Archive for the ‘London/Madison County’ Category
Julie Kay Smithson and Wiggles
I voted the day after absentee ballot voting opened, about a month ago. The continued false pretense that there are only ”two” major political parties is pathetic. There are several other political parties, including, but not limited to, Constitution, Green, Populist, Socialist.
By Mark Helms
I grew up in a small town in rural upstate New York. It was a place with a corner grocery, a post office with its rows of brass mailboxes and the reliable smell of glue and paper, a bank that was actually a motor home that would visit only on certain days of the week, and a lazy river that flowed through on its way to the Hudson. Once a week my mother would take me shopping in the adjacent, slightly larger community of Middletown, a few miles away. We would go by bus; Mom didn’t get her driver’s license until years later, and I enjoyed the up high view of the passing scenery. We would walk down the friendly, spacious Main Street, looking in shop windows, occasionally popping into the places Mom needed to go. Eventually, my patience would be rewarded with a grilled cheese and chocolate milk at the Woolworth’s lunch counter. If I was very lucky, I would be allowed to make a quick stop in the Sport Shop, where I would lustfully gaze at the selection of BB guns (You’ll put your eye out, kid!), before the ride home for the cooking of dinner and the arrival of my father from work.
Then one day the big shopping mall moved in, and like so many places in America, the town, with its quaint atmosphere and comfortable, neighborly commerce, evaporated. The library, the train station, the drug store; the bustling street, the corner Santa, the fountain in the square. It all faded away to a place somewhere in the back of my mind. From then on, I have lived in various places throughout the country, all interesting, and all with their own unique character and personality, but all lacking the component that put them on the map, so to speak, in my own mind. I began to consider it de rigueur for a community to be nothing more than a mall culture event in a drive-thru existence.
It wasn’t until my wife and I moved to Alamosa, Colo. that I started thinking about the things that set the villages and towns of America apart from vapid, uninspiring dots along the interstate. I walked into the Post Office, where I found rows of mailboxes and the reliable smell of glue and paper. I walked down the Main Street, with its personable shopping district and friendly feel of commerce, and over the lazy river that flows through on its way to the Gulf of Mexico, and thought: Yes.
I have yet to meet a stranger here. I have accepted the fact that when someone waves at me on the street or from their truck, they are not mistaking me for someone else — they are being friendly. I am enjoying the hospitality and the friendly feel of that town in America where people shop on the street, speak to one another with kindness and tolerance, and have an overview of life that dates back to a place and time that was a little less complicated. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m on my way down to the local sport shop to check out the BB guns.
Copyright 2010, The Valley Courier
Mark Helms is the night editor for The Valley Courier in Alamosa, Colo., and writes a slice-of-life column entitled “Mark My Words.”
LONDON NATURE PRESERVE PROJECT. The overall aerial map is a "caricature" map in which the true proportions of the distances between features are greatly reduced and the relative size of the features is greatly enlarged.
The Madison County Park District and City of London held a ribbon cutting October 28 to celebrate a recent addition to the Ohio to Erie Trail, a hike/bike trail that, when complete, will stretch 453 miles from Cincinnati to Cleveland. The ceremony took place at the Roberts Pass Trailhead, which is located between 199 and 207 E. Center Street in London. The new trailhead is the first phase of a vision to bring together several parts to form the future London Nature Preserve.
ROBERTS PASS PARK. The Maple Street Park sketch shows the familiar stone and plaque, and also shows a small shelter building in the train depot vernacular. It has a small station sign hanging from the near eave and two benches perpendicular to the trail. Also showing is one solar light and a new and improved ice cream shop beyond. There is some bike rack parking to the immediate right of the shelter for visitors to enjoy the small park.
An interesting aspect about the trailhead is the use of pervious pavers and the benefits of “green” development in our community. Also on display for the first time will be artistic illustrations of the proposed development of a wetland park, which will also be accessed from the trailhead.
The Madison Pond Overlook is designed to utilize two of the smaller shelters, joined at an angle to fit the site. There is a larger cupola at the intersection and maybe a small interpretive display centered beneath. The familiar memorial bench is still there but is joined by another, and water’s edge deck. It is possible to pull bikes off the trail and go right under the shelter. Some light plant screening separates the natural environment from the trail. This sketch introduces dog walking as one of the trail uses, in addition to the tandem bike at left. Note: this view is looking across the trail rather than down the barrel.
The Friends of the Madison County Parks and Trails is working to help our community develop unique amenities to attract more visitors to London from the Ohio to Erie Trail. Business owners, community leaders and the public are invited to attend to support further trail development and the potential economic growth.
For more information, call Julia Cumming at (740) 852-4004 or visit FMCPT@columbus.rr.com.
Heritage Grove is a very cool amenity along the trail that solves the no-man's land between the trailhead and the Maple Street terminus of the trail. This is a "drive-through" mini museum done in partnership with the Madison County Historical Society and the London Tree Commission. It would feature up to a dozen slanted information panels or artifacts spaced along both sides of the trail. The panels will tell the story and significance of London and Madison County in the development of the area. There are small pull-offs to allow bikers and walkers to look more closely out of traffic. In between these displays will be evenly spaced specimen trees with information plaques. The trees will form a beautiful alley and will add greatly to this concentrated stretch of trail, and can be enjoyed by walking from the trailhead or the ice cream end. The end points of the Heritage Grove are marked by a reproduction of early Madison County stone monuments.
Fountain of Truth Ministries, 135 Maple Street in London, will host Youth Night for ages 13-19 each second and fourth Saturday from 6-8 p.m. The evening will feature fun and games for teens.
Halloween is fun for the whole family in neighborhoods across Madison County
Trick-or-Treat dates for Madison County have been set during a four-day period for the annual autumn holiday.
Mt. Sterling — 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28
West Jefferson — 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28
London — 6-8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 28
Midway/Sedalia — 6:30-8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30
Plain City — 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31
Choctaw Lake — 6-8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 31
The year’s final London Full Moon Bike Tour will be held Saturday, Oct. 23, departing from the Prairie Grass Trail Trailhead, located at the Madison County Senior Citizens Center, 280 W. High Street in London.
The 20-mile roundtrip tour to South Charleston departs at 8 p.m. The 10-mile roundtrip tour to Neil Road (Florence Switch) departs at 8:15 p.m.
Helmets, lights and light-colored clothing are recommended. No registration is required for the event.
For more information, visit FMCPT@columbus.rr.com.
MADISON-PLAINS FFA MEMBERS COMPETE IN SOIL JUDGING CONTEST
Some people don’t like to get their hands dirty, but a few in the Madison-Plains FFA Chapter love getting their hands dirty!
Madison-Plains FFA’s first-place rural judging team consisted of (from left) Clay Hart, Casey Knisley, Lena Waddle and Joseph Francis.
Two teams from the Madison-Plains FFA Chapter – a rural team and an urban team – competed recently in a soil judging contest in Delaware County.
The Madison-Plains FFA rural team included Lena Waddle, Casey Knisley, Joseph Francis and Clay Hart, while the urban team consisted of Kevin Laff, Dylan Crace and Matt Howland. Both teams studied diligently and worked very hard during the contest.
In the end, the rural judging team took first place, while the urban team took 13th. Individual results were Lena Waddle (2nd), Casey Knisley (8th), Joseph Francis (11th), Kevin Laff (33rd), Dylan Crace (36th), Matt Howland (46th) and Clay Hart (86th).
Mark and Danielle Call of rural Madison County recently took along a copy of Our Community when they visited Texas. They commemorated their visit to Elysian Fields in east Texas at the rest area at the Louisiana state line.
A Turkey Shoot sponsored by Madison Hi-12 Craft Club will be held for six consecutive Sundays beginning October 17 at noon. The event will be held ¼ mile north of Lilly Chapel on West Jefferson-Kiousville Road.
This fundraiser is used by the Masons in West Jefferson to enable Madison Lodge to donate to worthy causes. The Masons awarded five $500 scholarships to West Jefferson students this past school year, and have given donations to many fundraising efforts in West Jefferson.
For more information, call (614) 851-2641.
Loving Care Hospice and Home Health is preparing for its annual “Fall Harvest” fundraiser. The event will be held at Der Dutchman Restaurant in Plain City on Friday, November 21, at 6 p.m. The evening will include entertainment and live and silent auctions. Raffle and auction items include OSU memorabilia, $100 gas card, holiday decorations and more!
To make reservations, call Loving Care Hospice and Home Health at (740) 852-7755 or the Marysville office at (937) 644-1928. Cost for the event is $25 per person.
Loving Care Hospice and Home Health has been a dedicated health care provided in our community for almost two decades. When Loving Care Hospice and Home Health was founded in 1993, only two full-time employees and a handful of volunteers ran this Christian-based agency. Today, Loving Care Hospice and Home Health employs more than 50 employees. The agency’s nurses, aides, social workers, clergy and volunteers are trained and adhere to the Hospice philosophy of ministering to the needs of the dying and to their families with dignity, compassion and respect.
Since Loving Care Hospice and Home Health is in fact a not-for-profit organization, care may be provided to people who are unable to pay when the need arises. Last year alone, Loving Care provided more than $130,000 in non-reimbursed care to our community thanks to the generosity of those people who donate money, make bequests or support our fundraising events.
Loving Care is dedicated to providing quality care to those in need in Madison and Union counties. This agency affirms that each life is precious.
