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Boomfest to feature national act
RESS June 30, 2014
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By Kelly J. Kaczala Press News Editor kkaczala@presspublications.com National recording group “Berlin featuring Terri Nunn,” which had a chart topping hit “Take my breath away” from the popular movie “Top Gun,” in the 80’s, will headline the 5th annual “Boomfest at the Grove” in Oregon on Friday, July 4 from 2 p.m. until Midnight at the Oak Shade Grove, 3624 Seaman Road, home of the German American Festival. Entry, entertainment and parking for the event are free. Food, drinks, and activities will be on hand for adults and kids. Carriages pulled by Clydesdale horses will provide tours of the Oak Shade Grove facility. Food will include hot dogs and pretzels, barbecued wings and hamburgers. New this year is a Chick-fil-A booth. “We are one of the only festivals around that will have a Chick-fil-A booth,” said Oregon Mayor Mike Seferian. “It’s known to be one of the higher end fast food places.” The “Cruisin’ the Grove Car Show” will run from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and feature “The Jimmy & Bob Show, who are DJ’s that will spin 50’s and 60’s music. Live entertainment and children’s activities will begin at 5:30 p.m. with Motown Style Band “The KGB Band,” followed by popular Toledo band “Arctic Clam” at 7:30 p.m., which will perform after the fireworks until Midnight. Zambelli will provide the fireworks display, as it has in previous years. “Our fire department said they are top notch with safety,” said Seferian. “They really know what they’re doing. We are very comfortable with them.” Kids’ activities will include an inflatable jumper and climbing walls. The featured performance, though, will be the American new wave recording band “Berlin featuring Terri Nunn.” Besides “Take my breath away,” other hit songs by the group include “No More Words,” “The Metro,” and “Masquerade.” “Nobody else in our area can boast a free concert to the scale we have at Continued on page 4
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Fire convention
Northwood was host to the 140th annual Northwest Ohio Volunteer Fireman’s Convention bringing between 2,000 to 3,000 visitors to the two day event. Top photo, Ridgeville vs. Wakeman in the Waterball Contest. Bottom left, Jeremy Johnson of the Northwood VFD participates in the “Firefighter Challenge.” Bottom center, Lake Township Fire Queen Kayla Brown. Bottom right, Gibsonburg Fire Queen Lexi Evarts. (Press photos by Harold Hamilton hehphotos.com)
World War II tank in good hands By Mark Griffin Press Contributing Writer news@presspublications.com These words are spoken by Ronald Rowland in a YouTube video taken in 2012 in Conneaut, Ohio, during a D-Day ceremony: “Alright, ladies and gentlemen. If you would cover your ears we’re going to do a … fire in the hole!” A loud boom can be heard about seven seconds later, followed immediately by a big puff of smoke. A man in the crowd can be heard saying, “Geez. Are you OK?” Then a young boy’s voice says, “What happened to it?” Just before the 36-ton weapon fired off a blank round, Rowland ducked inside the turret of the M4A3E8 World War II Sherman tank and gave the local sheriff the go-ahead to pull the trigger on the 76-caliber Howitzer and let ‘er rip.
Ronald Rowland “I’m wearing ear protection and a helmet, just like the soldiers did,” Rowland said. “All I can hear is a boom, probably a third of what you hear. I’m in the loader’s side of the turret, making sure the public knows about it and locking everything. Everything gets locked up until we do the
celebration. We cut our powder down quite a bit because of how close the crowd was.” Rowland, 64, a 1969 graduate of Eastwood High School who now lives in Wapakoneta, has done this dozens of times – 11 events or so a year for 10 years. Rowland was raised near Lemoyne at a home, long since torn down, located at the U.S. 20/420 interchange. Rowland and the Sherman tank appeared at the Plane Fun Festival on June 13-15 at Toledo Executive Airport next to Lake High School. The tank was originally built in 1944 and never saw combat, according to Rowland. It was acquired by the Allen County Historical Society in Lima in 1957 and was displayed outside the Allen County Museum until 1987, when volunteers from Lima’s Joint Systems Manufacturing Center (maker of the modern M1 Abrams tank) and the Lima Ford Engine Plant completely reContinued on page 4
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