VOL. 8 NO. 4
Sept. 11, 2013 Inside This Issue ... Special Section ~ “Post” Fair and Community
Middlefield Village Page 7
“Out ‘N’ About” Page 10 -11
By Nancy Huth
W
survivors, residents and rescue e all know where we workers guide tours and share were on that fateful their personal experiences. While day 12 years ago. I was waiting for your tour to start, in Germany where you can walk through galleries I lived at the time. Three weeks that reveal personal stories and previously we had been in New York authentic experiences of the City and walked across the Brooklyn 9/11 community. Bridge. We have a photo of us with This Tribute Center is a friends standing on the bridge with project of the September 11th the twin towers in the background. Families’ Association, a non-profit On 9/11, I was ironing when my organization. All revenues benefit brother phoned, hysterically the operation of the Center and shouting something about planes its educational programming. crashing and the towers. I thought Though there is still much two planes had crashed in the air construction going on, the WTC and pieces had fallen on the towers, Memorial itself opened on the but turning on the TV brought the 10th anniversary of the attacks. terrible truth. I sat mesmerized You cannot walk into the area and crying as the towers collapsed, without some kind of pass. A recalling how in 1981 I had stood tour group must go through on the very top out in the open air, a strict airport-type security bedazzled by the view of the tiny control, where even a finger Statue of Liberty. nail file will be taken away. The Two days later, thousands of Germans walked silently along the The World Trade Center Memorial in New York City. Post Photo/ Memorial consists of two large pools set in the footprints of the Rhine River carrying candles in Nancy Huth original Twin Towers. Thirty-foot sympathy with the Americans who Center on Liberty Street in New York waterfalls cascade into the pools, each had done so much for them after World War conducts walking tours, which provide then descending into a center void. The II. a history of the WTC, the attacks and names of the victims from both 9/11 This summer we visited the World the rebuilding. Family members of lost Trade Center Memorial. The 9/11 Tribute Continued on page 2
By Katie Gross
Postal Customer Local / ECRWSS
OR CURRENT RESIDENT
Middlefield Post P.O. Box 626 Middlefield, OH 44062
PreSort Std U.S. Postage PAID Middlefield, OH 44062 Permit No. 77
See inside Plain Country
Sept.11, 2001
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My Passion for Flying
o do you feel ready to solo?” “Of course, I feel very ready thanks to you.” “Ok, well here are the keys. Make three takeoffs and landings and then come back.” “Geauga County Traffic, Cessna one one three papa bravo is on runway one one for departure, Geauga.” For the first time, I am in the cockpit all alone, accelerating down the runway, Katie Gross becoming so much closer to her dream of watching all the instruments and controls, becoming an aeronautical engineer. Post Photo/Katie and just like that, with a gentle tug on the Gross yolk, the nose lifts off, and I climb into off, symbolizing my ability to fly solo. After the clear calm air above the airport, with such an exhilarating experience, I cannot my flight instructor and mentors eagerly help thinking about how a year and a half watching from the ground. ago, my aviation experiences were limited After practically flawless takeoffs and to mundane commercial flights. I had never landings, I taxi back to the hangar where laid a finger on an engine, propeller, or yolk, a much larger crowd awaits me than when nor had the thought crossed my mind. I took off. I climb out of the plane to the February of 2012 was when my passion congratulatory applause of a dozen pilots for building, designing, problem solving in line to shake my hand. After many hugs, and fixing soared and I fell in love with “great job,”s and pats on the back, the most aviation. My mom was writing an article exciting part has come - the time to “clip” about our local airport (which I didn’t even my tail feathers. know existed), and asked me to come So, with my back to the crowd, the with her to take photographs. Weather, airport manager cuts the back of my shirt
in the middle of a northeast Ohio winter, is not good flying weather, so the hangar was full of airplanes in mid-repair, half-apart, with engines, navigation systems, radios, antennas, instrument panels, landing gear, propellers and every other imaginable part lying out waiting to be fixed and installed. I thought the airport was the absolutely coolest thing I had ever seen, since I had been a tinkerer and lover of all things mechanical my whole life. I wanted to come back as soon as possible to help them and watch them work on everything. I joined the local chapter of the Experimental Aircraft Association and began visiting the airport whenever I could, cleaning and gapping spark plugs, installing collision avoidance systems, performing annual inspections, deburring holes, laying out and creating new instrument panels, and doing anything else needed. As spring came, the repairs waned, and soon I was buckled in a Cessna 150 Continued on page 2