Staying close to home
Summer reading begins
Earlham all-time scorer
OPINION • 10A
LOCAL • 1B
SPORTS • 4A
THE EARLY BIRD Weekend Edition of the Daily Advocate
Online at earlybirdpaper.com
Weekend edition
Sunday, May 31, 2020 • $1
Downtown farmer’s market to return June 6 By Rob Kiser
DarkeCountyMedia.com
The Darke County Farmer’s Market will be back, beginning June 6.
Arcanum man lives life to fullest Autism no impediment to rewarding life By Linda Moody
DarkeCountyMedia.com
ARCANUM — Micah Barga has been dealing with autism since he was diagnosed at age 4. Now, 30, he has high-functioning autism. How does it affect him? “I’ve had to learn to adapt to challenges in life,” he said. He said, for the most part, people have been nice to him. “Sometimes, it’s difficult for others to understand me,” Barga said. “I’m ok with it. This is how God made me.” Barga The young man attended and graduated from Arcanum-Butler Local Schools in 2008. “After high school, I went to Sinclair Community College and Edison Community College to major in game development,” he said. “I graduated from Sinclair in 2012 with a multimedia certification and from Edison in 2013 with an associate of applied business degree in computer information technology/ computer games and simulation programming and design. Throughout my school life, I have had certain accommodations when it came to test-taking. I would take my tests in another room with little to no other students and would have my questions read to me by aides. School required a little extra tutoring, but with one-on-one, I was able to accomplish what was required. When I was diagnosed, I was able to receive an IEP through school, which helped me to accomplish what I needed to accomplish in a normal world.” He is involved with the Miami Valley Youth for Christ, which is a non-profit organization that provides ministry to middle and high school students. He is the only one in his family who has autism. Barga lives with his mother and stepfather, Tina and Kyle McClanahan and visits his father, Jeff, and stepmother Linda on a regular basis. See AUTISM | 2A
Provided photo
GREENVILLE — For those wondering about the Farmers Market in downtown Greenville, there is good news: The Farmer’s Market will return, beginning on June 6. “When I first took over this job, that was one of the big questions,” Greenville Main Street Executive Director Ryan Berry said. “Will be able to hold the Farmers Market. Fortunately, they (Farmers Markets) are considered essential and we will be able to do that.” Like everything else this sum-
mer, it will have a different look due to the corona virus when it debuts on June 6. It will be held on Saturdays through Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. “Before, it was on the corner of Fourth and Broadway,” Berry said. “It is going to be a little more spread out this year in order to adhere to all the rules and social distancing, both for the vendors and the visitors. We are going to adhere to all the Governor’s rules, the state rules and the CDC rules.” Because of that it will be held on both sides of the street on Broadway.
“We have purchased signage to put up on Broadway to direct people,” Berry said. Berry added, as always, there will be a great deal of variety at the Farmers Market. “The vendors know the rules and have agreed to adhere to them,” he said. “We have a good collection of vendors. They will all be wearing masks or face covering and wearing them properly. Anybody who visits will need to adhere to the social distancing requirements.There will be someone there with soaps and someone making fudge. There See MARKET | 10A
Serving families, doing right Zechar Bailey Funeral Home serves area By Beth Royer-Delong DarkeCountyMedia.com
DARKE COUNTY — It is about doing the right thing, says Greg Zechar, manager of Zechar Bailey Funeral Home in Greenville, in regards to the multitude of services they provide for the community. While providing traditional funerals and cremations, as well as celebrations of loved ones who have passed, they provide much more. However, one would be remiss without a brief look into the history of the family-owned and operated business — more than 75 years — first. The story began in 1941 when Byron and Myron Zechar founded Zechar Funeral Home with the former’s two sons, Kent and Gary, purchasing the business in 1979. When Joe Bailey became owner and operator of a funeral home in Versailles,
Provided photo
Greg Zechar, manager of Zechar Bailey Funeral Home in Greenville, teaches area Boy Scouts the proper handling, folding and decommissioning of a flag. The funeral homes hold four decommission ceremonies each year.
the three merged, and the Zechar Bailey Funeral Homes was born. Today, Greg Zechar is the third generation funeral director with eight full-time staff members working at the North Broadway Street and Russ Road corner loca-
tion. A distinct blue and green lighting shine onto the building in support of military and law enforcement. It is this display says Zechar, celebrating 29 years total in the business, that reminds them to serve, support, and give back to the
community. “Any way we can,” said Zechar, “especially right now with COVID-19.” The Novel Coronavirus or COVID-19, has affected many individuals and See SERVING | 3A
Safety Around Water program offered virtually DARKE COUNTY — Teaching children how to be safe around water is not a luxury; it is a necessity. And this year, with more people likely to be hanging around their own backyard
pools and exploring socially distant recreation on our area lakes and rivers, it is even more important that children learn water safety. Although the YMCA of Darke County cannot host
this year’s Safety Around Water program in person this year, the important lessons the program teaches will still be available to everyone in the form of virtual sessions to be made
available online. Sessions will be available June 1-5 on the YMCA’s Facebook page at www. facebook.com/ymcadarkecounty See WATER | 6A
COVID-19 Antibody Testing n No appointment necessary n Physician’s order not required
Mon - Fri | 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat | 7:00 am - 12:00 pm
835 Sweitzer Street Greenville, OH 45331 OH-70189165