On a recent road trip, like on Janurary 1, I drove into Marysville, an historic town that bills itself that way. One of the town's signs says so. Curious, I drove down then up, the main drag just to see what's changed since three years ago when I included the Painted Lady, a Marysville establishment in an article I wrote on tea houses in Ohio. It seems that while the town's roots are established in history books, some of establishments that once existed are history. The Painted Lady is closed. A jewelry store is going to be there instead. Too bad. I really liked The Painted Lady, but good luck to the jewelry store. The what was once a residence is retaining its character so I think it will make a fine store. Across the street from there was an antique store bed and breakfast in an historic mansion type home where every room had items that corresponded to that room's original purpose. The kitchen had kitchen stuff for sale, for example. That store doesn't exist either, but there's an upscale restaurant, Doc Henderson's 318 E. 5th Street, 642-6661 in its place. There was a prominent physician, I think, who used to live here, but I can't remember if his name was Doc Henderson. Oh, yes his name was David Henderson and he had the house built in 1884. If you go here look for the historic plaque. I seem to recall it on an outside wall.
One place that seems to be a permanent fixture is Mrs. Renison's Doughnuts, 622 East 5th Street, 642-7008. It's been serving up the same homemade recipe since 1929 so I think it is a Marysville permanent fixture, at least for now, for sure.
One interesting fact I discovered about Marysville is that it was once called "the Shaded City" because of the number of maple trees that lined the streets in 1888.
Oh, yes. Marysville is currently making history as the site of a Honda plant, but that's old news. I think Marysville is worth the drive. It's a quick jaunt from Columbus and the downtown is charming.
Here is the link for a what to do in Marysville website. It's for the Union County CVB.
With the weather in a state of flux this is the time of year to pick up a good book. Here are some suggestions I've culled from a couple of Ohio's sources. Perhaps you have some other ideas. Send them along. Here's to not waiting for what Oprah says to read before heading to the library or bookstore. Check out Ohio's brand of literary tastes for some reading pleasure. They run the gamut from classics, to mystery to literary to just plain fun. The websites have what's on the agenda for the coming months as well.
Here's a smattering of what's being read in January, or at least suggested.
J-Link Book bunch at Panera's in Clintonville (Columbus) is reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss.
Newburgh Adult Book Discussion Group that meets at the Central Branch of the Ohio Township Public Library System is discussing Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Oh, wait a minute. This group is in Indiana, but since I took the time to write it up, here's a nod to them.)
Lori Foster, a Cincinnati-based romance writer wanted for Christmas the following: Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard; Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris and A Marked Man by Stella Cameron.
As I loosened my belt another notch to compensate for the holiday gorge, I thought about January back in the days before Ohio's European invasion, when the native Americans lived through much more harsh winters than the current one.
At this time of year, they'd need food that was dense and caloric, to help keep them warm, and food they could store in the event they were trapped inside by a heavy snow. One of the foods they depended upon was pemmican.
Pemmican is a mixture of dried meat, fruit, and rendered fat, pulverized together into a thick paste that lasts for a long time. It could be wrapped in leaves and easily carried, and became a common item to swap with fur traders.
Any meat could be used to make pemmican, although the bison, elk and deer were most common. Wild fruit such as chokeberries and cherries and the fat from bone marrow were also preferred ingredients.
Want to make your own pemmican? Check out this recipe.
I doubt the Indians would have gone to such trouble to make pemmican if they had a Wendy's drive-thru window available. Is that a curse or a blessing?
I don't get the chance on Blog-O to reference the London Daily Mail often, but today is the day. They are reporting that Princess Di's brother, Lord Charles Spencer, has abandoned his second wife just after the birth of their second child in order to pursue Dayton, OH newscaster Coleen Sullivan.
The story gets even more salacious, as Sullivan herself evidently has broken off an 11-year relationship with a partner most of her friends thought she was destined to marry.
Sullivan met Charles Edward Maurice Spencer, 8th Earl of Spencer, while in England filming a special about Diana for Dayton's station WDTN. Some sparks must have flown, because he subsequently invited her to join him for Christmas at his estate in South Africa.
Sullivan has resigned her job as anchor at the television station which she has held since 2002,, effective Jan. 11th, ostensibly to return to San Francisco to work in public relations.
Charles Spencer gained considerable notoriety in the wake of Princess Di's death choreographing the family's reactions and commemorations. According to the Daily Mail, he evidently has something of a reputation as a lady's man.
As I recall, he was rather unhappy with press coverage of Diana's death. I wonder if he realizes dating a reporter is not the best strategy to keep one's secrets safely tucked away?
On I-71 at about mile marker 187 is a sign that touts "Ashland World Headquarters of Nice People." I've been to Ashland to visit a friend of mine who was visiting her sister. I think we crashed a 4th of July barbeque or something. Everyone seemed nice to me. I would have to say very nice, so perhaps what the sign says is true. If nothing else, it caught my attention. I did a little research on Ashland and found out that it was originally called Uniontown, but because there was already a Uniontown in Ohio, there was a name change. Henry Clay, a congressman at the time, pushed the name of his Kentucky ranch so that's what it became. The Ashland High School was almost called The Henry Clay High School.
If you head to Ashland one thing I would do is go to the Ashland County Historical Society. The Manor House built in 1859 is one of the three buildings the society owns. It now houses collections of various Ashland County citizens. Perusing the items I would guess is a terrific way to see what was near and dear to folks throughout the years.
I came across a website of one of Ashland's nice citizens that outlines what makes the town worth a visit. There is a lot in the area so the next time you're near here on I-71, think about stopping in. To also see what's going on in the area, check out the Ashland Area Convention and Visitor's Bureau website.
So it's 2007 and resolutions abound. The top 10 I heard on the radio include #1. Spend more time with family and friends. Losing weight, getting organized, exercising more and doing good works through charitable organizations are also on there. I poked around for resolutions list in Ohio and found a tidy one put out by the Ohio ACLU. No matter where you stand on issues, or maybe you're not sure what the pressing issues in the legal scene of Ohio are, looking at the list is one way to find out what's in the pipes in Ohio's civil liberties system.
The gamut ranges from domestic violence, cervical cancer immunizations, drug policies, terrorism, education, racial profiling, the death penalty, employment, immigration, the election process, privacy and the right to council. The list spells out the acronym INDEPENENCE so the issues aren't really listed in order of importance, but in the order that they need to appear to spell the word.
The ACLU is hoping that lawmakers will take the list seriously. Since the public helps influence laws, my hope is that people pay attention to issues to make informed decisions. At least to know the jargon and what each issue means from both sides. It's good to think. And in the process keep a sense of humor.
Think you know your own state? Here's a quick quiz to see just how much you've forgotten since your high school history class.
1. What is Ohio's state reptile?
2. What is Ohio's state flower?
3. Name Ohio's official state insect.
4. Recite the Ohio state pledge.
5. What is Ohio's official state wildflower?
6. Name Ohio's official prehistoric monument.
7. What is our state motto?
8. Name Ohio's state gemstone.
9. Ohio's state beverage?
10. What is Ohio's official fossil?
Answers. You didn't peek, did you?
1. The black racer, Coluber constrictor constrictor, found in southern and eastern Ohio. It's non-poisonous.
2. The red carnation. So chosen in honor of President McKinley after his death. McKinley favored red carnations for the buttonhole in his lapel.
3. The ladybug, aka the Ladybird Beetle. The resolution stated the ladybug "is symbolic of the people of Ohio-she is proud and friendly, bringing delight to millions of children when she alights on their hand or arm to display her multi-colored wings, and she is extremely industrious and hardy..."
5. The white trillium, also known as the wake robin. One of the first flowers to bloom in the forest in the spring, the trillium has always brought a lightness to my heart.
6. The Newark Earthworks, the largest set of geometric earthworks found in North America. Portions are still more or less intact, some incorporated into a golf course. You can see the contours from a viewing platform.
7. "With God, all things are possible." The reference to God has withstood court challenges, since it does not refer to a specific god.
8. Flint. This threw me at first, since flint doesn't work in rings, but it does make beautiful necklaces. Flint was by far the most valuable Ohio mineral resource, used for arrowheads, knives and axes, before the rifle and steel blade were introduced by European traders.
9. Not beer! Tomato juice. Reynoldsburg, OH native Alexander Livingston developed the Paragon Tomato and began growing it commercially in 1870. His home town celebrates this heritage annually in their Tomato Festival. In 1965, Ohio was the second largest producer of tomato juice in the nation.
10. Isotelus, a trilobite that lived over 400 million years ago in the sea that once covered our state. They were the giants of the trilo-tribe, reaching up to thirty inches in length.
No, there will be no test on this, so feel free to forget. That way, I can post this again some time!
Punderson State Park in far Northeastern Ohio has long been home to much of Ohio's snow-based recreation. It benefits (?) from lake-effect snow, and often is blanketed when the rest of the state is bare. Among these activities is the only Sled Dog race in Ohio, the Ohio Sled Dog Classic.
The race is scheduled for January 6-7, but organizers, the Siberian Husky Club of Greater Cleveland, due to our unusually warm winter,kj anticipate they will need to reschedule to Jan 27-28. The race offers separate classes for purebred Siberian Huskies and all-breeds on 4 and 6-mile circuits. Competitions are offered for 4-dog and 6-dog teams. The organizers promise a minimum $2,000 purse.
There are at least three active Sled Dog clubs in Ohio, in Cleveland, Andover and Columbus. In 2004, about 500 mushers and spectators attended the event.
I saw a presentation about sled dogs in Denali National Park. Before, I'd assumed they would act like horses hitched to a plow, but what I saw were animals bred to sled, and loving it. I hope Punderson gets enough snow to allow these dogs (and their owners) to strut their stuff.
Having only been a blogger since the beginning of October, one would think it wouldn't be all that hard to pick my favorites. It's not as easy as one might think, particularly since there is so much interesting stuff going on in this state. Here are a sampling of the ones I think capture a bit about Ohio and my life in it. Hopefully, some will trigger off a few memories about what makes Ohio special to you. Consider those day to day activities you are hopefully able to do with the people you love and enjoy. Oh, and thanks Tom for the great graphic. I snagged this from his Top Tom favorites. Clever guy. And since Tom did his Top 11, I didn't stop with 10 either.
Ohiopic: A train and music box combined. Sweet! One of my favorite places in Ohio and a tribute to a guy whose creativity is worth a 2nd tribute--plus his company was kind enough to let me use the photo.
Hope Springs Road Trip- Part III (Parts I, II and III are about the same trip with different perspectives. It is possible that a simple Ohio excursion can turn into an adventure. Hope Springs is the perfect place for renewal besides.)
Thanksgiving: A Cicada Story - This one warms my heart, if you ignore the fact that cicadas have foliage damage potential. Such is the beauty and terror of life.
Back when I was the Calendar of Events editor for Ohio Magazine there was one event that stuck with me-The Walleye Drop. At least that's what I remember it being called. See, in Port Clinton, OH where the term bitter cold was probably invented, townspeople gather together for Walleye Madness on New Year's Eve. This year is the 12th time Wylie brings in the new year. Since Port Clinton is the "Walleye Capital of the World," why not?
Folks join in festive fun such as singing "Hang on Wylie" and dancing the "Wallerina" until the midnight countdown. This is when they drop Wylie the Walleye and fireworks go off. There's also food and performing groups. Everything takes place downtown. The Walleye Madness website has lodging information as well.
About Wylie. He's a 20-foot, 600-lbs.f ish made from fiberglass. The original one was made from paper mache. You can imagine how well that one lasted from one New Year's celebration to the next.
Looking back over the year, I thought this would be a good chance to stroke my own ego a bit by pulling out my 10 11 favorite posts of those I've tossed up this year. In case you missed some of the grain buried in the chaff, here's another chance to hit the highlights.
Public art has a tendency to be controversial these days. Should it be a realistic depiction of something, or should it be the artist's impression of the subject? Dayton has a statue that sort of fits both ends of the debate. Flyover, by David Black, combines sweeping lines with an accurate depiction of the event it commemorates. It may look very abstract, but the 150-foot long arrangement of stainless steel tubes, aluminum, and tile is a fairly accurate representation of the path of the Wright brothers' first flight on December 17, 1903.
Black, who lives in Columbus, is a professor emeritus at Ohio State. His work has a world-wide reputation and has received a number of awards. Flyover was installed in downtown Dayton in 1996. Take a look at the picture. The wings of the biplane extend outward, giving you the impression that you're looking at a series of frozen frames from a film of the flight, a series of moments suspended in time. In a single piece of sculpture, David Black gave Dayton a record of this important event, from start to finish.
A couple summers ago I found out about Neil Jacobs and headed to a concert he was giving in a park in Upper Arlington. He is a friend of a friend of mine so my initial reason was just to check him out. At the concert I thought, "Wow! this is a guy worth following."
Jacobs plays the 12-string guitar like nobody's business with Gypsy music as one of his current interests. The fusion of old world music with his brand of jazz, classical and modern thrown in is pure pleasure. Besides his finger strumming skills, Jacobs is fun to watch. This is a person who knows how to play to an audience. He's glad you're there and you're glad you're there. Jacobs must like playing because he's one busy guy who plays all over Ohio and once in awhile will wander outside the state's borders. He's performing at First Night in Columbus at 8 and 9:30 in the Main Lobby of One Columbus but there are chances to see him a-plenty in 2007. If you check his website, you'll see the other dates. He'll be in Bexley, Geneva, Covington, KY (close to Cincinnati), Athens, Dayton, and Cleveland before the end of February.
From his website you can also listen to his music and buy CDs.
As a person who considers overdue library fines a "contribution" to the best library system in the land, I may have to rethink my inability to get items returned on time. Otherwise, my contributions may start to feel like a burden. My fines added to the $1.91 million dollars the library made last year on overdue charges. On January 1, instead of paying a dime a day, I'll have to fork over two. Columbus Metropolitan Public Library fines are going up to $.20 per day for print materials and $1.25 for DVDs and video tapes.
The good news is that you can renew five times instead of three times and that you can get 10 movies instead of five. As a helpful hint to myself, I need to remember to keep my library card number posted near my computer somewhere. This is on my "Things to do list." As it stands now, every time I receive a "your items are due" notice, I have to figure out where I've put my wallet so I can renew on-line. Sometimes I put it off, only to forget, thus the overdue fine rack-ups. It's really pitiful if the fines are above $5. Then you can't renew and then it's a get stuff to the in-box at the curb in the morning before the library personnel gets there.
In case you are not electronically linked to the library, I recommend it. You have access to the whole system from home which allows you to reserve items easily and see what's available. Also the items are due notice is a great reminder. You actually have 24 hours to renew or get the items back when you get the notice.
Another thing you can do electronically is search the system for a book you want and then if the library doesn't have a copy, you can recommend it. I did that once with the book Inspired to Serve: Today's Faith Activists by Ohio born and bred Mark H. Masse. The library did order the book and then let me know when it was in so I could check it out. I did check it out, renewed it a couple of times so I could savor it and did not turn it in on time.
As a person who was in my high school marching band (I was awful), I have a high appreciation for folks who can actually march and play at the same time. Here is the Ohio State Marching Band strutting their stuff. It will make you just want to jump up and grab a baton and start marching around your living room.
On a recent road trip, like on Janurary 1, I drove into Marysville, an historic town that bills itself that way. One of the town's signs says so. Curious, I drove down then up, the main drag just to see what's changed since three years ago when I included the Painted Lady, a Marysville establishment in an article I wrote on tea houses in Ohio. It seems that while the town's roots are established in history books, some of establishments that once existed are history. The Painted Lady is closed. A jewelry store is going to be there instead. Too bad. I really liked The Painted Lady, but good luck to the jewelry store. The what was once a residence is retaining its character so I think it will make a fine store. Across the street from there was an antique store bed and breakfast in an historic mansion type home where every room had items that corresponded to that room's original purpose. The kitchen had kitchen stuff for sale, for example. That store doesn't exist either, but there's an upscale restaurant, Doc Henderson's 318 E. 5th Street, 642-6661 in its place. There was a prominent physician, I think, who used to live here, but I can't remember if his name was Doc Henderson. Oh, yes his name was David Henderson and he had the house built in 1884. If you go here look for the historic plaque. I seem to recall it on an outside wall.
With the weather in a state of flux this is the time of year to pick up a good book. Here are some suggestions I've culled from a couple of Ohio's sources. Perhaps you have some other ideas. Send them along. Here's to not waiting for what Oprah says to read before heading to the library or bookstore. Check out Ohio's brand of literary tastes for some reading pleasure. They run the gamut from classics, to mystery to literary to just plain fun. The websites have what's on the agenda for the coming months as well.
As I loosened my belt another notch to compensate for the holiday gorge, I thought about January back in the days before Ohio's European invasion, when the native Americans lived through much more harsh winters than the current one.
I don't get the chance on Blog-O to reference the 
On I-71 at about mile marker 187 is a sign that touts "Ashland World Headquarters of Nice People." I've been to Ashland to visit a friend of mine who was visiting her sister. I think we crashed a 4th of July barbeque or something. Everyone seemed nice to me. I would have to say very nice, so perhaps what the sign says is true. If nothing else, it caught my attention. I did a little 
So it's 2007 and resolutions abound. The top 10 I heard on the radio include #1. Spend more time with family and friends. Losing weight, getting organized, exercising more and doing good works through charitable organizations are also on there. I poked around for resolutions list in Ohio and found a tidy one put out by the Ohio ACLU. No matter where you stand on issues, or maybe you're not sure what the pressing issues in the legal scene of Ohio are, looking at the list is one way to find out what's in the pipes in Ohio's civil liberties system. 
Think you know your own state? Here's a quick quiz to see just how much you've forgotten since your high school history class.
Punderson State Park
Having only been a blogger since the beginning of October, one would think it wouldn't be all that hard to pick my favorites. It's not as easy as one might think, particularly since there is so much interesting stuff going on in this state. Here are a sampling of the ones I think capture a bit about Ohio and my life in it. Hopefully, some will trigger off a few memories about what makes Ohio special to you. Consider those day to day activities you are hopefully able to do with the people you love and enjoy. Oh, and thanks Tom for the great graphic. I snagged this from his Top Tom favorites. Clever guy. And since Tom did his Top 11, I didn't stop with 10 either.
Back when I was the Calendar of Events editor for Ohio Magazine there was one event that stuck with me-The Walleye Drop. At least that's what I remember it being called. See, in Port Clinton, OH where the term bitter cold was probably invented, townspeople gather together for Walleye Madness on New Year's Eve. This year is the 12th time Wylie brings in the new year. Since Port Clinton is the "Walleye Capital of the World," why not?
Public art has a tendency to be controversial these days. Should it be a realistic depiction of something, or should it be the artist's impression of the subject? Dayton has a statue that sort of fits both ends of the debate. 
A couple summers ago I found out about Neil Jacobs and headed to a concert he was giving in a park in Upper Arlington. He is a friend of a friend of mine so my initial reason was just to check him out. At the concert I thought, "Wow! this is a guy worth following."
As a person who considers overdue library fines a "contribution" to the best library system in the land, I may have to rethink my inability to get items returned on time. Otherwise, my contributions may start to feel like a burden. My fines added to the $1.91 million dollars the library made last year on overdue charges. On January 1, instead of paying a dime a day, I'll have to fork over two. Columbus Metropolitan Public Library fines are going up to $.20 per day for print materials and $1.25 for DVDs and video tapes.
