somalia and Ethiopia) where we have a naval base. His group was based there, but traveled to Kenya, 
Ethiopia and Comoros.
Jon, as part of a team of about four (usually an officer and three enlisted men) went out daily giving away aid and assistance of many 
different kinds to residents of these countries who need help. The job was to find out what these countries need and then help them — 
build a school, get school supplies, obtain better water, help train their troops, etc. — anything that would legitimize their governments 
and stabilize those friendly to us. They were there to fight terrorism. Unfortunately some governments change every two years in 
Africa.
All this takes place in a part of the world where the heat is intense and rice and goat with spices (eaten out of bowls with your hands) 
are favorite foods. People live in huts built out of tarps, concrete blocks or trash found along the road. They don’t have forests for 
wood, but can import cement and gravel. Fresh water is at a premium and bathing regularly is not practical.
While in Ethiopia, Jon and his team were invited to attend a Muslim wedding which lasted three days. They celebrated with the groom in 
his tent and ate their food and communicated through an interpreter. During the time they were there, which was several hours, they never 
saw the bride because she was segregated in a tent with all the women, and the groom was with all the men. Jon’s not sure exactly 
when this wedding ended or if there ever was the formal ceremony. When he returned from this first mission he got married himself to 
Tasha and they live in Dublin.
In 2008, Jon’s reserve unit was again sent to Africa and he saw many of the same places and actually was able to view the end of 
construction of a school in Comoros, which they had started when he was there before. It bears both their flag and ours on the outside of 
the building. He just returned home again in December of 2008.
He’s been back to work at OCLC in Dublin and a few weeks ago Jon went to satisfy the second half of his unit’s duty — airborne. He and his 
unit went to Canada to jump out of a perfectly good plane with Canadian counterparts. The Canadians wanted to jump out of an 
American plane. Jon has to jump four times a year as part of the obligation of this unit.
I asked him if he was scared the first time he jumped. He said, “I’m scared every time.” His training for this part of his duty was just 
three weeks long at jump school at Ft. Benning, Ga. The men learn to drop quickly and all land in the same area. One of the most important 
things is the landing, and most of the time their training is spent on this event. They learned to hit with their feet. The landing was 
done over and over, falling into pea gravel from about six feet up. Most injuries occur at the fall.
Jon has jumped seven times and all from about 1,250 feet. They jump in a group and I asked, “What if you get up there and don’t want to 
jump out of the plane?” He said they are read something every time, which reminds them that they must jump or action can be taken against 
them. Of course, he explained there is a reserve chute on the front and by the time you count 1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000, 4-1000, the back 
chute must have opened. If not, you open the front chute. So far no problem with that!
Although being airborne is a special skill, Jon, who is a Staff Sgt. (E6), is on the path to becoming an officer and his goal is to stay 
in the Army Reserves. He’s leaning toward military intelligence which would mean a move to another unit.
His day job is as a manager using his computer skills, but his relationship with the U.S. Army Reserves has become a very important part of his life.

6/12/09
Student and teacher
He’s well on the road to success. He’s a 2003 graduate of Marysville High School, a college graduate with two majors and a recipient of a 
grant from America Corps. for grad school at Johns Hopkins University. Grant Underwood is also a talented musician who is still 
studying piano and playing the organ.
He receives his college degree from the Ohio State University June 14, and will attend the Teach for America Institute this summer at 
Temple University in Philadelphia. This is to prepare him for his teaching with America Corps. Add that to his degrees in English and 
music and you have a man ready to teach in inner city Baltimore, Maryland ... hopefully!
But his degree is in English with no education courses, so educational policy and class management are what he will be studying 
this summer at Temple. With this training he hopes to be ready for the high school classroom.
Not only will he be a first-year teacher in this special program to help disadvantage school districts, but also a graduate student at 
Johns Hopkins. At the end of two years of teaching and studying he will receive a master’s degree in arts/education which is 
certification and teaching style based.
Grant was a co-valedictorian at MHS with Larissa Ramsini. She has joined this program, too. Both are assigned to the Baltimore school 
system which has the second worst graduation rate in the United States.
We’ll stay in touch with Grant, following his first year of teaching in a challenging situation.
My Russian friend again
You may remember a few months ago I wrote about my new Russian friend, Roman Kravchenko. He and his family have been in this country 
for about 10 years. His wife, Natalia, was an Olympic gymnast for the former USSR.
Roman grew up in a military family and had specialized training in the Russian Army’s Special Forces. He also was a champion boxer and 
has coached this sport for several years. He is quite happy now to finally have a work permit, so he joined with several others in 
opening his own business in Plain City.
The venture is called Suplex City and offers well-known coaches from the world of marshal arts including wrestling, kick boxing, Judo, MMA 
and boxing. Two of the wrestling coaches are veterans of the Ohio State University wrestling team. The facility also offers an obstacle 
course, weights and cardio room and 2,500 sq. ft. of wrestling mat. Training will be available every day from 6:30 a.m. until 9:30 p.m.
You can see these guys are serious about coaching. Competition will take place every Saturday and Sunday. The facility is open to the 
public at no charge to watch the competition. Memberships are available daily, monthly and yearly, and camps of all types will be 
taking place this summer.
  Roman’s new facility is located at 7510 Montgomery Dr. in Plain City. It is next door to Integrity Gymnastics, where his wife spends 
her days coaching. You can contact Suplex City at (419) 565-8015 or by email at info@suplexcity.com.
Intelligent readers
This little quiz is for all my readers who I believe are quite on the ball! I could not figure it out and had to look at the answer. See if 
you can figure out what these words have in common.
1. Banana
2. Dresser
3. Grammar
4. Potato
5. Revive
6. Uneven
7. Assess
Look at each word carefully.
Answer: (No, it is not that they all have at least 2 double letters.) In all of the words listed, if you take the first letter, place it at 
the end of the word, and then spell the word backwards, it will be the same word.
 

6/5/09
Marysville’s easy rider? Part 2
Last week, we met Officer Craig Nicol of the Marysville Police Dept. Iwas extremely interested in him because he was instrumental in bringing
the police motorcycle to town. We talked about his experiences in learning to ride this particular cycle, which was not built for that
specific purpose.
I also asked him about other events which stood out in his nearly 12 years on the police force. He began with this story:
“Our Special Response Team (SRT) had been called out to serve a search warrant at a house. After we secured the suspect, the SRT team left the
suspect with the detectives, who were conducting the search.”
“The suspect managed to get away from those officers and ran to his bedroom and grabbed a handgun he had hidden. We were called back to
assist in getting the suspect to surrender. He had the gun to his head for a couple of hours threatening to shoot himself if we attempted to
come into his bedroom.”
“A detective who had been negotiating with him was able to talk him into setting the gun down, but the suspect had second thoughts and reached
for the gun. I was able to shoot him with the less lethal bean bag round, which kept him from getting to the gun. Officers moved in and
secured the suspect and the gun. We were able to keep this guy from killing himself, which is the primary goal of our SRT team, saving lives
not taking them. I saw the suspect in court a few days later and he thanked me for the actions we took.”
A second memorable event came to mind: “I was working second shift and we were called to check the well-being of an infant due to reported
unsafe living conditions. We arrived at the address and the mother was sitting on the porch with the child, whom I believe was maybe four
months old. The mother had put strawberry flavoring with regular milk in the baby's bottle.”
“She allowed us into her trailer to check living conditions. There was animal feces and trash everywhere. There was no place for the baby to
sleep and fleas and bugs were crawling everywhere. We had to step out every couple of minutes because of the ammonia smell from the animal
urine. The baby was very dirty and looked like it had not been bathed for quite some time. We were able to get the baby out of that
environment that night.”
So, now Craig is on the day shift and for the most part during good weather rides the police motorcycle around town. He enjoys the
maneuverability and thus the chance to get through a traffic jam when necessary or be just a little less visible when using the traffic
control devices, such as the laser unit. This allows him to shoot it at a license plate as far as 2,000 feet away in a crowd of cars to record
the vehicle’s speed. The goal is just to get people to slow down and drive safely.
Craig reports there have been no motorcycle accidents for him, but he has melted some pairs of those polyester pants that police wear because
of the heat coming from the exhaust. Now he is permitted to wear heavier pants, which also must protect his legs better.
His first ticket on two wheels was written just as he was learning to ride the motorcycle, to a driver who pulled out in front of him from a
stop sign. Patrolling can be tougher on two wheels. Early on it must have been precarious at times.
Here was my chance to ask the question that so many want to know. It turns out this involves a myth which must be an urban legend at least in
Marysville. I asked Officer Nicol if there is a quota for writing tickets to bring in income for the city and if at the end of the month
many more are written to meet this quota. He replied that was absolutely false. There is no such quota in our town, so now you know the rest of
the story.
Many members of Craig’s family led the way into law enforcement. His father, Ken Nicol, retired as assistant chief from Marysville PD. His
grandfather, Lavern “Wiener” Nicol, was auxiliary with both the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Union County Sheriff's Dept. All of his
uncles were or are also part of MPD — Jerry Nicol, retired, Ron Nicol, currently a sergeant, and Glenn Nicol, current assistant chief.
Then there’s his mother’s side of the family. Grandfather, the late Bill Golden, retired as Chief of Plain City PD. Uncle, Floyd Golden, is
current Chief of Marysville PD and is retired as a lieutenant from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, and cousin, Shawn Golden, is a detective at
the Union County Sheriff's Dept. You can see this is truly the “family business.”
Craig enjoys being on the motorcycle. It’s a great way to be approachable to the public. Apparently, people will just walk right up
and talk to him which is great for public relations! He says sometimes it’s really hot (there’s no air conditioning as in the cruiser), and by
late October when temperatures drop into the 40s, the motorcycle is put away until springtime. Patrolman Steve Hardy and Sgt. Ron Nicol also
share time on this specialized cycle.
In the near future, look for more on the Marysville Police Dept. from its top person, Chief Floyd Golden.

5/29/09
Marysville’s easy rider?
It’s a sign that the community is growing and we are becoming much more metropolitan since we have a patrolman on motorcycle. It’s 
definitely an indication of something changing.
The person largely responsible for this addition is a 1991 graduate of Marysville High School and a full-time police officer with the 
city of Marysville. Craig Nicol said that when he graduated from high school he didn’t know what he wanted to do even though his 
grandfather, father, and several uncles were all part of a police force.
He went to Kent State University and majored in criminal justice, so he was leaning a bit that way. Eventually, he received his associate 
degree in law enforcement technology from Ohio University. He says that about half of the Marysville police force has a degree or some 
form of advanced training, which is strongly encouraged.
Finally Craig settled on the police academy in Logan County and after six months training (at night while he worked full time) which was 
mostly classroom and also some self defense and shooting, he joined the Wilmington, Ohio police department in 1996.
By October of 1997 he was back in Marysville in what you might call the “family business.” He was a police officer patrolling Marysville 
in his air conditioned police car and it was work mostly done at night on the second shift. He still looks back fondly on that time 
when most of the action is going on, as now his time is spent on the day shift. That fits his schedule better because he and his wife, 
Tara (Louck), have three children now.
About two years ago he became very interested in adding a motorcycle to the police fleet of vehicles. After all, he had ridden a 
motorcycle since he was 18 and owned his own, but now he could see many uses for it in the department. It could maneuver in and out of 
traffic where a car couldn’t go. It could get to the scene of a crime when everything was at a standstill and he could sit out in the open 
to patrol speeders and yet not be as visible as a car.
So, Craig is credited with doing all of the research for the Marysville police department and adding this advantage to their fleet 
of vehicles. The motorcycle was purchased through the local Honda dealership and not really meant to be a police motorcycle in the 
beginning. It had to be modified with police saddlebags, emergency lights, siren and radio equipment. Then Bob Chapman Ford painted it 
to look like a police vehicle.
When I first noticed Craig just a few weeks ago, he was patrolling the streets with his radar gun. I was surprised to see him just off 
W. Fifth St. Then just a few minutes later I approached that crazy intersection at Community Market and there he was again with his 
radar gun pointed toward Milford Ave. I decided it was time to learn more about his activities. Craig said that in addition to radar he 
has a laser unit which when pointed at a license plate in a crowd of cars as far as 2,000 feet away, can indicate the speed of that 
vehicle. Good to know!
The police officers who ride the motorcycle, including Patrolman Steve Hardy and Sgt. Ron Nicol in addition to Craig, received 
intensive training in order to be qualified. Craig told me: “The Harley Davidson Motorcycle Co. with Northwestern University conducted 
a two-week police motorcycle course. Harley Davidson is a huge supporter of police departments nationwide and donated the 
motorcycles that we used during the training. The course curriculum consisted of high-speed braking, evasive techniques, and low speed 
maneuverability. It is by far the toughest training I have ever experienced. By the end of each day you are sore from using every 
muscle in your body to maneuver these bikes and also from dropping them. It is very common, especially in the first week, to drop these 
motorcycles while learning the proper way to ride and maneuver them. It’s never fun to have a 750-pound machine on top of you. If you 
don’t pass the skills they teach you, they send you home. I had my mind on getting a perfect score and am proud to say that I got it.”
“We were trained on the Harley Davidson Road King, which is a common police motorcycle and made for that purpose. As I had mentioned 
during our conversation, the motorcycle we ride was not made to be a police bike and we had to add a lot to it to work as one. It is 
extremely hard to maneuver compared to what we were trained on, but I'm glad to just be able to patrol on a motorcycle.”
Craig continued about the Marysville Police Dept.: “The officers I work with are great people who care about the job they do and the 
people of this community. I know that if any of them were called to put their lives on the line, and many have, there would be no 
hesitation.”
Next week: More about being a police officer through the eyes of  Craig Nicol.

5/22/09
Memorial Day thoughts
In the midst of hot dogs, hamburgers and bratwurst, Monday, we need to pause and remember the reason we can have such festivities. It's a 
special holiday — Memorial Day.
On Thanksgiving Day we pause to give thanks for the things we have. On Memorial Day we pause to give thanks for those who fought to 
preserve the things we have ... one of the most important being our freedom!
Memorial Day is a time when we remember all those who fought and died for our country and thus enabled us to live the privileged lives we 
have in America. In connection with this day, Don Degood, a Korean War veteran, sent a note about saluting the flag when not in uniform.
Don said: “I served in the Army after I was drafted in January, 1951. My service in Korea was with the 8th Combat Engineers of the 1st 
Cavalry Division. I also spent time in Japan. Korea is the forgotten War, why I don't know. History and today’s news media jump from WWII 
to Vietnam.”
The information Don shared came from the Korean War veterans magazine called “Graybeards.” The article states that in January of 2008 
President George Bush signed a law which amended the federal code concerning a veteran saluting the U.S. flag. It says the amendment 
authorizes members of the armed forces and veterans who are present during the National Anthem but not in uniform to render a military 
salute in the manner provided for individuals in uniform.
All other persons present should face the flag and stand at attention with the right hand over their heart. Don said that in the past, this 
action was not considered proper without a uniform. “This is great news for us old vets,” he added. “I hope the story will be told with 
Memorial Day coming up.”
Now you know.
Many men and women gave their lives for their fellow citizens, and this is the most serious of sacrifices. But there is also a lighter 
side to military service and one which has been documented in purported quotes from military manuals and famous people. I share 
this with you now as another look at the armed forces.
Wisdom from military manuals:
If the enemy is in range, so are you - Infantry Journal.
It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed - U.S. Air Force Manual.
Whoever said the pen is mightier than the sword obviously never encountered automatic weapons - Gen. Douglas MacArthur.
You, you, and you ... panic. The rest of you, come with me - U.S. Marine Corps gunnery sergeant.
Tracers work both ways - U.S. Army Ordnance Manual.
Five second fuses only last three seconds - Infantry Journal.
Any ship can be a minesweeper ... once.
Never tell the platoon sergeant you have nothing to do - unknown Marine recruit.
If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up with him - USAF Ammo Troop.
Though I fly through the valley of death, I shall fear no evil ... for I am at 50,000 feet and climbing.
You've never been lost until you've been lost at Mach 3 - Paul F. Crickmore (test pilot).
The only time you have too much fuel is when you're on fire.
If the wings are traveling faster than the fuselage, it's probably a helicopter ... and therefore, unsafe.
When one engine fails on a twin-engine airplane, you always have enough power left to get you to the scene of the crash.
There is no reason to fly through a thunderstorm in peacetime - a sign over the squadron ops desk at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ, 1970.
Thanks to all members of the military whom we honor on Memorial Day — for our lives, our country and our freedom to choose.

5/15/09
Brownies, terrorism and Afghanistan
He is 26 years old and a 2001 graduate of Marysville High School and later Capital University with a degree in history. Eric Thrush, the 
son of Steve and Amy Thrush and Harvey and Bonnie Goertz, is now known as Specialist Eric Thrush of the United States Army. His area 
of expertise is gathering intelligence and he will be doing so in Afghanistan next week. His deployment will be for about a year.
His interest in fighting terrorism began during his college years when Eric was doing an internship in Washington, D.C. at the Center 
for Terrorism. There he did research, which included tracking terrorist activity around the world. After that he was hooked, and 
hoped for a career in the FBI or an intelligence agency. That never materialized, so he enlisted in the Army to do the same thing.
Of course, we know through the news that Afghanistan is a hotbed of activity and Eric is really looking forward to doing his job with an 
infantry unit. It will include going through villages and seeking terrorists.
His new assignment was just what Marysville Brownie Troop 702 was looking for. His stepfather, Harvey Goertz, had a friend, Pam Seckel, 
who is a Brownie troop leader of 6- to 8-year-old girls. They were looking for a service project and wanted to adopt a soldier, so 
Harvey mentioned Eric. When he was home on leave a few weeks ago, the girls met with him and showered him with Girl Scout cookies and 
wishes for his safety.
They plan to stay in touch with him through e-mail and send him care packages. Eric was touched. Harvey said the little girls sat around 
and gazed at him as if he were a superhero. They also asked questions like: “Do you carry a gun?” to which he said he did; “Are you 
scared?” to which he answered no since he and his fellow soldiers are well trained for the job. Then they wanted to know how strong he was 
and if he could lift several tables at once?
The meeting with the Brownies provided Eric, who is stationed at Ft. Carson, Colo., with one sendoff, and his family will be going out 
west to be with him just before he leaves. The young girls who are part of the Brownie troop will stay in touch and try to make his year-
long deployment more enjoyable.
Good luck to you, Eric. We pray for your safety while there, doing your job.
Pastor Jim day
He is currently the Pastor Emeritus of First English Lutheran Church (serving from 1971-1985) and is living at Carriage Court. The Rev. 
Jim Baldwin is in his 94th year and doing pretty well. He attends church — in the front row — every Sunday and still enjoys interaction 
with parishioners.
In 1991, Pastor Jim was named to the Central Ohio Senior Citizens Hall of Fame and just about that time the Union County Commissioners 
took steps to honor him. They named May 25 Pastor Jim Baldwin Day and we remember that act again this year. He was recognized as a dynamic 
leader in many activities in our town and garnered much appreciation for his efforts.

5/8/09
A look at mothers
  This Sunday is Mother’s Day and my 39th time to celebrate the event. I am a mother and a grandmother and have mostly loved all of 
this experience. Recently a friend shared with me some thoughts about mothers, and so today in celebration I pass this on to you.
  Real mothers don’t eat quiche; they don’t have time to make it.
  Real mothers know that their kitchen utensils are probably in the sandbox.
  Real mothers often have sticky floors, filthy ovens and happy kids.
  Real mothers know that dried play dough doesn’t come out of carpets.
  Real mothers don’t want to know what the vacuum just sucked up.
  Real mothers sometimes ask “Why me?“ and get their answer when a little voice says, “Because I love you best.”
  Real mothers know that a child’s growth is not measured by height or years or grade. It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother.
The images of mother
  4 years of age - My mommy can do anything!
  8 years of age - My mom knows a lot! A whole lot!
  12 years of age - My mother doesn’t really know quite everything.
  14 years of age - Naturally, mother doesn’t know that, either.
  16 years of age - Mother? She’s hopelessly old-fashioned.
  18 years of age - That old woman? She’s way out of date!
  25 years of age - Well, she might know a little bit about it!
  35 years of age - Before we decide, let’s get mom’s opinion.
  45 years of age - Wonder what mom would have thought about it?
  65 years of age - Wish I could talk it over with mom.
The beauty of a woman
  The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.
  The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides.
  The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly 
gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!
The blue/green toe event
A friend of mine who is also a mother and grandmother and who I have known for more than 15 years, recently did a really crazy thing. 
About two weeks ago, I included some hints in this column about home remedies. The one my friend was interested in involved Listerine and 
toe fungus. She even called me to see if I knew how many times a day she should soak her toes in Listerine.
I told her I did not know and asked her to let me know if that particular remedy was valid. The phone rang just a few days later and 
I just knew it was too soon for that toe fungus to already be cured. Instead, she wanted to remind me that Listerine comes in a very nice 
blue/green color and consequently her toes are now that same lovely color. Apparently, they were stained by that product and we don’t 
know yet if the fungus is gone. As we finished our conversation she reported she was on her way to buy the yellow color Listerine, much 
closer to her skin color.
  I won’t tell you who the friend is, but just look for the blue/green toes!

5/1/09
The semi-secret project
Although it wasn’t meant to be a secret, it seems to have certainly been a low-key project. It has been rarely reported in the press and 
was brought to my attention by Don Degood of Marysville. This was a project of huge proportions which was meant as a kind acknowledgment 
of the sadness our country experienced on Sept. 11, 2001. It is a gift from a country that used to be our enemy — Russia — and from the 
people of that nation to the United States. It is a sculpture of tears and is situated in Bayonne, New Jersey.
The idea for the gift began the same day our country was experiencing its most terrible act of terrorism — 9/11. The sculpture, labeled “To 
the Struggle Against World Terrorism,” was conceived the very day the tragedy unfolded by Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli. He is in his 70s 
and is president of the Russian Academy of Arts.
As he walked the streets of Moscow that day, he was struck by the outpouring of grief he saw as the Russian people sympathized with our 
country. The image of a tear formed in his mind and he was determined to build a monument as a gift to our country.
Shortly after the attacks, the sculptor visited “ground zero” and looked to New Jersey’s waterfront for an appropriate site for the 
monument which would honor victims of the World Trade Center terrorist attacks.
He chose Bayonne as a fitting location because the city was an arrival point for many New York City evacuees on 9/11 and a staging 
area for rescuers. In addition, it offered a direct view of the Statue of Liberty and the former World Trade Center towers. Now, as 
you leave the New York Harbor, you can see this monument just before the Statue of Liberty. Many do not even know to look for it.
This gift from Tsereteli and the Russian people, is made of steel sheathed in bronze. It stands nearly 100 feet high and the center 
contains a jagged open tear. Inside the open space of that tear hangs a 40-foot stainless steel tear drop representing sadness and grief 
over the loss of life, but also hope for future freedom from terror. Etched in granite on the 11-sided base are names of the nearly 3,000 
killed in both the 1993 World Trade Center bombings and 9/11 terrorist attacks.
There is some controversy about the names on the base because the artist apparently used an outdated list and failed to remove the 
names of 43 people who were deleted from the official record because their deaths, and in some cases their existence, was not proven. As a 
result, there was some criticism and controversy which continued to swirl around the 10-story sculpture located on the shores of New York 
Harbor.
It seems some people just can’t appreciate, but must find fault with the efforts of someone who was apparently just trying to do something 
good for our country. Because of the support of Jersey City Mayor Glenn Cunningham, the “Tear of Grief” monument committee (original 
name) was able to bypass many of the review requirements and push plans through for acceptance by the city more quickly than normal. 
Some objection to that was expressed and threatened to end the project.
Finally Guy Catrillo, former co-chairman of the 9/11 committee, may have turned the tide in this disagreement when he stated that the 
“Tear of Grief” should not be considered a 9/11 monument, but rather a statement about world terrorism. At this time the official title 
was revised to read “To the Struggle Against World Terrorism” and the project again regained momentum and acceptance.
So now you know of this good deed meant to express compassion for those in our country who suffered at the hands of terrorists. It’s an 
act under-reported by the American press, and a positive result that should receive notice.

4/24/09
How to improve your life and maybe health
This week I am sharing with you some of my most interesting mail from my most informed friends. The first deals with facts (maybe) about 
your body. Surely we can use this information in some productive way!
It takes your food seven seconds to go from your mouth to your stomach.
One human hair can support 3 kg (6.6 lb).
Human thighbones are stronger than concrete.
A woman’s heart beats faster than a man’s. (Maybe that’s connected to our warmth and kindness as women!)
There are about one trillion bacteria on each of your feet. (Oh my gosh!)
Women blink twice as often as men.
The average person’s skin weighs twice as much as the brain.
The body uses 300 muscles to balance itself when you are standing still.
If saliva cannot dissolve something, you cannot taste it.
Tips to use or not use
Here are some tips, suggestions, ideas and maybe even something enlightening for you. Try these if you want and let me know how it 
works ... or if it works!
Eliminate ear mites in your dog or cat. All it takes is a few drops of Wesson Corn Oil in their ear. Massage it in, then clean with a 
cotton ball. Repeat daily for 3 days. The oil soothes the cat’s skin, smothers the mites, and accelerates healing.
Kill fleas instantly — Dawn dish washing liquid does the trick. Add a few drops to your dog’s bath and shampoo the animal thoroughly. Rinse 
well to avoid skin irritations. Good-bye fleas.
Rainy day cure for dog odor — Next time your dog comes in from the rain, simply wipe down the animal with Bounce or any dryer sheet 
instantly making your dog smell springtime fresh.
Did you know that drinking two glasses of Gatorade can relieve headache pain almost immediately without the unpleasant side effects 
caused by traditional pain relievers? (This may depend on the cause of the headache!)
Before you head to the drugstore for a high-priced inhaler filled with mysterious chemicals, try chewing on a couple of curiously 
strong Altoids peppermints. They’ll clear up your stuffed nose. (Plus your breath will be so pleasant.)
Sore throat — just mix 1/4 cup of vinegar with 1/4 cup of honey and take 1 tablespoon six times a day. The vinegar kills the bacteria?
Cure urinary tract infections with Alka-Seltzer. Just dissolve two tablets in a glass of water and drink it at the onset of the 
symptoms. Alka-Seltzer begins eliminating urinary tract infections almost instantly, even though the product has never been advertised 
for this use.
Listerine therapy for toenail fungus — Get rid of unsightly toenail fungus by soaking your toes in Listerine Mouthwash. The powerful 
antiseptic leaves your toenails looking healthy again.
Easy eyeglass protection — To prevent the screws in eyeglasses from loosening, apply a small drop of Maybelline Crystal Clear Nail Polish 
to the threads of the screws before tightening them. (I have done this and it works, but you need to reapply periodically).
Cleaning liquid that doubles as bug killer — If menacing bees, wasps, hornets, or yellow jackets get in your home and you can’t find the 
insecticide, try a spray of Formula 409. Insects reportedly drop to the ground instantly.
Smart splinter remover — Just pour a drop of Elmer’s Glue-All over the splinter, let dry, and peel the dried glue off the skin. The 
splinter sticks to the dried glue.
Touted benefits of fresh pineapple
Fresh pineapple tastes great and even better than eating it might be worth a trip to Hawaii to enjoy it right off the tree. If that’s not 
possible, just buy it here and enjoy the benefits reported by another note from one of my friends.
The pineapple is a member of the bromeliad family. It is extremely rare that bromeliads produce edible fruit. The pineapple is the only 
available edible bromeliad today. It is a multiple fruit. One pineapple is actually made up of dozens of individual flowerets that 
grow together to form the entire fruit. Each scale on a pineapple is evidence of a separate flower.
Pineapples stop ripening the minute they are picked. No special way of storing them will help ripen them further. Color is relatively 
unimportant in determining ripeness.
Choose your pineapple by smell. If it smells fresh, tropical and sweet, it will be a good fruit. The more scales on the pineapple, the 
sweeter and juicier the taste. After you cut off the top, you can plant it. It should grow much like a sweet potato will. This 
delicious fruit is not only sweet and tropical, it also may offer many benefits to our health. Here are some of the claims:
Pineapple is a remarkable fruit and it may be one of the most healthful foods available today. Pineapple is high in manganese, a 
mineral that is critical to development of strong bones and connective tissue. A cup of fresh pineapple will give you nearly 75 
percent of the recommended daily amount. It is reported to be particularly helpful to older adults, whose bones tend to become 
brittle with age.
Bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, is the key to pineapple’s value. Proteolytic means “breaks down protein,” which is why pineapple is 
known to be a digestive aid. It helps the body digest proteins more efficiently. Bromelain is also considered an effective anti-
inflammatory. Regular ingestion of at least one half cup of fresh pineapple daily is purported to relieve painful joints common to 
osteoarthritis. It produces mild pain relief. In Germany, bromelain is approved as a post-injury medication because it is thought to 
reduce inflammation and swelling.
Fresh pineapple is high in vitamin C, but contains lots of carbohydrates as do many fruits.
It is said we should learn something every day. Here were lots of opportunities for that!

4/17/09
It’s all about dedication
  Two young ladies from Union County have just shown us what dedication is all about. Margo Geer, a junior at Fairbanks High 
School, and Mary Kallinicou, an eighth grader at Bunsold Middle School in Marysville, are champion swimmers. They had the honor of 
competing in the National YMCA swimming meet last weekend in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., at the International Swimming Hall of Fame (a four-
day event).
  Being a champion swimmer doesn’t come easily and demands many long hours of work at the sport. Both Margo and Mary compete for the 
Springfield YMCA and travel there after school and more, six days a week. They return home about 10 p.m. and start all over again the 
next day. Both girls have been competing since they were about seven years old.
  Margo has many honors to her credit including State Champ. Last summer she competed in the Olympic trials in Omaha, Neb., and has her 
sights on that again in four years. She is the daughter of Mark and Linda Geer.
  Interestingly, her parents were not competitive swimmers. In fact, Linda says that when she was in college her swimming was so poor that 
she actually had to take swimming lessons to complete her physical education major. That left her determined that her children would 
swim well and both Margo and her brother, Marcus (a champion himself and a junior on the swim team at Denison University), have benefited 
from her resolve.
  Linda said that Marysville did not have a pool at their “Y” when Margo began to swim, so they joined the team in Springfield. They 
have stayed there because of the rapport with the others youngsters and their coach, who has done such a fantastic job with Margo. She 
not only swims there every day, but also often at the Marysville “Y” before school.
  Last weekend at the national meet, Margo swam again against another young lady (Emily Lloyd) who she has competed against many times. The 
two of them tied in the 100 freestyle for the national title. It was a total dead heat and they both hold that honor.
  This national meet was the first time for Mary to compete and as a rookie she swam in the 100 breaststroke, which is her favorite event. 
She feels she’s gained great experience and the next time will be a little more comfortable. She also mentioned that she isn’t used to 
competing outside and the pool in Ft. Lauderdale is a large outdoor pool.
  Her parents, Nick and Julie, must be just as dedicated as she to see that she keeps this rigorous practice schedule. In fact, it’s a 
family event whenever a child takes on a sport at this level.
  Next month Margo will compete as a member of the National Youth Team in Vancouver, Canada. Again she will be competing against Emily 
Lloyd and possibly swimming with her on a relay team.
  Good luck to Margo and Mary, great examples of what can be accomplished with lots of dedication!
Harriman takes honors
  Dr. Bob Harriman is a 1965 graduate of Marysville High School and the son of Margena Harriman Howard (who now lives in Haines City, 
Fla.) and the late James Harriman. He has just been named the Rotary Club’s Citizen of the Year in Gulf Breeze, Fla.
  He currently serves as administrator for the Andrews Institute (for orthopaedics and sports injury) and the 65-bed acute-care Gulf Breeze 
Hospital (part of Baptist Health Care). The city of about 6,500 people is considered a suburb of Pensacola and is located on a 
peninsula across Pensacola Bay.
  According to the area community newspaper Gulf Breeze News, Dr. Bob has a clinical and administrative background — “He began his career 
in radiology, then earned his doctorate in educational leadership from Florida State University. He was the inaugural administrator for 
Baptist Medical Park in Pensacola during its first years of operation.”
  He is quoted in the newspaper saying, “The tenets of Baptist Health Care are very like those of Rotary. By creating a strong, service 
oriented culture of excellence among employees, Baptist Health Care has spent multiple years in the top 1 percent in patient satisfaction 
surveys.”
  Harriman also serves on the Gulf Breeze area Chamber of Commerce and is an active volunteer for the Salvation Army.
 

4/10/09
A beautiful story of dreams
I recently found this story and thought it was perfect for those of us who celebrate Easter. It certainly gives us something to think 
about. Sometimes we receive what we need and not what we want.
Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods. They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said: “Someday, 
I hope to be a treasure chest. I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems and be decorated with intricate carvings. Everyone 
would see my beauty.”
The second tree said: “Someday, I will be a mighty ship. I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of other 
worlds. Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull.”
Finally, the third tree said: “I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill 
and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time 
and people will always remember me.”
After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees. One came to the first tree and 
said, “This looks like a strong tree — I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter,” and he began cutting it down. The tree 
was happy because it knew that the carpenter would make it into a treasure chest.
At the second tree, one of the other woodsman said, “This looks like a strong tree — I should be able to sell it to the shipyard.” The 
second tree was happy, because it knew it was on the way to becoming a mighty ship.
When the group of woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because it knew that, if it was cut down, its dream would 
not come true. One of the woodsmen said, “I don’t need anything special from my tree, so I'll take this one,” and he cut it down.
When the first tree arrived at the carpenter's, it was made into a feed box for animals, placed in a barn and filled with hay. This was 
not at all what it had prayed for.
The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. Its dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end.
The third tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark.
The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams. Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth, and they 
placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree. The man wished that he could have made a crib for the 
baby, but this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest 
treasure of all time.
Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep. While they were 
out on the water, a great storm arose, and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe.
The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said “Peace,” and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the 
King of Kings in its boat.
Finally, someone came and got the pieces of the third tree. It was carried through the streets, and the crowd mocked the man who was 
carrying it.
Finally, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill. When Sunday came, the tree realized that it was 
strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.
The moral of this story is, when things don't seem to be going your 
way, always know that there is a plan for you.
Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.
  Happy Easter!

4/3/09
A wagon teamster’s story
His name is Bob Skelding and at 49 years old (single father of two grown children) he decided to take a trip ... an unusual trip.
His dream was to travel freely about the country in a trailer on wheels pulled by four Percheron draft horses and see new places and 
meet new people. Two of the horses are 15 years old, another one is 10 and the fourth is eight. Bob came through Marysville the first 
week of December and was featured on the front page of the Journal-Tribune.
Bob built the 7x16-foot trailer himself. It included all the modern conveniences including a full-size bed and bathroom with shower. 
There was a kitchen which even allowed space for a table. Bob said the trailer had to be made to support and care for his four much-
loved horses, plus be light enough for them to pull and strong enough to last.
His trip began last summer in Deerfield, N.H. Bob said: “I don’t know where I’m going or where I’ll end up, but I think I’m really going to 
enjoy the people and places along the way. The sole purpose of my trip is to travel by horse and wagon and meet people. I want them to 
share their experiences with me and I’ll share mine with them. I value non-tangible things and I like people for who they are and not 
for what they have. The reason I’m traveling in this fashion is because it combines all the things I like best and eliminates those I 
like the least. Also I can’t think of a cooler thing to do.”
His trip was going fine until February. By that time he had traveled more than 1,700 miles when he was involved in an accident in 
Meridian, Miss. He was driving his team of horses on a stretch of highway that had little or no shoulder. Two 18-wheelers traveling 
side by side crested a hill and one of the trucks hit his 7,700-lb. trailer from behind. It was demolished and two of his four horses 
were killed. Bob was taken to the hospital in critical condition and his two surviving horses were cared for by a nearby veterinarian.
He said that his sister Debbie went to visit the horses since he wasn’t up to it physically or emotionally. The horses are resting 
comfortably, both with wounds that will heal. This must be a very sad time for Bob in many ways.
After more than two weeks in a hospital Bob began to heal and declared: “I’ll have to do quite a bit of mending, build a wagon, 
acquire a couple of new horses and train them. These are not insurmountable tasks, but nothing’s going to occur real soon. The 
trip is by no means over — it has just been delayed while things are restructured.”
He continues to heal in North Carolina near his sister’s home and hopes to continue on his way of meeting people all up and down the 
East Coast by midsummer.
  You can follow his journey at wagonteamster.com.
Where are they now?
I recently received a note from Zelma Parthemer, who now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. She is a former resident of the Marysville area and 
keeps up with Union County by checking on line at the Journal-Tribune Web site — marysvillejt.com. She told me that she and her sons now 
live in Ft. Lauderdale. Aaron (MHS class of ‘90) has recently been selected to the top 1000 financial advisors in the United States by 
“Barrons,” the Dow Jones business and financial weekly.
He is part of the Parthemer King Group at Smith Barney and specializes in advising National Football League players in 
preparation for retirement.
U.S. News said: “Aaron Parthemer, 36, is a certified financial planner with Citi Smith Barney who has been working with athletes 
since 2000, and his current roster includes 27 players from 17 NFL teams. He offers a look at the less-than-glamorous future for the 
majority of the league’s players and advice for retiring from a career that usually lasts only about 3 1/2 seasons.”
His Web site is - http://fa.smithbarney.com/theparthemerkinggroup/index.htm.

3/27/09
About to be extinct in America
A friend recently shared some of this information with me about things which may soon be lost to our culture. I think you may be aware of some of these, too — others may surprise you.
Phone land lines — According to a survey from the National Center for Health Statistics, at the end of 2007, nearly one in six homes had a cell-only phone, and of those homes that had land lines, one in eight, only received calls on their cells. For me, this doesn’t work. I like having my number available in a directory. What if I want to make a call and don’t have the number. If it is cell only, there is no directory access. On the other hand, many like this idea because they don’t want to be bothered by unwelcome calls. I am the opposite 
— I am a communicator!
VCRs — For about three decades, the VCR was a best-seller and staple in every American household until being completely decimated by the DVD, and now the Digital Video Recorder (DVR). In fact, the only remnants of that age are blank VHS tapes. Pre-recorded VHS tapes are largely gone and VHS decks are practically nowhere to be found. They served us so well, but the quality of recording is far superior in the DVD form.
Ash trees — In the late 1990s, a pretty, iridescent green species of beetle, now known as the emerald ash borer, hitched a ride to North America with ash wood products imported from eastern Asia. In less than a decade, its larvae have killed millions of trees in the Midwest, and continue to spread. More than 7.5 billion ash trees are currently at risk.
Cameras that use film — It doesn’t require a statistician to prove the rapid disappearance of the film camera in America. Just look to companies like Nikon. In 2006 it announced that it would stop making film cameras, pointing to the shrinking market. Only 3 percent of its sales in 2005 were film cameras, compared to 75 percent of sales from digital cameras and equipment. There is certainly a great joy in immediately seeing the picture you took and determining if you need to get the shot again — quickly!
The milkman — According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in 1950, over half of the milk delivered was to the home in quart bottles. By 1963, it was about a third and by 2001, it represented only 0 .4 percent. I remember our milk was delivered as recently as 1976. The milk man would just come in our house and put the large five-gallon container with pour tap right in the refrigerator for me.
Now most milk is sold through supermarkets in gallon jugs. The steady decline in home-delivered milk is blamed, of course, on the rise of the supermarket, better home refrigeration and longer-lasting milk. Although some milkmen still make the rounds in pockets of the U.S. they are certainly a dying breed.
Hand-written letters — In 2006, the Radicati Group estimated that 183 billion e-mails were sent each day, worldwide — two million each second. By November of 2007, an estimated 3.3 billion people owned cell phones, and 80 percent of the world’s population had access to cell phone coverage. Then we have to consider the trillion text messages sent weekly. So, where amongst all this communication is there room for the elegant, hand-written letter? Is it polite to send that “Thank you” note via e-mail?
Drive-in theaters — During the peak in 1958, there were more than 4,000 drive-in theaters in this country. But in 2007 only 405 drive-ins were still operating. Exactly zero new drive-ins have been built since 2005. The drive-in was a place from my past. When I was in high school, we all met there on Saturday nights with or without dates to see the latest scary horror movie under the stars!
Honey bees — Perhaps nothing on this list of disappearing America is so dire and so necessary to the survival of our food supply as the honey bee which is being killed off due to Colony Collapse Disorder, or CCD. Many agricultural crops are pollinated by bees. The cause of the syndrome is not fully understood although some believe it could 
be due to mites or insect disease. The loss of worker bees in colonies has spread throughout the U.S and Europe over the past few years, wiping out 50 percent to 90 percent of the colonies of many beekeepers and along with it, their livelihood.
The family farm — Since the 1930s, the number of family farms has been declining rapidly, as are many long-held family businesses. According to the USDA, 5.3 million farms dotted the nation in 1950, but this number had declined to 2.1 million by the 2003 farm census. At one time, 91 percent of the U.S. farms were small family farms. Some of this decline is due to sale of the farm property to developers.
I know change is part of living and everything can’t stay the same forever or we would have no progress, but some of these parts of our lives will be sorely missed.

3/20/09
Once a Marine …
If you’re a member of the U.S. Marine Corps you have to be tough, and these two men were, as they fought for their country in the South Pacific during World War II. Joe Dodge is now 85 years old and George Peto is 87. Both men served in combat on the front lines during World War II, and luckily neither was ever wounded. In fact, both appear to be in excellent shape with memories intact.
Memories are their business now. They consider it their duty to share all they remember from the days of battle with the 3rd battalion, 1st Marines. In fact they are always looking for an audience and particularly enjoy sharing their war stories with high school students.
Joe grew up on a farm in Jerome and graduated from New California high school in 1942. There were 15 in his class and the war was raging. He knew he would be drafted, so he joined the Marine Corps. 
He wanted to fight, and he did. He was known as Corporal Joe Dodge in those days. He was a sharpshooter and an expert at making napalm for flame throwers. He said he used a dry mix which was added to captured gasoline from Japanese vehicles to produce napalm.
That liquid was loaded into flame throwers, which sent fire into the sky to land on huts called pillboxes. These units were made of coconut bricks and housed the enemy which was firing on them. 
According to Joe and George, the job of operating a flame thrower was a nasty one and so dangerous many of the operators were burned up themselves due to malfunctions.
Joe was a part of the invasion of Peleliu, one of the high Palau islands. The island interior was made of coral mountains, which were hollowed out by the Japanese and entire cities located inside. It was a hotbed of enemy activity and it took 78 days for the allies to remove the Japanese from their stronghold, mostly by using napalm to burn them out. There was lots of killing. Both Joe and George said it was kill or be killed.
George was also part of the same invasion, but did not know Joe at that time. The two men met many years later at a Marine reunion and quickly became friends. George, who is now 87, grew up in Akron and entered the Marines in 1940. He said that when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, the U.S. became a completely united country, bent on ridding the world of Axis powers, which were then their total enemies.
Sgt. George Peto was a part of the landing force that came in on LSTs (landing ship tank). He remembers that early in the morning of the landing, the invasion group went down to the lower deck and were served steak and eggs. They called it the last meal. Quickly, carbon dioxide filled the hold as the landing crafts were readied. The odor was terrible, causing many of the men to be nauseated just before they went off on their mission. They boarded the 25 LSTs, called the iron monsters, and because of the tide timing, they needed to go toward the beach at about 8 a.m. The vessels were driven for about an hour before reaching the beach.
  At that point, the wind blew the crafts toward the beach. Also, in case the enemy on the island expelled poison gas, it would float back on them at that time in the morning and not on the allied forces.
When the floating LSTs hit the reefs, everyone bailed out and it was truly every man for himself. In the Peleliu landing,  235 in his group made the landing but only 18 survived — George was of course one of those. He and Joe both said the worst part of surviving this 70-plus day battle was the lack of water. It was 130 degrees and when the water came to the troops eventually it had been put in previously used gas cans so they couldn’t drink it.
George said long after the battle was over and the fighting subsided, he and his men were served a beer. They cooled it by placing captured Japanese gasoline into their helmets and blew on it with a straw. The chemical reaction made the beer in the cans cold. This was obviously the highlight of their two months on Peleliu.
George and Joe both say that the memories of what happened more than 60 years ago stay with them on a day-to-day basis.
To this day the battlefield of Peleliu is still intact with ammo and tanks still there, serving as a memorial to the war. George and Joe are eager to share their stories with students. They believe patriotism begins in the schools and the two former fighting Marines are available to help. You can reach Joe at (614) 504-5530 to learn more about how WWII shaped our world today.
 

3/13/09
St. Patrick’s Day
  St. Patrick is known as the patron saint of Ireland, although he was not born Irish.
  Patrick was born about 390 A.D. and his birthplace is said to be in either Scotland or Roman England. His real name was probably Maewyn Succat, though Patricius was his Roman name. So he was called Patrick.
  After much adversity as a young man he made his way to France and joined a monastery where he spent 12 years in training, finally becoming a bishop. He felt a calling to Ireland to tell them about God.
  Patrick was quite successful at winning converts there even though he was arrested several times because of his teachings. But he escaped each time. He traveled throughout Ireland establishing monasteries across the country setting up schools and churches along the way.
  Patrick's mission in Ireland lasted for over 20 years. He died on March 17, 461. That day has been commemorated as St. Patrick's Day ever since.
  The Irish are such colorful people with great stories. Here is one I recently received from a friend:
  This story happened a while ago in Dublin, Ireland, and even though it sounds like an Alfred Hitchcock tale, believe it if you wish!
  John Bradford, a Dublin University student, was on the side of the road hitchhiking on a very dark night and in the midst of a big storm. The night was rolling on and no car went by. The storm was so strong he could hardly see a few feet ahead of him.
  Suddenly he saw a car slowly coming towards him. It stopped. John, desperate for shelter and without thinking about it, got into the car and closed the door only to realize there was nobody behind the wheel and the engine wasn't on.
  The car started moving slowly. John looked at the road ahead and saw a curve approaching. Scared, he started to pray, begging for his life. Then, just before the car hit the curve, a hand appeared out of nowhere through the window and turned the wheel. John, paralyzed with terror, watched as the hand came through the window, but never touched or harmed him.
  Shortly thereafter John saw the lights of a pub appear down the road, so gathering strength, he jumped out of the car and ran to it. Wet and out of breath, he rushed inside and started telling everybody about the horrible experience he had just had. A silence enveloped the pub when everybody realized he was crying and wasn't drunk.
  Suddenly, the door opened and two other people walked in from the dark and stormy night. They, like John, were also soaked and out of breath. Looking around, and seeing John Bradford sobbing at the bar, one said to the other, “Look Paddy, there's that silly idiot that got in the car while we were pushing it!”
  The Irish are also the subject of much great humor. Here is some more of that:
  Paddy was driving down the street in a sweat because he had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up to heaven he said, “Lord take pity on me. If you find me a parking place I will go to Mass every Sunday for the rest of me life and give up me Irish Whiskey!” Miraculously, a parking place appeared. Paddy looked up again and said, “Never mind, I found one.”
  Gallagher opened the morning newspaper and was dumbfounded to read in the obituary column that he had died. He quickly phoned his best friend, Finney. “Did you see the paper?” asked Gallagher. “They say I died!” “Yes, I saw it!” replied Finney. “Where are ye callin' from?”
  And finally — an Irish friendship wish:
  May there always be work for your hands to do; May your purse always hold a coin or two; May the sun always shine on your windowpane; May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain; May the hand of a friend always be near you. May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you.
  Thank Heaven for the Irish!
 

3/6/09
He’s a citizen now
His journey has been both long and short. He and his family have been U.S. residents in Marysville and Green Card holders for more than 20 years. A green card grants most of the rights of everyday Americans for foreign nationals including the right to work. The exceptions are voting, jury duty and holding office. Henk Berbee has had a green card issued for life. Now he has taken the next step. Yesterday he became a citizen of the United States of America, a process which 
took about five months.
Henk and Marianne Berbee and their children Bob and Marjolein were born in Holland and that country does not allow dual citizenship. The U.S. does. The process of becoming a U.S. citizen for Henk means he denounces his Dutch citizenship.
I asked him why he would make the change at this time. He said since his father and mother died (he refers to himself with tongue in cheek as an orphan) he has not had the drive to go back to his homeland. He said, “It’s just not like home anymore.“
His naturalization process began last September by sending in his application form and $675 to Homeland Security. Apparently the difficult task of getting a green card in the beginning, which permits one to work and operate as a quasi American, is the hardest hurdle. Since that was conquered 20 some years ago, the steps to actual citizenship went smoothly for Henk.
By late October he had moved on to the fingerprinting stage at the federal building in downtown Columbus. All must have checked out OK for him because he was granted his interview in early February.
During the interview for citizenship Henk was asked to read and write a sentence in English. Then followed the oral test. He was given a list of possible questions ahead of time so he could study. Since he got the first six correct, the interview was over and he passed.
One possible slip-up could have been the question — If the president dies who takes over? He answered Joe Biden. The interviewer wanted the response to be the vice president. Once they settled that little difference, Henk was informed he would be a citizen.
Now that he has that designation, he can vote, serve on a jury and, equally important to Henk, he may run for office. Don’t be surprised if you see his name on a ballot sometime in the future.
Because Henk is now a citizen, Marianne, Bob and Marjolein can take their steps to naturalization and will be able to keep their Dutch citizenship, too, because of a quirk in the law. Though we Americans pride ourselves in knowledge about how our country works, some of those answers Hank had to give were difficult even for one educated 
in our country. Here are a few for you to try:
No. 1 - How many changes, or amendments, are there to the Constitution?
No. 2 - How many voting members are in the House of Representatives?
No. 3 - What were the original 13 states?
No. 4 - Who was the main writer of the Declaration of Independence?
No. 5 - Name the amendments that guarantee or address voting rights?
No. 6 - In what year was the constitution written?
Answers - No. 1 - 27 amendments; No. 2 - 435 voting members; No. 3 - Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Georgia; No. 4 - Thomas Jefferson; No. 5 - the 15th, 19th, 24th and 26th amendments; No. 6 - the Constitution was written in 1787.
These questions were some of the 96 possible to be asked on the naturalization exam. So, you can see one has to be prepared for a little bit of everything.


2/27/09
The great flood of 1959
The winter of 1959 was a memorable one in Union County.  The rains came in January and continued for days bringing major flooding to the area, particularly Wheeler Green Rd. near Mill Creek. The creek was overloaded with water and spilling onto the property of Esther and Leland Smith. On January 21, 1959 the water was flowing in their yard and they were unable to drive out of the driveway.
For many people this would be a problem but for the Smith family it turned into an emergency.
To tell the story we go back to November 1958, two months before the flood. Esther and Leland Smith had two daughters, Linda and Mary Ellen. It seems Esther hadn’t been feeling well or what she said “quite right” and called her family physician, Dr. Marsh, whose office was located in Broadway.  He finally decided to admit her to the hospital in Kenton for tests as they did in those days.
Esther said she was checked out and all results came out okay, so she went home with no answer to her problem. Now go forward to January 21, 1959 – two months later. The water from the flood is rising and the Smiths are concerned – then it began.
Esther really wasn’t feeling well in fact she said it was like she was in labor. How could this be?  Everything unusual had been ruled out with her tests and her body had actually been operating as normal. She didn’t even have a big tummy (but never did when pregnant with her daughters) and the hospital had not found a pregnancy when she was tested.
Sure enough, as strange as it was, she realized she was in labor! Leland went into action. Their phone was out of service because of the weather – his car couldn’t leave the property because of the flooding – so, he started walking to get help.  What a guy!
Esther said that her husband walked the railroad tracks on higher ground about 11⁄2 miles to Peoria and there he was able to phone Dr. Marsh. That must’ve been a surprise to the Dr. too. Dr. Marsh apparently then sent two teenage boys with a row boat to get Esther. 
When they arrived at her home rowing the boat to her front door she was surprised to see them, but must have been relieved that soon she would be on her way to the hospital. She must’ve also said, “Can I really be having a baby?”
After making the all important phone call, Leland returned to stay with his daughters and Esther was “rowed” away through the  floodwaters by these two young strangers to the waiting ambulance of Willard Winters. He owned a funeral home in Raymond and was located just 1⁄4 mile away on dry ground.
Soon after she floated in, she was quickly loaded into the waiting ambulance and taken to Memorial Hospital in Marysville. After a short labor time she delivered her son, David. What a surprise! She did well, he was healthy and just recently celebrated his 50th birthday.
Even though Dave was unexpected, he has had a good life and Esther said he has been a wonderful son. So, 50 years ago David Smith came into this world with the help of many — including those two complete strangers with a row boat.

2/20/09
George Washington’s Day
  Earlier this week we celebrated what we now call Presidents’ Day. 
It is always on the third Monday of February. Until it was changed, the birthdays of both Abraham Lincoln (Feb. 12) and George Washington (Feb. 22) were celebrated seperately. Now, they are celebrated together on one day.
  Washington's Birthday was first celebrated in the District of Columbia in 1880. It was made a federal holiday in 1885 to honor the life and work of our first president. The commemoration was originally held on the anniversary of George Washington's birth, on Feb. 22. In 1971, the holiday was moved to the third Monday in February and coupled with honoring Lincoln’s birthday.
  Now you know the history of the event, here is more about our first president.
  In the 1740s, when chivalry was important, young George Washington created a list he called the 110 rules of civility and decent behavior in company and conversation. According to historian Richard Brookhiser, it was based on the 16th century set of precepts that were compiled for young gentleman by Jesuit instructors. These rules were one of the earliest and most powerful forces to shape the early life of George Washington.
  I will just share a few of these rules with you. Perhaps some of these would be good for our lives today.
  George Washington’s rules of civility and behavior:
  Every action done in company ought to be with some sign of respect to those that are present.
  In the presence of others, sing not to yourself with a humming noise, nor drum with your fingers or feet.
  If you cough, sneeze, sigh or yawn, do it not aloud, but privately and speak not in your yawning, but put your handkerchief or hand before your face and turn aside.
  Sleep not when others speak, sit not when others stand, speak not when you should hold your peace, walk not on when others stop.
  Put not off your clothes in the presence of others, nor go out your chamber half-dressed.
  Spit not in the fire, nor stoop before it, neither put your hands into the flames to warm them, nor set your feet upon the fire 
especially if there be meat before it.
  Shift not yourself in the sight of others nor gnaw your nails.
  Kill no vermin as fleas, lice, ticks, in the sight of others; if you see any filth or thick spittle put your foot upon it, if it be 
upon the clothes of your companions then put it off privately and if it be upon your own clothes return privately.
  Let your countenance be pleasant, but in serious matters somewhat grave.
  The gestures of the body must be suited to the discourse you are upon.
  When you see a crime punished, you may be inwardly pleased, but always show pity to the suffering offender.
  Do not laugh too loud or too much at any public spectacle.
  You can see that Washington was concerned about acting in a proper manner and he set the tone for all presidents to follow him. Many years ago, a monument was built to him in Washington, D.C. Here are some interesting notes about the structure.
  There can never be a building built of greater height than the Washington Monument. On the aluminum cap are displayed two words: Laus Deo. No one can see these words. In fact, most visitors to the monument are totally unaware they are even there.
  These words have been there for many years; they are 555 feet in the air, 5.125 inches high, perched atop the monument, facing skyward, overlooking the 69 square miles which comprise the District of Columbia. Laus Deo in Latin, composed of just four syllables and only seven letters means, “Praise be to God!”
  Though construction of this giant obelisk began in 1848 when James Polk was President of the United States, it was not opened until 1888.
  From atop this granite and marble structure, visitors can also easily see the original plan of the designer, Pierre Charles 
l'Enfant. It shows a perfect cross imposed upon the landscape, with the White House to the north. the Jefferson Memorial is to the south, the Capitol to the east and the Lincoln Memorial to the west. Within the monument itself are 898 steps and 50 landings.
  Washington was a great man who got our country off to a good start and thus we celebrate his life.
Mailbox
  I received the following note from Tom Morgan about my recent article on southern Union County gunsmith Bob Edwards.
  “I was one of the people you were talking about (who brought guns to Edwards to fix). In 1960, I thought I was a gunsmith. I made the trip from Ostrander to Bob’s once a month for Bob to bail me out when I got in over my head. Never once did he fail to help me get guns fixed that had me totally stumped. Tom Morgan, 8669 Mills Rd., Ostrander.
 

2/13/09
A Valentine story
Theirs is a perfect story for Valentine’s Day. It is one of love, understanding and conquering of a life altering problem.
At one time, Kevin Mabry was battling clinical depression, and he and his wife, Nancy, were going through a very difficult time. Nancy wrote something which described the situation and their feelings. The words were put to music and recently Holly Underwood called me about this story. She told me that Kevin sang the song Nancy wrote at their friend’s funeral. She wondered about its origin since it so fit the occasion. When the Mabrys explained the situation to her, she wanted me to know the rest of the story — so here it is.
Kevin and Nancy met in high school. She was a freshman (class of ‘75) and he was a senior (class of ‘72) at Fairbanks. Soon they were dating and an item, and after he graduated, he went on to college at Urbana College. On the side, he continued his painting and wallpapering business which was good income and helped him finance his bachelor’s degree.
One year after Nancy graduated from high school they married and Kevin continued his lucrative painting business. He was also pursuing his passion for music with a local band, Kevin Mabry and Liberty Street.
Country music was always part of his life, but soon that would take another turn — to the spiritual side. By the mid 1980s, Kevin and Nancy had two daughters, Chelsey and Katie, and Kevin had left Liberty Street and was recording his new choice of music (gospel) in Nashville.
By the 1990s, the Mabry family had started a concession business selling iced tea in a big way — eventually growing to the use of eight trailers at some 32 events on the fair circuit. They work very hard for about six months a year.
It was a good life, but because of Kevin’s health the family began to suffer. His problem was diagnosed as clinical depression and medical help had to be obtained. But finding the right combination of drugs to help treat the chemical imbalance in his body took some time.
There were times when Nancy needed extra help and she was able to obtain it from family, friends and, of course, her faith in God. During her most troubling time, she sat down and wrote their story telling of her trust in God to restore Kevin’s health.
After Kevin’s recovery, he thought her words to God were so apropos that they should be put to music by a friend in Nashville. Nancy said: “The song came to me during a prayer and while I was writing down my thoughts. Many people have terrible things happen to them in their lives. I explained to my girls that it’s not what happens that counts, it’s how we handle those problems. It reflects who we are and what we stand for.”
She continued: “The song came from our love and faithfulness to each other and staying true to our faith in the peaks of life, but more importantly staying faithful to each other and to God in the valleys.”
I have been privileged to hear all the tunes on this new CD titled "Keep on Believing" (getting play on Springfield radio). It contains spiritually based songs, many of which were written by Kevin, and is something to enjoy. It includes the song Holly Underwood mentioned to me.
Here is the first verse and chorus of that song, “As If Only For Me.”
A thief in the night had taken the thing most precious to me, my peace, my joy, my purpose had been robbed, by the enemy. Darkness seemed to surround me, oppression had taken its toll. Then God’s face shown warm all around me in that struggle beyond my control.
 Now the battle’s been fought and the victory’s been won by the One who set me free. And I rest in the hope of the blood that was shed on the cross as if only for me. On the cross as if only for me.
Kevin has conquered his depression (which he has been quite open about in the past) and life is good for him and Nancy. They credit their return to normalcy to medical help and their faith in God. Their love story is perfect for this Valentine’s Day.
 Happy Valentine’s Day to you all!
 

2/6/09
Gun safety learned early
  Back in the 1950s, the Edwards Gun and Firing Range was the place to be if your interests were in rare guns, rifle repair or hunting. It was originally located on the farm of Bob Strausbaugh on Rosedale-Milford Center Rd. in southern Union County, since the Edwards family lived in the tenant house on the farm. In 1950, the Edwards family built their own home next door and later, their gun shop and shooting range.
  The Edwards family, which included five children, a daughter Phyllis and then two sets of twins born just 13 months apart, were all in the gun business (the children worked even at a young age). The first set of twins were girls, Karen and Sharon, and shortly after that, twins Raymond and Robert joined the family. That certainly made things very busy for their mother and father Bob and Ruth who quickly had five children.
  Son Bob Edwards recounted some of his memories of living on the farm and his early association with guns because of his father’s business. His dad sold guns, ammunition and later, when the oldest twins were just three, had a trap shooting facility and firing range on the property next door.
  Bob said: “On Saturdays and Sundays gun traders from all over central Ohio would stop by to deal with my father. One dealer in particular would bring all his pistols in an old sock in the trunk of his car.” (Hmm?)
  He continued: “Gun buyers were people from all walks of life including farmers, doctors, lawyers and even politicians. Bill Saxbe, former Attorney General of Ohio and later Attorney General of the United States, was a steady patron of the shop. When he came to the shop, Secret Service agents used to be real nervous with all the guns lying around. You see one time my father and Bill had overloaded a homemade cannon and it blew up.”
  “My father used to make his own ‘hand-loaded’ ammunition, which he sold and stored early-on in the cellar. On one occasion, he tried another person’s ‘hand loads’ in a 1917 Colt revolver. It blew part of the cylinder through the neighbor’s Cherry tree, 100 yards away. That neighbor’s name was Bill Purdue and he had been playing his Hawaiian Steel guitar when that part of the gun went through the leaves of a tree nearby.”
  The Edwards children were taught from day one to never point a gun at anything you didn’t want to shoot. After school the children would go to the reloading room in the gun shop and help with the chore of keeping ammo on the shelf for the upcoming weekend. They made their own bullets with a mold and then followed the five-step process to make the ammunition. Bob said that in those days there were many varmint hunters buying high powered rifle ammo.
  He said that in the later years on their range, there were two clay bird traps that ran constantly during the fall months and in early winter. During the trap shooting time, cars would park on both sides of the road for a quarter of a mile in both directions to come to enjoy the facilities. Raymond and Bob spent eight to 10 hours a day on weekends resetting the traps in steel-lined trap houses. (I guess that was safe.) The clay birds had to be propelled by hand until the 1960s.
  Bob recounted: “The business was especially exciting on the evening before hunting season because Amish families would come to buy shotguns for their sons for the first day of the season and we would sell everything in stock. Keep in mind that there would be an average of 100 to 200 guns in the shop at one time. Especially exciting was the time we had 18 Trapdoor Springfield rifles (from Gen. George Custer’s Civil War time) to sell. We often had all types of guns — Marlins, Winchesters, Colts and Smith and Wessons. Probably the rarest gun we ever had was an early model Colt SA (single action) pistol with a one digit serial number. It dated to about 1870. That pistol would be worth hundreds of thousands today.”
  Bob remembered: “My dad was a premier gunsmith and would fix guns when others had given up. My brother Ray became an excellent woodworker and stock refinisher.
  Such was the life of the Edwards family in the 1950s and 60s in southern Union County. It was a time when guns could be shot freely. At that time their business was located way out in the country. Trap shooting with clay birds was a popular pastime and a very good business for this family who worked together.
  Both of their parents have passed away and now Raymond lives in Westerville and works as a maintenance electrician. Karen is in Milford Center and is retired from Honda while twin sister Sharon lives in Connecticut and has worked as a successful stockbroker. Phyllis lives in Shelbyville, Ind. and Bob lives in the Toledo area and is a transportation manager. You can reach Bob at cannonrpe1947@yahoo.com.

1/30/09
The inauguration up close and personal
Most Americans never have a chance to see a president sworn into office, but as only a freshman at Muskingum College, Brandon Creagan has been there. While at Marysville High School (class of ‘08) Brandon was recognized by the National Leadership Forum on Medicine and subsequently received an invitation to the inauguration of President Barack Obama.
His adventure, while on this five-day visit to Washington, D.C., was one of managing cold outdoor temperatures, long hours of standing and supreme elation at literally seeing the man he voted for become President of the United States.
His journey began on Saturday, Jan. 17. After arriving in Washington D.C., his group of college students stayed just four blocks from the White House at the plush Grand Hyatt Hotel. They quickly began the round of educational seminars set up by their sponsoring group. They heard speeches from people like Luke Russert, Al Gore, Colin Powell and attended seminars conducted by James Carville and Mary Matalin plus Jim Roosevelt, grandson of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
It was then day two and the students moved on to the Lincoln Memorial with cold weather and an outdoor concert (a tough ticket to get) that many of us watched on TV. Brandon saw Queen Latifa, Tiger Woods, Denzel Washington and Steve Carell who all gave speeches. Other performers at the concert were Stevie Wonder, John Legend U2, Usher and Shakira. Obama and Joe Biden both also gave speeches at this event.
Day three offered the final seminars and then there was day four — the inauguration. This was the time they were anxiously anticipating. To say it began early and lasted long would be a ridiculous understatement.
Brandon and his roommate awoke just before 3 a.m. on Jan. 20 and headed out into the cold and dark with a coat, scarf, hat and gloves. When they arrived at the gates to the mall area where they would save their spot to watch the inauguration, they discovered the Secret Service had closed the space until 9 a.m. That would be six more hours! One good thing was that the sun would surely be up by then and the temperatures might move on up into the teens or low 20s.
Even though it was a long cold wait of about nine hours, they stood and prepared to see the inauguration of the 44th president of the United States. After waiting six hours at an entrance on Seventh St., they discovered that no one could enter there unless, as Brandon remembers, they were important or famous.
So, Brandon said: “We had to walk all the way around to 18th St. to get in, but once we got there we stood and had a clear view of the Capitol in front of the Washington Monument. There was a big screen so we could see what was going on up close. The experience of being there was so amazing especially when Obama gave his speech. People had tears of joy and it was a happy moment. Following the event, it took us two hours to get back to the hotel because everyone was funneled down one street, all one million or so of us.”
Brandon continued: “When I got back to the hotel I starting to get ready for the Inaugural Ball (of course he wore a tux), which was being held at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. (This was a ball for their group of students.) There they served us appetizers and drinks and on the television we watched the first dance of Barack and Michelle Obama.”
Brandon said there was no dancing for him at the ball because his legs were killing him from standing those nine hours waiting for the Inauguration to begin.
“Around midnight or so the President came to our ball just to say ‘Hi’ and then had to leave. We all went home quickly after that, exhausted.”
Brandon has had the trip of a lifetime. It would be a fantastic experience for anyone, especially a college student who may now be torn between a career in medicine and one in politics. We’ll see in the near future what influence this whole experience has had on him.

1/23/09
His journey to the top
This is a continuation of the story of Erin Snowden, of Zanesfield, his tremendous weight loss (155 lbs. through bariatric surgery) and his quest to conquer Mt. Everest.
Last week I told you about his weight loss and how after his two-year recovery from the 2004 surgery which saved his life (he was only in his late 30s), he needed another cause. Mt. Everest was it.
Erin toned his new 205 lb. body (formerly 360) into shape by working out at the “Y” in Marysville four to five hours a day. Now he still weighs 205 but has only 13 percent body fat and looks fit, toned and solid.
He said: “In the beginning my workouts were unsatisfying and usually resulted in going home very sore. However, it didn’t take long to begin seeing the results of my hard work. Other people began watching my workouts and the intensity which I brought to the workout room. I developed a wide variety of training programs and techniques; cardio and strength conditioning had become a very large part of my life. During my workouts I would visualize standing on the top of a mountain looking down at all the people eating bags of potato chips and sitting on their couches. I would think to myself, I wish I could help them see how their lives could change with diet and exercise. My focus was and still is to be the strongest that I have ever been.”
Erin told me you can’t just go climb a mountain. There are paths to follow, one which demands the body be fit and the other is learning all the basic mountain climbing skills. Both are equally important.
He began his quest to climb Mt. Everest by entering organized bike rides, some 200 miles long. His spinning classes at the “Y” at high resistance undoubtedly helped with that.
Last summer he did his first big climb, which was Mt. Rainer near Seattle, Wash. This was a six-day expedition/seminar, where the group first learned skills needed to be a climbing guide and to scale the mountain. Some skills included using an ice axe to stop a downward fall. Erin says, “First you yell ‘falling’ then dig in just the point of the axe to stop.” Important to know, I would think!
This climb was done carrying a 65 lb. backpack and pulling a sled with extra supplies. Fortunately the weight of the supplies decreases as they are used up while scaling the mountain.
After climbing Mt. Rainier last summer (the most glaciated in the lower 48 states) Mt. McKinley in Alaska is Erin’s next event. He says it is good preparation for the goal of Mt. Everest, which he has tentatively scheduled for the summer of 2011.
Erin said: “Since I’ve already completed the first step in my plan to climb Mt. Everest, I’ve decided that I’m ready for the next, Mt. McKinley. It is nicknamed ‘The Great One’ and named to honor President William McKinley. As a descendant of William McKinley, I am using this opportunity to climb his mountain as a way to honor my family.”
Erin continued: “Mt. McKinley has larger bulk and higher rise than Mt. Everest. Additionally, because of the high altitude (20,320 ft. above sea level) and also the higher latitude, the levels of oxygen are much lower than that of mountains of similar height. The weather is typically worse than is experienced on Mt. Everest. Mt. McKinley is also referred to as Denali, the native name, which is the name currently recognized by the state of Alaska.”
Erin’s cost to climb Mt. McKinley will be about $7,900.
While physical training is very important for climbing a mountain, it cannot be done without the proper cold weather gear. The clothing and climbing tools all need to be top quality, and most important, suitable enough to climb in the worst weather imaginable.
This is a very driven and determined young man who has already conquered a huge weight problem, 200-mile bike rides, one mountain and soon another, and all while earning a college degree in business — magna cum laude. Oh yes, he also has a full-time job in the night shift at Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus, 55 miles from his home.
He has a goal and could use some help getting there. To learn more about Erin’s mountain climbing adventures and sponsorships you can go to his Web site, www.myjourneytothetop.org.
Erin believes he has a lot to offer the world and is working hard to be prepared for his future in the world of business and finance and as a member of the elite who have conquered Mt. Everest.

1/16/09
Currently he’s a mountain climber in training and on his way to Mt. McKinley … then Mt. Everest. Erin Snowden’s road to this point has been unconventional to say the least. Before he could start training for the ultimate climb (Everest) he had lost 155 pounds of his body weight. Here’s how he did it.
Erin, who now resides in Zanesfield,  grew up in the Dayton area and graduated from Beaver Creek High School in 1986.  After that, there was about a year of college, where he said he got lazy, drank beer and gained weight. The best solution to this problem was the U.S. Marine Corps, which he entered in May 1988.
During this time, Erin started power lifting and came very close to the bench press world record of 633 1⁄2 pounds.  Four years later after leaving the Marines, he stopped lifting and laziness crept in again. He said he had a car so he didn’t have to walk.
Between 1992 and 2004 Erin’s weight ballooned up to 360 pounds. His health was terrible as a result and that’s when he sought help to lose the weight.
Soon it became clear that bariatric surgery was the answer, but the process toward the procedure took about a year and included psychological and nutritional counseling. Also known as gastric bypass surgery, the procedure was described by Erin as removal of the top portion of the stomach where the “full” sensation is realized with reattachment to the intestine. This smaller portion then serves as the stomach. 
His surgeon did not know until he opened him up that Erin had a birth defect called intestinal malrotation. This meant that his intestines ran vertically instead of horizontally as in most people.
Because of this problem, more extensive surgery was required than Erin had expected and when he awoke, instead of having a small laparoscopic incision, his was 18 inches long. Not surprisingly, it was very sore and hard to walk for weeks, two of which were spent in the hospital.
During those two weeks he didn’t eat a thing and lost 41 pounds. Meanwhile, he had the full support of his wife, Brenda, and son Jacob.
Erin’s surgery was at Mount Carmel Hospital in Columbus. He was  an employee there working in the maintenance department. He still drives that 55 mile trek daily from his home in Zanesfield to work the night shift.
One of the most heartening parts of this story is the donation of sick days from Erin’s fellow employees. He needed three months off work and he used all of his time. Then the donations started coming in. Sick days were given for him from members of his department and many others.
Erin’s recovery went well and for six weeks all he consumed was liquid and pureed food. Apparently the hamburgers are the grossest looking of the puree. The transition to solids went slowly and he ate only about the amount of food which would fit in the palm of your hand.
If the food was not very well chewed, there was pain involved in the digestion process and he learned very quickly to chew it!
The weight started dropping off with no work-out type exercise. None was recommended for two years.
By 2006, two years after the surgery, Erin had lost 155 pounds and weighed a respectable 205 with 22 percent body fat (you can see he is very much into statistics now.)
Currently he works out four to five hours a day at the YMCA in Marysville with spinning classes at highest resistance and running on the treadmill as just part of his routine.
He still works the night shift at Mount Carmel and — get this — goes to Franklin University on the side. These efforts have earned him an associate degree (Magna Cum Laude) in business this month and the regular exercise has reduced him to only 13 percent body fat still weighing 205 pounds. Now he will also continue on for a bachelor’s degree in finance.
You can see he has tremendous determination and his most recent passion is mountain climbing. He conquered Mt. Rainier in the state of Washington last summer and this summer his goal is Mt. McKinley in Alaska.
This “sport” is expensive and Erin needs to raise money. You can read about his climbing adventures, future hopes and donation opportunities at his Web site — www. myjourneytothe top.org.
Next week there will be more about Erin and his mountain climbing adventures. 

1/9/09
We are reprinting this column from 2003 about our friend Jack Holton who died Sunday. We hope it reminds you all of his special life.
–––
A good Cop
He was born in Xenia, Ohio in 1929, but grew up in North Lewisburg with his grandparents. Jack Holton enjoyed that little town and said 
in the 1930s and '40s it was much more active than today.
In those years it sported four groceries, a hardware store, bank, leather shop where they repaired horse harnesses and a Ford dealership.
In the late 1930s a real theater opened, but before that movies in North Lewisburg were shown in an unconventional manner. You see, 
people of the town would gather with their own chairs on a blocked street. The movie of the weekend would be shown on the wall of a 
white building in the downtown on a warm summer night.
Jack said important entertainment and a common practice was to go downtown on Saturday night and watch the people milling through the 
shops. Apparently the same was true in Marysville in those years.
Everyone ate at Vada's lunch spot and the kids swam in Spain’s Creek in the summertime.
In the late 1940s after high school, Jack went to work at the Nestle Company in Marysville. There he met the woman who would change his 
life. Lois did the payroll and Jack spotted her at the time card machine.
He said she was very cute and they just talked for several months. Then he finally asked her for a date. Jack can’t remember where they 
went, but after that night, they were an item, marrying in June 1947 at the First Baptist Church of Xenia.
Jack stayed with the Nestle Company for five years and moved on to North American Aviation in Columbus in 1952. Soon the Holtons would 
have two children, a daughter Jackie and a son Rich.
While at North American, he helped build Navy jets and particularly the ejection seat. Eventually he was lured back to Marysville and 
became part of the Marysville Police Department Auxiliary in a part-time position. I use the term position loosely, because they weren’t 
paid for their time.
They rode in police cars at night and helped at special events. The idea was they would be considered first when a full-time position 
opened on the force. By this time the Holtons had added two more children, daughters Nancy and Debbie.
The year was 1961 and Dick Simpson was police chief. He had a spot for Jack and must have guessed what an excellent police officer he 
would be.
The pay for 48 plus hours with no overtime money was $3,000, but Jack was glad to join the force of six officers. At that time our town was 
a village of 5,000 people and there was one police car. If it was out of commission, officers drove their own car.
His first night on the job was a real test. It began at 8 p.m.. and ended at 4 a.m. His job was to walk all over downtown, checking for 
unlocked doors on businesses. It was February, very cold with snow and all the alleys were full of ice. There were no new uniforms in 
those days, so the new officers wore hand-me-downs and their own coat.
Jack became a much respected officer. He tells me he always tried to help youngsters. Sometimes it was better just to scare them a little 
and that would keep them from getting in trouble again.
Jack said, “It's not how many tickets you can write, it’s how can I help this person?” Maybe even just a threat or call to a parent would 
do it.
In his later years on the force, Jack became the chief investigator along with his regular duties. Now he says the DNA tests are the best 
new tool. It can save a lot of innocents from jail.
One of his favorite stories is of a high school student he suspected of a crime. He worked with Bob Cotter who was vice principal at 
Marysville High School at the time. Bob called the student into the office and he and Jack questioned him about the crime. There was no 
confession.
Suddenly, Jack took the finger of the student and rolled it over to look at the skin, which would make a fingerprint. He said this finger 
matches the print from the crime. The student fell for it and began confessing.
After retiring from the force in 1987, then county prosecutor Larry Schneider asked Jack to be his investigator. His job was to interview 
witnesses, making sure the case was solid.
Thirteen years after (2000), he retired again. Now he keeps his hand in the law as a process server for local attorneys. However, he 
begins each day at Herron’s Deli for the well known “morning coffee break.” There, he and his friends discuss the ills of the world with 
few solutions and some disagreements.
The rest of his spare time is spent fishing from his 14-foot boat. This year he has also taken on the job of Commander of the Raper 
Commandry No. 19 of the Masonic Lodge in Urbana. In this capacity he presides over meetings, reciting everything from memory, which takes 
hours of studying.
His wife Lois has been his “rock” all this time. He is obviously still quite in love after nearly 56 years together. They are still 
having a good life!

1/2/09
Soldier, boxer and proud father
This is the third in a series of stories about Natalia Laschenova and Roman Kravchenko, natives of the USSR, who now live in Marysville. 
She was an Olympic gold medalist for the Soviet gymnastics team in 1988 and he was a champion boxer and member of the Spetznatz, a 
special forces group of the Soviet army. They have three children growing up in Marysville. Last week I told you about Natalia and this 
week is Roman’s story.
He was a child of the USSR and born into a military family. His father rose to the rank of general in the Soviet Army. Roman’s family 
moved quite a lot because of his father’s military job, but they spent most of their time in Leningrad, now known as St. Petersburg, 
Russia.
 From the time he was a little boy he was in a special school for sports. Boxing was his favorite. He began at six years old and later 
his training extended to wrestling and hand to hand combat.
When he was 14, Roman was accepted into Suvorov Military Academy, to prepare to be an army officer and also continue his emphasis on 
boxing. He lived 12 hours away from his family and only saw them about three weeks a year as a 14-year-old child. He graduated and 
went on to a prestigious military university that took only 10 percent of its applicants. During these times Roman would only see 
his family once every three or four years. He again excelled in boxing (50 wins-2 losses) and hand to hand fighting.
Now it was the late 1980s and as part of his military training (internship) he was sent to observe and fight with Soviet forces in 
Afghanistan. There he could test the skills he was learning at the military university. He told me that at one time the Soviet forces 
had captured Osama Bin Ladin and ended up trading him for a captured Soviet general.
Roman was a member of Spetznatz (special forces — blue berets). The toughest guys qualify for this. He made over 500 paratrooper jumps 
and was severely injured in Afghanistan from an explosion. He took a group of 10 men into combat and only he and another returned. He 
doesn’t remember the helicopter ride out, but awoke in the hospital with severe head injuries.
When a member of the Spetznatz, you are really considered to be there for life and it is hard to get out of the service. But by 1991, Roman 
was ready to make a change. Because of his father’s rank as general he was able to leave the special forces.
Fighting for the Soviet Army took its toll on Roman and his first marriage. It ended quickly because he was gone all the time and he 
said he was obsessed with being a good military officer. There was a second marriage and again Roman knew his whole life was the military. 
The best thing to come from this was his daughter Vesta (who now lives with him here in Marysville).
In fact, Vesta was the key to meeting his current wife, Natalia, who was coaching gymnastics at the gym in Belarus where Vesta was 
enrolled. Roman came to visit Vesta and there you are! He and Natalia became an item and eventually moved to Moscow with her daughter Sasha 
and they married in 1998. Vesta stayed behind with her mother.
Roman had a good job supervising a security firm and also teaching hand to hand combat to the military as a civilian. He said he had a 
car, a boat and apartments, and things were going well. Natalia then had the opportunity to go to the U.S. to coach gymnastics through her 
former Olympic coach. So Roman, Natalia and Sasha left their 
homeland, which by this time was split into many different countries. In fact Roman says, “My country was broken. It is not the one I knew 
as the USSR.”
By 1999, corruption had crept into every part of the former Soviet Union as its people tried out their new freedom. He said, “It was 
like the U.S. in the 1920s.”
Since living in the U.S., Roman has coached many championship boxers, and after being here nine years he has just received a visa which 
allows him to work — actually get paid for his work, that is. Now he hopes to help support his family, too.
  The time when he was not been able to work was certainly put to good use, however, since he and Natalia had a little boy, Anthony, 
just 14 months ago. Natalia’s hours are crazy as a gymnastics coach so Roman has been the main caretaker of his prized son.
About three years ago, Vesta’s mother died in Russia and she came to live with Natalia and Roman and stepsister Sasha. She graduated from 
Marysville High School and has also just received a work permit so she now hopes to save money and head off to college next fall.
Roman is kind, warm, friendly and eager to share his experiences of life. When they invited me to their home, I also discovered he is a 
very good cook, treating me to some Russian dishes. He has been a tough fighter in the army of this country and is now a warm and 
caring father to his children. He hopes U.S. citizenship for all of them will be their next accomplishment.

 Marysville Journal Tribune
copyright©2009
  All rights reserved