44691 March/April 2019

M A R CH / AP RIL 20 1 9

44691 Ohio Light Opera What it’s like to play in the orchestra of one of America’s premier theater groups

Barnes Preserve One of Wayne County’s Hidden Gems

Minimalism: Why we can’t let go of our “stuff”

PEOPLE, PLACES AND EVENTS THAT SHAPE OUR LIVES

PUBLISHER’S MESSAGE

OWNER/PUBLISHER: OFFICE MGR.: DESIGN:

Jerry Klingerman

Michelle Janney

Jenni Ohnstad Design

Richard Weiner, Greg Sharpless, Nicole Pyles, Lydia Greene, Laurie Harley CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:

This publication and its contents are copyright 2019, Dutch Country Publishing, LLC. Individual copyrighted items, trademarks, etc. contained within are the property of their copyright holders. No part of this publication may be reproduced or redistributed by any means without the expressed, written authorization of the publisher.

PUBLISHED BY:

Dutch Country Publishing, LLC 148 E. Liberty St., #210 Wooster, OH 44691 330-275-8097 330-439-4231 Send inquiries to: editor@44691magazine.com PHONE FAX

Visit us on Facebook: fb.me/44691magazine Message us on FB: m.me/44691magazine Wayne County Courthouse photo by Jerry Klingerman

“All roads lead to Wooster” hat’s what a friend of mine says whenever he finds someone well beyond the Wayne County border who has a Wooster connection — and it’s a frequent occurrence. Whether it’s Coccia House pizza, the College of Wooster or memories of a summer spent baling hay on a relative’s Wayne County farm, the connections to this beautiful, unique swatch of Ohio seem limitless.

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It’s our belief that Ohio is one of the most diverse states, and that within the Buckeye State there are few places as geographically and culturally as rich as Wooster/Wayne County.

And while we’re aware that the 44691 ZIP code doesn’t cover all of Wayne County, we think it is a fitting name for this publication, as 44691 covers Wooster and the virtual heart of the county. So, you’ll definitely read about things that extend well beyond the 44691 area, but we think most folks will identify with our readily recognizable name.

WHAT’S THIS ALL ABOUT? As our tagline suggests, within these pages we will explore the “People, Places and Events that Shape our lives.” We know we’re living in a Digital Age, but sometimes the experience of reading is best enjoyed without staring at a screen. So we’re offering people the opportunity to log off, if you will, and enjoy reading...for the sake of reading.

We’ve told our writers there are no limitations; that is, we’re offering them the opportunity to spread their creative wings, so they can bring you the kinds of stories that might not otherwise get published, and certainly not with the amount of space we’re giving them. We think you’ll enjoy the extended feature stories and multiple photos.

We’re excited to begin this journey with you and we absolutely, positively invite your input! We plan to grow and change, adding new regular features and even include reader photos and stories. Consider this first issue of 44691 a starting point of what we hope will be a long journey together. Further inside you’ll find information about how you can share your own input to this publication.

So, welcome! We’re hopeful you like what we’ve put together. You can give us feedback, advice, etc. by following the Facebook page for “44691 Magazine.” Thanks for reading!

COVER IMAGE:

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Jerry Klingerman, Publisher

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ANNE PREBLE BY UNSPLASH

TABLE OF CONTENTS

FROM THE FARM TO THE TABLE 6 The Ohio Light Opera What it’s Like to be a Part of Wooster’s Musical Treasure

12 The Pursuit of Minimalism Why We Can’t Let Go

26 Ohio’s Film Festivals The Best of Both Worlds

34 Westerville A Pocket of Small-town Charm on the Edge of the Big City

40 Natural Treasures The Barnes Preserve 4

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THE OHIO LIGHT OPERA What it’s Like to be a Part of Wooster’s Musical Treasure

MATT DILYARD

BY Laurie Esposito Harley

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W

e live in a society of Netflix binge watching and pizza ordering. But is that really living?

“For what, we ask, is life Without a touch of Poetry in it?” ask Gilbert and Sullivan in The Pirates of Penzance, one of the performances being offered by the Ohio Light Opera (OLO) this summer.

Living — truly living — is stepping out into society and exploring the arts, delving into local culture, and growing both emotionally and mentally. Wooster-area residents can find a taste of poetry at the OLO, along with a fresh experience in music, singing, and entertainment.

“I don’t think that people in the community realize how unique our theater really is,” says Steven Daigle, Artistic Director for the OLO. “Nowhere else in the world can you see the forgotten treasures produced by the Ohio Light Opera.”

A “light opera” is an operetta of comic nature typically with a happy ending. But the OLO is more than just light opera. “Our repertoire is much more expansive than that. We are a lyric theater, musical theater, and operetta,” Daigle says. The OLO offers revivals of original shows and performances which never lasted long when originally exhibited, allowing residents to enjoy a captivating blend of well-known works along with a unique variety of rare titles which haven’t been seen in decades.

Initially, the company only put on performances of Gilbert and Sullivan; however, it now offers a wider variety of shows. In 1979 and 1980, the Opera added piano accompaniment to the shows for the first time and in 1981 it adopted a full orchestra.

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AUDITIONING THE ORCHESTRA

BEN SMALL

Today, the OLO offers a historic theatrical journey through the use of modern techniques. While the cast is auditioned and selected via a road trip across the country, the orchestra does not have live auditions.

“When we audition for OLO, it’s all remotely done.” says Peter Gooch, trombone. Applicants are asked to submit audio of both solo and orchestra selections as well

Musicians from around the country vie for spots in the Ohio Light Opera Orchestra, which follows an intense rehearsal and then production schedule every season

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as an artistic resume and three references.

In its infancy and early years, the Opera held live auditions for the orchestra. J. Lynn Thompson, Music Director at OLO, says that he and an assistant would travel around the country to hear musicians live. However, the company soon realized that keeping up with the times involved utilizing technological advances.

“To be honest,” says Thompson, “when we first went to [online auditions], I was not 100% sure of how it was going to work.” He felt that it was important to see each individual and understand his or her personality, especially considering that the orchestra, cast, and technical team spend so much time together during the summer.

“I’m a little old school,” Thompson laughs, but adds, “It has worked really well. And for the musicians, this is the new norm.”

The “new norm” includes access to exceptional sound systems. Musicians can record high-quality sessions to demonstrate

their musical talent. While it’s not required, some individuals audition with video recordings through YouTube.

Daigle explains that part of the orchestra audition process includes an interview, via telephone or Skype, to gauge the individual’s personality and get a sense of how they would work as part of a team.

“The only way that we survive is if we function as an ensemble. No one part of the opera is more important than another. The idea of an ensemble is one of the key things I took away from James Stuart (OLO Founder and Daigle’s mentor). The only way it works in this high pressure environment is to understand that we are all equally responsible in creating the product we are presenting.”

In the end, the remote auditions are what work for the OLO. “It is the sheer sound that we’re looking for in the orchestra,” says Daigle, and the current audition process provides access to the sound they are seeking.

CHALLENGING SEASON Once offered a position with the orchestra, the musicians are in for a challenge. Unlike other operettas, the Ohio Light Opera offers the public up to seven shows a season on a rotating schedule. Other companies that offer multiple shows in a season will close one show before opening another.

While each orchestra member gets at least one show off, they learn the music for all of the other shows in their entirety. The sheer amount of work required is mind-blowing.

For instance, one week in the 2019 season involves performing ten shows in six days, including four days of double performances.

“If you can survive, and I mean that in a positive way, you can do just about anything. It is that intense,” says Thompson.

“This is my 30th year, and it still amazes me that people can do that. The quality of the players that we attract — singers, directors, and those behind the scenes — it’s a machine.”

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MATT DILYARD

The challenge of learning the repertoire is actually one of the things that draws performers to OLO each summer.

“It’s really fun to learn new music,” says Laura Chalmers, clarinet.

Chalmers, who enjoys having ten hours of music at her fingertips, bases the success of the orchestra on the expert conductors at the opera. “The conductors that we have at OLO are so talented. We know that the orchestra conductors will be consistent for each piece.” She adds, “I think it would be impossible if the conductors weren’t as good as they are.”

Conductors for the OLO include Thompson, Steve Byess, and Wilson Southerland.

Iva Raynova, viola, is also positive about the challenge presented by playing a rotating show schedule. “The more we played each show, I felt I discovered new things that I missed the first time around,” she says.

By week eight, the musicians have played each of the shows at least once, and for the last two weeks, they perform the full program. “So in a way,” says Raynova, “we don’t focus on all the shows at the same time.” Plus, everyone gets all of the music upon arriving in Wooster, she points out, so they can always practice any piece, if needed.

Once the season starts, the orchestra ceases group practice sessions. “At this point, we all know the shows,” says Raynova. “It’s more fun. You don’t have to learn [the music] anymore; you just experience it and enjoy the show.”

While participating in OLO may be a challenge, it is certainly worth it. The experience helps prepare musicians for future accomplishments in their field. “A lot of things they pursue after will seem easier, because they immersed themselves in a very long season at OLO,” says Daigle.

WHAT MAKES OLO UNIQUE

LASTING FRIENDSHIPS

The Wooster community has a unique treasure in their backyard in the form of the OLO. People come from Akron and Cleveland to see the show, but beyond that, they travel across the country and even from Europe to see performances at the OLO summer festival.

One unique selling point for the opera is that they have a full orchestra. “Girl Crazy [for instance] may be done at regional theaters, but you’re seeing that show with a depleted orchestra,” says Daigle. “These shows are usually seen with a small orchestra, but back when they were originally produced they were produced with a full orchestra. We have a full complement and are using the original resources.”

Having the full orchestra perform for such classics as South Pacific or Candide can really affect the audience experience.

Even the orchestra members in the pit are drawn into the performances.

“It felt like I was diving into the story.

Of course we have to pay attention to the conductor and do our job, but it felt like we were part of the story,” says Raynova.

OLO is a small company. They spend a lot of time as a group and grow closer together throughout the summer festival.

“OLO is like a family,” says Chalmers.

“It’s the reason many people come back.”

And many people do come back.

Thompson states that ten to twelve performers return each season, playing for three to four seasons before moving on.

He attributes this high return rate in part to the professional setting.

Chalmers agrees. “We have these leaders in this company that exemplify what it’s like to create a healthy working environment, and they model that with the whole company.” She notes that there is a tremendous amount of respect at OLO. It’s a community that fosters encouragement among the musicians, cast, and crew.

In other summer festivals, Chalmers feels that it is often a competitive environment. “In the orchestra, we’re in a literal hole all crammed together in a small place,” she says, but even in such close quarters, at OLO everyone is supportive of each other. >>>

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MATT DILYARD

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE OLO: Make the choice to live this summer by attending the 2019 season of the OLO. It runs from June 15 through August 10, and will include: South Pacific (Rodgers & Hammerstein) Girl Crazy (Gershwin) Into the Woods (Sondheim) The Pirates of Penzance (Gilbert & Sullivan) Music in the Air (Kern) The Devil’s Rider (Kálmán) Perchance to Dream (Novello) For show dates and times visit: ohiolightopera.org/show-info/

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Many musicians return each year simply because they enjoy playing the repertoire and accompanying the performers on stage. “The ones who come back enjoy the environment. There’s nothing else like it.” says Thompson. “At the end of the season, I think that they can reflect back and realize what an amazing experience this is.”

Playing for the OLO is a wonderful networking opportunity and a chance to build friendships with others in the performing arts field. “The orchestra is smaller than other pit orchestras that I’ve played in,” says Raynova. “We spend a lot of time together, and you grow closer with the people.”

They also grow as a part of Wooster.

Chalmers explains how the city and the College of Wooster have supported the cast and crew through the years, describing picnics, church events, and dinners with homemade meals that have been offered to the company as a means of support. Gooch adds, “We’ve really become a family organization over the

years. We’re all very close, and we care a lot about what we do and what we’re providing for the community.”

Daigle points out that those who audition for OLO — actors, musicians, and technical staff — come from all over the country. Many performers come from New York City. They may be working three different jobs and dealing with the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced community. In comparison, the city of Wooster is a peaceful utopia. For these performers, working at OLO is a real paid job doing something they love in an environment that is ideal. ~Finis~ Laurie Esposito Harley has written for IBM, CitiGroup, and Monster. She was a community columnist for the Tribune and a feature writer for the Vindicator in Youngstown, OH. She has penned a fictional novel on domestic violence as well as a children’s book about bullying. She also writes and illustrates children’s poetry and cartoons. You can find more about Laurie’s work at LaurieHarley.com or PoeticLotion.com.

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THE PURSUIT OF

MINIMALISM (And Why We Can’t Let Go of Our Things)

BY Nicole Pyles

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Editor’s note: Minimalism, downsizing, decluttering...whatever you want to call it, it’s a very hot topic these days. We asked one of our 44691 writers to take a look at this popular phenomenon and, in particular, to go behind the scenes and try to explore some of the psychological aspects of the “stuff” of our lives.

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oes having less stuff make you happy? It all depends on whom you ask. Joshua Becker, blogger at BecomingMinimalist.com and author of several books including his latest, The Minimalist Home sure thinks so. Before becoming a minimalist about 10 years ago, Becker realized that his stuff wasn’t making him happy anymore. In fact, it was doing the opposite: It was distracting him. “There is a misconception that minimalism is about sacrifice and living a barren lifestyle,” Becker says. “[But it actually] frees you up to pursue happiness.”

With popular shows such as the Netflix hit Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, many Americans are at least obsessed with watching people organize and get rid of their things. However, the 38-billion-dollar self-storage industry suggests that we may like our stuff out of sight, but we’re not ready to get rid of stuff completely.

Becker’s own journey into minimalism began quite by accident, as part of a process that perhaps most of us can identify with. It was Memorial Day Weekend and Becker was engaging in a time-honored American tradition: cleaning/organizing the garage at his family’s home. After watching him struggle with all the family’s “stuff” a neighbor simply commented, “Maybe you don’t need to own all that stuff.” This simple yet powerful observation set Becker on a path of self-examination which has now seen him write extensively on the subject and serve as a mentor to others who want to follow his family’s path. >>>

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So, why are we so connected to what we own?

While the answers are complicated and vary with each person, one suggestion is that we are emotionally attached to our things. Dr. Amy Przeworski, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at Cleveland’s Case Western Reserve University, who also is part of the Hoarding Connection of Cuyahoga County, suggests that individuals who engage in hoarding, “often report a strong connection to their possessions.

For example, an individual who keeps greeting cards because the cards are a way of connecting to the person who gave them the card. In some cases, the individual will say that throwing out the card would be the same as throwing out the person who gave the card to them.”

While this experience is a common one among individuals (and not all of us are hoarder) it provides a little bit of insight into why we can be so attached to our things. Other reasons for not letting go include the fact that our stuff may evoke a specific memory (like that favorite toy from childhood), or the object might represent a promise you mean to keep (like that desk you intend to refurbish). Or, the process of buying or otherwise getting the object may evoke a sense of comfort or even control when we otherwise may not have control in our lives (shopping therapy anyone?).

Emotional or sentimental attachment probably is the leading reason people give when addressing the inability to let go of items.

But we have to ask ourselves: Does living a life chocked full of boxes, storage totes and basement, garages and storage spaces filled to the brim truly give us joy? I think we all can see the answer is a resounding “no.”

Sometimes tough choices have to be made, but numerous experts suggest that one way to deal with this is to take one particular item that has special meaning — be it of a person or event — and display it in your home. Then, make the difficult but necessary decision to part with everything else that formerly was stored away — and in the way. Just because you remove something from your living space doesn’t mean you are forgetting about either a child who has grown up and moved away or a loved one who has passed on. It simply means you’ve chosen to remember them in a different way than keeping every single thing that reminds you of them.

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GUILLAUME TECHER BY UNSPLASH

OUR ATTACHMENT MAY BE A BIT COMPLICATED.

GET TO KNOW YOURSELF TO GET TO KNOW YOUR STUFF. All this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad to hang onto things, but if you are interested in having less stuff in your life or participating in a more minimalist lifestyle, it’s time to really think about what you want to hang onto.

Marcia Sloman, a professional organizer for 25 years, helps people let go of their stuff by helping them learn more about themselves. “I believe it’s important to learn about yourself because your own behavior guides decisions you make,” Sloman says. “So when you learn what your life’s priorities are, you will know what’s important for you to keep or not keep. Learning what overwhelms you will give you an idea of what areas you need guidance. Knowing why you might procrastinate may motivate you and prevent you from putting off important tasks.

Using our strengths and weaknesses can make us very productive.”

This is exactly the type of approach Becker suggests. His priority was to spend more time with family, entertain friends and invite people over. So, he kept the things that helped him do that and got rid of the things that inhibited him. Another approach Becker suggests is doing a trial run and experiment with less, such as taking out half of what is hanging in your closet, and put it in storage for a month.

The process of moving also can be a powerful tool to “live more with less.” Once they reach adulthood the average American will move nine to 11 times. Other than making decisions when packing, a simple method to determining what you really need is unpacking a little bit at a time. That is, you only unpack boxes as you find the need for those particular items. A year or two down the road boxes that haven’t been unpacked are very strong candidates for a garage sale, thrift store or charity donation.

“WHEN YOU LEARN WHAT YOUR LIFE’S PRIORITIES ARE, YOU WILL KNOW WHAT’S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO KEEP OR NOT KEEP.” – MARCIA SLOMAN

BE THE CONSUMER YOU WANT TO SEE IN THE WORLD. In our consumer-driven society, it is easy to be tempted by The Bargain, to go shopping to alleviate stress, or to get the latest and greatest item to keep up with trends (or neighbors). However, in order to pursue a minimalist lifestyle and to truly embrace this change, it’s also important stop buying more things. This may be difficult in today’s society, but as Joshua Becker put it, “It’s an intentional way to live.”

One way to change is to stop buying the things that don’t align with your priorities. If you engage in some form of shopping therapy, consider the approach Dr. Przeworski uses with her clients. “We may have a client go to a store where they often find bargains and we will have them practice leaving the store without having bought anything. This will cause them distress, but again, this distress will lessen over time if they continue to practice not acquiring objects even when they are faced with desirable items.”

Admittedly, a minimalist lifestyle may be more difficult for those with children. However, it is certainly not impossible: Becker was able to do so with his family. He remarked, “[Becoming a minimalist] is more difficult with kids, but it’s also more important, because kids are watching you and learning from you.”

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RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO FILL ALL YOUR EMPTY SPACE. Once you’re on the journey to becoming a minimalist, you’ll soon find more and more space where there once was stuff — and that can be a challenge if you’re not used to it. If all that empty space is leaving you a bit anxious, consider the 2011 Ted Talk titled, “Less stuff, more happiness.” Writer and designer Graham Hill, founder of the websites TreeHugger.com and “Life Edited,” lives in a 420-square-foot apartment. While it may not be your life goal to live in such a small space, Hill points out that in today’s society “we’ve got triple the space (of previous generations), but we’ve become such good shoppers that we need even more space. So where does this lead? Lots of credit card debt, huge environmental footprints, and perhaps not coincidentally, our happiness levels have flat-lined over the same 50 years.” He continued, “less stuff and less space are going to equal a smaller footprint. It’s actually a great way to save yourself some money. And it’s going to give you a little more ease in your life.”

Perhaps not coincidentally, there does appear to be at least an anecdotal connection between minimalism, “stuff” and money.

As Becker puts it, “Owning less did not provide us with more money (except for the items we sold), but it did provide us with more opportunity for our money. Once we became attracted to living with less and the hold of consumerism on our checkbook was broken, our money could be used for more valuable purposes than the clearance rack at the local department store.” >>>

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While the idea of “minimalist living” may conjure up austere images of ultra-modern/contemporary living spaces, the fact is that millions of Americans are embracing the simple notion of “less is more.”

You don’t have to have a Frank Lloyd Wright home, or own lots of Mid-Century Modern furniture to begin your pursuit of minimalism or decluttering.

BEGINNING THE JOURNEY If you’re taking those beginning steps to leading a life with fewer possessions, it’s important to resist the urge to re-fill the spaces as you are able to open them up. Open spaces don’t mean a lack of possessions, they mean you’ve purposely made a conscious choice to put nothing in that space — and that’s OK. Minimalist Kyle Quilici of the blog NewMinimalism.com recommends “filling storage spaces to only 50% of their actual capacity — think your closet, your utensil drawer, your entry closet. By doing so, you leave space to see what you have, can easily access what is there and can easily put things away when you are finished with them. I think the movement towards tiny living, and multi-unit, dense living is a nod toward minimalism. We realize that we don’t need a ton of space to live a fulfilling life, and oftentimes a big home means more time spent towards managing just that. There has to be balance.”

So, if you are ready to take on the challenge of becoming a minimalist, whether it’s because is you just want less stuff, you want to help the environment, or you want to fight against the consumerist nature of our society, it’s time to truly take a look at what’s holding you back. Can minimalism make you happy? Maybe it can help, but it isn’t a “one size fits all” lifestyle and it isn’t a cold turkey type of journey. At least, it doesn’t have to be. Consider the advice of the experts, and maybe one day, you can finally learn to let go.

Writer Nicole Pyers hails from Portland Oregon and wrote this article exclusively for 44691.

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“A MINIMALIST LIFESTYLE…[IS] ABOUT CLEARING THE CLUTTER FROM YOUR LIFE AND ADJUSTING YOUR MINDSET SO YOU CAN LIVE WITH MORE PURPOSE AND PEACE.” –MAKESPACE.COM/BLOG/POSTS/MINIMALIST-LIVING-TIPS/

They’re calling it the “Marie Kondo effect.” Thrift stores nationwide are reporting that the immense popularity of Japan native Kondo’s Netflix show is filling their shelves. It started with her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, which led to the Netflix show. And while many people choose donating their items to thrift stores, there are other ways to re-home items you’ve decided you can live without.

The most obvious choice for many people is to hold a garage sale, and that can be effective, as well as provide a little extra cash for your efforts. But if haggling over your possessions with strangers isn’t your idea of a fun Saturday, consider making a (tax-deductible) donation of your items.

For 44691 readers, several obvious choices top the list: The Salvation Army 437 South Market Street Wooster, Ohio 44691 neo.salvationarmy.org

People To People ministries 454 E Bowman St Wooster, OH 44691 https://ptpm.net

The Salvation Army accepts furniture, household items, toys and clothing. In some areas, pick up may be available. Call 330264-4704 or 800-SA-TRUCK (7287825)

With a long history of serving people in need, People To People offers a wide range of assistance, much of it for people in crisis situations. They accept clothing, toys and household items. If you have more than a few larger items, they request you call 330262-1662 to make an appointment.

OneEighty one-eighty.org 330-264-8498 The name is a result of the rebranding of organizations that includes STEPS and Every Woman’s House. With a two-county reach, OneEighty helps people in substance abuse recovery and victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. In addition to inkind donations of money and new items (such as diapers and hygiene-related consumables) OneEighty also accepts donations of some furniture items that are provided to individuals who are transitioning back into their own housing.

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Goodwill Industries 149 W Milltown Rd Wooster, OH 44691 https://www.goodwillconnect.org Thrift shopping is very popular right now, and one of the leaders is Goodwill Industries, which operates many stores including one in Wooster’s North End. In many cases Goodwill can pick up items at your home!

Call 330-262-7196 for details.

NOTE: To the best of our knowledge, no organizations still accept older tube-type TVs. In most cases, the best bet is to recycle them.

Recycling: At some point your journey of “living more with less” will most likely find you staring at paint cans from decorating project years past, unneeded cleaning products, and other hazardous waste. Paint that has solidified can be disposed of normally, while most waste haulers prohibit paint in liquid form.

For other chemical-based products please resist the urge to simply place those items in the trash! Residents of the Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne Recycling District have a year-round dropoff location available for many hazardous items .

Additional information on disposing of large, bulky or hazardous items is available at the Stark, Tuscarawas and Wayne Recycling District’s website: timetorecycle.org. And, although it was published in 2017, the district published a truly comprehensive guide to all of the above and more, which is available at: timetorecycle.org/about/resources/publications/ Best rule of thumb when considering any donations or recycling: If you’re in doubt, call ahead.

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We Believe In Print.

Despite the challenges that some segments of the print world are facing, magazine readership is actually increasing.

Specialty print publications are enjoying solid growth, because the desire for in-depth, informative feature stories hasn’t gone away — it’s just that the vehicle used to convey them is evolving.

If you are a business decision maker we’d like to show you how we can put your message in 11,500 homes and businesses in the heart of Wooster and Wayne County.

For more information call: Jerry Klingerman: 330-275-8097

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FROM THE

FARM TO THE TABLE WILLIAM FELKER BY UNSPLASH

“The production of SUSTAINABLE, LOCALLY GROWN FOODS is key to providing

long-term food security for communities….”

–University of Missouri study, 2011.

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or residents of the Wooster area, the

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national “farm to table,” or “local food” movement that started in California and

spread across the country must seem sort of redundant. After all, there are restaurants around here that go back generations and have at their roots family farms that have supplied produce, meat and baked goods to their neighbors for decades.

BY Richard Weiner Or, as Adam Schweiterman, executive director of Wooster’s Local Roots Market and Cafe says, “all food comes from farms.”

After that, it may just be a matter of nomenclature that can layer a veneer of cool on the simple act of procuring food, and make a restaurant seem like it is riding a national trend when it procures supplies from local farmers.

What does “local” mean in the local food movement? There are no set answers to that question.

“Local can mean a lot of different things,” says Aden Yoder, director of Green Field Farms. “It can mean within a day’s drive.

It can mean within the state. Or it can mean within 400 or 500 miles. But two-thirds of the population of the United States lives within 500 miles of Columbus.” That includes the cities of New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto, so what may seem local to one person certainly may not seem so to the next.

But every part of the multi-leveled food chain that takes part in the national movement is alive in this area, and the story of the local food chain is well worth telling.

THE NEW FARM-TO-TABLE MOVEMENT tart by looking up “Farm-to Table,” and one of the first things that pops up is, “One of the first farm-to-table restaurants in the US was Chez Panisse in Berkley, California,” which opened in 1971. A little further exploration will land you on the F2T movement on the east coast, exemplified by chef Evan Mallet and his two New England restaurants “Black Trumpet” and “Ondine.” Both of those restaurants are recent additions to the food scene.

Closer to home, google “farm to table Ohio” and you’ll get the “best” rated farm-to-table restaurant in the state is The Greenhouse, which is located on East 4th St. in Cleveland.

David Miller, an Amish farmer in Wooster, reacts to those facts with eyes askance. To him, and to most locals, farm-to-table means growing your own, buying or selling at a local farmer’s market, or running a restaurant with local foods in the same way as people have been doing it around here for a couple hundred years.

To the local restaurateurs who have created farm-to-table urban restaurants like Jonathan Sawyer of The Greenhouse and Mike Mariola of Wooster’s City Square Steakhouse, the movement is a way to expand that food chain to customers who may not otherwise be able to obtain local foods. >>>

JERRY KLINGERMAN

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(Right) Local Roots, located in downtown Wooster, has a map that features the locations of their suppliers, so buyers can see what “local” really means at this popular destination.

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JERRY KLINGERMAN

(Above, right) At the Mt. Hope Produce Auction, Amish and English buyers and sellers mix easily, as they watch the results and bid on seasonal offerings. The auction is open to the public and frequented by grocery stores, roadside stand owners and restaurateurs.

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WOOSTER’S LOCAL ROOTS COOPERATIVE

THE RESTAURANTS

Adam Schweiterman is somewhat cynical about who or what can be called “farm-to-table.” The Local Roots co-op is basically ground zero in the local food movement on the retail side in Wooster, and a model organization in the local foods movement.

It features, for the most part, Wooster-area raw and processed foods, and offers a café serving daily specials, works of local artisans and more. It is the base for a local, mostly younger community that shares similar principles and approaches to food, art and life, where food purveyors and their customers mix together in a celebration of the simple, local life.

On the coasts and small sections of big cities everywhere, many members of the Local Roots community are called hipsters, but here this co-op seems less self-righteous and more connected to the earth. And maybe that is because most of them are local to the farmland themselves.

If Cleveland is at the top of the area food, sports and entertainment chain, then Cleveland’s Greenhouse is at the top of the area farm-to-table movement — at least as far as the state’s food critics are concerned.

Greenhouse founder-chef Jonathan Sawyer says his inspiration for creating a farm-to-table restaurant came from his childhood, when his family survived on food from their garden.

Over time, he has developed a strong network of local suppliers, and says he is thrilled to see his food costs directly benefit the people he buys from, rather than buying from faceless middlemen.

Sawyer’s definition of “local” goes out about 200 miles, but he says most of his food is grown 25–50 miles from downtown Cleveland during growing season — except for the beef. Like most local food purveyors, Sawyers says local beef can be hard to come by.

Somewhere between the farm and the big city is Wooster’s City Square Steakhouse, a farm-to-table project of local restaurateur/chef Mike Mariola. Mariola grew up in the area, surrounded by farms, eating seasonally with a family garden and with numerous Amish neighbors. “Gardening was not fun,” he says, “It was for survival.”

Mariola trained in food (among other places) in Cleveland under chef Parker Bosley, who “insisted that all of our food be locally sourced,” said Mariola. When it came time to open his own restaurant in Wooster, Mariola insisted on the same local sourcing, hearkening back to his own childhood.

Mariola’s restaurants source their foods from as close to the restaurants as possible, which is easy for produce in growing season and for most meats, eggs and so on, but as echoed by Sawyer, harder for beef (he will source any Ohio beef as local) and produce out of season. His restaurants, which include the popular, growing “Rail” burger-and-craft-beer-themed restaurants and others on the way, are expanding their way across the region.

But the root farm-to-table restaurants in this area are much older than those: the many Amish- and family-owned, one-off restaurants that buy local foods and prepare them for local consumers. For example, Boyd and Wurthmann in Berlin has been serving locally-based foods since the 1940s and is perhaps the “granddaddy” of home-style or Amish-themed local eateries that source locally.

One Amish-style restaurant in the heart of it all that is dedicated to local foods is Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen. Gloria Yoder, owner of the restaurant located in the small village of Mount Hope, serves Amish-themed comfort food cooked from ingredients that are locally procured. “Our meats come from Winesburg Meats, and our vegetables all come from the local markets,” said Mrs. Yoder. It has been that way since she opened the restaurant 25 years ago, and her famous salad bar and buffet tables display that local sourcing.

THE LOCAL FOOD CHAIN odern food chains start with urban and suburban restaurants, so we’ll begin there and take a look at how and where food is grown and consumed in the local area.

JERRY KLINGERMAN

M

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JERRY KLINGERMAN

JERRY KLINGERMAN

Most of the locally sourced items available at Local Roots Market & Cafe, including these apples, are labelled with the producer’s information.

Amish Farmers target food hipsters GREEN FIELD FARMS David Miller is a part of the Wooster-based Amish growers cooperative Green Field Farms, which has its headquarters on Fredericksburg Road, down the street from the Miller family’s 65-acre spread. He bought the farm and moved back to living on his own land after 20 years working as a carpenter. He farms about 25 acres, and produces literally tons of food every growing season, which he sells to the cooperative.

Green Field Farms is a sparkling success story for Miller and about 100 other local Amish food producers.

The cooperative began as an attempt by the Amish community to preserve part of its agricultural heritage. “When I was young, 90 percent of us lived on farms. When we started the cooperative in 2003, that was down to 15 percent,” said Aden Yoder, who directs the 350-member cooperative.

Yoder describes the process that took place. First, a group of local Amish people met to take a look at the situation, come up with options and create an action plan to reverse that trend.

They decided to do a market study, and what came back must have surprised these traditionalists.

The market study revealed that the business they needed to start to get their people back to the land was supplying various “food hipsters” around the area and around the country with

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fresh organic vegetables and other organic food products.

“Organics had the highest profit margin,” said Yoder, who worked a day job off the farm himself for many years before being installed to head the business operations of the co-op.

“Hipsters and the Amish have a lot in common,” said Yoder, a sentiment certainly echoed by the folks at Local Roots.

Today, Green Field Farms is rapidly expanding — up to 40 percent a year on the vegetable side. They send organic vegetables and other products like maple syrup and milk via distributors throughout much of the Midwest, East and South — from small Amish farms in Wayne County to homes and restaurants in Ohio, Florida and New York. Their products are Certified Organic (a lengthy, intense process that is difficult to achieve), and they work in cooperation with the College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences labs at The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster. They also create their own custom-mixed organic fertilizer for their farmers. With 100 producing members (including a small outpost in Michigan) and 250 other contributing members, a gleaming infrastructure and top-flight transportation capabilities, Green Field Farms is making solid strides toward salvaging the traditional Amish way of life in the areas adjacent to Wooster. >>>See Page 44

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Just down the road...

It’s been said that millions of New Yorkers have never been to the Statue of Liberty, and that’s probably true. But around the country there are other significant national treasures that many nearby residents also have not visited.

While we’re not comparing anything directly to the grandeur of the Statue of Liberty, we submit that Warther Museum and Gardens in nearby Dover, OH definitely is a national treasure. If you’ve never visited, you’re missing something very special.

Long before we became a nation that greatly overuses superlatives, Ernest “Mooney” Warther of Dover was known as the World’s Master Carver. Warther’s medium was wood and (pre-ban) ivory, and his passion was trains. By hand, he carved scale-model replicas of 64 steam locomotives including what is probably his most-popular work: The Abraham Lincoln funeral train.

Interestingly, Warther never sold a single one of his wood or ivory carvings in his life. Today, his collection is aptly described as “priceless.” Just steps inside the main

room of the museum and you will understand why.

When you visit, you’ll also learn how a simple discovery as a five-year-old boy and a chance encounter with a stranger at a railroad station launched Warther on his lifelong passion with whittling and later carving.

What may surprise you most is that carving was not Mooney Warther’s actual vocation. He earned his living first as a worker in a steel mill, (don’t miss the incredible working model of the American Sheet & Tin Plate Co.) then later as a self-employed knife maker.

The closest he came to making his living from carving was when he spent several years traveling with and displaying his collection of hand-carved locomotives on behalf of New York Central Railroad. For six months, he and his wife, Frieda, traveled the country with the collection, and then displayed it for 2 1/2 years in Grand Central Station.

Warther gave up the chance to become a wealthy man in order to keep his carvings together, and to retain his

Warther Museum and Gardens

Above is just one example of the 64 scale-model steam locomotive replicas hand-carved by Ernerst “Mooney” Warther, of Dover, OH.

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artistic freedom. When the New York Central railroad exhibit closed, the railroad offered him $50,000 – a true fortune in the 1920s – and $5,000 a year for the rest of his life to continue the display. Warther, who was quoted as saying, “No one should spend more than a week in New York City,” turned the offer down, and he and his wife returned to Dover, where he turned his skill for making cutlery into his vocation.

From his tiny shop barely large enough to hold several people Warther made cutlery to support his family, and continued the pursuit of his true passion, carving.

Also of considerable note is Mooney’s collection of native American arrowheads. It’s probably the largest, mostimpressive collection most of us will ever see, with 5,000 artifacts on display. And no discussion of the museum would be complete if it didn’t mention Frieda Warther’s button collection. She collected an astounding 73,000 buttons in her lifetime, and they are display in an array of unique patterns. Now, perhaps visiting a button display isn’t on your bucket list, but I promise that once you’re there, you’ll appreciate what Frieda did. In all, the Warther Museum and Gardens is something that you simply have to experience to believe.

The Warther family operates the museum displaying Mooney’s creations, and still operates the knife shop, too.

Second, third and fourth generations of Warthers create

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fine, handcrafted cutlery using the tools and traditions created by Ernest. There is much to see and learn at Warther’s.

The tour and museum will leave you inspired.

From the Wooster area, the Warther Museum and Gardens is an easy drive of approx. 45 minutes. It’s a fascinating day trip you won’t regret. The stunning detail and accuracy of Warther’s carvings – from his early work to the item he considered his masterpiece – will leave you staring in wonder.

(Note: In recent year’s Mooney’s grandson, David Warther II, has opened a separate museum and workshop, displaying his own passion for carving ships. David Warther Carvings is located just west of Sugarcreek on State Route 39.)

For a nice bookend to the day, try either of the “Hog Heaven” barbecue restaurants in the Dover/New Philly area: The original, on the northwest edge of Dover, or the second location on State Route 39 as you enter New Philadelphia.

Warther’s Museum is located on the edge of downtown Dover just off St. Rte. 39 at 331 Karl Ave. Tours are offered seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Last guided tour begins at 4 p.m. January and February hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; last tour at 3 p.m. Phone: 330-343-7513. Website: thewarthermuseum.com

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FILM M FESTI TI DENISE JANS BY UNSPLASH

The Best of Both Worlds

Held across the state, these events are part movie but also part celebration and communal experience.

By Gregory Sharpless 26

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VALS

ith Ohio’s winter now

W

(hopefully) in our rearview mirrors, many of us

are emerging from our self-inflicted annual hibernation and again making plans for out-of-house adventures.

If you’re a fan of films, you’re in luck: Most major cities in the Buckeye State — as well as a few smaller Ohio towns — are hosts to film festivals.

If you’ve never attended a film festival, you’re in for a real treat — especially if you keep in mind that film festivals aren’t just about going to the theater.

Yes, they’re about that, but they’re also about much more. They combine movies with the true meaning of “festival”: a celebration of what films and cinema are all about.

In fact, a film festival might be just the perfect thing to help you shake off any winter blues that are still hanging around. >>>

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Community at their core While you were hibernating (or shoveling snow), little did you know that, behind the scenes, scores of film-festival folk were busy planning their events: putting out calls for films and establishing programming, viewing submitted films, scoring them and categorizing them — assembling a “cinematic communal experience” of sorts, all for your enjoyment.

“We really try to offer the best experience possible for attendees as well as filmmakers,” says Michael Suglio, director of Cleveland’s “The Short. Sweet. Film Fest” (shortsweetfilmfest.com), which took place March 1–3 this year. “There are social/networking events, awards ceremonies — some great opportunities for filmmakers and attendees to connect.” The recently concluded 2019 event also offered seminars that were free and open to the public. “You have to create something special and unique,” Suglio said.

Also held this spring is the long-running Athens International Film + Video Festival (athensfilmfest.org), now in its 46th year.

Scheduled for April 8–14, the event “shows work in all genres and styles [and] supports experimental films and those on the edge — which sets us apart from other festivals,” says festival director David Colagiovanni. “We’re very much rooted in the community of Athens, local activism, environmental activism.”

Anywhere from 50 to 75 filmmakers will come to the festival to represent their film, he says, “so there’s lots of interaction between attendees and filmmakers.”

That attendee-filmmaker interaction is also stressed at Cincinnati’s “Cindependent Film Festival” (cindependentfilmfest.org), to be held Aug. 29–31 this year. “One thing we emphasize is the fact that you get to have a conversation with the filmmaker during the event,” says Allyson West, creative director and founder. “We provide the filmmakers with two nights of hotel stay so they can get here and participate in the festival, allowing our attendees to talk with them about their story and perspective, and get more exposure to filmmaking in general.”

At their core, film festivals are community events, says John Daugherty, director of “The Film Festival of Columbus” (filmfestivalofcbus.com), celebrating its eighth year this fall, Sept. 11–14. “We believe that the art and business of film enrich a community. It’s amazing how film can bring a community together to grow a creative spirit.”

The films, filmmakers and venues Film festivals aren’t about simply sitting down with a tub of popcorn and watching the latest special-effects blockbuster

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“We believe that the art and business of film enrich a community. It’s amazing how film can bring a community together to grow a creative spirit.”

— JOHN DAUGHERTY

movie that’s showing at your local cineplex. There are a few differences to keep in mind.

First of all, there’s typically a broad range of film genres and topics to choose from — a range that varies with the festival — and you can see dozens upon dozens of films during your time there.

“We highlight up-and-coming filmmakers, sprinkled in with bigger titles,” says Daugherty. “We get submissions from all over the world, and we even go to the Sundance Film Festival (the largest independent film festival in the U.S.) every year to try to track down some films. We look for filmmakers that we think are going to make a splash in the filmmaking world.”

In addition, many festival films tend to be shorter than your average Hollywood movie. This is especially true at The Short.

Sweet festival, which also “strives to showcase up-and-coming filmmakers at the local, national and international levels” but is

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especially focused on shorts. “Most of our submissions run 30 minutes or less,” says Suglio, whose event offered more than 100 short films in all.

Looking for something zeroing in on the Buckeye State? The Cindependent Film Festival will offer a special Ohio-focused program this year. “These films will highlight local work being done in the state,” says West, “something we love showing.”

And the Film Festival of Columbus will combine these two themes — short plus Ohio — offering an Ohio Shorts Program, which “will showcase short films from around the state,” says Daugherty.

Another key component to most festivals is where films are shown — being mobile, and being aware that venues can change over the years might come into play. In Columbus, for instance, festival screenings are typically held at the Gateway Film Center, “But we’ve also held events at the Columbus College of Art & >>>

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Design and the Columbus Food Truck Festival. We’re going to try to partner with other venues this year as well,” says Daugherty.

Although the Short. Sweet festival had been held for the past five years at the Alex Theater in the Metropolitan at The 9 luxury hotel, the event got its start in the popular Market Garden Brewery. As the festival grew, however, Suglio says the former locale just “was not sustainable, although Market Garden is now our brewery sponsor.”

Cincinnati’s Cindependent Festival, now in its second year, also had to adjust due to an increase in screenings and attendance: The event started with two public venues but will offer four venues in 2019, enabling it to host upwards of 4,000 attendees. The two additional venues, including the Woodward Theater, “will allow for later screenings, a filmmaker lounge, major parties and the opportunity to talk to filmmakers as well as a new screenplay program at the Know Theatre,” says West.

Finally, as noted earlier, attendees often get the opportunity to interact with filmmakers, directors, actors and other film folk in attendance.

“We really try to bring the filmmakers in, as many as possible, and show one really well-known film,” says Daugherty.

“In the past, for instance, we’ve brought in filmmakers from Summer of 84 as well as The Year of Spectacular Men.” The Athens Film Festival had yet to announce artists or directors for this year’s event (to be announced on its website and social-media channels in March), but Colagiovanni says they typically host five or six visiting artists while showing anywhere from 250–300 films over the course of the festival.

The Cindependent Festival is still open to submissions as this article is written, but West indicated the event played more than 160 films last year. “The amount of programming will depend on the length of the films,” but attendees can count on 10–12 hours of programming per day, she says. Highlights from last year included Other Versions of You, directed by Motke Dapp, plus Masters of Resonance and Hardface.

An experience to share with others As you might guess, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome for the festival director is finalizing the program and choosing the final films to showcase.

“Assembling a program for your community is the most challenging aspect,” says Colagiovanni. “We strive to show

Most film festivals are very accessible, “hands-on” experiences where Creatives mix easily with attendees, with numerous opportunities to hear and share ideas about their work.

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No event would be complete without a sufficient amount of swag!

movies that represent who we are or who we want to be, movies we aren’t familiar with — constructing a panorama of really thought-provoking and unique films.”

Of course, not every film submitted to the festival is shown.

“Rejecting films is the most challenging thing for me,” said Suglio. “Reviewing all the submissions — there were 448 films submitted this year — is difficult. There’s only so much time for programming, so we often have to reject films that are fantastic, which is heart-wrenching.”

The task of putting together a festival is a year-long event, says West. “It’s a long-range activity for us, one that requires a supreme time commitment, and one we’re always trying to improve upon.”

The end result, however, makes it all worth it.

“We’re not only bringing films from all around the world, but we’re adding to the cultural life of our city,” says Colagiovanni.

“We’re bringing some films that otherwise would not have come here, bringing a different experience from the purely entertaining, mainstream cinema. Attendees take a risk, seeing something they would not have necessarily streamed online or experienced in traditional theater.”

West sums it up nicely: “The alternative is just going to the theater, or watching a movie from home. A film festival, however, is a communal experience. It’s an experience you share with others.”

Festival Tips for First-Timers “Go into a film with no expectations,” says Daugherty. “Just enjoy it, try to meet the filmmakers. It’s a lot of fun and it’s great for the filmmakers, too, to see their film with different audiences.”

Agreed, says Suglio: “It’s more enjoyable to not know anything about the film before going into the theater.” Instead, he suggests looking for certain types of films you might favor — such as drama or comedy — and be open to discovering something new.

“Be sure to attend opening-night and closing-night parties and festivities,” says West. Also: “Bring your game face, and be ready to experience some incredible stories while having a great time.”

Don’t be shy, chat with the filmmaker, says Colagiovanni. “Whenever we have a visiting artist, there’s a Q&A session and attendees can meet the director. We’re small enough so these things naturally happen.”

Gregory Sharpless is a Cincinnati-based writer, editor and admitted film addict. Some of his favorite filmmakers include John Frankenheimer, Lawrence Kasdan, Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch and John Sayles.

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Phone: 330-857-1543 the family farm when he was a farm from Mt. Eaton. The partners have E-mail: info@unitedfencingltd.com child. His affection for the outnow built a 13,500 square foot building doors may have led him to one of to store equipment, supplies, offices and his first jobs, when he worked for Mt Hope Fencing, an area for their new retail division. followed by 11 years as a framing carpenter. Toward the Yoder and Troyer searched long and hard for a retail manend of his time on the framing crew he started doing ager and feel lucky to have found a good one in AJ Miller. The fencing for neighbors after hours. He continued to new manager worked 10 years for Pioneer Equipment prior to work both jobs for four years, when he and his wife, making the switch. Miller said, “I learned to be patient on the Betty, decided to go full time in the fencing business; journey, while dealing with suppliers to fill the shelves in the establishing United Fencing in 2009. Betty did the bookwork, while Nelson pounded posts and stretched fence.

The company has come a long way since Nelson and Betty took that initial risk, growing into a four-crew operation that specializes in ag wire, wood board, and privacy fence. They subcontract vinyl chain link and wrought iron orders.

For several years Nelson talked with Allan Troyer about joining the team. Troyer was employed by a local manufacturing company at the time and he knew the owner, who treated him as if he were his son. When the manufacturing company owner passed away and the In addition to fencing products, United Fencing also stocks a wide vacompany changed hands, Troyer felt the time might be

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showroom.”

If you’re a do-it-yourselfer you can find all the fencing supplies and rental equipment to make installing or repairing your fence easier. (If you’re not the DIY type you also can stop in and discuss your fencing needs with AJ.) In addition, United Fencing carries lawn care supplies, horse and pet supplies – including kennel supplies, hay feeders, stall grids, bedding and tools and hardware. If you’re a 4-H person United Fencing invites you to stop in and work with them to plan what you need for this year’s upcoming projects.

So, the next time you need a new fence or your old one repaired, just give the friendly people at United Fencing a call to help you with your problem. Be sure to attend their Open House April 12 and 13 for great discounts and food. The open house also will have an opportunity to talk with the company’s suppliers.

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United Fencing Staff members include: Eli Yoder, Post pounder Jake Yoder, Delivery Brenda Hershberger, Receptionist Henry Troyer, Yard hand Delores Troyer, Accounting Fencing Crew: Emery Hershberger Brian Raber Merle Yoder Ron Duncan Nelson Hershberger Joseph Hershberger Samuel Yoder

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ARY LIBR BLIC LE PU RVIL TE S WE

JUST DOWN THE ROAD

WESTERVILLE A Pocket of Small-town Charm on the Edge of the Big City

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BY Lydia Greene

A

lthough Central Ohio may not be your classic idea of a travel destination, one must delve beyond its seemingly nonde-

script persona to find the hidden gems within. This area of the country is embodied by a mix of the ordinary and the unexpected. Upon investigation, an observant traveler will find a plethora of small cities and towns, each with its own lovable character.

Westerville, just an hour-and-a-half from Wooster, is one such charming town. Located at the northeast corner of Central Ohio’s famous I-270 loop, Westerville has (purposely) retained much of its original small town feel, particularly in the old downtown area — which actually is referred to as “Uptown Westerville.”

From its humble beginnings in 1809, Westerville has been the embodiment of individuality and spirit. The town was established when Revolutionary War veteran Edward Phelps and a friend established a community along Alum Creek, along present day Westerville Road. Culturally, Westerville was ahead of its time throughout the 1800s, and was renowned for its focus on equality and education long before the Civil War. Otterbein University was the first higher education facility to admit women without restrictions, the first to employ women in its faculty, and one of the first to admit students of color. The city and its inhabitants also were deeply involved in the abolition movement and the Underground railroad, and the Prohibition movement was headquartered here. Along with being a part of Ohio’s fastest-growing region this gem is now central Ohio’s largest suburb.

So what does a visit to present-day Westerville reveal?

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Old Bag of Nails Ironically, a trip to this city known for its role in the Prohibition movement wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the first newly-legal pub: A trip to Uptown Westerville must include a visit to Old Bag of Nails, a popular and down-to-earth local bar chain famous for its flaky and irresistible fish-n-chips. Soon after its opening in 2006 (when Westerville ended its long-standing position as “Dry Capital of the World”), Old Bag of Nails quickly gathered a very loyal following from people who were used to going beyond the city limits for adult beverages. When visiting this lovable homegrown pub, you’re in for a great selection of craft brews and dependably tasty meals served by friendly and welcoming staff.

The legendary fish-n-chips are known for their perfectly crisped texture and unbeatable portion size. The atmosphere of the Old Bag is a captivating blend of sports bar and English pub theme, making it the perfect to relax and indulge. If you choose to stray away from the crowdpleasing fish-n-chips, you can’t go wrong with the clam strips, Philly cheesesteak or bacon and spinach salad.

Plan your visit to the Old Bag of Nails with an empty stomach, as you will likely be leaving in a contented food coma with a to-go box. If this isn’t motivation enough, you can head to the website for coupons. If you have the good fortune to experience Westerville on a weekday, the popular happy hour from 2-7 p.m. is hard to beat. Full of homegrown charisma, Old Bag of Nails is not to be missed on a trip to Uptown Westerville. >>>

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Schneider’s Bakery Westerville’s particular charm comes not only from its rich history, but also from its unique combination of small-town feel and an abundance of activities. One of Westerville’s staple destinations is Schneider’s Bakery, a beacon of hospitality and mouthwatering treats. Opening at 1:30 a.m. to cater to any late-night partiers with a hankering for a buttermilk round cake, a football-shaped sugar cookie or their classic hot glazed doughnuts, Schneider’s brings happiness to the Westerville community with its scrumptious baked goods. This well-loved bakery has been open for 64 years, and its longtime commitment to providing amazing food and an inviting atmosphere are apparent upon entering its unassuming space.

Schneider’s is a favorite meeting place for townspeople, as well as the student population from nearby Otterbein University, where late-night “Donut runs” are a time-honored rite of passage. It is not to be missed by those passing through. If you find yourself interacting with the locals on your Westerville adventure, be sure to ask about Schneider’s.

Most folks have been eating an assortment of its pies, donuts, cookies and more since they can remember, and many have celebrated every birthday with one of its delicious cakes! Schneider’s Bakery is the perfect embodiment of Westerville’s tradition and small-town friendliness.

Barrel and Boar If you haven’t had your fill of scrumptious food or you have a craving for BBQ, check out the Barrel and Boar BBQ and Gastropub on State Street (on the same side of the street and just a few doors away from our first two food destinations).

Creatively built in an old movie theater, this pub is full of personality, and the owners have a long, storied career in the Central Ohio BBQ scene. With a dramatic movie-theater entrance, the brick walls and giant boar on the wall make for a fun and cozy atmosphere. Barrel and Boar features a barbecue-themed menu, including such favorites as hush puppies, maple pork and grits and pimiento crab dip, all of which are the perfect starters to get your mouth watering in anticipation for the unapologetically tasty food to come. You can’t go wrong with the pecan smoked bacon BLT sandwich and a side of cheddar sausage grits, or the fall-off-the-bone the ribs platters are known to melt off the bone. If you come on a weekend, don’t miss the chance to enjoy live music on Saturday night. After eating your heart’s content of smoked meat and grits, sit back and enjoy while treating yourself to one of Barrel and Boar’s many Ohio-brewed craft beers. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the cranberry Moscow mule or the seasonal sangria, both flavor-packed and delicious!

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ARYEH ALEX

Once you’ve had your quota of glazed doughnuts and melt-in-your mouth pies, you can drive about 10 minutes to check out the Inniswood Metro Gardens. What better way to work off the well-deserved calories than to explore a maze of flora and fauna? Located at 940 S. Hempstead Rd., these gardens are comprised of 123 acres, and the variety of natural spaces includes a children’s garden and playground, making it a place for people of all ages to enjoy nature.

Throughout these fragrant gardens, one can find more than 2,000 plant species, along with a diverse collection of gardens. The Rose, Herb, Conifer and Woodland Rock gardens display the beauty of these different landscapes, allowing visitors to experience an array of natural elements. This lovely park is ideal at any time of the year, the perfect place to enjoy the autumn trees ablaze with vibrant colors or to watch a gentle snowfall blanket the many branches throughout the gardens. Should you need guidance, the rangers in Inniswood Metro Gardens are very knowledgeable and welcoming, happy to answer any questions and help visitors feel at home.

Inniswood Metro Gardens also is located just a stone’s throw from Hoover Reservoir, a popular recreation area which offers both land- and water-based activities, including the 27-hole Brent Hambrick Memorial Disc Golf Course.

With an expansive 4,700 acres, Hoover Reservoir offers numerous activities including fishing, boating, hiking and even bird-watching, with Bald Eagle sightings a frequent occurrence. >>>Continued on page 38

ERICA CHERUP

Inniswood Metro Gardens

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SCOTT WARMAN BY UNSPLASH

Anti-Saloon League Museum

Good Vibes Winery If you’re more in the mood for wine than craft beers, think about making your way over to the Good Vibes Winery. As the only urban winery in Westerville, Good Vibes brings a mix of locally grown and internationally grown wines. No need to travel far to experience international and high quality wine — it’s all produced on site at Good Vibes Winery.

Transport your taste buds to Spain or France while relaxing in the welcoming tasting room. With wines named after classic hits and a slogan of “wine is music to the soul,” this playful winery is committed to bringing positive energy into the world along with its delectable wines. Before you visit, check out the calendar online to see if there are any events occurring during your trip. Good Vibes often hosts singer-songwriters or trivia nights, the perfect way to unwind with friends as you make your way through Good Vibe’s selections.

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If you’re a history buff, take some time to explore the Anti-Saloon League museum in the Public Library of Uptown Westerville. Once known as the “Dry Capital of the World,” Westerville played a significant, leading part in the prohibition movement. The Anti-Saloon League, an organization committed to ending the sale and consumption of alcohol, was a large force in American Politics from the 1890s to the 1930s. The AntiSaloon League Museum showcases this fascinating history with artifacts from the so-called “Whiskey War.” This little museum received national attention after being featured in Ken Burns’ documentary Prohibition; its posters and news clips displaying the town’s history.

The Anti-Saloon League Museum shows the remarkable character of Westerville, highlighting the power of a little town that spearheaded a movement that became nationwide and resulted in the 18th Amendment (Prohibition). In between eating the delicious food and sampling the wine of Uptown Westerville, make sure to take a peek into the past with a visit to the Anti-Saloon League Museum.

Towers hall, the iconic classroom building on the campus of Otterbein University, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Otterbein University Although Westerville’s location next to bigcity Columbus places it in a different category overall than Wooster, the two cities often draw comparisons. Perhaps the most notable similarity of the two is Otterbein University, a small Liberal Arts college not unlike our own College of Wooster. Located on the edges of the “Uptown” area Otterbein was founded by the Church of the United Brethren in Christ in 1847, and has scored some notable achievements: Women were welcomed as both students and faculty members from the university’s inception.

Otterbein also was one of the first colleges to enroll people of color, including AfricanAmerican students.

It wasn’t just that Otterbein allowed women, it was among the very first colleges where men and women attended the same classes. In fact, the first graduating class consisted of two women.

The university also supported emancipation causes as well as being directly involved in the Underground Railroad. It’s well documented that many Central Ohio communities in and around Westerville

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played a major role in the Underground railroad. In fact, a road not far from the western edges of the campus bears the name “Africa road.” Ironically, the name is believed to have been coined by a pro-slavery landowner in the area, but it stuck, and now is viewed by residents as a tribute to the region’s important role in helping escaped slaves attain freedom.

Known for its brick-lined streets that characterize the Uptown neighborhoods, the campus also is adjacent to the neighborhood known as “Temperance Row,” where notable figures in the temperance/prohibition movement built grand homes that survive today. The district is on the National Register of Historic places, as is Towers Hall (above), Otterbein University’s oldest and easily mostrecognized building. With approx. 2,500 undergrads, and a thriving Master’s program, Otterbein University consistently ranks in the top 20 in the U.S. News & World Report Guide to America’s Best Colleges. And even though the graduate school is just 25 years old, in 2015 it was ranked the 47th-best out of 673 graduate programs in the USA.

The next time you find yourself looking for a close-by getaway that includes, food, drink, history and recreation consider exploring the adventure-worthy town of Westerville. You’ll find more than enough to fill your stomach and feed your soul, leaving you with a new appreciation of the charm and personality of Central Ohio.

A Midwest native, Lydia Greene studied Anthropology, Spanish, and Psychology at Case Western Reserve University. When she isn't writing articles, she enjoys traveling, hiking, scuba diving and baking chocolate chip cookies with her cat.

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THE BARNES PRESERVE

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Tucked away near the corner of Secrest and Sylvan roads is perhaps one of the best-kept secrets in Wayne County: The Barnes Preserve.

With 76 acres of varied landscape the Preserve was dedicated in 1999, but officially opened to the public in October 2016.

Its crown jewel is the nearly one-mile, paved, ADA-friendly walking trail. The Barnes Preserve is perhaps one of the best kept secrets in Wayne County, but — as the photos here will attest — it has quickly gained a dedicated group of supporters that includes nature lovers and photographers.

The Preserve is named in honor of the Barnes family, and in particular Donald and Dorothy Barnes, who operated the Wayne County Care Center for many years. The diverse landscape includes woods, rolling prairie and a wetland pond.

Numerous species of wildlife can be seen at various times of the day, including the often-elusive Eastern American Red Fox. The Preserve also is rich in plant species and is a great place for birdwatching. Its biodiverse environment has made it a favorite for educators who want to give students a handson, closeup look at nature.

Facilities include a beautiful observation deck at the wetland pond, and the Romich Pavilion, which is tucked in the woods.

The large pavilion is equipped with tables, and is available for casual picnics. It also can be reserved (by donation) for special events.

The wetland pond came about as a result of a project spearheaded by teacher Rich Koehler and his Triway High School Science Club students, who originally began digging a pond at the site as a science project intended to reveal information about wetlands/habitats. The pond is named in honor of 44691 | MARC H 20 19

Koehler, while the paved trail is named “Casey’s Trail,” in honor of the young man whose can-do spirit inspired the trail. Casey's mother, Lisa Followay of Adaptive Sports Program of Ohio, helped write the grants for the Park District.

Although the Preserve is part of the Wayne County Park District it does not receive any funding from the county. All the facilities and developments in place thus far have been made possible through several grants, community support and a lot of volunteer hours, including a couple projects completed by local Boy Scouts. 44691 Magazine has been told there are plans for additional development.

The Preserve is open to the public daily, from dusk to dawn.

Policies are fairly straightforward: As a nature Preserve it is against policy to remove anything except your own trash and/or pet waste. Yes; the park is pet-friendly but visitors are required to clean up after their pets. There are port-a-jon restroom, but it’s important to note that there is no electricity or potable water on site.

To reserve the pavilion for a picnic or special event, contact Carole Van Pelt at 330-465-7882 or e-mail friendswcpd@gmail.com. Groups that wish to schedule education-related visits are asked to contact Wayne County Park District Commissioner Denny Jordan at 330-263-6256.

Friends of the Barnes Preserve maintain a very active public Facebook group called “A Walk at Barnes Preserve,” where enthusiasts and supporters post information and photos frequently. (Click on the “photos” link on the group page. There are hundreds of high-quality images!) Additional information also can be seen on the website: waynecountyparkdistrict.org Special thanks to photographer Janet Neuer Welty for sharing her images with our readers!

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BARNES PRESERVE FAST FACTS: SIZE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

76 acres

FIRST OFFICIALLY OPENED AS A PARK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2016

3396 Sylvan Rd., . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Wooster, OH

LOCATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

HOURS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Daily, dusk to dawn

RESTROOM FACILITIES: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes (port-a-jon)

PAVED WALKING TRAIL:. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes

ADA-FRIENDLY? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes

Yes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (clean-up required!)

PET-FRIENDLY? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PAVILION/PICNIC SPACE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes

AVAILABLE FOR GROUP EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Yes

No; donations accepted in general and requested for reserving the pavilion.

ADMISSION FEE?

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MONEY MATTERS

BUDGETING the cornerstone of successful financial planning

nytime someone comes into my office, and their major pain point is budgeting, food is the first place I start. On one hand, we are fortunate to live in an age where food is readily available to us. With a quick phone call, or even an order placed online, a pizza is on its way to our door. On the other hand, this immediate access to food means we often take advantage of these amenities far more often than we intend to, and more often than we would like to admit.

A

In 1960 about 75% of the average American family food budget was spent on groceries to be prepared in the home, with just 25% of that budget being spent on eating out.

Eating out was almost exclusively reserved for special occasions or celebrations, and this was long before most fast food chains even existed, and the “fast casual” dining that we enjoy today didn’t even exist. Fast forward to today and we have officially crossed the tipping point. In 2014, more money was spent on food outside of the home than on food to be prepared inside the home.

Your first thought is likely, “But my family only eats three or four meals outside of the home each week, and a couple of those are just fast food.” That may be so, but if you start doing the math you will realize how quickly eating out really does add up. Let’s say for example that a family of four had fast food twice and had a sit-down meal twice. The fast food meals likely cost that family roughly $25 apiece, with the sit down meals running $50 or more a piece, depending on drinks, dessert etc. That comes out to $150 per week, or more shockingly $7,800 per year. And that doesn’t even count eating out for lunch at work once or twice a week, which we are all guilty of from time to time. Without even realizing it our sample family spent $150 on four meals, while their other 17 meals, plus snacks, were covered by a $200 grocery bill (average family of four). Shocking, right?

Next comes gas stations and convenience stores. The same theory applies here: simplicity and convenience win us over. I recently met with a friend and his wife who wanted some advice on budgeting. After going through their budget for the previous year, I found that their huge setback was gas station stops. It might have only been a pop here and a bag of chips there, but over the course of a year they had spent about $1,000 on just snacks while on the move.

Some financial planners will advise you to live on as tight of a budget as humanly possible (trust me, I’ve eaten plenty of Ramen), sacrificing joy in favor of building a financial nest egg. I try to take a slightly more moderate approach, recommending that individuals try to make conscious financial decisions. Take time to recognize choices that are taking a significant toll on your finances, and then tone them down. I find that people are far more likely to see long-term success if they take smaller, achievable steps — maybe you set a goal to eat out only once or twice per week. I think you’ll be shocked at the difference this will make in your overall financial health.

Cody A. Austin Austin Wealth Solutions Investment Advisory Representative of Retirement Wealth Advisors Inc. (RWA), 89 Ionia NW, Suite 600, Grand Rapids, MI 49503 (800) 903-2562. Investment Advisory Services are offered through RWA. Austin Wealth Solutions and RWA are not affiliated.

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Farm To Table | Continued from page 23

LOCAL MEATS

Local beef cattle farms that sell their home-grown butchered products, and retail meat stores featuring the products of local animal farms, also dot the countryside. In particular is the multi-generation ne often overlooked aspect of the modern “farm-to-table” ethos is our simple home dining room table. Anyone who can cook at Winesburg Meats, now run by Anton and Taras Pacula, the grandchildren of the founder and the third generation to operate this home can participate in this movement without going out to award-winning local butcher shop. On any given day a trip to eat.

Winesburg Meats will have you standing shoulder-to-shoulder with The closest to home that farm-to-table can get, of course, is locals and tourists alike. Talk to some of the out-of-towners — who growing and consuming your own food. But the next best things are can be spotted because they are likely carrying coolers — and you’ll the numerous food stands, large and small, that dot the greater Wayne County area during the growing season. From fresh veggies to hear numerous stories that start with, “We’ve been coming here for years.” eggs, honey and apples, roadside stands abound in front of farms, The company creates and sells sausages, artisan smoked meat homes and orchards large and small. We may take for granted the products based on old family recipes, and the usual fresh cuts, sourcing almost ubiquitous signs for foodstuffs that seem to hang in front of all of the meat locally and selling to customers locally and nationwide. every farm in the county, but the fact is there are numerous options Their award-winning sausages, based on old-world recipes developed available here. by their grandfather in Europe, are featured in Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen Short of chasing around the area’s many back roads looking for and Chalet in the Valley, near Charm. fresh produce, a viable local option is a “community-supported Anton Pacula said that to him, locally sourced means pork from agriculture,” or CSA, group that helps connect collectives of growers Heffelfinger Meats in Jeromesville (Ashland County), but beef from and consumers to seasonal local food. any place he can get it in Ohio. He also echoes other people who sell Outside the small village of Wilmot on Rte. 62, the Wholesome Valley Farm (wholesomevalleyfarm.com) sits at the virtual gateway to beef products, either in retail or in restaurants, in noting that there is not enough cost-effective beef grown just in Wooster and adjoining Holmes County. In addition to its retail operation housed in the areas to supply everyone who wants local products. unmistakable big yellow barn, Wholesome Valley offers monthly Lately, Anton has begun an exhaustive review of the company’s subscriptions to load up packages (summer and winter) of locallyproduct line and embarked on a mission to transform as many grown organic food for subscribing consumers. Some of the food is products as possible into “all natural,” by removing some ingredients grown onsite, and some is grown by a network of local farmers, that have crept into in the modern foodstream. Like his predecessors, cultivated over the last decade. Wholesome Valley Farm began as a Anton is passionate about his product, and excited to meet the cleanfarm-based operation and uses numerous “beyond organic” growing practices in raising its products. Only all-natural soil amendments are eating demands of more and more consumers.

Just up the road in nearby Creston, is the popular Whitefeather used, and the results are readily recognizable.

Meats, which follows a very precise sourcing and harvesting model.

In addition to the standard meat choices, Whitefeather also offers a variety of more-exotic meats such as elk, bison and more. Food purists will enjoy everything about this location, including the “Bearded Butcher” line of no MSG and sugar-free seasonings.

Another long-time staple in the local food scene undoubtedly has to be Autumn Harvest Farm, owned and operated by the Ladrach family, whose operation now includes a third generation. All 230 acres of this meat and produce operation are Certified Organic, and have been for more than 20 Wholesome Valley Farm in Wilmot, OH follows a “beyond organic” approach to its produce growing, and offers years. Autumn Harvest both summer and winter CSA programs, as well as meat and eggs raised on the farm. farms participates in the

Local to your Table

JERRY KLINGERMAN

O

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JERRY KLINGERMAN

Often referred to as the “grandma of bulk food stores,” The Ashery, located between Mt. Eaton and Mt. Hope on St. Rte. 241, offers bulk foods, spices, and many fresh local products, including seasonal produce. downtown Wooster farmer’s market (held Saturdays, in season) and their products also are available at Local Roots Market and Cafe.

Other close-in farm-to-table, consumer-direct options include Venture Heritage Farm (ventureheritagefarm.com) and Drift Hills farm (drifthillsfarm.com). Drift Hills farm has a CSA with two size options, with a drop-off location at Local Roots.

LOCAL CHEESES No discussion of local foods in this area would be complete without at least mentioning the product of our Swiss/German forefathers. Bunker Hill Cheese (Heini’s), Walnut Creek and Guggisberg cheese companies make their local cheeses in Holmes County and sell their products at their own stores and others throughout the region, making this area one of the go-to cheese regions in the state. Generations of local dairy farmers have served as suppliers to these and other local cheese houses.

LOCAL GROCERIES But if you just want to run to a local store and pick up some local products, the Red Tomato in Mt. Eaton can fill your shopping cart with local cheeses, meats, produce, jellies and more products grown or made in the area, including Green Field’s milk. Store manager Aden Hershberger says he buys local produce in season and local meats as a matter of course. Out of season, he gets produce from the usual sources. Red Tomato also 44691 | MARC H 20 19

makes proprietary products like a blackberry jam. Red Tomato, Walnut Creek Foods and Troyer’s Country Market are excellent examples of grocery stores that attract locals and tourists alike.

Of course, one need not travel far from the heart of Wooster to encounter any number of bulk food stores, roadside markets, etc. that provide fresh food options. And if you take a trip to the Mt. Hope Produce Auction, held throughout the growing season, you’ll also spot the familiar trucks of Beuhler’s Fresh Foods, which attends the auctions regularly to source locally grown produce for their employee-owned grocery store chain. The aforementioned Mrs. Yoder’s Kitchen also is a regular buyer at this auction, which is open to anyone who wants to stop in and sign up for a buyer’s number. You’ll see buyers from farmers markets and grocery stores throughout the region bidding at Mt. Hope.

Wherever you are around Wooster, local food is just around the corner — whether it’s right downtown at Local Roots, on the North End (and downtown) at Beuhler’s or within a short pleasant drive. It’s tastier, more nutritious, and benefits the local economy more than the long-distance stuff. Look for it!

Richard Weiner, JD, is a freelance legal, business, and technical writer from Kent, OH who has written for numerous publications across the business and legal spectrum. He holds a BA in Creative Writing from The Ohio State University, and a JD from Ohio Northern University College of Law. He has been in private law practice and served as an adjunct professor at Kent State University.

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