heart of ohio - holiday 2011
DESCRIPTION
The Holiday issue of Heart of Ohio magazine.TRANSCRIPT
HOLIDAY 2011
PLUS:A Traditional Tour of the Past:
Historic Lyme Village
A Christmas Tradition: The Feather Tree
History & Holidays at Sugargrove Tree Farm
The 12 Doors of Christmas
Special Holiday edition
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Orthopaedic Cancer Surgery
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Joint Replacement
Michael Viau, M.D. MansfieldGeneral Orthopaedics
Spine Surgery
ManSFielD location
536 S. Trimble Road 419-756-8899
medcentral.org
Call or fax your order to:419-774-8911FAX 419-774-9321We can cater your business meeting or family gathering! www.grantersgrinders.com
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Order your Granter’s gift boxes or baskets early.Homemade Cookies, Pastries, Bagels, Coffee, Candies and more…Perfect for Holiday gatherings of all kinds.
Happy Holidays
Subtle Verse
A Traditional Tour of the Past: Historic Lyme Village
Decorating Holiday Style
History & Holidays at Sugargrove Tree Farm
From Louis Bromfield’s Christmas to Today: Oak Hill Cottage
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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F E A T U R E S
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About the cover:
Cover photo courtesy of Tiffany Kimmet Photography in Tiffin, Ohio
The beautiful cover picture is a door at the Arts Castle in Delaware, a nonprofit community arts center serving Delaware and surrounding counties. November 12th and 13th marks the 21st annual Castle Arts Affair. The 6,000 square foot mansion will be transformed to showcase original art work from dozens of Ohio artists, and attended by hundreds of buyers from around central Ohio.
The fascinating story of this beautiful French Norman style mansion will soon be a featured article. Watch for it in an upcoming edition of Heart of Ohio magazine.
FROM THE EDITOR
Sparkling decorations, early morning sunlight glittering across a light dusting of snow, and the smell of wood smoke in the air herald the arrival of the holiday season. My own fire requires another log, and a cobalt blue vase of fresh cut pine boughs fills the warming room with their woodsy scent as I set to work. I vaguely remember that, as I carefully wrapped and put ornaments away last year, I came up with a decorating game plan that would be perfect for this year. Then, before I knew it, winter melted into spring, summer raced by and tumbled into fall. Now I can’t quite remember exactly what that plan was as I unwrap the very same ornaments.
This Heart of Ohio, our very first holiday issue, has taken some thought and footwork to put together.
For starters we’d like to escort you back in time with a trip to Oak Hill Cottage in Mansfield, and then on to Lyme Village in Bellevue. Both will be dressed for the occasion just as they would have been in the 1800s.
Meet Tiffany Kimmet, a soulful photographer in Tiffin who shares her beautiful pictures and the story behind the start of her career with us. Then we head to Norwalk to meet the Ditz family, three generations working in a family business that started as a hobby and is now where Santa really lives. Next we might look for the perfect Christmas tree at Sugargrove Tree Farm in Ashland, a great place to start the holidays.
I know you’re going to enjoy taking a look behind the scenes at the Columbus Zoo as Mike Greene introduces us to his good friend, Jack Hanna… and in Sandusky, learn how the creator of the Cleveland Pops, Carl Topilow, has injected new life into the Firelands Symphony Orchestra.
“A Home for the Holidays” is an introduction to the good work being done around the heart of Ohio by volunteers who donate their time and talents to Habitat for Humanity. It just might inspire you to do the same.
I could go on and on… but let’s face it, you’ve got a magazine to read! As a special holiday gift we’ve brought together talented people and beautiful places in the hope you will enjoy reading this issue as much as we have creating it.
May you be warmed by your memories, embraced by today, and inspired by the hope of tomorrow as we celebrate the holidays in the Heart of Ohio.
Read more on my blog at: www.unremarkablewoman.blogspot.com.
Diana L. Coon, Editor Heart of Ohio magazine
PublisherSunGraphics, Inc.Diane K. Brown, [email protected]
EditorDiana L. [email protected]
Sales & MarketingDebra [email protected]
Contributing WritersDiana L. CoonJulie McCreadyMike GreenePaula M. CohenGuest Authors
Graphic DesignersTami ShuckTom Hofacre
CirculationBecky [email protected]
Heart of Ohio magazine is printed and published quarterly (plus special editions) by SunGraphics, Inc.
41 Longview Ave. E., Mansfield, Ohio 44903
Copyright 2010 pending, Heart of Ohio Magazine, LLC. ISSN 2158-8732. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content in any manner is prohibited without written permission. SunGraphics, Inc. and Heart of Ohio Magazine, LLC accept no responsibility for unsolicited material. While ensuring that all published information is accurate, the publisher cannot be held responsible for mistakes and/or omissions. Distributed through local retailers, advertisers and by subscription.
Visit www.heartofohiomagazine.com for more information, or call 419.524.2127.
FROM THE EDITOR
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8 Finding Christmas in the Crawl Space
10 A Taste of History with the Promise of Tomorrow: The New Bloomer Candy Company
12 Use Holiday Crafts to Develop Kids’ Skills
19 Keeping Score with Mike Greene: Jack Hanna The Man for All (Holiday) Seasons
26 Ditz Design: Three Generations of Beautiful Creations
29 Many Families Enjoy Holiday Traditions
33 Music to Our Ears: Firelands Symphony Orchestra
34 Pamper Yourself
36 A Christmas Tradition: The Feather Tree
38 Milliron Everyday Heroes: 179th Airlift Wing
46 Emotions & the Holidays
48 A Home for the Holidays: Habitat for Humanity
54 Celebration of Lights: The History of Hannukah
56 Candy Cane Tour of Homes
59 Of Giving Ways…
60 Get a Grip on Gift Giving
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I N T H I S I S S U E
Go to www.facebook.com/heartofohiomagazine to our page to receive updates on future issues of the magazine.
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Experience the new Clear Fork!A Place to Play and Stay
Formerly Clear Fork Ski Lodge | BUTLER, OHIO
www.clearforkski.com
No longer just a ski resort, the new Clear Fork Resort is A Place to Play and Stay nine months out of the year with events and activities the whole family can enjoy. Extensive renovation of the entire resort not only makes Clear Fork a better ski destination, but opens the door for motocross, ATV riding, mud bogging, live entertainment, cook-offs and more! Check out our website for upcoming events and to discover everything that the new Clear Fork Resort offers.
NEW RESORT LODGING NOW AVAILABLE FOR SALE OR LEASE
Visit our website for details or call 419.543.1397.
OPEN THIS YEAR FOR SKIING,
SNOWBOARDING & TUBING
Check our website for hours, snow
conditions, pricing and special offers.
It’s not every day that you walk into a small shop and feel as if you have known the owner for years, but that is exactly what you feel when you discover Subtle Verse. Located in a brownstone at 118 Jefferson Street in Tiffin, Subtle Verse is owned by Tiffany Kimmet; the shop is now a year old and the perfect setting in which to assemble and share Tiffany’s talents.
As early as fourth grade Tiffany knew she wanted to be a photographer and someday own her own shop; but as she grew, a more practical side took her to Manchester College where she graduated with a business degree. Applying her education Tiffany pursued a career in HR, soon realizing it was a job that did nothing but pay the bills.
For her 23rd birthday Tiffany’s husband, Jason, presented her with her first “real” camera. She had continued to take photography classes whenever she found one that fit into her busy schedule. Finally, seven years ago, Jason’s job brought the couple to Tiffin, Ohio. Searching for something she felt she was meant to do, Tiffany started shooting weddings and family gatherings, work that seemed to whet her appetite for something more substantial. About that time, during a second pregnancy, she developed health issues that required her full attention, and photography took a back seat to regaining her health.
As her health slowly returned, the young couple had the opportunity to go to Tucson where Jason was to attend a work related seminar. Leaving her young children and flying to a distant place was the last thing Tiffany wanted to do, but her husband won out and off to Arizona they went.
Sub
tle
Ver
se
First Door of Christmas
Second Door of Christmas
Third Door of Christmas
Fourth Door of Christmas
Fifth Door of Christmas
Sixth Door of Christmas
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“The trip I didn’t want to take changed my life. Tucson was a beautiful palette of colors and shapes and shadows. I saw some prints of doors of the city, and I know my husband thought I was crazy but I took my camera and went out to find them. Searching out those beautiful shots I took the picture that started my career as a photographer, I called it “God’s Greatest Gift”. To this day it is still one of my favorites. Vibrant purple flowers formed a heart shape, and the weathered bench completed the picture. When I had the print developed my mother-in-law noticed the faint inscription on the bench, something I hadn’t seen when I took the picture. The very faint writing said, “God’s greatest gift put man’s dreams to heart.” That phrase underlined for me the fact that there is a message in every picture, and I wanted to seek out the scriptures that helped express that message. I knew then I had found what I was supposed to do and I’ve been pursuing it ever since.“ Tiffany smiles as she continues the story, “As we were debating opening the shop, my husband came back from a walk with the children one day and said, ‘I’ve been thinking about your pictures and scriptures and I know what you should name your shop. Subtle Verse.’ And so we had a name.”
For this holiday season, a limited edition print of The Twelve Doors of Christmas features the doors of Delaware and Tiffin. Other subjects are captured in black and white prints, while color photos seem to jump from their frames on the
walls of her small display room. Note cards, night-lights and other items add to the warmth and beauty of the shop.
Jason Kimmet supports his wife by working in the shop and also marketing
her line of heartwarming note cards to fund raising organizations.
“I’m the talent and he’s the brains,” she laughs.
Her husband isn’t the only supportive member of the family. Son, Xavier (5)
and daughter, Samantha (9) not only support mom but they
inspire her with their own artwork. A packet of her children’s art on the
table brought a smile as Tiffany explained that, while Samantha is happy creating pretty scenes, Xavier is all set to sell his pictures. Proof of that is the blue crayon bar code in the corners of his work.
What does the future hold for Tiffany Kimmet? A coffee table book is due sometime next winter, and her whimsical shot of a smiling goat is going to be more
evident in a line of t-shirts and bags in the future. “I dreamed the other night that I was making “happy goat” t-shirts. I woke up and shook my husband and told him my dream and he simply groaned and said, ‘I’m in’”, Tiffany laughed. •
For more information visit:Kimmetphotography.com or SubtleVerse.com
Seventh Door of Christmas
Eighth Door of Christmas
Ninth Door of Christmas
Tenth Door of Christmas
Eleventh Door of Christmas
Twelfth Door of Christmas
For this holiday season, a limited edition print of
The Twelve Doors of Christmas
features the doors of Delaware and Tiffin.
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Christmas boxes lined one wall of our dusty crawl space. Window candles. Ornaments. Wrapping paper. Reaching into a dark corner, I bumped my head and pulled out a box marked “nativity set.” Time was running short and I needed baby Jesus to illustrate the real meaning of Christmas at a women’s event at church. But Jesus was nowhere to be found in the bubble wrap amid Mary, Joseph and the donkeys. Bah humbug, December!
Every year I found myself rummaging around that crawl space and also stuck in the trappings of a secular Christmas. Baking, shopping, decorating, writing cards. Though I worked to make Christmas perfect for our family, it sometimes felt hollow and meaningless. I also allowed the chaos of a busy family to turn what should be a peaceful, happy time into one of stress.
About ten years ago, I pulled into the garage with our Christmas tree still tied on top of the van. I had my four kids, all of them giddy with Christmas anticipation. I’d corralled them after a lovely Christmas open house at my husband’s office and headed home. (Kids love a free dinner of barbecue weenies and onion dip.) Garage door up, I pulled in.
Scrreeeeech, scratch. My four sobered up in a hurry. “MOM! THE TREE’S STILL ON THE VAN!” Duh, I knew that but had momentarily forgotten and pulled into the garage, wedging the tree between the van’s roof and the garage door.
At the risk of denuding the entire tree, I couldn’t back out. I’d had enough of kids, barbecue weenies, shopping and Christmas trees. And maybe even Christmas itself. The boys were big enough to tackle the problem, so I walked into the house, slammed the door, and let them solve it. (We still laugh about it.) Boys are good at coming to the rescue.
And funny as it seems, they are good at re-directing your heart.
Sons come roaring into the world. They’re loud. They tease. They burp — a lot. They play mean tricks on their sisters. They fill their pockets with boy stuff. They attract dirt and hate baths.
Before I had kids, I was admittedly a little nervous about having even one little boy. God laughed and gave me three, one right after the other. The boys tore around the house, making messes and noise. Lots of noise. I nicknamed them Curly, Larry and Moe.
Finding ChristmasCrawl Space
in theby Barb Haller
The Haller boys in 1988 (above) , and today (left to right) David, Dan and Mark.
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But our boys won my heart in short order: bringing me fresh-picked dandelions, asking me to play trucks and color with them, writing me little love-notes, “fixing” things around the house, holding my face and declaring their love for me. They snuggled on my lap for bedtime stories. And when they did bathe, they were just so handsome with wet hair neatly combed.
In contrast to girls, boys hold nothing back. They tell it like it is, or they slug their brother and life’s good again. Like the capable men they’re destined to become, boys tackle a task and it’s done. They love a challenge and chores can be accomplished by turning them into a game or race. My third son gave up naps at age 2½, so we’d play “office” at the kitchen table: I wrote the bills, he licked the stamps. It thrilled him to have a job. And although they sometimes tried to hide it, my boys harbored tender and compassionate hearts: toward me, hurting friends, and the tiniest of creatures found in the backyard. I soon grew to find little boys irresistible.
Now grown young men, my sons still touch my heart. They are honorable, diligent, and loving. And on the rare occasions when they’re all together, they still act like Curly, Larry and Moe.
Would I ever sacrifice my sons? I don’t know of a mother who would. There’s not anyone or anything in this world that could convince me to give up one of my sons.
When I finally found the ceramic baby Jesus in a corner of the box, a realization washed over me. I held in my hand a reminder of my own baby boys. Christ, too, came into the world as a tiny, helpless baby. His father guided him to manhood and his mother knew and loved his heart. They molded his life, but not his purpose. He was a son and a brother but his ultimate purpose was to exchange his life for the sins of man.
On this December afternoon in our cluttered crawl space, I knew what Christmas isn’t. Christmas isn’t lights and tinsel and a perfect tree. It has nothing to do with dip recipes, stockings hung by the chimney with care, or even family
gatherings. As a mother of sons, I can only imagine what Christ’s mother felt as she raised her son for his intended, eternal purpose. Then, her fierce and abiding love collided with God’s plan.
The implicit meaning of Christmas is simple and reveals the heart of God who, in love, intentionally relinquished his son to the world, for all the world.
It was an incredible exchange, one that, as a mother of sons, goes beyond my ability to comprehend.
Wishing you a most meaningful Christmas. •
Barb Haller has been writing since grade school, taking it more seriously now that her nest is empty. With a third granddaughter due in February, she and her husband Bill (a Madison graduate) are busy at home in Delaware learning the ropes of grandparenting.
Read more on Barb’s blog at www.halfdozn.blogspot.com
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The historic town of Zanesville is home to the New Bloomer Candy Company. That may not seem unusual until you understand that the company is well over one hundred years old.
The Bloomer Candy Company started in a local Zanesville kitchen in 1879, eventually building its own milk chocolate factory about 1900. Today, 132 years later, they’re still on Third Street, producing superior chocolates from the original recipes in much the same way they did all those years ago.
The relentless pursuit of chocolate perfection has always been the Bloomer Candy Company goal. Delicious confections, made in small batches from the finest ingredients, produced on the same equipment by the third, fourth and, in some cases, fifth generation of Bloomer employees… that is what has always set Bloomer Candy apart.
Two years ago, just like so many other American companies, Bloomer Candy
was in danger of becoming just another statistic in a changing world economy. Enter the Joseph family. Already deeply rooted in the Zanesville community with several other businesses, they realized the future of Bloomer Candy was in question.
Recognizing its potential, they decided to buy the company and save this American original. With the help of CEO Jerry Nolder, consultant Howard Peller, and the LaineGabriel Design Firm, the work began to rebuild Bloomer’s image and brand. Today, the New Bloomer Candy Company not only produces the same delicious milk chocolates that everyone has come to expect, but they have expanded into other product areas that
redefine the brand. From the delicious solid chocolate
peanut clusters for which they’re famous, to gummies, hard candies, and sugar free candies, the offerings seem endless. New Bloomer Candy also produces private label candies and gift baskets for private and corporate gifts.
New Bloomer Candy Company products can be found in stores across the United States, and their website has introduced their delicious
chocolates and confections to the world. While new packaging,
product expansion, and promotion are designed
to capture the attention of today’s consumers, the
original milk
chocolates are still made using local ingredients, and by the same dedicated work force. They still “make em’ like they used to” 132 years ago.
Bloomer CEO, Jerry Nolder sums it up very well, “We are a big part of a small Ohio town full of good, hardworking people. Our story is an American story, and we remain true to our middle class values. We offer high quality and high value to our customer base, and we are proud to reintroduce this company to Ohio and the world.”
Presently, the chocolate company takes pleasure in their new brand position, America’s Hard Working Chocolate, in introducing product additions like, their new dark chocolate line, and celebrating the recent launch of their new website. For more information visit: BloomerCandy.com. •
A Taste of History… with the Promise of TomorrowThe New Bloomer Candy Company
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Kids love to be creative, whether it is making a craft or cooking. During this busy season, you and your child can have fun in the kitchen. Occupational Therapists often use cooking to improve two-handed, fine motor, perceptual, sensory, cognitive and visual skills. The kids have fun and don’t even know about the hidden therapeutic benefits.
Cooking or craft activities require a child to use:
• Two handed skill to roll dough, break pretzels, open and close containers or spread icing or peanut butter.
• Cognitive skills to identify colors, count and follow picture, written or verbal directions.
• Fine motor and hand strengthening
skills to roll dough, pick up and release small objects with a pincer grasp or open containers.
• Perceptual and visual skills to identify and choose the correct color, complete the correct shape and placement of M&Ms or other parts, reading and attending to picture or written directions.
Pick a theme like reindeers. Now you can be creative. Will it be a cookie, a sandwich, a candy pretzel rod or something else? You can vary toppings and cookie shapes. Shape cookies, break the pretzels, decorate or spread icing or peanut butter and jelly.
Ideas for cookies: Use peanut butter or sugar cookie dough (your own recipe or
pre-made). Form dough into an oval shape or a ball. For the eyes, use brown M&Ms or chocolate chips and the nose, red M&M. Make antlers from a large pretzel, or use broken pretzels.
Cupcakes: Make eyes with marshmallows, the nose with a red gumdrop, the mouth with a red M&M and antlers with broken pretzels.
Sandwiches: Fold peanut butter and jelly sandwiches into triangles with small pretzels, raisins and red M&Ms.
Pretzel rods: Use dipping chocolate, M&Ms, mini chocolate chips and fruit roll ups.
Enjoy the holidays, and check out www.teachingheart.net/reindeerunit.html for more reindeer activities: •
Use Holiday Crafts to Develop Kids’ Skillsby Barb Lieb, OTRL, MedCentral Occupational Therapy
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A link to the 1800’s sits at the corner of State Routes 4 and 113, near the city of Bellevue. Historic Lyme Village was named for an area in Lyme, Connecticut that originally took the name directly from Lyme Regis, England.
Originally started in 1972, with the formation of the Historic Lyme Church Association, Lyme Village came together in 1976 when the Detterman Log Church, Groton Town Hall, Schug Hardware, the Merry one room school, and other buildings were moved to the site to create the village around the Wright Mansion and Carriage House.
The Detterman Church is believed to be one of only two log churches that remain in Ohio. Originally constructed in Seneca County in 1848, The United Methodist Church has reconstructed it in Lyme Village for tours, church services and events. The German construction techniques are evident and unique.
A Traditional Tour of the PastHistoric Lyme Village
Previous page: Traditional Father Christmas is fashionable in his star-studded crepe paper robe with a bit of cotton for his beard. The red folded paper ornament is called a “mouse trap” and originated in Germany. Ornaments made by The Victorian Guild.
The Annie Brown Log House was built in Seneca County in 1851. Since it was moved to Lyme Village in 1976, it has housed early Ohio settler exhibits. This authentic log home gives us an intriguing look at the sparsity and hard work that was life in the early nineteenth century.
Other board and batten buildings, and barns from the late 1800s house exhibits and equipment, as well as providing a realistic setting for woodworking and smithing demonstrations. During Lyme Village Pioneer Days in September, the grounds are alive with period dressed shop keepers and craftsmen, period music and cloggers, games, crafts and food.
The focal point of the Village for many visitors is the John Wright Mansion. This beautiful Victorian home, featuring elegant empire detailing, was placed on the National Register of Historic Homes in 1974. It was constructed for the Wright family from 1880 to 1882, and even today the Wright descendants return to the home every five years for a reunion.
The holidays are a magical time at Wright Mansion. The Victorian Guild, a
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dedicated group of volunteers, delights in decking the halls with historically accurate 19th century decorations. Festive greenery swags, cotton batting trees, and colorful decorations are handmade by Guild members and displayed just as they would have been in the Mansion during the 1800s. Meticulous attention to detail takes the viewer into the midst of a long ago Christmas celebration.
Two major holiday events light up the Village and the surrounding community each year. November 26th, December 27th and 28th are this year’s dates for the annual Historic Lyme Village Christmas Candlelight and Lantern Tour of the Village and the Mansion. December 2nd,
3rd and 4th are the annual Victorian Christmas Candle Light Dinners in the John Wright Mansion. This elegant period dinner features music, hors d’oeuvres and a four-course dinner served in period costume in the Mansion dining room. Seating is very limited and by reservation only.
Historic Lyme Village and the Wright Mansion are a delight for the history buff, and a wonderful reminder of how things used to be as we look back from the perspective of today’s hectic, and highly technical, world. •
To plan your trip to Historic Lyme Village visit the website at: www.lymevillage.org.
Opposite page:(1) The Annie Brown Log House. (2) One of the barns in Historic Lyme Village. (3) The dining table, set for a formal Christmas dinner befitting an affluent 19th Century family, features two unusual and hard to obtain items in Victorian times… a melon and celery, which were displayed prominently upon the table before serving. The small goose-feather tree in the background is decorated with cookies and sugar plums, ready to be plucked off for dessert. (4) Until the mid-1880s, when Christmas ornaments were available to purchase, every decoration had to be made at home. The epitome of high-tech in Victorian times was full-color printing. Such items of chromolithography as the paper dolls seen here were decorated using bits of fabric, crepe paper and lace to become ornaments on this goose-feather tree. Ornaments made by The Victorian Guild.
This page:(1) The John Wright Mansion at Historic Lyme Village.(2) Swags of buckeyes layered with greenery and other garlands separate the two front parlors. In the background, the large tree in the West Parlor is laden with gifts. (3) To lend a sense of personalization to many of the decorated rooms, The Victorian Guild places various mannequins to help tell the story of Christmas of yesteryear. Paper chains, cotton-batting Santa ornament, butterfly pin cushion ornament, and cornucopias were all made by The Victorian Guild. (4) The Detterman Log Church.
� e AngelusBeautiful Religious Artwork &
Giftware
Ti� n Art GuildWhere Local Artists Can Collaborate with Others
American Civil War Museum of Ohio
Burns ElectricWe Have It All
MLAD Graphic Design Services, LLC
Graphic Design & Large Format Printing
� e Wax ShackUnique Handmade Candles
FrameworksShadowbox Framing & Gifts
� readsSee the Latest Fashion Trends
Ti� n Glass Museum & Gift Shoppe
History & Displays of Ti� n Glass
Subtle VerseVisit www.subtleverse.com
Crystal TraditionsWatch Glass Blowing & Crystal Hand Cutting
Something SpecialA Unique Floral & Gift Shop
Ralph’s Joy of Living
Holiday Happenings Nov. 5 & 6 • Ti� n Glass Collectors Show & Sale Nov. 5 & 6
www.ti� nlittleboxshops.cominfo@ti� nlittleboxshops.com
888-298-7236
VISITTIFFIN’S
ralphsjol.com
An Evening of Romance with
� e Kings of Christmas Tour Featuring former members of the legendary
Trans-Siberian Orchestra
Sponsored by Rowmark
Sponsored by Republic Lumber& Mercy Ti� n Hospital
JIM BRICKMAN
UPCOMING EVENTS
Saturday, November 19
@ 7:30 p.m.
Friday, December 16& Saturday, December 17@ 7:30 p.m.
30 S. Washington St.Ti� n, OH 44883
419.448.8544www.ritztheatre.org
Contact us for details
MANSFIELD 419.524.8560 | ASHLAND 419.289.8560 | TOLL FREE 800.606.8560 258 Central Ave., Mansfi eld, Ohio 44905 | www.jamisonwelldrilling.com
Only in giving do we truly receive.
Make this holiday season a season of giving.
Happy Holidays
If your patio doors stick,squeak or leak, these could take some getting used to.
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If your patio doors stick,squeak or leak, these could take some getting used to.
andersenwindows.com
If your patio doors have seen better days, it's time to
replace them with Andersen® 400 Series Frenchwood®
hinged patio doors. Available in both inswing and
outswing designs, they give you custom sizes, seven
hardware selections and your choice of pine, oak,
maple or prefinished white interiors. With low-maintenance
exteriors and new High-Performance™ Low-E4™ glass, these
doors are the perfect combination of beauty, convenience
and energy efficiency.
Discover the difference an Andersenpatio door can make. Visit our showroom today.© 2007 Andersen Corporation. All rights reserved.
home & kitchen supplyWe’re building our future with you.
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One hundred years a� er opening its doors, � e Alcove restaurant is still the place to come for quality food and service. Mr. Fred Surlas and his partner, Peter J. Francis, opened the Candyland Ice Cream and Candy Shop on December 6, 1911 in Mt. Vernon. By the 1920’s sandwiches were added to the fountain menu; eventually the demand for more food selections required the addition of the alcove room. In 1937 the present building was constructed on the site of the original Candyland, and because of the growing fame of the Alcove Room, the newly planned restaurant adopted the name.
Today the Alcove still serves as a social center for downtown Mt. Vernon, playing a vital role in maintaining a vibrant downtown district.
We thank our loyal customers as we celebrate this historic anniversary.
1911 2011
CELEBRATES
100YEARS
116 South Main StreetMt. Vernon, Ohio 43050
740-392-3076www.alcoverestaurant.com
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I first met Jack Hanna in the fall of 1965. He was a freshman at Muskingum College in New Concord, Ohio, and I was a senior. Jack had graduated from Kiski, a private all boys’ school located about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh. I can say with some certainty that this young man who was to become forever identified with animals in the wild did not choose Muskingum because it was among the nation’s hotbeds for zoological studies.
Jack, who grew up in Knoxville, Tennessee, was the type of person you just naturally gravitated toward; fun, always eager to initiate or participate in practical jokes and the possessor of the most syrupy southern accent on campus, by far.
Fast forward to the mid-seventies. I had been out of college for almost a decade and had had very little contact with Jack. Then one day I picked up a People magazine and, as I thumbed through the issue, came across a series of three or four pictures which progressively showed four men carrying an anaconda snake out into a body of water. As the frames progressed, you could see the snake was swallowing the arm of one of the participants. It was Jack Hanna but the story gave no contact information so I still didn’t know how to get hold of him. And, oh yes, the others did extract Jack’s arm from the snake’s jaws.
Moving ahead again, it’s early 1978 and I’m watching the news on a Columbus TV station; and the anchor is doing a voice-over as the new director of the Columbus Zoo is introduced. It was Jack Hanna. The next day I gave him a call at his zoo office and shortly after that we reconnected as old college friends and families. I have three sons who are similar in age to the three Hanna daughters.
In fact in 1980 Jack and Suzi Hanna invited the Greene’s to come down, spend the night at their house and the next day go with them to one of the first big promotions Jack planned since he took over as the director of the Columbus Zoo. It was to be an Easter egg hunt in the petting zoo area; not an original idea but usually they turned out to be fun for all.
As Jack recalled in his first book “Monkeys on the Interstate”, they bought 1500 marshmallow filled chocolate eggs and promoted the fact that the first one to find a dozen eggs would win a big prize. Well, an hour before the gates were to open, there were about 400 would be egg hunters (adults and kids) waiting outside. That number swelled to a thousand a half hour later and by 10:30 AM on this beautiful day before Easter, about 3000 of Peter Rabbit’s closet friends, eyes glazed over, were awaiting the green flag to fall, or in this case a bullhorn to sound, which would signify the hunt was on.
Now remember there were only 1500 eggs hidden and there were twice as
many hunters which means there would eventually be over 1000 not
so happy hunters. That was the bad news. The
good news was that nobody got hurt and the Columbus
Zoo received more national
publicity than it could have ever hoped to garner. It made headlines
around the country; even Paul Harvey gave it
substantial air time on the next Monday. And, though he may not have
Keeping Scorewith
Jack HannaThe Man for All (Holiday) Seasons
Photo courtesy of The Columbus Zoo
realized it at the time, the legend of Jack Hanna was born.
I’ve always believed that “the great Easter egg hunt” might have been the catalyst for two of my sons, Sean and Brian, to eventually choose to make careers in the zoo business. Both graduated from Ohio State and, while students, each worked at various jobs at the Columbus Zoo, thanks in large part to Jack’s help. Sean is now the Deputy Director of the Dallas Zoo but before that he spent 6 or 7 years working in Columbus with Jack and others in the promotions department. Brian still works at the Columbus Zoo and travels regularly around the country with Jack and a cast of animals.
As a matter of fact, Jack’s traveling show will be here in Mansfield at the Renaissance Theatre this coming January.
These days, Jack likes to spend the holidays, especially Christmas, with his family and they usually head out to their place in Montana. However, he was very instrumental in bringing “Wildlights at
the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium” to the grounds around 1988. If you’ve never visited this Christmas extravaganza, you really should. This year it opens on November 18, and will run through the first day of 2012. They will deck the halls, trees, bushes; everything but the animals; with the brightest Wildlights ever.
As I was collecting my thoughts for this story, I spoke with Jack and asked him if he could remember any special Christmas gifts that he received as a kid in Knoxville; something that might have jump-started his long-standing love of animals. He said that when he was 6 years old his folks bought him a parakeet which he named Petey. Well, Petey eventually died and young Mr. Hanna buried him in an empty Kellogg’s box. I asked Jack if he thought that would qualify him as a “cereal killer”. I just threw that in to see if you were paying attention… but the gift of the bird and the burial story are true.
A few years ago, I finally took advantage of an offer by Jack to go out
Wildlights at the Columbus ZooA. Martin, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
G. Jones, Columbus Zoo and Aquarium
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and spend a few days at his “cabin” in Montana. This was the one he owned before he and Suzi eventually built a place on Flathead Lake. As you might imagine, it was much more than a
“cabin” and it was in a relatively secluded area, south of Billings. Before we left, Jack told us that he and his brother purchased a little crossroads not far from that cabin which consisted of nothing
more than a bar/restaurant and a bait shop. They renamed the somewhat desolate intersection “Montana-Hanna” and that was long before the Disney Channel’s TV show with a similar name.
So, if you get a chance to visit the Wildlights at the Columbus Zoo this holiday season, you probably won’t see Jack Hanna in person but don’t tell the kids. Let them keep looking. Then you can bring them to the Renaissance Theatre in January to see the real deal. •
MiGreps LLCMike Greene RepsMedia • Business NetworkingProject Consulting
P.O. Box 3822Mansfi eld, OH [email protected]
cell 419.565.1249
bus 567.247.4736
www.migreps.com
Mike Greene’s voice and face have been familiar to the sports fans
of North Central Ohio for decades now. He did play-by-play for hundreds of high school and college football and basketball games over the years and
still does selected Ashland University football games on television. He also
hosted a popular SportsTalk show on WMFD-TV for a dozen years.
G. Jones
A. Martin
Sean Greene, Jack Hanna and Brian Greene
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Charles P. Hahn, CFP®
Cleveland Financial GroupAffiliated with Lincoln Financial Advisors Corp.Member SIPC108 North Main Street, Rear Building, Mansfield, Ohio 44902Tel. 419.522.4333 • Fax 419.522.3303 • [email protected]
TABLE is a voice in the movement towards real food — food that is alive from the garden, TABLE’s own farm, locally and sustainably farmed. TABLE, where impeccable training and the love of hospitality meet ranks: Come!
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Tis’ the season for spending...but without the January regrets. Start saving early for next year by opening a Richland Bank Christmas Club Savings account. We make saving money for Christmas easy and convenient with direct deposit options. You pick the day, amount and how often you want money put into your account. Call us today, at 419-525-8700 or visit us online at RichlandBank.com for more information.
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Saturday Nov Saturday Nov 1919 at at 88am am --1010amam Prior to the Downtown Holiday ParadePrior to the Downtown Holiday Parade
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Decorating…
Holiday Style!
I
accessory isle… yep, fabric shower curtains make great table covers! Check out the clearance section of your local superstore, Target, or TJ Maxx throughout the year. Do not think typical red or green, but think about choosing colors or patterns that will compliment your home.
Decorate with Height and Width“Pyramiding” is a decorating term
used to explain how to add height and width to a display. Far too often, we tend to line up our items or place everything at the same height across the mantle or tabletop. Really want to make a statement with your holiday decorating? Then think about tightening up your items into groupings and use every day “lifters” like books, boxes or trunks to raise your decorations to different levels of display.
It seems like there are two distinct types of people who decorate their homes for the holidays: the “go big or go home” decorator or the “I will do only what I have to for the sake of the children or grandchildren” person. Do you fit one of those profiles? Or are you possibly like me and at one point in your life did every holiday to the max and then the older you got and the busier life became the less that came out of the boxes each season? No matter which type of holiday decorator you are, here are some basic decorating tips that work to accentuate the “lots or little” looks for your home this holiday season!
Decorate with Everyday ItemsIt’s time to climb into the china cabinet
or back of your cupboards and pull out those old crystal goblets, bowls, and glasses that you have saved from “dear ol’ Aunt Edna”. While you are at it, grab one of those crystal platters or other mismatched dinner plates that you haven’t known what to do with, but couldn’t seem to part with it either! Grab a bag of flavorful coffee beans, some tealights, and any old Christmas bulbs or lights and you can put together a simple, incredible smelling centerpiece for any tabletop in your home. Not a pack rat or sentimental sort? Visit your local thrift store or neighborhood garage sale and you will find a plethora of items to create your fun and inexpensive candlelight display!
Decorate with a ThemeDo you have a favorite collection of
items in your home that are normally displayed in a curio cabinet or stored away in boxes in the basement? I’m talking anything from a baseball card collection to figurines or even shot glasses from every US state?!? Get them out!! When displayed “en mass” with green boughs, ribbon, or faux snow, even the craziest of collector’s items can look fun and or nostalgic! Themes are also fun to use! Rustic or outdoor themes can meld quite well with holiday decorating. Is there a hunter in your household? Make that hunter’s day by creating a display around their mounts, pelts, or feathers. Are you a blingy kind of gal like me? Haul out your fun costume jewelry and sequined scarves
to add to a mantel displayed with shiny tinsel trees and glittery stars. Be brave, but also be cautious, you want your display to convey a theme that is tasteful and fun at the same time!
Decorate With FabricWant a fun, colorful and inexpensive
way to add texture and depth to a holiday display… add fabric! You can visit a fabric store and search through their clearance bins for interesting textiles that will add character to your tables or mantels. It will only take a couple of yards and some pinking shears (no hemming necessary) to create interesting tablecloths for underneath a holiday buffet of yummy foods or to a foyer table layered with special decorations. Another interesting place to find fabric… in the bathroom
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You can create a symmetrical display by placing the tallest items on the outsides and then working your way down to the lower middle. Or like in the pictures seen around this section, you can create an asymmetrical display by starting with one
taller piece and then cascading the sizes downward to create a stunning visual image. Don’t be afraid to layer or snuggle in silk flowers, greenery, or other floral items to fill the gaps and connect grouping to one another!
Holiday time can be stressful… but don’t let this year’s holiday decorating be stressful! Use every day items, treasured collectables and interesting fabrics to be creative and fun this year in your home. And be sure to grab a cup of coffee, tea, or a glass of wine and sit back and enjoy the fact that you “Decorated… Holiday Style”! •
Julie McCready and husband Tom own and operate Norwalk The Furniture Idea/
McCready Interiors in Mansfield, Ohio. McCready and a team of experienced,
talented designers offer residential/commercial design services as well as quality
affordable furniture for the entire home.
HOURS M & F 10-8
Tu, W, Th & Sa 10-6 Su 1-5
LOCAL 419.747.7055 TOLL FREE 888.262.7632N. Lex-Springmill Rd., MansfieldFashionable. Affordable.
Residential/Commercial Design
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Hear the name “Ditz Design by the Hen House” and it may not bring an image to your mind immediately. See beautiful standing Father Christmas figures, grizzly bear foot rests, hand puppets and stuffed animals of all kinds and you might very well recognize the unique items they create. Chances are you may own one of their lovely items and not even know it.
Rounding a corner in the Ditz workshops you may be confronted by a pair of black bear cubs climbing a tree, or a life sized St. Nicholas hoisting a sack of gifts. You’ll also find rabbits and penguins and dogs… oh, my! The mostly female workforce is busy stuffing bears, designing and sewing beautiful Santa costumes from elegant fabrics, and stuffing an entire line of realistic animals created from the highest grade of faux fur fabrics. The customer list for these beautiful items is a
“who’s who” of retail. Ditz Designs provides Santas to Frontgate, Macy’s and Neiman Marcus, just to name a few.
These dazzling creatures are a line of decorative items that began in the mind and heart of Joyce Ditz during the late 1970s. “I was a nurse, and I was very involved with the Lung Association. We wanted to do a puppet show for children on the evils of smoking, and we couldn’t find the hand puppets we needed. I have sewed all my life, so I designed and made them myself. That started a “cottage business” in my basement that I had no idea would grow into all this,” Joyce says as she looks around her.
Later, her husband’s job loss would make the growth of her former hobby into a real business more important. During the 1980s Joyce was needed full time at home to care for her Mother, and the home based business continued to grow.
By the 1990s Joyce (Founder) and her husband Jon (CEO) welcomed their daughter Debbie (Director of Design) and son in law Rob Ludwig (President) into the business, and that’s when things kicked into high gear.
Today a third generation has joined the business, Granddaughter, Samantha Ludwig has signed on as sales manager. Joyce and Jon are enjoying retirement while Debbie and Rob steer the business as it continues to grow and change. In 1993 Ditz Design participated for the first time in the Atlanta International Gift & Home Furnishings Market with a temporary booth. Today Ditz Design occupies a 2600 square foot permanent showroom at the facility. The demand for their beautiful decorative items continues to grow, with new items added each year.
Debbie Ditz-Ludwig can’t say enough good things about their 20 plus employees.
Ditz DesignThree Generations of Beautiful Creations
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“We are blessed with wonderful people. It’s just a great workforce. One thing we have discovered in the people who work here is that women with a background in hairdressing are terrific at this! They are creative and meticulous. Building our products is time consuming and it requires a great deal of skill,” she said. It is evident this business is a family affair, and the employees are considered part of that family.
Joyce Ditz smiles as she is embraced by the big, hairy arms of a black bear, his paws draped over her shoulders in a big hug. “This is part of my “Hugs” line, she says. “I had a dear friend who was a teacher. She asked if I could design something that would give her students a hug when they needed or deserved one. I came up with a standing bear that gave hugs. Now we’ve created smaller sizes of bears, dogs and other critters that have the weighted paws to give hugs.” Joyce Ditz
has used her creativity and enthusiasm to embrace the world with her designs, and a real “group hug” is something you experience before you leave her. She gathers those around her in her arms and lights the room with her smile. “I’ve given
group hugs around the world, it’s part of the joy of living,” she smiles. •
To learn more about Ditz Designs by the Hen House or to find a retailer please visit the website at: www.ditzdesigns.com
Three Generations: Robert Ludwig, Samantha Ludwig, Deb Ditz-Ludwig, Joyce Ditz, Otto Ditz
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From cancer to heart disease.
From orthopedics to women’s health.
We’re bringing advanced care to the community we love.
At Knox Community Hospital, we believe “community” is the
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1330 Coshocton Rd. • Mt Vernon, OH 43050 • 740.393.9000
It is that time of year again when we all begin planning for the upcoming holidays, which, for many families, includes continuing traditions that have been in place for multiple generations. These traditions can be based around religion, such as reading scripture or the story of Christmas, before opening presents or sometime during Christmas Day. The traditions can also be based around timing of gifts, whether on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning, gift exchanges, how gifts are distributed and many other factors.
When I was growing up, each Christmas Eve my Grandmother would come to stay with us for the night so she could be with us when we opened gifts on Christmas morning. She would permit us to open her gift on Christmas Eve day. We also received a new set of pajamas each year without fail, a tradition that continued into our adult years. When we were kids, many times my brothers and sisters and I would have our new pj’s on well before sunset in anticipation of “Santa’s” arrival that night.
In talking with some of my co-workers, I learned of other family traditions. One family has a pickle ornament that is hung on the tree — whoever finds the pickle gets to open the first gift. Another family has a “Santa Hat” which is worn by a family member
who hands each person a gift until all the gifts have been opened individually. Several people mentioned making or
relatives making ornaments for family members as a holiday
tradition. Some traditions
have to do with food — in my family, on Thanksgiving morning when the turkey is being prepared for the
oven, we do what is called the “turkey dance” with the turkey
after it has been unwrapped (held over the sink doing just that – making the turkey ‘dance’).
My mother used to do this for us, now my
sisters and I do it for our families. I have no doubt this tradition will continue with the next generation as it is a “much anticipated” event each year!
Most families prepare special dishes for holiday meals — recipes passed from one generation to the next and sometimes only prepared during that
particular holiday. A co-worker prepares pickled deviled eggs for the holidays, a tradition maintained through several generations. One family celebrates their ancestry by having Irish/Italian dishes along with the traditional turkey and stuffing. This particular family’s celebration last year was a combination of Catholic, Kwanzaa and Jewish celebrations, incorporating pieces of each into the celebration.
Religion is often part of holiday traditions often involving attending church services on Christmas Eve. One family sets up their manger scene without baby Jesus and on Christmas Eve, baby Jesus is placed in the manger by one of the children.
Many families make community service or “giving to others” a priority during the holiday season by possibly paying for someone’s meal while out to eat or encouraging children to sort through their toys and donate unused items to charity. Other families choose a family to buy gifts and/or food for during the holidays.
As we enter into the holiday season, remember to take time to be thankful and enjoy spending time with those you love! •
Many Families Enjoy Holiday Traditionsby Bev Rosich, Communications Manager, Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, Inc.
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Let us keep you active!
“You can trust our people and our products to provide you with the best home health care possible.”
- Ary VanHarlingen President of Shaw Ott Medical
270 Lexington Avenue, Mansfi eld, Ohio 44907Phone: 419-524-4388 | Toll Free: 877-742-9688 | Fax: 419-525-2354
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THIS HOLIDAY SEASON AT
Second City: Dysfunctional Holiday RevueFriday, December 2 at 8pm
Let the National Tour of Chicago’s famed Second City make light of even the most torturous holiday get-togethers with seasonal satire as only they can!
A Holiday PreludeSunday, December 4 at 4pm
The Mansfi eld Symphony Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Ettore Chiudioni, perform classical pieces and holiday favorites.
The NutcrackerSaturday, December 10 at 2:30pm & 8pmSunday, December 11 at 2:30pm
Ashland Regional Ballet once again teams with the Mansfi eld Symphony to present an elegant and memorable holiday weekend. This stunning musical masterpiece is the perfect holiday treat for the entire family!
Holiday PopsSaturday, December 17 at 7pm
You’ll positively glow with delight as the Mansfi eld Symphony and Mansfi eld Symphony Chorus get in the holiday spirit with a full evening of seasonal songs and holiday classics!
For tickets call 419-522-2726 or visit www.mansfi eldtickets.com
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More than a quarter century ago a small group of musicians gathered to present a concert to a group of their friends in a downtown Sandusky church. First known as the Fine Arts Chamber Orchestra, the orchestra began under the direction of Timothy Claubaugh. In 1985 Blake Walter took over the baton, and beginning in 1990 several interim conductors led the orchestra. J. Santos Perez became music director and conductor in 1992, just as the organization changed its name to The Firelands Symphony Orchestra, and was incorporated as a nonprofit entity.
The Firelands Symphony School of the Arts was created in 1996 and found a home in an historic house at 334 East Washington Street, in downtown Sandusky. Serving as the symphony office and arts incubator, the school offers a wide variety of arts classes that include Kindermusik, private instruction on most instruments, voice lessons, art workshops and instruction.
Over the years the orchestra grew into a symphony that attracted free-lance musicians from the surrounding area. The symphony continued under Perez’s direction, playing locally and traveling to Lorain and Huron counties for concerts, until the end of 2006. It was then that FSO began a wide-ranging search for its second fulltime music director.
From a field of over one hundred applicants, four candidates were chosen
to conduct the 2007-2008 concert season. On May 8, 2008, the FSO announced the appointment of Carl Topilow as Music Director and Conductor. Maestro Topilow is the highly acclaimed Music Director and Conductor of the Cleveland Pops, as well as Director of Orchestral Activities at the Cleveland Institute of Music.
The Firelands Symphony Orchestra is, to put it simply, a modern day success story. Since Topilow’s appointment the audience size and number of subscribers has grown over 400%. In 2006 there were 54 season ticket holders, in 2011 that number soared to over 500. Executive Director, Jamie Steinemann, attributes their success only in part to internal changes. “A new board was recruited, and a consultant specializing in how to grow audiences was engaged to advise us. But I have to say the real difference is the Maestro. His personality and rapport with the audience is amazing. He participates in fund raising, does speaking engagements He gives himself to them and they love him for it,” she said.
On the other hand, Maestro Topilow gives a lot of the credit to Executive Director, Jamie Steinemann and an
outstanding board and board president. “I’ve been around this block a few times,” he said, “The board has allowed me to come in and do what I know how to do. They have given me their total support and we have made changes and succeeded together,” Carl explained.
Keeping the music and the symphony relevant by having high performance standards and introducing young, fresh talent to the audience seems to be working for the orchestra as well. “We have brought some 15 and 16 year olds to the stage with amazing talent, and their careers have skyrocketed. The audience loves seeing these young people perform and succeed,” the Maestro said.
Jamie Steinemann sums it up this way, “Our orchestra has been a jewel in this community, and a lot of our success has been word of mouth. People come to a concert, and the next time they come, they bring a friend.” •
The Firelands Symphony Orchestra begins its 30th season in 2012. For complete information on performance dates and times visit the website at www.FirelandsSymphony.com.
Music to our EarsFirelands Symphony Orchestra
Lynne Wintersteller and Carl Topilow performing with the Firelands Symphony Orchestra
Music Director and Conductor, Carl Topilow
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Two great Mansfield locations:1084 Lexington Avenue 419.756.0134840 Lex-Springmill Rd. 419.747.0012
amper ourselfP YNo matter how much we enjoy the
holidays there is no doubt they add stress to our lives. It’s possible to keep that stress at a manageable level with the help of a couple of suggestions; maximize your time and budget by shopping locally and invest in a little personal pampering.
Manicures, pedicures, skin therapy, hair styling and make up all await you at Allure Studios on Lexington Avenue in Mansfield. This full service salon has been voted the best in Mid-Ohio once again in the News Journal “Best of ” poll for 2011.
Owner Peggy Lewis said, “We offer our clients the privacy they appreciate and the pampering they deserve. They appreciate our varied menu of services; it’s a break from their sometimes hectic daily lives.”
Allure technicians are specialists trained for excellence in all facets of spa services. Waxing and skin therapies featuring microdermabrasion and chemical peels, massage, beauty services, and a full slate of hair care options are available. Whether you’re looking for an escape from the holiday preparations, or the perfect gift certificate you can find it all here.
Glitz and glamour and beautiful bags are everywhere at PurseSnickety Gift Boutique, on Lexington Springmill Road in Ontario. If the holidays are chasing you, hide out here!
The luxury of a Brighton purse can’t be beat whether you’re giving or receiving, and the rich colors of Vera Bradley, Miche and Big Buddha Bags can brighten any gift giving occasion.
This year PurseSnickety has added Firefly Jewelry to their already amazing selection; each handmade piece is unique in detail and style.
Gifts, gift cards, accessories and handbags for the fashion forward female on your list.
The hectic holiday season is the perfect time to treat you to a relaxing and revitalizing massage. Nothing relieves tension and restores energy like massage therapy! At Therapeutic Care Massage on Park Avenue West, in Mansfield, Amy Callahan and her associates are proficient in all forms of massage and hot stone therapy. Whether it’s for you for someone you love, a gift of health for the holiday says it all. For appointments or information call: 419.747.2273.
You won’t be hiding in the background in your holiday photos after you visit the AVON store on Main Street in Loudonville for a complete makeover! Owner, Judy Strong, says, “Every woman has that drawer
of makeup she bought but never uses. At the AVON Store we offer free samples and instruction to our customers so they know they like what they’re buying, and they learn to use it to their advantage.” This year is AVON’s 125th anniversary, so there are special prices in every campaign catalog. That same special pricing is available at the AVON store with the advantage of being able to walk out with your product in hand. Whether it’s for you or a gift for someone else, visit the AVON Store for instant beauty and a new holiday look.
In Galion, shopping for the holidays might take you to Uptowne Outfitters. This unique clothing store, in an historical building on Harding Way East, is for men and women and
Therapeutic Careassage, LLCM
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419-994-AVON (2866)[email protected]
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All of your favorite Avon products from North Central Ohio’s
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M / T / T / F 10:00am – 5:30pmSaturday 10:00am – 4:00pm
Closed Wednesday & Saturday
Uptowne Outfitters■ Men’s & Women’s Clothing & Shoes■ Tuxedo Rental■ Personal Service Including Alterations
419-468-2900
123 Harding Way East, Galion(Just east of Public Square)
Monday – Friday 10am – 6pmSaturday 10am – 5pmSunday 1pm – 5pm
Allure StudiosFull Service Salon and Day Spa
491 & 495 Lexington AvenueMansfield, Ohio 44907419-774-9600www.allurestudios.net
$99 Day Spa Package$8 off
purchase of$30 or more
includes 1 hour massage or facial,
manicure and spa pedicure
New Client Specialourselffeatures items from jeans to tuxedoes, from slacks to that little black dress.
Once inside the store you realize this isn’t just another cookie cutter clothing store, but one as individual as you are. Owner Brian Treisch says, “Uptowne Outfitters offers contemporary clothing in a traditional setting. We have unique items at affordable prices, and just as importantly old fashioned service, alterations and quality that are standard.”
For more information visit these websites:www.yourAVON.com/JudyStrongwww.TherapeuticCareMassage.comwww.Allurestudios.netwww.pursesnicketyboutique.comAnd on Facebook: Uptowne Outfitters
The feather tree is the first known artificial Christmas tree to be used as a substitute for a live fir tree during the holiday season. Some believe the trees were first made in Germany to help prevent the deforestation of the country side. Some trees have been dated as far back as 1845, but the exact date of origin and the first person to make one is not known.
A feather tree was made by cutting wires to the appropriate length so that, when assembled, it would resemble the German fir tree. The material used on the wires to imitate the needles of the fir branch was goose, duck, and chicken, turkey and ostrich feathers. The feather was washed, dyed, and then wrapped around the wire. The most common color was green; however, some trees were made in white, blue, two tone and pink. After the limbs were covered completely with feathers, assembly began by attaching the branches to a dowel rod which served as the tree trunk. A wooden base, resembling a pot, held the dowel
rod. The tip of each branch held either a red berry or a candle holder.
It is believed the early feather trees were approximately 20 to 36 inches in height. Since decorations were edible and the tree lighted with candles, a table top tree seemed to be appropriate for most households.
The early feather trees arrived on our shores with the German immigrants, but were not embraced by the American population until after 1900. The first retail stores to sell feather trees were the popular five and dime stores. Sears & Roebuck was the first major retailer to offer feather trees in the Christmas catalog of 1913.
By the 1920s the Christmas trees had become a common part of the American Christmas tradition. As time went on the trees, and the decorations, became larger. Feather trees were now being made as large as 98 inches. Some were used in the larger homes, others in window displays of the local merchants, and electric lights were wired to branches instead of using candles.
By 1923 the feather tree base had taken on a new look. Instead of the round base that resembled a pot, the new base was square and was hand painted with holly or wrapped with a Dresden paper band. The square base proved more substantial in holding up a tree now decorated with glass, paper and wax ornaments and heavily draped with lead foil icicles.
Feather trees and their use remained popular through the 1930’s until importing from Germany was halted. During the war years of the 1940s, feather trees were not sold because of the loss of the German market. Trees that may have been left from previous years were unpopular because the base was printed with “Made
in Germany”. A few trees appeared after the war, but it is believed that retailers may have replaced the “Made in Germany” mark with “Made in USA”.
Still the American market demanded an artificial tree, which encouraged the American counterpart to the feather
A Christmas Tradition:
The Feather Treeby Dennis Bauer
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tree be made right here. These first artificial trees were made similar to the feather trees using a paper material. Known as Visca trees, they proved unsuccessful because the materials dried out, faded and fell apart. By the mid-1950s they were replaced by trees made of materials such as cellophane, vinyl, silk and plastic.
By the 1950s the demand for feather trees and their counterparts was overshadowed by the popularity of the aluminum Christmas tree. With its spinning color wheel and solid color ornaments, it could be assembled and decorated in no time. Storage was just quick and easy, and these dazzling trees lasted for years.
In the mid-1970s there was a resurgence of interest from consumers to return to the older style Christmas trees and holiday traditions. People began to search for trees, decorations and Santa figures that were popular in the years before World War II. An interest in feather trees returned, but their creation was a skill that not even the Germans had maintained; the art form had to be relearned. In the early 1980s Robert Treadway was one of the first to produce
feather trees in America once again. He eventually moved his operation to Taiwan to reduce production costs, and by 1990 his trees were out of production.
Today feather trees continue to be popular in homes across America. Produced by several companies and individuals, they are available in specialty shops and through the internet. These lovely decorations are highly collectible, representing an elegant and gentle art
form that has survived over one hundred and fifty years. •
Dennis Bauer is one of the country’s premier feather tree makers. His craftsmanship is the finest in today’s market, reproduced using antique feather trees as examples. Mr. Bauer’s work has been featured in Martha Stewart Living. For more information visit the website at www.hometraditions.com.
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When it comes to heroes the word has no truer meaning than the men and women who are serving our country.
I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to two members of the 179th Airlift Wing at Lahm Airport in Mansfield. Going through the gates and past the guard post you enter an area of brick buildings and green lawns that look like any professional colony. Familiar faces of people you know from surrounding communities pass and smile, and you can easily forget that this base and these people are part of our national defense, part of a huge machine designed to protect the lives and homes of the people that live outside those gates you just cleared.
Once inside two people had agreed to tell me about being deployed at the holidays. Being the consummate civilian, I was psyched to write an article about Christmas trees in the desert… Santa hats in humvees.
Master Sergeant Lisa Haun, from Shelby, is the Multimedia Manager at the base. She received her orders in September, and although her assignment isn’t defined just yet, she will deploy this year.
A full time student and a busy Mother of four (three still at home), Lisa still
seems to be taking her deployment in stride. “Putting your life on hold, making arrangements for the kids, getting things
in order, that’s the hard part. My biggest challenge has been finding someone to take the
dog. He’s a hundred pounds, and hairy,
and he slobbers. Anyone will take your kids, but no one will take your dog,”
she chuckles.While she is deployed,
Lisa’s ex-husband’s shared parenting will become full time. “We
will just do everything we can so that the kids don’t have any big changes. We’ve told the kids, and right now even my five year old is okay with it,” Lisa said.
Since Thanksgiving has always been the biggest part of her family’s holiday traditions, they will move that up a bit for a better fit. “I only cook once a year, and that’s Thanksgiving. Any time my family sees me in front of a stove they snap a picture. I’m really good at ordering pizza.”
Lisa says she just hasn’t had time to really worry about being deployed. “I’ve been so busy making lists and plans and getting things done that I think it hasn’t really sunk in. I will miss some birthdays, but I’ll send gifts and bake the cakes when I get home. My kids have been raised in a military family, so they are used to it.”
Master Sergeant Randy Lawrence is a C27 Loadmaster who lives in Ashland. He is a 30 year veteran of the military, and he’s been deployed nearly a dozen times. He credits his faith in God and the brotherhood the men with whom he serves share for making his deployments, especially at the holidays, bearable.
“You have to keep Christmas in your thoughts. E-mail and satellite phones are dear, and you try to fill in the spaces with packages from home,” he said.
Facing another deployment Randy thought at first it would be special because his daughter, Miranda Lawrence, was going to be serving her first combat deployment at the same time. He believed his being there with his daughter would make this trip easier on his wife. Then, a fellow soldier needed to change orders with someone so he would be home for the birth of his baby, so Randy traded with him. “He needs to be home for that. I’ve missed so many things, I really understand.”
Wrapping up the interview I asked Randy if one particular Christmas stood out in his memory. He was very quiet when he answered, “We were flying a medevac mission, and a Blackhawk brought a soldier to us to move to a bigger medical facility. She was 19, and she had hit an IED. They did everything they could under field conditions, but she died in our plane. I never wanted to hold my own little girls so much in my life.”
I was touched by his quiet strength as he shared this memory with me, then he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t give you a warm fuzzy story. But to be honest sometimes you get through your deployments one day at a time. Sometimes one hour at a time.”
And sometimes you get a story you didn’t expect. •
everydaysubmitted by Diana L. Coon
Master Sergeant Lisa Haun and Master Sergeant Randy Lawrence
179th Airlift Wing
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Milliron Industries and Heart of Ohio magazine understand that we all know heroes. They are the people who have displayed courage or leadership in an effort to benefit others. We need your help to tell their stories by introducing your hero to the readers of Heart of Ohio magazine.
The nominees for “Everyday Heroes” are a person or group of people who have shown their selflessness in one or more of the following ways:
(1) Led the way to correcting a hardship or injustice.
(2) Overcome adversity and by example has helped others do the same.
(3) Served the country and/or community above and beyond normal expectations.
Nominees must live in the heart of Ohio and be willing to have their story and picture in the magazine, on the website, and in the offices of Milliron Industries.
Email your story to: [email protected]
or send to:
Heart of Ohio magazine P.O. Box 1406
Mansfield, Ohio 44901
A hero is an ordinary
individual who finds the
strength to persevere and
endure in spite of
overwhelming obstacles.
Christopher Reeve (1952 – 2004) Actor, Producer, Director and Writer
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Be a Buckeye!Join us at Ohio State Mansfi eld for a life-changing experience.
Contact the OSU-M Admissions Offi ce today at 419-755-4317
or visit www.mansfi eld.osu.edu.
Gift Certificates Available
2440 Lexington Ave, Mansfi eld, Ohio 44907
419.884.1993www.waynescountrymarket.com
HOURS: Mon – Fri 8AM – 6PM Sat 8AM – 5PM Sun 10AM – 4PM
Custom Baskets & Gift Boxes are great for personal and corporate gifts.Diff erent varieties to choose from with chocolates, cheese, wine, fruit and more.
Hospice North Central Ohio
Hospice House is a beautiful, twelve-bed inpatient center available to Hospice patients who need:
• Assistance with pain or symptom management
• Medication adjustment, observation or other stabilizing treatment
• Short-term respite care for caregiver relief• Transitional care from the hospital
to home
Join us at Hospice House, 1050 Dauch Drive in Ashland, Sunday, November 6 from 3:30 – 5:00 p.m. for a tour, refreshment and entertainment.
Celebrating Hospice House’s
419-281-7107 or 419-524-9200www.myhnco.org
5 Year Anniversary
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WOUND HEALING
AV ITA HEALTH SYSTEM
AND HYPERBARIC MEDICINE CENTERAT BUCYRUS COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
Call us at 419.563.9899www.bchonline.org
Sometimes it’s easy to let things slide off your priority list, but taking care of your personal health should not be one of those...especially a non-healing wound. Wounds that linger for 30 days need the attention of a doctor who specializes in wound care.The Wound Healing Center of Bucyrus Community Hospital specializes in the latest therapies for hard to heal wounds and includes hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Our doctors are experts in the field and our staff is specially trained to offer a personal care program that will get you back to the life that you remember.
If you suffer from any of these conditions or symptoms, we can help:
• Diabetic wounds• Infection• Pressure wounds• Gangrene• Radiation burns• Failing grafts & flaps• Surgical wounds• Wounds on lower
legs or feet• Any wound not
healed within 30 days
Let us heal your wound.
History & Holidaysat Sugargrove Tree Farm
Stand looking out over the fields at Sugargrove Tree Farm and you will see the gently rolling land planted with blocks of trees in various stages of growth. Standing in the middle of the property, on a slight knoll, is a family cemetery with headstones dating back to the 1800s. Talking to the farm’s owner, Blake Rafeld, it is evident he sees more than just the property… he sees his family’s history marching across the land.
In 1823, Blake’s great, great, great grandfather came by horseback from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania looking for land. He purchased the farm,
originally 160 acres, and two others as well. One purchase gave him access to the Blackfork River, an important waterway at that time. In 1826, the family joined him on the land, and the Brubaker’s raised five sons there. As the generations have come and gone the farm has changed with the times, but it has stayed in the family.
Blake Rafeld has loved this land since he was a boy, but as he became more
involved in the farm it was clear to him that it could not be maintained as a working farm. Instead, the landscape architect and horticulturist decided the future of the farm was in growing trees. To insure the farm’s survival he began planting trees in 1976. Because of his vision Sugargrove Tree Farm has become the place to go, not only for landscaping trees, but as a tradition for families who want to choose and cut their own perfect Christmas tree for over twenty-five years.
Riding horse drawn wagons into the fields, visitors look through the rows of lush fraser fir, white pine, Norway and
blue spruce, and Canaan fir. It takes a lot of work in the summer months to make this tree shopping experience possible. During June and July over 20,000 trees are sheared and shaped, trimming the sides, and cutting back candle growth to encourage central leader growth. It seems a beautifully shaped Christmas tree doesn’t just happen by accident.
As one visitor summed it up to Blake, “It just wouldn’t be Christmas if we didn’t come here!” It seems a lot of people feel that way, because most Christmas seasons the farm hosts over 5,000 visitors and serves over 450 dozen cookies to hungry tree seekers. The staff at Sugargrove is proud to know their guests take home a happy holiday memory right along with the tree they’ve found.
Each year the State of Ohio recognizes eight farms which have been in the same family for more than 100 years. In 2000, Sugargrove Tree Farm was named Century Farm for the north east region. It is also on the registry of the Ohio Historical Society. Rafeld is proud of the fact that the farm participates in the Christmas Spirit Foundation “Trees for Troops” effort. The program, supported by consumers and growers, has shipped over 17,000 Christmas trees to the families of soldiers on military bases. •
You’ll find Sugargrove Tree Farm at 1619 Township Road 1455, in Ashland. It is open for holiday visits from November 25th to December 18th. For more details visit the website at www.sugargrovefarm.com
On the right is owner Blake Rafeld’s grandfather, Albert Whisler, and on the left Albert’s son, Howard Whisler.
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John V. Herrick, OwnerLicensed & Insured
CALL FOR A FREE ESTIMATE!419.589.8618
Hal Maxfi eld, CCIM, SIORPresident / Managing Brokerhalmaxfi [email protected]
George DiezCommercial REALTOR®
georgediez@halmaxfi eld.com
Bret GandeeCommercial REALTOR®
bretgandee@halmaxfi eld.com
www.halmaxfield.com
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE EXPERTS
Local, out-of-county, out-of-state and out-of-
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419-524-0010
REAL ESTATE CO., INC.
380 N. Main St. • Mansfield, OH 44902
INDIVIDUAL MEMBER
INDIVIDUAL MEMBER
Annual
BRIDAL SHOW
100 Reformatory Rd.Mansfi eld, OH 44905
419-522-2644I-71 to U.S. 30 West
Exit at Rt. 545
SLAMMERSLAMMERSLAMMERSLAMMERBRIDAL SHOWBRIDAL SHOW
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Yearly Bridal Shows held every November
www.ohiostatereformatory.org
If you are interested in being an exhibitor, please call Susan at 419-522-2644
Sunday, November 20, 2011
1 pm - 4:30 pm
at the Ohio State Reformatory
Presenting the American Commodore DancersStyle Shows by Cherie’s Bridal Mart and Kuhn’s Bridal & Formal WearMaster of Ceremonies is Nyte Flyte Sound and Lighting
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Ohio StateReformatory
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The Holiday season often stirs a range of emotions. Originally from Old English, “holiday” derives from “holy day”. During the 14th century it referred to both “religious festival” and “day of recreation”. For purposes of this reflection, “holiday” and “holiday season” refer to the more traditional season, the calendar year ranging from mid-November into the first week of January. Depending upon your station in life, family roles and traditions, and financial issues, you may find the “Holidays” less “holy” and more stress-laden, calendar-packed days you can hardly wait to “get through.” In this reflection, we’ll consider common emotions that some encounter over the Holidays and a few ideas for honoring them in ways that allow us to not merely “get through” but to (re)encounter the “holy” in the season.
Worry/AnxietyFor many Americans, the economy is
rough. Still. This exacerbates the typical financial worries associated with the Holiday season, especially to the extent we allow the avalanche of advertisements to convince us (or our kids) that we “must have” certain new things or the latest technology upgrades… ignoring that avalanche can seem impossible, especially as the Holidays get closer. Perhaps you tend to fret going out in the crowds, dealing with impatient, rushed, and nameless strangers. And the parking lots! Snow, ice, and walking through the cold… all to find out this store is sold out of the one thing we came to buy.
SadnessUnfortunately for many, the Holidays
seem inextricably linked to feelings of sadness of some degree. We all know ‘the blues’ and most of us have encountered at least mild depression. But for some, depression becomes deeper and harder to shake during the winter months. Seasonal Affective Disorder (or S.A.D.), for example, is a form of depression affecting approximately 6% of the US population
and believed to be caused by the darker, shorter days of winter.
Many of us have experienced the loss of a loved one, and feelings of grief associated with that special person may surface over the Holidays. The time around the dinner table, the Christmas tree, or other traditions just aren’t the same without them.
JoyAlthough ‘joy’ for many is a sense of
bubbly excitement, or floating-on-air happiness, for some it is a deep elation, a rich, perhaps quiet sense of awe, or overwhelming gratitude. This joy is often not dependent on circumstances but is accessible in the midst of a wide variety of experiences. Joy can come alongside other emotions, acting as a buffer to becoming lost or overwhelmed in a negative way. It is often difficult to hold onto joy when depression or anxiety is strong. But there’s nothing wrong with joy. Bask in it. Allow yourself and those around you to truly en-joy the holidays.
Reclaiming/Rediscovering
In order to reclaim the “holy” in the Holidays, start early and try several of the following to make the 2011 Holiday season one of the best ever:
Make it meaningful. Several of the world’s major faith groups celebrate significant events in their history during the Holiday season. As much as I hate winter for its possible stress of bad weather driving, I absolutely love the period of Advent through the Octave of Christmas. The music, colors, symbolism, ceremonial rites, and tender yet powerful reminders of ultimate realities shine the dull off the mundane and revive meaning in every area of my life. By the time Thanksgiving rolls around, I am ready for Advent to begin and by New Year’s, I find myself re-centered and enlivened to begin again.
Even for those who may not feel comfortable entering into a particular faith’s traditional celebrations, many
cultures have imbued the winter months with meaning. As the German psychiatrist Victor Frankl, himself a survivor of Nazi concentration camps, once wrote, meaning changes suffering. “The least of things with a meaning is worth more in life than the greatest of things without it” (Modern Man in Search of a Soul, 1933).
Take care of yourself & others. Be deliberate about doing something daily to take care of yourself and others. Examples include taking a nap or resting, exercising, eating mindfully (a challenge over the holidays), sledding, trying a new recipe, calling a friend, walking bake goods to your neighbor, or inviting an elderly neighbor over for cards or movies, opening the curtains, hosting a play group of kids in your yard or providing indoor games. Watching children enjoy the winter weather can be infectious… in a good way.
Many extend beyond the four walls of their home during these months to serve the community, i.e., serving in soup kitchens, helping stock food pantries, and volunteering with various religious or civic organizations. Realizing that such activities are not simply “one more thing to do” will help change your experience of “stress”. It is a noble thing when private citizens reach out to their fellow man, woman, or child. While personal charity does not have to be limited to the Holiday season, imagine how much relief, and joy, your few acts of charity may bring to a family that just didn’t know how they were going to provide for their kids
Emotions & the Holidays by Bradley K. Fox, PhD
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this year or where coats were going to come from.
If you believe you don’t have enough to be able to give, think again. Anything is something. Spending time in thought or action outside of your self will have positive ripple effects.
Get perspective. We have a tendency to compare up — looking at those with greater resources than we believe we have and judging ourselves negatively in comparison. To get perspective, first remember what your mom or grandma told you about “those poor, starving children.” Unfortunately, there are billions of people less fortunate than you. We can always be grateful for what we have, even if we feel we don’t have as much as the next guy. Secondly, get to the roots of your dissatisfactions (which tend to drive such comparisons) and recognize that it is part of the human condition to struggle with such heart-level issues. This awareness can increase our sense of compassion and connection with those around us — regardless of one’s “station” in life, resources, or external characteristics. This one practice can help with all other methods of reclaiming your holiday joy.
Reflect/Ground/Deepen (can include elements of joy and pain). Personally, I find it refreshing to “learn to sit” whether in prayer, meditation, or simple silence. Especially during a season that we often over-fill with busy-ness, I find it meaningful (and necessary) to invest time into at least short periods of solitude several times each week (though I find ‘daily’ is better). Unplug on purpose. Take five minutes to just watch the snow fall. Pay attention to your breath. Visualize instead perfect stillness (don’t bother visualizing a sunny beach, because when you open your eyes you’re bound to be disappointed you’re not there). Cultivate a gentle, caring heart. Seek to build your capacity to access stillness on the inside and you may come to see the chaos in checkout lines in a whole new way.
Writing can be helpful, especially on cold, snowy nights with a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Reviving the lost art of letter writing to connect with or encourage a friend, or begin a journal.
Give yourself (or a friend who is stressed this season) permission to “be”
in the holidays. If your typical role during the Holidays is that of host/hostess, performer, manager, director, or organizer, AND that role is a source of stress, consider sharing the responsibilities with another person or rotating the role among family members. It’s okay to give yourself (or that friend) permission to just “be” during the Holidays. Define yourself by something more, something deeper than these performance-based titles. Actually, some believe we discover our identity beyond our own perceptions and opinions. But we all take on certain roles during the Holidays. Ask yourself if it is time to start a new tradition, new pattern, or new “role”.
However, any good in excess can become harmful. If solitude is turning into isolation, extreme caution is turning into a full-on phobia, disdain for over-commercialized holidays is turning into unchecked anger, or ‘blues’ change to depression, get some extra help. If someone close to you expresses concern about how you’re doing, get coffee together and see if their concerns have merit. If you think you
might need to talk to someone outside your circle of friends, or if you have thoughts of deep depression or a desire to harm yourself, contact 911, a local counseling hotline (check your local listings), or local emergency room right away. Some additional resources can be found through: NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) at 1-800-686-2646, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.
May you and your loved ones rediscover the richness available through this Holiday season. May you know your belovedness and be blessed in every way. •
Referenceshttp://www.healthcentral.com/adhd/
adult-adhd-274795-5.htmlhttp://changingminds.org/explanations/
theories/social_comparison.htmlhttp://www.selfhelpdaily.com/overcome-
winter-blues/http://ezinearticles.com/?Overcoming-
Winter-Blues&id=3495370http://www.namiohio.org/about_mental_
health
Phone: 419-522-2965
Gallery Hours: Tue-Fri 10-5, Sat 10-3
96 North Main Street, Mansfield, Ohio 44902
Element of Art
s t u d i o / g a l l e r y
Element of Art Studio / Gallery is a non-profit art gallery that showcases the artistic talents of individuals with developmental disabilities affiliated with Richland Newhope Industries, Inc. Because the space doubles as a studio, the public has the opportunity to interact with the artists as they create unique artwork including but not limited to painting, photography, jewelry, and ceramics.
• Horse Drawn Wagon Rides• Fraser Fir, Canaan Fir, White Pine• Hot Chocolate & Cookies• Family Fun Activities A Choose and Harvest
Christmas Tree Farm
Nothing Says Christmas Like a Real Christmas Tree!
www.sugargrovefarm.com
Sugargrove Tree Farm
419-282-5151
Open Nov. 25 thru Dec 18
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Very few have not heard of Habitat for Humanity (Habitat), an organization embraced by former president Jimmy Carter that provides houses for individuals and families who might never own a home any other way. The first Ohio Habitat affiliate opened in Dayton in 1983, and now there are 69 affiliates across the state. In 2010 Habitat affiliates built, rehabbed or recycled 168 single-family homes valued at more than $16,000,000.
If owning a house is the American dream then Habitat for Humanity is certainly a dream weaver. Based upon the Christian belief that doing for others is doing God’s work, Habitat offers individuals and families a hand up in reaching their goal of having a home to call their own. To find out more about our local branches we took a closer look to see what Habitat for Humanity is doing today in the heart of Ohio.
Richland County The Mansfield office of Richland
County Habitat for Humanity was created in 1988, and Executive Director Veronna Drane has been on board for the past seven years. The affiliate builds one and a half to two houses per year, this year marking their 44th construction, rebuild or recycle since its inception.
“Most people think Habitat builds houses and gives them away, but that isn’t true. We not only build, but we rehab and recycle homes if they are returned to us for any reason. The person who receives the home carries the mortgage and repays it to Habitat. It is very rare for one of our clients to default on their loan,” Veronna explained.
Applicants who successfully complete the application process have an 18 to 24 month wait before closing on a home. A couple applying for a house must work 500 hours on their home and/or other homes under construction. Half those
hours and eight classes including budget counseling, home maintenance, lawn care and landscaping must be completed before a home is assigned.
Originally, the organization was formed to eliminate substandard housing, but over the years the vision has broadened and changed to include neighborhood revitalization. When a home is constructed and funds are available, other homes in the area are rehabbed and brought up to code, improving the surrounding neighborhood. Last year in Shelby, a program named “A Brush with Kindness” assisted eligible residents with home repairs. Veronna said, “It is a project we would love to expand. So many people need help with repairs that they simply cannot manage on their own. All we need is the money.”
To that end, the Richland County Habitat for Humanity Garage Sale has been a great help in raising funds. The first Saturday of every month (second Saturday in case of a holiday) donated building items are sold at the BrainTree building, 201 E. Fifth Street, first floor. Replacement doors and windows, cabinets, building materials, paint, and some home interior items are sold at bargain prices to fund the Habitat programs. “When someone remodels a kitchen or bath they may donate cabinets and fixtures to us for resale. My dream is to have a ReStore full of building items to sell. The money raised would make us self-sustaining and allow us to expand our programs. All donations are gratefully accepted, and you may call the office if you have items to contribute,” Veronna said.
“I love my partner families,” Veronna said. “One of the first I worked with was a single mother raising her children and her boyfriend’s as well. She had eleven children in all, and they lived in five rooms. That woman worked so hard to earn her house, and later, when one of her sons was in the construction class at Mansfield
Senior High, he came back to work on another home we were constructing because he wanted to give back.”
Volunteers are desperately needed for all construction projects. For information call (419) 524.8351 or visit us on the web at www.Richlandhabitat.org.
FirelandsTwenty-one years and 77 houses ago,
Bob Hemminger became involved in the Firelands Habitat for Humanity (the Firelands) when he heard a speaker at a St. Vincent DePaul meeting explain the mission of the organization. As a full-time farmer he thought, “I’ll give them a few bucks and help out when I can.” That began a long commitment to helping out the fledgling local affiliate. Today, as one of the founders of the chapter, Bob Hemminger doesn’t rest on his laurels. At 91, he still shows up on the job site to work with the score of volunteers who continue to build homes for families in need of a helping hand. The Habitat for Humanity message of serving God by helping others still touches his heart and keeps his hands busy, as homes number 78 and 79 near completion.
The Firelands affiliate serves Erie and Huron Counties, and the city of Bellevue. Hundreds of volunteers and dozens of dedicated local businesses and churches join forces to help make the program a success. Applicant guidelines require the family must be in need of a home and have the income to support the household after the home is completed. They must also accomplish 500 hours of sweat equity work and complete a thirteen-week
HomeA
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“Financial Peace University” program. These requirements have produced an enviable success rate across the nation, with only 4% or less of Habitat mortgage holders defaulting on their loans.
Executive Director Carrie Maxwell Pocock, said a major source of revenue for the program comes from ReStore on Route 250, in Avery. “Businesses and individuals who donate their tax deductible items may not realize just how much they contribute, but it makes all the difference. We accept new and used building materials, appliances, and items for the home. ReStore offers bargain retail prices to everyone, and the money helps keep the program going. It’s a win-win that makes a huge difference in our community.” She is hopeful that the future will see even more home building partnerships, and an expansion into the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative to provide modest repairs, and/or renovation of owner occupied homes for low to moderate income homeowners. “To continue to grow and provide more homes we need financial and material donations, volunteers, and your prayers,” Carrie said.
To donate, volunteer or begin the application process, visit the Firelands Habitat for Humanity website at: www.firelandshabitat.org.
Marion CountyHabitat for Humanity in Marion County
has a twelve person volunteer board and is overseen by Board President Tom Skinner. Established in 1993, this affiliate is now in the process of completing homes number twenty-four and twenty-five.
The “build only” branch in Marion is privileged to have eight regulars who are involved in each home construction, and dozens of other volunteers who show up to help make things happen. “We are fortunate to have talented and generous people who want to make a difference,” Tom says.
Perhaps one of the most dedicated volunteers is local resident Brad Hall. Using a three-wheeler to get around town, Brad is on the build site almost every Saturday. “He has not allowed his disability to keep him from helping others. Brad lives in a habitat home, and
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he works with us each week to help make that dream come true for another family who needs a helping hand. We can always count on Brad,” Skinner said.
Funding is an ongoing process. “We depend upon the mortgage paybacks from the home owners, donations, and a yearly funding/grants from businesses, like Whirlpool and First Energy. They have been community partners for many years, and this branch of Habitat for Humanity likely would not exist without their generous support,” Tom explains. In addition, the monthly “garage sale” of donated building supplies and household items brings money into the program. “Our goal is to someday have a ReStore like some of the other affiliates have in place,” Skinner said.
For more information about Marion County Habitat for Humanity visit the website at: Habitatmarion.org.
Wayne County At the Wayne County Habitat for
Humanity, managed by Executive
Director, Jane DalPra, the ReStore operation in Wooster is seen as a tremendous asset. ReStore Director of Operations, Beth Weaver, explained how the concept works on so many levels, “Our ReStore not only raises funds to help build homes, but it also assists residents with limited budgets, keeps things out of the landfills and benefits the community across the board. Appliances are always in great demand. For some of us a washer and dryer may not seem like luxury items, but for families with limited incomes they are. Refrigerators are another item that goes quickly.” Beth said all donations are gratefully accepted, building materials, cabinets, lighting fixtures, even things that might not appear to be of great value at first glance, “The old adage “one man’s junk is another man’s jewel” is in practice here every day. I can’t tell you how often I look at something that’s been donated and I either don’t know what it is or don’t understand why anyone would be looking for one. That’s the very item someone picks up and says, “Oh, I’ve been
searching for one of these!” The Wayne County ReStore is located
at 1451 Spruce Street, in Wooster. For more information on the Wayne County Habitat for Humanity visit them on the web at www.waynehabitat.org.
Habitat for Humanity of OhioRyan Miller, Executive Director of
Habitat for Humanity of Ohio, says the organization has reached a significant milestone. “Last year the organization built its 3,000th home in Ohio. As amazing as that is, efforts of Habitat for Humanity do not stop at our state borders. Worldwide Habitat has constructed 400,000 homes, serving 2 million people in over 3,000 communities. We value the support of volunteers, businesses, churches and other like-minded organizations to help us continue the work to eliminate poverty housing conditions in our communities.” •
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Since it was built in 1847, ornate and graceful Oak Hill Cottage has watched over the city from its perch above Surry Road in the north end of Mansfield. In 1864, the house became home to the Dr. Johannes Jones family; today it has been restored to faithfully reflect the 1870’s/1880’s Victorian period in which the family lived. Dubbed “the most perfect gothic house in the United States”, Oak Hill Cottage was the location on which author, Louis Bromfield, based his novel, “The Green Bay Tree”.
Although the Cottage was purchased in 1965, by the Richland County Historical Society (RCHS), it was not restored until 1983. After a great deal of work the home was opened to the public in 1984 by RCHS, which continues to operate the property today. Oak Hill was originally a ten acre estate, extending to what is now Orchard Street, and including the property occupied by The Friendly House, where the household truck patch was once located. Although edited to a large city lot, RCHS has increased the grounds to one and a half acres as surrounding property has become available. Spring 2012 will see the immediate grounds restored to their original plantings and contours, thanks to an historical landscape study and meticulous attention to detail. An archaeological dig helped determine the placement of the old buggy drive, and old photographs and artifacts helped fill in the blanks.
The Cottage’s last resident, Leile Jones, left the house in 1965 to live out the remaining year of her life in a nursing home. Walking into Oak Hill you would think she had only stepped out to buy a newspaper. The day-to-day life of the residents is still very apparent, and the life-sized cutouts of family members put them back into their surroundings.
“We are fortunate that the Jones family was very affluent and could afford
From Louis Bromfield’s Christmas to today…
Oak Hill Cottage
Dr. Jones’ bedroom
The house in winter
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photographs of their everyday life that was beyond the reach of most people at that time. The pictures of the family provide these wonderful cutouts because they were so relaxed, it is obvious they were used to being photographed,” RCHS President Alan Wigton, said.
Always festive at the holidays, this year the decorations at Oak Hill will be geared toward the Civil War era. Red, white and blue bunting, natural materials and gilding will be used throughout the house to celebrate the season and commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
The parlor and library will once again be a “blinds up” tableau for people to enjoy from outside the home. Visitors driving by the mansion, or stopping to look in the windows will see a piano recital scene. Windows will be lighted and blinds will be open for display each evening till 10:00 p.m., beginning the Monday before Thanksgiving through Christmas day.
RCHS board member, Jeff Mandeville, talks about the Civil War time period, “Perception is that all was dark and gloomy during that historic time of war. In fact, many people’s lives went on without much interruption at all. It is likely that the Jones family, unless touched by a personal tragedy such as the death of a relative or friend in the war, went about their daily lives without much change. People still celebrated Christmas in some fashion even as the war raged, because that is what people do. The decorations represent the time period, not necessarily exactly what was done at Oak Hill at that time.”
“People come to Oak Hill at Christmas because of the decorations, and while we try to be true to that tradition we want to offer something new this year while still being authentic,” Alan Wigton commented.
Holiday house tours will include the newly restored balcony, one of the last details of the beautiful old home’s restoration. Closed for decades, the balcony room looks over the organ in the central hallway, providing an airy spaciousness and light.
House tours are conducted each Sunday from 2 – 5:00 p.m., with the exceptions of Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. Since Christmas falls on a Sunday this year, there will be a house tour conducted the day after Christmas. •
For more information on Oak Hill Cottage visit the website at www.oakhillcottage.org.
Original photo of the property
View of the front hall from the balcony above Beautiful peacock feather tree in the parlor
The parlor is ready for Christmas
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This year, beginning on December 21st, Jew and Messianic Jews alike will begin the observation of the Festival of Lights, also known as Hannukah. Nine branched Menorahs (called channukiyahs) will be lit throughout homes and congregations during this eight day period. Sometimes Hannukah is thought of as the “Jewish Christmas” by well meaning folks who are not informed as to the beauty and tradition that has been passed down throughout the ages. One must examine the rich history of this minor Jewish Holiday to appreciate the spiritual message and applications behind it.
Hannukah is usually seen as the Jewish Christmas by Gentiles because the two Holidays are celebrated close to the same time of year within the month of December. True, parties are held, great food is eaten and gifts are given…but the spiritual meaning behind this Holiday shares with us a wonderful message of hope that has been passed down for almost 22 centuries. When examined, this message can still apply to our hearts and minds today.
Hannukah actually can be defined in Hebrew as “dedication” referring to the rededication of the temple after a great Jewish military victory in the year 165 B.C. E. This festival is not found within the Torah and was not mandated by Moses. It is found in the first and second Maccabees within the Apocrypha. These books were written during the 400 year “silence” between the Tanak (First Covenant) and the B’rit Hadasha (New Covenant). The story tells us that a Syrian Greek king named Antiochus Epiphanes arose, taking control of the land of ancient Israel. This king’s goal was to syncretize or combine all of the people’s religions together, forcing all peoples within his domain into Hellenism, or the Greek lifestyle. The goal was unity within society and a lifestyle of Greek culture. Sabbath observance for Jews was restricted, as was also circumcision and the study of Torah. You can understand that
this did not set well with dedicated Jews, sold out to the one true G-d of Israel. Sad to say, some Jewish folk found it easier to compromise in lifestyle and worship. The majority went along with this. Idols of Greek gods were brought into the Temple’s outer court. The outer court was turned into a gymnasium. Sports were magnified within the culture (sound familiar?) and Hellenism seemingly prevailed. Even a statue of Zeus was brought into the holiest place of the Temple and a pig was slaughtered upon the alter in honor of the pagan god. About this time, a small band of brothers lead by a man called Judah Macabbee, stood up against Antiochus Epiphanes and his army. This band of brothers waged guerrilla warfare against the mighty Syrian Greek army, a world superpower at the time. The task looked impossible, but within three years the pious Jews had driven the Syrian Greeks out of The Holy City of Jerusalem and reclaimed the Temple. The alter was cleansed and re-dedicated, and the seven branched menorah, G-ds lamp, was also repaired.
This lamp was to burn before YHWH as a continual witness. Upon lighting the oil, it was discovered that there was only enough kosher oil to keep the lamp burning for a twenty four hour period. It would take 8 days to prepare another batch of kosher oil for the lamp. What were they to do? They lit the lamp anyhow and tradition tells us that the lamp miraculously continued to burn for eight days. It was a miracle!
Many practices are seen at this time of year associated with the holiday. Tzedaka, or giving of charity, is stressed. Helping the less fortunate at this season is seen as what’s called a “mitzvah” or good deed. Oily foods are eaten (such as doughnuts, latkes or potato cakes) to remind us of the miracle of the oil. Dreidle games are played and gelt (chocolate coins) are eaten. Gifts are exchanged during the season. nine branched menorahs called “hannukiahs” are lit every night. The eight candles represent the eight days of the miracle oil and the ninth candle, called shammash in Hebrew, is the servant candle that kindles the other candles. This candle is usually
The history of Hannukah by Rabbi William Hallbrook
Celebration of Lights
Rabbi William Hallbrook
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seen as elevated above the other candles.Traditional Judaism reflects upon the
great victory of the Hebrews over the pagan king and the Syrian Greek army. The miracle of the oil is remembered. Messianic Jews ( Jews who believe in Yeshua or Jesus as The Messiah) also remember at this season the words of the Messiah recorded in the book of John chapter 8 verse 12:
“ I Am the light of the world. He that follows me shall not walk in darkness but shall have the light of life.”
It is at this season that Messianic Jews focus upon rededicating our hearts to The L-RD. Just as the elevated candle, the shammash, is seen as the servant candle giving light to the other candles, we too are called to lift up Messiah within our hearts and serve one another. We are called to let the light of Yeshua burn brightly within our hearts and lives. This is reflected within the good works that are done in faith within our community and homes. Just as the ancient Jews had to begin with what oil they had, in faith we rededicate ourselves to the Holy ways of The Almighty. In the Spirit of rededication we turn our hearts and minds toward Him. Interestingly, Scripture tells us that Yeshua himself observed Hanukkah and was found at the Temple at this season (John 10:22, 23).
Christians see this time of year as the birth of Messiah. Messianic Jews recognize this as the time of messiah’s conception. Most scholars agree that Yeshiva was probably born in the fall, possibly at the time of the Jewish holiday Sukkot/Tabernacles.
Hanukkah is seen as a wonderful light filled holiday bringing the message of hope and encouragement. Light is seen as prevailing over the darkness. As we light the candles at this season, may the message of Yeshua, the light of the world, bring us comfort and hope. May the light of the Menorah remind you at this season that The Almighty is still in the miracle working business! •
Rabbi William Hallbrook leads Sar Shalom Messianic Congregation, 2055 Middle Bellville Road in Mansfield. For more information visit the website at www.sarshalommessianic.com
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In Kenton a fund raising event featuring beautiful homes boasting beautiful decorations for the holidays is a great way to get into the holiday mood. The Candy Cane Tour of Homes, sponsored by Keep Hardin County Beautiful, (an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful) is being held Sunday, December 4th from 3:00 to 7:00 pm (inclement weather date December 5th).
Three spectacular private homes will be featured. In addition, the Hardin County Museum, The Grand Trillium Inn, and the New Leaf Garden Center will be open for the tour. Tickets are $10.00 through December 3rd and $12.00 on the day of the tour. For complete details contact Kay Kline at 419.673.0815.
Candy Cane Tour of Homes
The beautiful barn framed custom home of Ed and Deb Dick has been featured in the winter issue of Timber Home Living, and will be in the fall 2012, issue of Midwest Living.
This open concept painted brick ranch designed in the traditional/contemporary style is owned by Bart and Jolene Bailey.
A delightful 1890’s owned by Ralph and Linda Martell is decorated with eight Christmas trees in themed rooms.56 HOLIDAY 2011
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Winston Churchill once said, “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” This is true no matter how grand or modest a contribution you can afford. And the fact is, your gift or bequest can have a significant and beneficial impact on the lives of others — if you know how to give most effectively.
A charitable gift of life insurance can multiply the impact of your donation many times over. A gift of life insurance allows you to leverage your gift and ensure that your own personal contribution impacts your charity directly in a way greater then you ever thought possible. Even if you have a limited discretionary cash flow, you can make a meaningful gift using a life insurance policy while your charity could receive a significant sum of money.
Besides the good feeling that you will get from gifting to your charity, the other benefits are substantial.
• You control the amounts that you gift to your charity. Your gift may be made over one, two or ten years. The amount that you gift is a charitable contribution for which you may receive an income tax charitable deduction, subject to limitations.
• The amount that you gift is leveraged. The gifts to the charity that are used to pay life insurance premiums are only a fraction of the amount that the charity will receive at the maturity of the life insurance policy.
• Since the policy is owned by the charity, all rights associated with the policy belong to the charity. Therefore, they may borrow from any cash values in the policy or take loans out on the policy. (Loans and borrowing from cash values reduces the death benefit.) The benefit to the charity is immediate. Even if you die today, the charity will receive the entire death proceeds from the policy, provided they haven’t borrowed against the policy.
• A policy, which is owned from inception by the charity, is not an asset included in your estate at your death. Therefore, your estate has no legal or administrative charges associated with the gift to your charity.
Gift Of An Existing Policy to a CharityIf you have an existing life insurance
policy that you wish to gift to your charity, there are some issues you may want to consider. In order to gift the policy, you must assign all rights and deliver the policy to the charity, retaining no interest in the policy. You may be eligible for an income tax charitable deduction based on the value of the policy transferred to charity. The value of the policy is the lesser of its fair market value or its cost basis. Depending on the nature of the charity, whether the gift is made “to” or “for the use of ” the charity, the amount of your contribution base, adjusted gross income and the carry-forward provisions, your income tax charitable deduction may be limited.
Charity As Owner and Beneficiary of a New Policy
Another alternative is to purchase or have your charity purchase a life insurance policy on your life, with your charity as owner and beneficiary. Your state law will dictate whether or not a charity has an insurable interest in a donor. If the purchase of life insurance by a charity is allowed by your state, then you can provide the funds to enable the charity to purchase the life insurance. Your charity will receive all rights under the life insurance policy. Therefore, it may take a loan, surrender the policy or change the beneficiary designation. Additionally, since your charity is the owner of the policy, none of the death proceeds will be included in your gross estate at your death. For the cost of the premium payments, you
will be able to provide a significant gift to your charity. As with a gift of an existing policy, depending on the nature of the charity, whether the gift is made “to” or “for use of ” the charity, the amount of your contribution base, your adjusted gross income and the carry forward provisions, your income tax deduction may be limited.
The Income Tax Charitable DeductionIn all cases, your gift to a charity results
in the availability of an income tax charitable deduction. There are deduction limitations, depending on the form of the gift. If you pay the premiums to the life insurance company itself, you will be eligible for an income tax charitable deduction subject to 30% of your adjusted gross income because the gift is “for the use of ” the charity. If you gift the premium payments directly to your charity, your deduction limitation will be subject to 50% of your adjusted gross income because it is a direct gift “to” your charity. Any unused contribution deduction in excess of the 30% or 50% limits for that year can be carried forward in each of the five succeeding taxable years. In addition, most itemized deductions, including the charitable deduction, are subject to a phase-out at higher income levels.
ConclusionA gift of a new or existing life insurance
policy to your charity, enables you to donate a significant amount to your charity while actually gifting a lesser amount through the payment of premiums. Your charity receives the funds to carry on its good works and you receive the satisfaction of giving for all you have received.
Of Giving Ways…by Charles P. Hahn, CFP® in conjunction with Lincoln Financial Group, a division of Lincoln Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor
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It’s time again to begin getting ready for the holiday season, and like many of you, I have promised myself that I will not repeat the insanity of past seasons. I have vowed to find ways to keep my energy high and my expenditures low, which means it’s time to restructure the gift giving process in my family. And yes, I do have a plan…
But first, here are a few statistics I found in my research:
• Most holiday gift-givers spend just under $400 buying gifts for family
• Most people rely on recent earnings and credit cards to buy gifts, which increases the likelihood of impulse buying and over spending
• 13.6 million Americans still haven’t paid off debt related to last year’s winter holidays
It’s no wonder stress and depression muscle the joy right out of the holidays.
I started my plan by polling my family members about their preferences in gift giving and receiving. I wanted to know what types of gifts they loved to get and what they didn’t want to find in their gift bags. We also discussed how they preferred to shop for gifts and what expectations they had regarding expense. Many of their answers surprised me — although I thought I knew what they liked, evidently I have wasted many dollars on unwanted “stuff.”
As a communication professional, I really should have known to ask questions about preferences, not make assumptions.
One daughter said the best gift she ever got was a monogrammed silver charm bracelet, and the worst gift was a giant kitschy wine glass that had “It’s five o’clock somewhere!” painted on it. One stepson said that he greatly preferred gift cards and didn’t want anything too personal — he would rather buy that kind of thing for himself. My ever frugal husband likes gifts that can be consumed; he doesn’t like to receive anything that cannot be used or recycled.
Our immediate family now numbers 14, so the second part of my plan was to implement a “Secret Santa”-type gift exchange where each person buys a gift for just one other person, and the receiver’s preferences are shared with the gift giver through a master list I’ve compiled. Although it seems time consuming, I enjoyed talking with everyone to put the list together, and it will serve us well for years to come. Side note: children 10 and younger are exempt from the Secret Santa exchange; there needs to be a little latitude in the plan. Also, assign Secret Santas early in the season (Thanksgiving
would be ideal) to allow everyone plenty of time to shop.
The third (and a very important) part of the plan is to set the dollar amount for gifts. We are going to go with $25, since we have many young adults that are in the early stages of their career. Set whatever dollar amount everyone in your family can comfortably handle. Having a set dollar amount allows creativity in gift selection within boundaries and ensures that no one feels shortchanged.
Part four of the plan — go shopping! Even if you can handle the mall crowds, shop early in the season for the best selection and a more relaxed experience. Also avoid weekends and evenings if possible. Please remember to be patient with the salespeople; it is not their fault if the store is out of what you are looking for or if you have to wait a bit for service. Working retail during the holiday season can be extremely stressful and exhausting.
To save energy and time, shop online. You’ll be able to find the best
by paula m. cohen
Get a Grip on Gift Giving
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60 HOLIDAY 2011
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my daughter hated. Throw in a bottle of pinot noir and it’s happy holidays to all!
I’d love to hear about your holiday plans to simplify, cut expenses, and save your sanity. •
Paula M. Cohen is the owner of TrineVentures, a communications consulting business that helps organizations meet their communication needs through a variety of programs. Send comments to [email protected].
selection, compare prices, save time, and avoid crowds.
Finally, fully enjoy the gift exchange. Make it an event. As they come into the house my family will put all the gifts, with only the recipient’s named labeled, in a big pile. After a holiday dinner, we will gather around the fireplace and distribute the gifts. When the recipient opens the gift, they’ll have to guess who it’s from. The order of opening the gifts will be from the youngest (who obviously will be too excited to be patient) to oldest.
A couple of final suggestions — think out of the box. Perhaps a service gift
would be more welcome than a $25 item. Some suggestions: an offer to clean someone’s house, rake their yard, grocery shop, or exercise their pets. Another gift idea — donate to the recipient’s favorite charity. One of my favorite gifts was a rescue dog sponsorship in my honor.
With regards to gift giving, remember communication is the key. Ask what type of gifts are most appreciated — don’t assume that you know what the person wants. Surprisingly, one person’s unwanted gift could be another person’s treasure. I’m fine with tactful re-gifting; I’d love that painted, giant, kitschy wine glass
Nine-year-old Maddy Schmidt-Chambers took Heart of Ohio with her to Belfast, Maine.
Joanne and Jeff Dawson enjoyed Heart of Ohio magazine in Mansfield, England,
sister city to Mansfield, Ohio.
Give us your best shot!
Whether you’re vacationing, exploring or just relaxing with a cup of coffee, we would love to see you enjoying your copy of Heart of Ohio magazine. Submit your photo, and you just might see yourself in a future issue!
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Planktown Country Market, LLC1921 Free Rd., Shiloh 419-896-3525Mon-� u 8am-5pm, Fri 8am-6pm, Sat 8am-5pm, Closed Sunday
Large Selection of Bulk Foods, Groceries, Party Trays Available • Over 100 Kinds of Deli Meats & Over 100 Kinds of Cheeses with Everyday Low Prices
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• Gift Certifi cates AvaiableWedding & Reception, Rehearsal Dinner & Showers, Reunions, Business Training, Scrapbook/Craft Weekends, Retreats
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Family Owned & OperatedFree Estimates, Furnace & Airduct Cleaning, Dryer Vents, Chimneys
HOLIDAY 2011
Jim’s Flowers & Gifts, Inc.1262 Franklin Ave., Ashland419-281-3659www.ashlandoh� orist.comMon, Tue, � u, Fri 9am-5pmWed & Sat 9am - 1pm, Closed Sunday
24th Anniversary “Sale-A-Bration” - Dec. 2 & 3Full-service Florist & Gift ShopGift Certi� cates available
Marie’s Frame ShopYou name it, we frame it.1444 Lexington Ave., Mans� eld419-756-6040www.mariesframeshop.comM, � 10am-7pm, T, W, F 10am-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm
We provide custom framing of pictures, keepsakes, shadowboxes & cross-stitches.Gift Certi� cates Available
Crafty ClutterClutter makes a house a home305 E. Main St., [email protected] 10am-6pm, Sun in Dec. 10am-6pm
Christmas Open House - � anksgiving Weekend Nov. 25, 26 & 27, Gift Certi� cates AvailableCandles & home decorating accessories!
Paragraphs BookstoreServing Readers Since 1996229 S. Main St., Mt. Vernon740-392-9290www.paragraphsbookstore.comMon-Fri 9:30am-6pm, Sat 9:30am-6pm
Books are gifts of lasting value.FREE Gift Wrapping Gift Certi� cates in Any Amount
Celebrative Art419-775-7078 or toll free 1-855-518-4568Visit us onlinewww.celebrativeart.com
We o� er beautiful Cremation Urns and Keepsake Jewelry all made by hand. Several of our jewelry pieces are custom made with your loved ones own remains set within a beautiful, one of a kind, glass pendant.
A. L. Callahan Door SalesServing North Central Ohio for over 25 years!35 Industrial Dr., Lexington419-884-DOOR (3667)www.callahandoors.comMon-Fri 7:30am-4:30pm
Garage Doors & Openers • Entry Doors & Windows • Sales & ServiceO� ering Ohio made Products.
� e Evergreen CompanyHoliday Open House: Nov 3 – 6117 Harding Way E., Galion 419-468-4472www.myevergreencompany.comMon-Sat 10am-6pm, Sun 12-4pm
Unique home decor, � ne gifts, jewelry, WoodWick candles, Willowtree, pottery, dishware, Christmas year round, Gift Certi� cates available
Crystal Traditions of Ti� n145 Madison St., Ti� n888-298-7236
2011 Limited Edition OrnamentEach ornament is hand blown and hand cut with an angel design by Aidan Scully at our facility. Each year’s special design is issued in a single limited edition, signed and numbered. Call to place your order or visit our showroom.
Park Street PotteryKim Quick, Potter12 South Park St., Mans� [email protected], Wed, Fri 11am-5pm or call for an appointment
Original wheel thrown pottery. Paint your own pottery (by appointment only).
Tara,s Floral ExpressionsOn the Creative Edge1235 Park Ave. W., Mans� eld419-529-0600www.taras� oral.comMon-Fri 8:30am-5:30pm, Sat 8:30am-1pm
Complete Floral Services • Fresh Flowers • Fruit & Gourmet Baskets • Plants & Planters • Gift Certifi cates Available
TARA’SFLORAL
EXPRESSIONS
Here’s to you… heart of Ohio!
As our second year of publishing comes to a close, I wish to convey my sincerest gratitude to the writers who fill our pages with interesting and informative stories. Their work is a labor of love for our community and is enjoyed by over 30,000 readers.
And to our supporters and advertisers, this magazine would not be sustainable without your continued support. Please let us know how we’re doing for you. Are we living up to your expectations?
To our readers who send us notes of encouragement, ideas for story lines, photos & well wishes. We love hearing from you. As the late Dean Martin used to say, “Keep those cards & letters coming, folks”.
Last, but not least, thank you and congratulations to the staff of SunGraphics & Heart of Ohio magazine for receiving recognition from Graphic Design USA. Last month we received the American Printing Award for the design of our magazine. Many thanks and congratulations to two of our talented designers, Tami Shuck and Tom Hofacre, for their impressive creative design.
Diane Brown, PublisherHeart of Ohio magazine
THE LAST WORD
Happy Holidays from everyone at Heart of Ohio magazine and SunGraphics.
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