Heart of Ohio January/February 2019

SHARI NG TH E BEST OF OH IO

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

love

Ugly Bunny Winery

Cheers to you! A glass of Vidal pairs perfectly with savory cheeses and sweet confections.

IS IN THE AIR Your Valentine’s Day roundup to keep things fresh and local this year

Grandpa’s Cheesebarn

Say cheese! Port wine cheese and champagne cheddar are bold choices sure to please.

Neumeisters Candy Shoppe & Sweeties Chocolates

Something sweet for your sweetie. Try chocolatedipped marshmallows and assorted candies from fudge to buckeyes.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 1

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GOD’S MIRACLES AND AVITA’S MEDICAL MIRACLES

saved my life.

August 14th began as a normal day for Pastor Ash. He ran errands, answered emails, and completed paperwork for an upcoming conference. He was on his way to a lunch meeting when he started to feel a tightness in his chest. Having a previous encounter with open heart surgery, Pastor Ash knew the symptoms of a heart attack all too well. Being only minutes from Galion Hospital, he turned his car around and drove straight to the emergency department.

Walking into the hospital with urgency, Pastor Ash announced to the registration staff that he was having a heart attack. A nurse came quickly with a wheelchair and took him into an exam room. Within seconds, a “Cardiac Alert” was called over the intercom.

Doctors, nurses, and techs filled the room. According to Ash, “one shaved my chest, one connected a portable EKG, and then a call went out to the cardiac catheterization lab, who sent a team STAT.” Pastor Ash was wheeled from the emergency department to the cath lab and within minutes, his heart stopped once and then a second time. He was resuscitated through defibrillation. Once Ash’s heart started beating again, Dr. Mayo,

AVITA HEART 419-468-4600

Dr. Davis, and Dr. Saab were confronted with the difficult task of repairing the blocked vessel that was preventing blood from flowing to the heart. The procedure lasted several hours. While the team had collectively performed tens of thousands of heart interventions throughout their careers, this was their first case at Galion Hospital.

Galion Hospital had just opened its Level II Cath Lab at 8:00am that morning. Pastor Ash was the first patient. “If it weren’t for that moment in time, I don’t think my life would have been saved,” explained Pastor Ash. “If the heart attack had happened the day before, I probably would have died. My family and I really appreciate the care that Avita provided to save my life and bring me quickly back into functioning.”

After his procedures, Pastor Ash recovered in Galion Hospital’s intensive care unit. He was released from the hospital a few days later and is participating in Avita’s cardiac rehab program, right down the hall from the cath lab where his life was saved. Pastor Ash is back to doing the things he loves, including his pastoral duties with church and community, spending time with his wife, Peg, and their grandchildren, and riding his bike.

“God’s not done with me yet. God gets all the glory, and Dr. Mayo and his team get all the credit for doing what was humanly possible – the medical miracles!”

From left to right: Dr. M. Saab, Dr. Davis, Dr. Mayo Interventional Cardiologists

ST. PETER’S SCHOOL

St. Peter’s School encourages each child to achieve academic excellence, practice Christian spirituality, and prepare to be of service to the world.

ST. PETER’S MONTESSORI PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN Offers a unique and highly-respected program that includes language, reading, math, geography, and science during the surge of learning that, according to research, occurs from ages 2-6. Students who participate in the program are exceptionally well prepared to begin first grade, beyond the average expectations of a preschooler.

ST. PETER’S ELEMENTARY Students (traditional kindergarten through grade 6) are supported in the classrooms with advanced technology, attend Spanish classes, a choice of choir or band, and attend physical education and computer classes. The school also offers Individual Education Plans and Title One services for those students who qualify. Every student has an iPad. The after-school enrichment program is offered to every student.

ST. PETER’S HIGH SCHOOL & JUNIOR HIGH Offers a traditional and college-prep curriculum, including honors and AP courses and the College Credit Plus program. For those students who qualify, Individual Education Plans, Title One services, and an Auxiliary Service Program are available. The school provides an extensive science and math program, a selection of courses in art and the fine arts, dramatic arts, Spanish, along with many co-curricular and extra-curricular school activities. Every student has an iPad. With the Christian Service Program, students experience the benefits of assisting those less fortunate.

PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT Thursday, January 17 Montessori Preschool & Kindergarten, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Traditional Kindergarten, 5:30-6:30 p.m.

OPEN HOUSE Sunday, March 3 Begins promptly at 1:00 p.m.

Meet administrators, teachers, staff and coaches Visit with current St. Peter’s School parents and children Information on St. Peter’s tuition assistance program Details about State of Ohio School Choice Scholarship Programs Building tours, Fun, Games, Prizes

St. Peter’s is an ODE certified provider school in the State of Ohio School Choice, Jon Peterson Special Needs, and Autism Scholarship Programs.

St. Peter’s also encourages families to apply for scholarships through the St. Peter’s Scholarship Program and Northwest Ohio Scholarship Fund and to apply for aid from the St. Peter’s Annual Fund.

Call today for more information!

419-524-2572

104 West First Street Mansfield, OH 44902

mansfieldstpeters.org

St. Peter’s School admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs and athletic and other school-administered programs.

CONTENTS Volume 10 . Issue 1

4

12

IN THIS ISSUE

MUST DO

6 Love is in the Air

4 Must-Do Events

Your Valentine’s Day roundup to keep things fresh and local this year

12 On the Way to Lost

Fourth-generation storyteller Lynette Ford captivates audiences through her words

16 Music’s Heartbeat

Eggerton-Kastran Group (EKG) has been making music together for decades

19 Fallen Blue Quilts

Donna Marsinick is on a mission to help heal the families of officers who have died in the line of duty

23 It’s All in the Barrel: Cast in Cask

Laxton Hollow Brewing Works is bringing the centuries old tradition of cask-brewed ale to Ohio

27 Love Where You Live

Designer Julie McCready keeps you up-to-date on trends to look out for in home design for 2019

20

Five things to do near you this winter from ice sculptures to skiing

C O LU M N S 30 Keeping Score

Joe Robertson has dedicated much of his life to visiting baseball stadiums around the country

34 Ohio History 101

Major General “Mad Anthony” Wayne commanded U.S. forces during the Battle of Fallen Timbers

B E S T S H OT S 35 Give Us Your Best Shot

We love to go along with our readers — take us on your next getaway

ON THE COVER: Express your love this Valentine’s Day with local gifts — from wine to cheese to chocolates. Photo by Karin McKenna.

2 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

F RO M T H E E D I TO R

HEART OF OHIO

editor@heartofohiomagazine.com Editor Diana Coon Managing Editor Kelsey Wagner Art Director Jessa Moser Schneider Production Manager Alyson Moutz Editorial Advisor Diane Brown Business Development Manager Mike Greene Sales Associate Sarah Barker Contributing Writers Diana Coon, Rhonda Davis, Alexandra Greenberg, Mike Greene, Julie McCready, Bill Smith, Pam Spence Contributing Artists Laura Watilo Blake, Dustin Franz, Karin McKenna

CUSTOM MEDIA

President & Publisher Managing Editor Associate Editors

Editorial Interns

Art Director Associate Art Directors

Lute Harmon Jr. Claudia Plumley Jason Brill Kelsey Wagner Katharine Stevens Sonata Wilson Stephanie Park Emily Apgar Jessa Moser Schneider

ADVERTISING

adsales@ohiomagazine.com Associate Publisher and Karen Matusoff Advertising Director Senior Account Executive Marilyn Tanious Account Executives Bryan McMahan Margaret Price Advertising Coordinators Emily Brodowicz Meghan Rodriguez

PRODUCTION

production@ohiomagazine.com Director of Production Steven A. Zemanek Production Manager Eric Zeiter Assistant Production Manager Alyson Moutz

CIRCUL ATION

circulation@ohiomagazine.com Audience Development Manager Jessica Greathouse Newsstands and Distribution Steven A. Zemanek Circulation Assistants Sarah Hughes Jon Robinson

start

A FRESH

January is the new beginnings month of the year, and one I’ve always looked forward to with great anticipation. 2019 is no exception because it finds me back at the editor’s desk for Heart of Ohio magazine. This time I am sharing that desk with Kelsey Wagner, a talented lady who also happens to be Associate Editor for Ohio Magazine. Once again, I’ll be looking for and listening to your ideas and stories about living in our area, watching for your “best shot” pictures of events in your life and putting those together in upcoming editions of Heart of Ohio. It’s great to be back, and Kelsey and I look forward to working together in 2019!

Okay, now it’s time to reheat your hot chocolate and dig into this first issue of the new year. Rhonda Davis brings us a heart-warming story about a caring woman who makes quilts for the family of fallen police officers. Pam Spence introduces us to Lynette Ford, a woman who changes lives and keeps her culture alive through her incredible knack for storytelling, and if you’re ever lucky enough to be at one of her performances, you won’t forget it. But don’t stop there — keep reading for stories about Ohio history and sports, cask-ale making and music. This issue is a tapestry of articles that remind us why we live in the heart of Ohio … even in January.

This first issue is a great start to what we hope will be the best year yet. Send us story ideas and photos at editor@ heartofohiomagazine.com.

DIGITAL SERVICES

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John Daters Jessica Greathouse Daniel Klinzing Ben Margevicius

DIANA COON Heart of Ohio Editor

KELSEY WAGNER Heart of Ohio Managing Editor

CORPORATE Chief Financial Officer Operations Manager Senior Accountant and Benefits Administrator Information Systems Manager Accounts Payable Coordinator Office Assistant

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1422 Euclid Ave., Ste. 730, Cleveland, OH 44115 216-771-2833 | fax 216-781-6318 | glpublishing.com

©2019 by Great Lakes Publishing. Heart of Ohio is printed and published bimonthly. Heart of Ohio is included with a subscription to Ohio Magazine to readers in Richland, Ashland, Huron, Crawford, Morrow, Marion, Knox, Wayne, Holmes and Wyandot counties. Reproduction or use of editorial or pictorial content is prohibited without written permission. Great Lakes Publishing is not responsible for errors, omissions or unsolicited material. Inclusion does not constitute an endorsement. POSTMASTER: Send change of address to HEART OF OHIO, 1422 Euclid Ave., Ste. 730, Cleveland, Ohio 44115.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 3

MUST DO

MUST-DO EVENTS NEAR

YOU 58TH ANNUAL SKI CARNIVAL

Lace up your boots and grab those mittens for a weekend of winter fun at the 58th Annual Ski Carnival. Whether you’re a racer or a spectator, you’ll enjoy the competition on the snow-covered hills at Snow Trails. Skiers, snowboarders and tubers of all ages and skill levels can slide down the slopes, while family and friends cozy up with a brat and a beer on the sidelines.

Feb. 23–24 n Snow Trails 3100 Possum Run Rd., Mansfield 419-774-9818 | snowtrails.com

PHOTO BY SNOW TRAILS

4 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

FIRST FRIDAY SHOP HOP

Feel the comfortable chill of the winter air as you explore historic downtown Mansfield at the First Friday Shop Hop. On the first Friday of the new year, independent businesses celebrate longtime patrons and welcome new guests and customers. You won’t want to miss the entertainment, shopping, and drink and dinner specials in the heart of the city.

Jan. 4 n Downtown Mansfield 419-522-0099 | downtownmansfield.com

MOHICAN WINTERFEST

Don’t let ice keep you inside this winter; get out and enjoy it at the Mohican Winterfest. Beautiful ice sculptures are displayed in Central Park and throughout downtown, and the award-winning ice carvers who create them participate in speed carving competitions and demonstrations. Winter hikes complete the picturesque, serene weekend.

Jan. 12–13 n Downtown Loudonville 419-994-4789 | loudonvillechamber.com

TUSK: TRIBUTE TO FLEETWOOD MAC

Just months after Fleetwood Mac visited Ohio, you can experience it all again with Tusk. The Fleetwood Mac tribute band doesn’t bother with costumes, recordings or gimmicks. Instead, they focus on perfectly duplicating every note and chord of Fleetwood Mac’s unforgettable music — completely live. Close your eyes, and you may forget it’s not Stevie, Christine and the rest of the rock band serenading you from the stage.

PHOTOS BY DESTINATION MANSFIELD, iHEARTMEDIA, TUSK

Feb. 2 n Renaissance Theatre 138 Park Ave. W., Mansfield 419-522-2726 | mansfieldtickets.com

GROUNDHOG DAY WITH BUCKEYE CHUCK

Hope for a cloudy morning on Feb. 2, or Buckeye Chuck may predict six more weeks of winter. On Groundhog Day, Ohio’s famous weather-forecasting groundhog takes a break from napping in his den to share his heavily anticipated predictions. Local officials, reporters and Buckeye Chuck fans enjoy SPAM sandwiches, hot chocolate and other snacks on — hopefully — one of the last chilly mornings this winter.

Feb. 2 n 1330 N. Main St., Marion facebook.com/thebuckeyechuck JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 5

IN THIS ISSUE

6 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

IS IN THE AIR Your Valentine’s Day roundup to keep things fresh and local this year.

By Rhonda Davis | Photos by Karin McKenna

Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, but there’s more to this romantic, centuries-old holiday than hearts and flowers. Why not express your love, treat yourself and support your community by keeping gifts local this year?

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 7

IN THIS ISSUE

A TOAST TO YOU If a glass of wine is your idea of romance, then pay a visit to the tasting room of the Ugly Bunny Winery in nearby Loudonville. The family winery opened in June 2017 with its “whiskery” name, which originates from the family’s pet Lionhead rabbit.

Owners Chad and Sandy Marsh harvest 10 varieties of grapes from 7 acres of vineyards in the rolling hills of Mohican. One of their fan favorites is the 1814 Founder’s Reserve, a bourbon barrel red named for the year Loudonville was founded.

But Chad says the dry red Leon Millot, dry white Vidal and sweet white Bling are also popular with wine lovers,

along with Down the Rabbit Hole, a sweet red, and a green apple Riesling called Southern Belle.

If you’re looking to bring the tasting room experience back home, glassware and wine accessories are available for purchase, alongside bunny-themed novelties from T-shirts to earrings.

Chad, who has been bottling wine for 20 years, said together he and Sandy enjoy working on product development, coming up with new ideas and, of course, taste testing.

“I like the science of it,” he says. “I have a chemistry background, and we were lucky enough to be able to take a fun hobby to the next level.”

SLICE OF HEAVEN Looking for something to pair with your wine? A “cheesy” gift from Grandpa’s Cheesebarn in Ashland might be in order. The family-owned business, which attracts visitors from around the world and has additional locations in Norton and Fairlawn, has been sourcing its signature Ohio Swiss and other locally made cheeses and meats for more than 40 years.

Grandpa’s offers plenty of goodies and gift boxes, but it’s also a prime place for sampling dozens of cheeses then picking your favorites to wrap up and take home.

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, why not try pink cheese this year? Port wine cheese and spreads made with real port are hot items this time of year, according to marketing manager Christian Albers. Creamy champagne cheddar is also a staple, said Albers.

“They’ve been really popular the past few years. We like to feature them at

Valentine’s Day because they make a great grab-and-go gift.” He suggests pairing either cheese with Grandpa’s savory summer sausage, crackers and a bottle of sparkling white grape juice or raspberry Spumante.

The Cheesebarn has even branched into confections. Sweeties Chocolates, adjacent to the Ashland location, features fresh-dipped strawberries for Valentine’s Day feasting, plus traditional red and pink heart candies, homemade fudge and giant buckeye cookies.

Consumers are expected to spend billions of dollars to show their love this year, according to a survey by the National Retail Federation.

8 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

HOW SWEET IT IS 1

Chocolate and peanut butter come together to make magic in this classic Buckeye.

2

3

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If it’s a sweet tooth you’re trying to satisfy, Neumeister’s Candy Shoppe in Upper Sandusky is the king of candy and is already gearing up for Cupid’s favorite holiday.

The Wyandot County mainstay has been churning out homemade chocolates since 1877, when German immigrants David and Katherine Neumeister opened a bakery on N. Sandusky Avenue. They rolled out confections in the kitchen at first, then built the candy shop next door.

Nowadays, owner Debbie Frey is carrying on the Neumeister tradition.

She bought the business in 2017, keeping all the original molds so that the company’s signature line of toffees and caramels could still be made the old-fashioned way. “We’re staying true to the hand-dipped, homemade, perfect confections,” she says. Alongside Frey, her two special-needs children, Drew and Veena, help her run the business, making it a true family affair.

For Valentine’s Day, chocolatecovered strawberries and white chocolate cherries are top sellers at Neumeister’s, says Frey, along with classic chocolate roses, truffles, fudge, cupcakes, caramel apples and a wide variety of chocolate-dipped pretzels.

Turtles are also a signature of the shop and then, of course, everything buckeye. “You’re really only limited by your own imagination,” says Frey.

The store’s sweet-smelling cases are brimming with buttercreams, coconut haystacks, colorful suckers and an assortment of chocolate-covered nuts.

Each piece is hand dipped in milk or dark chocolate, which starts out in blocks and is melted down from 120 to 91 degrees in a temperer.

The chocolate is also used to create another specialty item — dessert bowls — which customers can take home and fill with fresh berries or ice cream, for example. A favorite bottle of vino can even be dipped in chocolate and gift wrapped. “I think the ability to customize as you please is a great thing,” says Frey. “We try to be creative.

You have to keep people interested.”

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 9

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419-525-3613 • zaraconstructioninc.com 10 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

Richland Area Chamber of Commerce

Winter's BEST CONCERTS & EVENTS MARIONPALACE.ORG A PALACE PRODUCTION directed by EMILY YAKSIC

fleetwood mac tribute

SAT, JAN 12 • 8PM

SAT, JAN 26 • 8PM

FEB 8, 9, & 10

FRI, FEB 22 • 8PM

Discover PBS sensation and classical-crossover artists as they perform fiery string and soulful renditions of beloved American songs.

Re-live Fleetwood Mac at the height of their career in a visually and acoustically engaging tribute show.

Create family memories to last a life-time. Enjoy a fresh and funny stage adaptation loaded with comedic twists and performed by local youth.

Experience AMERICA in concert performing their biggest hits: “I Need You,” “Ventura Highway,” “Lonely People,” and more.

TICKETS $23, $28 adult, $12 child

TICKETS $15-$28

TICKETS $34-$58

TICKETS $18 adult $12 child

Marion Palace Theatre ♦ 276 W Center St ♦ Marion, OH ♦ 740.383.2101

“Making Music and Musicians Since 1962”

Touch it, Play it, Rent it

and we’ll make it easy to buy it

Join thousands of our customers who try it or buy it. Getting started is the easy part.

Having fun is the best part. Let us help.

One of the largest music teaching studios in North Central Ohio.

40 S. Trimble Rd. | Mansfield, Ohio | 419.526.3838 | metronomemusic.com JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 11

IN THIS ISSUE Lynette Ford describes rain during a story-telling session at the Dowd Center.

on the way TO LOST

By Pam Spence | Photos by Tom Dodge, The Columbus Dispatch

To learn more about Lynette Ford and to see her schedule of public events, visit storyteller lynford.com.

12 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

When asked where her stories came from, Columbus-based storyteller Lynette Ford says she mostly got them from her father, Jake Cooper, “on the way to Lost.” y father was drawn to the odd roads. He tended to drive down them when he was on his way to help out a friend or neighbor,” she explains. “And he would, more often than not, get lost. I didn’t mind, because while we were driving around, he told these old folktales and family tales. Eventually we just called it, ‘going to Lost.’ He was the best storyteller in the family.”

Ford specializes in “Affrilachian” stories — those drawn from African-American heritage and history, set within an Appalachian environment. These tales, she says, are folktale adaptations, spooky tales and original stories rooted in her family’s multicultural storytelling traditions. Her repertoire of stories, Home-Fried Tales, utilizes elements of call and response, choral response, and rhythm and rhyme.

Currently, she is a teaching artist with the Ohio Alliance for Arts Education (OAAE), and workshop facilitator with both OAAE and the Ohio State-Based Collaborative Initiative of the Kennedy Center, as well as a Thurber House mentor.

Behind every story Ford was born and raised in a blue-collar community in western Pennsylvania where steel, coal and the rail transport of both dominated the economy. She is a fourth-generation teller and grew up in a large, extended storytelling family.

“My father was born in Tennessee and he told a lot of folk tales — like the ‘Rabbit Tales’ — that his elders had told him.” Stories were always an important part of Ford’s family life. While her mother read books to them, her father and grandfather always told stories aloud.

After attending Penn State University with a major in English, Ford became a certified preschool teacher where her skills in storytelling soon found an enthusiastic audience. She created silly finger plays and rhymes for younger children. Together with her friend, Sherry Norfolk, she wrote a book called Boo Tickle Tales for children 4 to 7 years old, followed later with Ford’s own story collections, Affrilachian Tales and Beyond the Briar Patch.

“I also tutored older kids who then told their teachers about my storytelling. I credit them with getting me into storytelling as a separate profession!” As her reputation grew, Ford began working with educators more and more to incorporate storytelling into education. Over her 27-year career, she has led workshops in 39 states as well as in Australia and Ireland.

“Storytelling is particularly valuable now, with so many cultures in flux,” she says. “A few years ago, I was invited to share stories with students who were not born here. It was, in part, to help them improve English language skills. I learned as much from them as they did from me. As they shared their stories, I could see their pride in who they were and where they had come from.” Ford encouraged them to keep sharing

their stories and languages that they had learned from their families. “It is so important, when these communities gather, for the elders to share stories and for young people to learn them, and to keep passing stories down to the next generations,” she says. “Stories are not just entertainment.

They are a means of transmitting the culture of a community.”

“Stories are not just entertainment.

They are a means of transmitting the culture of a community.” –LYNETTE FORD

Ford recalls working with a group of young people in Cincinnati whose parents were either in jail or rehabilitation programs. There was one boy who sat behind a piano bench and built a wall around himself out of boxes. As Ford began to tell a story, she caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of her eye. “I saw his body language change as I spoke — he began to relax,” she says. He dismantled his wall, one box at a time and began to lean forward. Eventually he was leaning with his head propped on his hands, engrossed in the story. “Through stories we can make that connection, giving children the childhood they deserve, no matter what their age,” says Ford.

“Children often ask me how I remember all these stories.

I tell them I carry them in my head and in my heart.

Storytelling is my life’s work and I don’t think I will ever retire from it. Everything in my life led me to become a storyteller, and I expect to keep on telling stories until I run out of memory or breath — whichever comes first.”

Christian McGraph, 3, reaches for a book to take home.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 13

See our Social Side.

Find out about giveaways & events, see Ohio travel photos and experiences, and learn what others love about the beauty, the adventure and the fun of Ohio.

Enjoying life to the fullest.

We can help.

Find out how.

Find Ohio Magazine on 419-524-4144 OD5AAA@aaa5ohio.org

800-860-5799 www.aaa5ohio.org

Get Your Life Back Therapy For All Ages

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The Corner Field Model Railroad Museum is inspiring memories

Meet Ohio Falconry School of founder Joe Dorrian and his birds

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For more information contact Mike Greene at 419-565-1249 or email mike@heartofohiomagazine.com

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 15

IN THIS ISSUE

heartbeat MUSIC’S

By Diana Coon | Photos by Dustin Franz

16 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

OPPOSITE PAGE: EKG (Eggerton-Kastran Group) performs local shows throughout the year, like at 1285 Winery in Mansfield. ABOVE LEFT: Dennis Eggerton plays lead and rhythm guitar, mandolin, dobro and banjo. ABOVE CENTER AND RIGHT: Dean Kastran plays bass guitar.

Dean Kastran and Dennis Eggerton have been making beautiful music together as EKG — Eggerton-Kastran Group — longer than a lot of marriages last.

“We started playing together in 1977,” says Kastran.

“Actually,” says Eggerton, “we played together at North Lake Park when we were 8 years old. Smart’s Music did an annual show featuring the kids who were taking lessons.

We were both there, but we didn’t know each other then.”

Although formal training was limited to a few music lessons and school instruction, the two play an amazing number of instruments. Kastran plays bass guitar and, in private, says he fumbles around on an acoustic guitar and ukulele. Eggerton plays lead and rhythm guitar, mandolin, dobro and banjo.

“... I have to say I think success is relative.

We’ve managed to do something we love for a long time with a bit of success and still have solid families. I think that’s the real definition –DENNIS EGGERTON of success.”

Both men have a long history and love of music. Eggerton is the former lead guitarist and vocalist for the rock band Justus and has played with contemporary Christian rock bands Back in the Saddle and Just Passin’ Thru. Today he performs with Kastran as EKG and with DeVault Ridge.

Kastran received a gold record for his work with the 1960’s band Sir Timothy & The Royals, which later became The Ohio Express. He’s also a former member of Flyte, Back in the Saddle and Just Passin’ Thru.

Although both men felt the arrival of the Beatles was a life and music changing experience for them, Eggerton

remembers another band that fanned his interest in music.

“I was 14 years old when I went to a dance and heard a band that was really, really good. It was Sir Timothy & The Royals, and Kastran was on the stage. I thought to myself, ‘this is what’s it all about … I’ve got to start a band.’”

The secret to success Music has taken the duo on the road from time to time.

“We’ve played at the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the Bluebird Café in Nashville and Wolfman Jack’s in Florida.

We’ve done venues that held up to 20,000 and small places that hold 50 people. We’ve been a lot of places and met a lot of famous musicians, but I have to say I think success is relative. We’ve managed to do something we love for a long time with a bit of success and still have solid families.

I think that’s the real definition of success,” says Eggerton.

Kastran is retired from Gorman-Rupp Pumps, while Eggerton pastors a church in Danville and heads Knox New Hope in Mt. Vernon and DR Services in Ashland. As EKG, the duo has played more than 1,000 shows together, but they still manage to enjoy the music and performing.

“Sometimes we leave a place and say, ‘that was work!’ It doesn’t happen often but it does happen. And sometimes we make mistakes, but the audience seems to enjoy it when we do. I guess that’s all part of live entertainment,” says Eggerton.

Kastran sums up their success this way: “I think it’s unheard of that a band has played together this long.

Eggerton and I have a great history. We’ve laughed together, cried together, raised families together and prayed together. We don’t have a date for when we plan to hang it up. We’ll just keep performing as long as we can.”

Look for EKG (a.k.a. Eggerton-Kastran Group) on Facebook.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 17

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IN THIS ISSUE

fallen BLUE

QUILTS

By Rhonda Davis Photos by Laura Watilo Blake

A Vermilion woman is on a mission to help heal the hearts of families of officers who have died in the line of duty — one patch at a time.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 19

It takes around 25 hours to complete a quilt and costs about $100. To offset some of her expenses, Marsinick has set up an account for donations at gofundme.com/fallenbluequilts.

20 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

onna Marsinick, a nurse by day and seamstress by night, creates personalized quilts to give to the grieving families of fallen officers. She calls her project Fallen Blue Quilts. But deep down, she prefers to think of it as a hug from heaven.

“My goal is just to help them get through their loss,” says Marsinick, who has been sewing since she was 10 years old. “As a mother of two, helping family members with their heartbreak keeps me going because I just think, ‘What if that were me? How would I feel?’”

Humble beginnings Marsinick’s youngest son, Jacob, is a police officer in Perkins Township. She was stitching him a blue line quilt as a symbol of support and solidarity back in 2016 when, before she could finish, she was asked to donate one to a scholarship foundation for fallen Sandusky Police Officer Andrew Dunn.

She pieced together a few more quilts to be raffled off at other local police benefits and K9 fundraisers. Then, when Cleveland Officer David Fahey was tragically killed while directing traffic at the scene of an accident in January 2017, Marsinick said her heart went out to his family, and she was moved to do more.

“We delivered it to his police department. Then I decided I would make a quilt for any fallen officer in Ohio.”

–DONNA MARSINICK

“I said to my husband, Ron, ‘I’m going to make a quilt for his mom,’ and so I did,” says Marsinick. “We delivered it to his police department. Then I decided I would make a quilt for any fallen officer in Ohio.” And Marsinick’s mission was born.

That same year, she registered with the Officer Down Memorial Page, a website that publishes an honor roll of heroes, along with their stories and photos. It not only keeps her up to date on fallen officers, but also gave her the incentive to expand her project nationwide.

Now Marsinick’s upstairs sewing room is filled with more than 800 yards of fabric and batting waiting to be washed, ironed, cut and sewn. An embroidery machine embellishes each quilt with the officer’s name, department, badge number and end-of-watch date. A patch representing their department adds the finishing touch.

A longtime friend, Shirley Gray of North Fairfield, joined the project after Marsinick had a few quilts under her belt.

Gray pitches in by cutting the seven-by-seven-inch cotton squares and sewing the toppers — the signature blue stripe across the top. “Donna’s Santa Claus and I’m just a little elf,” says Gray, a fellow nurse since 1978. “I like to feel like I’m giving back, and I think it’s a great project.”

Branching out As of January, Marsinick has sent around 90 quilts to 38 states, all packaged with a handwritten note on special stationery. They honor those men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice. They offer warmth and comfort to the families they left behind.

“After one of our officers died last June, Donna Marsinick called to request a department patch,” says Captain Ken Gunsch of the Mentor Police Department. “Then out of the blue, a quilt shows up, which we gave to the family. It’s always a tough time and it chokes you up.”

Marsinick said she almost always gets a phone call, note or email from the recipients. But one specific phone call will stick with her forever. It came from Pennsylvania, and on the other end was the mother of Brian Shaw, a 25-year-old New Kensington patrolman who had been shot and killed in a routine traffic stop.

“She said, ‘I just want to tell you how much this meant to me,’” Marsinick recalls. “She said she didn’t just want to send a thank-you card. And after I hung up, I turned to Ron and told him, ‘I know I’m doing the right thing now.’”

Cindy Hoopingarner was also overcome with emotion when her surprise package arrived in October. Her son, Sean Cookson, was only 23 when he was killed in a head-on crash, just 18 days on the job with the Craig County, Oklahoma sheriff’s department.

“It’s so beautiful, comforting and heartwarming,” Hoopingarner says, trying to fight back tears. “A lot of people forget about the moms and dads, but she felt my broken heart. Somebody didn’t forget.”

And that somebody is actually mending broken hearts, one stitch at a time. “I have no plans to end it,” Marsinick says. “As long as I can continue financially and physically, I’ll be doing it. To me this isn’t work. It’s a labor of love. And talking to all of these people who appreciate it — that truly keeps me going.”

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 21

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IN THIS ISSUE

IT’S ALL IN THE BARREL:

cast in CASK

By Diana Coon | Photos by Dustin Franz

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 23

Brew it and they will come … that’s what Ken Dudley has been working to prove since June of 2016 when he opened Laxton Hollow Brewing Works. itting in the pub at the Happy Grape Wine Bar where Laxton Hollow is based, Dudley explains why he decided to bring cask ale — or real ale, as Dudley calls it — to Lexington.

“I went to college for a while in England, and that’s where I learned to drink beer. The enjoyment of a comfortable pub and a perfectly pulled pint of cask ale is something I really learned to appreciate. I returned to the states and there was no place that offered cask ale.”

24 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

“It took me 20 years to do it, but I eventually decided the only way to get the cask ale I really wanted was to do it myself.”

–KEN DUDLEY

Brewed for the people Being a beer lover, Dudley was into home brewing for many years. Though he enjoyed being a craft beer maker, it wasn’t quite the same. “It took me 20 years to do it, but I eventually decided the only way to get the cask ale I really wanted was to do it myself.”

Now he’s introducing cask ale to the local community and beyond, working to create a demand and appreciation of the product. “We have people who drive for hours to get here because there are only 12 or 13 cask brewers in the country — Laxton Hollow being the only one in the state of Ohio.”

Laxton Hollow Brewing Works is Ohio’s only cask-ale exclusive brewery. Its tasting room offers a selection of ales brewed on site from light and fresh to rich and malty.

Those who appreciate cask ale believe its moderate serving temperature — cool not cold — and the soft sparkle of natural carbonation allow consumers to embrace the full flavor of the beer. Cask ale does not utilize forced carbonation, but is naturally conditioned when it ferments a second time in the sealed barrel. It’s then served directly from that barrel, allowing a heightened appreciation of the ingredients with all its subtlety intact.

Behind the beer As the owner and brewer, Dudley says the skill in creating the ale goes further than just ingredients, like the heirloom quality barleys he imports from the United Kingdom. All through the process English brewing is more difficult, and that applies to serving the beer as well.

Pulling pints from the specialized beer engines is an art form in itself — you don’t just pull a handle. Tapping and serving requires some experience and training.

Of the 200-plus breweries in Ohio, only Laxton Hollow focuses solely on cask ale. “It’s more work intensive, more expensive and there is less profit margin. The brewing period is a month-long process that requires many steps.

This art form is even becoming less prevalent in England, Scotland and Wales where it originated,” says Dudley.

Although Dudley’s cask ale is currently exclusive to Happy Grape, he hopes there may be other places interested in serving “real ale” in the future. “I already know most of the ex-pats in our community and the surrounding area.

I’m working to educate the beer drinking community at large about cask ale. This is a round peg that won’t fit into the square hole of craft or regular beer.”

Of the 200-plus breweries in Ohio, only Laxton Hollow focuses solely on cask ale. For more information about Laxton Hollow Brewing Works, visit laxtonhollow.com.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 25

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IN THIS ISSUE

a new year

DECORATING FOR …

Love Where You Live . By Julie McCready Photos by Norwalk Furniture

elcome and cheers to a New Year and to a new look at the latest in home fashion trends, colors and decorating. Will 2019 be a year of change for you and your home décor? Are you selling, buying, building, remodeling or making minor changes? If so, you’ll find interest in the following information regarding the latest in furniture and home fashions. If you’re enjoying your surroundings exactly as they are, then you should still find interest in what’s in for ’19!

I’ve studied trend reports, traveled across the country to furniture markets

It’s all about the color blue in ’19 … from deep, saturated hues to piercing brights, you’re sure to be moved by the mood of blue with a lineup of navy, indigo and sea.

and listened to the best forecasters in the industry, including the merchandising team at Norwalk Furniture, to compile and share with you the colorful and creative newest looks assembled into four categories.

Does a pop of color invigorate you? Then you’ll enjoy following the increasingly popular trend of reinventing the looks of midcentury modern and Art Deco through the use of contemporary textiles, matte gold finishes and a dash of mustard.

Ready to have the moody blues (in color, not attitude)? Because it’s all about the color blue in ’19 … from deep, saturated hues to piercing brights, you’re sure to be moved by the mood of blue with a lineup of navy, indigo and sea.

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 27

What girl isn’t in love with florals and succulents? We’ve always been drawn to a beautiful bouquet of floral whether found on our tabletops or in our fabrics and wall coverings and you’ll find it a dominant trend in clothing and home this year.

Finally, got the urge to hunker down and feel warm and cozy at home? Then you’ll definitely enjoy the continued movement of Scandinavian Hygge with clean-lined furnishings combined with fuzzy faux furs, chunky hand-knit throws and loads of pillows for cuddling in the Euro Boho trend.

Colonel Mustard

Let us give you a clue … Colonel Mustard is creeping back into home furnishings. With the continuing popularity of midcentury design amongst both retiring baby boomers and emerging Millennials, shades of mustard from French’s to Poupon are once again popular. Adding energy and a touch of playfulness to almost any room setting, mustard tones pair well with acid greens and atomic blues for a decidedly spicy décor. Master the color by adding in throw pillows, rugs or accessories to your neutral environment and you might not only see, but also hear, the pop of creativity created!

Moody Blues

The ever-popular shades of blue continue to hold a high place of regard by furniture consumers in their product and place. Like many of the most popular home design color combinations, the tones and color partners change from year to year. While the navy and white combination is evergreen, especially in coastal design, we find that a warmer, calmer palette is definitely taking hold. Shades from colbalt to cerulean to azure are more dominant than the extreme shades of indigo or sky. And with brown tones becoming more popular, home designers will love the serenity of combining blues with warm taupe, grays and milk chocolate.

Dusted Florals

Floral patterns have enjoyed several years of ascendancy.

First, it was observed as a brightly tossed floral design theme, then a year or two ago, the trend moved toward 28 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

densely packed mini-florals in darker tones. For spring of 2019, silver undertoned and impressionist drawn florals will dominate. Elegant in their simplicity, succulentinspired shades of sage and olive are often touched with a hint of lilac or lavender; they are a perfect foil to the popular silver-toned upholstery fabrics featured on the pages of home decorating magazines today.

Euro Boho

As an extension of the Scandinavian Hygge movement in home decorating where coziness and comfort are the ruling goals, many designers, including Norwalk Furniture’s guest designer Kim Salmela, are expanding on this theme by creating a more decidedly energetic but comfy room setting.

Hygge: pronounced “hoo-guh” is a Danish term defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “a quality of cosiness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.” The word is said to have no direct translation in English, though “cozy” comes close. In the fast-paced, ever-changing world in which we live, the comfort and coziness of home is becoming more and more in the forefront of our minds and we’re creating it while also layering in exuberant textiles, unexpected color and pattern combinations and textured fabrics to create a new Euro Boho look. Luscious layered velvets, touchable textures, light and dark contrast and Old World decorative accents all support a more free and spirited design.

So, which trend appeals to you? Or do you prefer to mix and match? Happy decorating for … a new year — 2019!

About Julie McCready . Julie McCready

is a residential/commercial designer with over 20 years of furniture and design experience.

McCready, along with a talented team of designers offer complimentary in-home design services for clients purchasing furniture at McCready Interiors/ Norwalk The Furniture Idea, which she and husband Tom have owned since 1996. In 2019, the McCready family celebrates 95 years in the furniture business.

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C O LU M N S

THIS POSTMAN MAKES HIS ROUNDS BUT NO DELIVERIES Keeping Score . By Mike Greene

Fifth Third Field, Dayton Dragons

About Mike Greene Since graduating from Muskingum College, Mike Greene has spent most of his working life in sports media. He has worked at radio and TV stations around Northeast and Central Ohio, including as a sports talk show host for WMFD-TV in Mansfield. He has been writing his Keeping Score column for Heart of Ohio for the past 10 years.

Recently a friend of mine and I were having a conversation about memorable vacations we’ve taken.

That led him to tell me that he has visited 49 of our country’s 50 states during his family travels, with Alaska being the only one in which he has yet to set foot. I have traveled to all four corners of this beautiful land, but without counting, have to admit that I still fall eight to 10 states short.

Joe Robertson is another friend of mine who is passionate about traveling. He’s committed to visiting America’s baseball stadiums, fields and parks. His search for these diamond-shaped edifices has taken him to 47 states, the District of Columbia and even beyond our borders to Canada.

Like father, like son

30 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

Robertson and his father shared many other traits — the most notable of those being that both father and son spent their working lives as postmen, delivering the mail to Mansfield residents for over 60 years combined. As a high schooler, Robertson played baseball for the St. Peter’s Spartans.

He’s always been a fan of the game and especially the Cleveland Indians. For about a dozen years, he was a season ticket holder at the stadium by Lake Erie.

But Robertson found himself wondering what the other ballparks around the country looked like from a fan’s standpoint. Thus began his travels as a baseball nomad. A lot of planning was and is involved in his stadium pilgrimages,

PHOTO BY BILL FRANZ

Robertson’s love of baseball is in his DNA; in other words it’s a family thing.

His dad took him and his brother to their first big league games at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh and Crosley Field in Cincinnati when they were early grade schoolers.

Little did he know that over the next 55 years or so, he would visit upwards

of 350 home fields of various level baseball teams across North America.

A breakdown of most of the venues where Robertson has watched at least one game goes like this: 47 major league parks, even though there are 30 franchises (many of the teams have built new stadiums in the last 20 or so years and Robertson has been to both); 216 minor league ballparks where teams are affiliated with major league clubs; 29 spring training venues; and 39 homes to independent baseball teams with no league affiliation.

That’s most of the 350 baseball parks that he has visited from coast to coast, but that doesn’t even include the 68 summer college wooden bat ballparks.

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Robertson (middle) shares his passion with his daughter Ann and son Andy.

especially when he was working his mail routes. He had to design his trips around his vacation time. By the time he retired from the U.S. Postal Service, he had worked his way up the seniority ladder to the point where he had earned five weeks of paid leave.

Robertson’s father retired long before his son hung up his delivery bag, but he had no interest in spending his free time traveling 900 or 2,900 miles to catch a glimpse of a few different baseball parks.

Golf was his love and he spent a lot of time on the links before his passing several years ago.

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The Dragons have sold out every home game they have played since April 1, 2000. That adds up to a consecutive game sellout streak of 1,316 games.

Passing the torch

Robertson and his wife, Nancy, are the parents of two children, Ann and Andy.

Robertson took his son to his first game when he was just 4 years old. It was a double header in Cleveland and dad knew that his son was hooked when, at the end of the second game, Andy asked: “Are we staying for the third game?”

Today, Andy is 33 years old and a pharmacist in Northwest Ohio. He has also been his Dad’s traveling companion on most of his baseball travels around the JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 31

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No place like home

While Ohio has two major league teams, it also boasts some of the country’s finest minor leagues, too. Toledo, Akron, Columbus, Niles, Eastlake and Dayton all have state-of-the-art baseball stadiums, and most draw close to full houses for the majority of the games they host.

The home of the Dayton Dragons, Cincinnati’s single A minor league affiliate, is Fifth Third Field, and here is a little baseball trivia to file away: The Dragons have sold out every home game they have played since April 1, 2000. That adds up to a consecutive game sellout streak of 1,316 games. A sellout at Fifth Third Field in Dayton means that all 7,230 seats are filled at a cost of $19 per ticket.

Robertson particularly likes visiting those minor league stadiums because he says that they are, in most cases, much more

PHOTO BY CLEVELAND INDIANS

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country. He’s been doing it long enough that Andy and his father have been to every major league ballpark in the U.S. The baseball memories that Robertson has stored in the recesses of his brain are many and varied. For instance, he was in attendance when Nolan Ryan pitched the final win of his career. Where, you ask?

That game took place at Cleveland’s old Municipal Stadium. Joe and Andy also watched Toronto’s Dave Steib no hit the lndians, also in Cleveland.

Progressive Field, Cleveland Indians

“fan friendly” than major league stadiums.

They are also more affordable, as you can tell by the ticket price for a Dayton Dragons game, and Robertson pays his own way into the parks he visits. There was one occasion when he and his son were planning a visit to a game in Pittsfield, Massachusetts. It would be his 300th stadium visit, so he decided to call ahead and let them know the significance of the occasion and ask if he could throw out the first pitch. They said sure and so Robertson arrived, ready for the big event, only to discover that he was just one of five fans from the stands who had been chosen to throw out the first pitch. For the record, he got his historic toss to within one foot of home plate on one bounce.

Robertson is a details guy and said that the planning that goes into putting together his summertime trips is, for him, as much fun as the traveling itself. The vast majority of his trips are done by car. A few years ago, he and his son even drove from California to Seattle to watch the Mariners. The only exceptions have been when he and Andy have visited Georgia, Texas and California.

This past summer, Joe and Andy visited the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, where they watched as Jim Thome was inducted with some other baseball notables. lt was a trip that “neither rain, nor snow nor dark of night” would keep this former postman from taking — and it didn’t!

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C O LU M N S

“MAD ANTHONY” WAYNE & THE BATTLE OF FALLEN TIMBERS Ohio History 101 . By Bill Smith

About Bill Smith

Bill Smith was born in Fremont and graduated from Tiffin Calvert High School to attend Tiffin University. He recently retired from RFME Insurance in Mansfield after being in the insurance business for 40 years. He was previously board president of the Ohio Bird Sanctuary and enjoys drawing and watercolors in his spare time.

On Oct. 19, 1781, British General Charles Cornwallis surrendered his army of nearly 8,000 men to French and American forces led by General George Washington at Yorktown, Virginia. The surrender ended most hostilities in North America but the terms of surrender were not finalized until Sept. 3, 1783 in Paris, France. A United States delegation led by Benjamin Franklin, John Jay and John Adams signed the Treaty of Paris, in which the British acknowledged the United States as an independent government.

One of the terms of agreement was that the British ceded all rights to the Northwest territory — present day Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and parts of Minnesota — and acknowledged it was rightfully owned by the United States.

Anglo-American settlers began to move into the Ohio territory but were met with resistance

by Native Americans who had formed an alliance in hopes of thwarting their intrusion. The alliance was led by Chief Little Turtle of the Miami nation and was aided by Chief Blue Jacket of the Shawnee nation. Many other tribes participated in the alliance including warriors from the Potawatomi, Mingo, Delaware, Wyandotte, Ottawa and Ojibwa nations. Border disputes and control of the land resulted in armed conflict between settlers and the Native American alliances. Under orders from Washington, militia expeditions were sent in to quell the violence. The militias were untrained, poorly disciplined forces and thus suffered severe losses. Two expeditions were virtually destroyed. One of the most notable losses was in 1791.

The forces of General St. Clair came under attack at present

34 HEARTOFOHIOMAGAZINE.COM

MAJOR GENERAL ANTHONY WAYNE day Fort Recovery. Of 920 soldiers and officers, 632 died and 264 were wounded.

“Mad Anthony” Wayne

Washington knew that a welltrained army was needed. He appointed Major General “Mad Anthony” Wayne as Commander and ordered him to build a professional army — the “Mad” moniker due to his fierceness in battle in the Revolutionary War and his strictness in obeying orders and requiring the same for forces under him.

In March of 1793, Wayne began to form his new army — the Legion of the U.S. — with over 3,000 men at Fort Washington near Cincinnati.

In October he began moving his forces northward, building forts along the way, including one in Fort Recovery.

With the help of Choctaw and Chickasaw scouts, Wayne learned that Chief Blue Jacket and his alliance had taken a defensive position in a stand of trees that had been downed in a recent storm — thus the term fallen timbers.

Chief Blue Jacket thought that the scattered trees would slow any advancement and positioned his forces there. Unfortunately, he underestimated the force against him not realizing that this was an army of 5,000 welltrained men; his 1,400 warriors were woefully outmanned. The battle was very short and over in a few minutes. Wayne ordered a head-on bayonet charge which routed the Native American forces and sent them fleeing to the north.

The decisive battle ended the Native American alliance and led to The Treaty of Greenville in August of 1795, which parceled off land in Ohio to native tribes.

Wayne was the primary writer of the treaty. He died a year later on Dec. 15, 1796 on Presque Isle near Erie, Pennsylvania.

Fort Wayne, Indiana was so named in his honor.

B E S T S H OT S

Send us your photos. We love to go along with our readers.

Please remember these are published in the order in which they are received. Keep watching for your photo in a future issue!

Emily Apgar and Josh Hurwitz took Heart of Ohio with them on a weekend trip to Dallas, Texas and experienced the thriving arts scene.

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to destress after Thanksgivi Rosemary McBride took time . reading Heart of Ohio magazine

Send us your photo at editor@heartofohiomagazine.com

Dick and Mar go Rowen from Lexington took us to Nar ada Falls at M t. Rainier National Park in Washington .

JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2019 35

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