Southeast Ohio Summer | Fall 2022

Southeast

OHIO S U M M E R | FA L L 2 0 2 2

The New

‘NORM’

Bobcat Superfan Norm Emmets returns to the Ohio sidelines post-pandemic pg. 46

O d

JD Vance tours Ohio

an

Hotel McArthur gets a new lease on life

G ET

Nursing programs focus on treating Appalachian health problems

tr U y T so t pg met his . 2 hi su 6 ng mm ne e w r !

IN THIS ISSUE:

Southeast

OHIO

SUMMER | FALL 2022

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Riley Runnells MANAGING EDITOR Cristina Formichelli DEPUTY EDITOR Sarah Donaldson COPY & RESEARCH EDITOR Bre Offenberger EDITORS Halle Dray Sophia Englehart Gabby Hayes Abby Miller WEB EDITOR Madalyn Johnson HEAD MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Bo Kuhn MULTIMEDIA EDITORS Andrew Allison Claire Geary Samantha Garcia Ben Wielgopolski SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Jordan Schmitt WRITERS Halle Dray Aaron Brandenberg Lexi Potopsky Scott Thomas Salem Parker DESIGN & CREATIVE DIRECTOR Lauren McCain DESIGNER Salem Parker PHOTO EDITORS Carrie Legg Emi Baron FACULTY ADVISOR Elizabeth Hendrickson

LETTER FROM

THE EDITOR It can be hard, at times, for college students to look outside ourselves and our own lives within Ohio University. We’re moving through the coronavirus pandemic while balancing classes, clubs and social lives.

For the staff of Southeast Ohio magazine, we are balancing all of these while also trying to find jobs, get through graduation and venture into the world after four years of school.

That’s why we’re all so passionate about our work on this issue of the magazine.We not only got to create a publication that is the physical representation of four years of hard work and learning, but we also got the chance to get outside of ourselves and our own lives to explore the beautiful area that’s housed us for most of our college experience.

Our reporters, photographers and videographers went on site to see animals at Sierra’s Haven (pg. 22), experienced art off the beaten path through the Ohio Art Corridor (pg. 34) and even stayed close to home with Athens’ beloved Pumpkin the Cat (pg. 4). Whether you’re fans of grabbing a bite and brew (pg. 6) or exploring nature through birding (pg. 26), our staff has you covered in this issue.

Everyone on the staff is incredibly proud to bring you this content.

It’s not only our love letter to the journalism program and university that taught us so much, but to every person, business and area in Southeast Ohio that we came to know and love. We feel a bittersweetness with finishing this issue, but we’re mostly proud and excited for you to experience all the wonderful people, places and activities we did the last few months. We hope you enjoy.

All the best, Riley Runnells Editor-in-chief MISSION STATEMENT Southeast Ohio strives to spotlight the culture and community within our 21-county region. The student-run magazine aims to inform, entertain and inspire with stories that hit close to home.

EDITORIAL OFFICE Southeast Ohio E.W. Scripps School of Journalism 1 Ohio University Athens, OH 45701-2979 FIND US ONLINE

southeastohiomagazine.com ON THE COVER Norm Emmets leads the student section at a 2022 men’s basketball game. The team ended the 2021-22 season 25-10 (14-6 MAC).

SOCIAL MEDIA Southeast Ohio Magazine @SEOhioMagazine @SEOhioMagazine

TABLE OF CONTENTS

pg. 26

pg. 28

DEPARTMENTS

pg. 4

THE SCENE

FEATURE STORIES

4 | Through the Pumpkin Glass

22 | Second Chances at Sierra’s Haven

The story behind Athens County’s famous window-watching cat

Portsmouth animal shelter offers help to four-legged friends in need

BEHIND THE BITE 6 | Spirited Conversations Sixth Sense Brewery taps into Jackson

8 | Marietta’s Downtown Diamond Tampico Mexican Restaurant endures COVID-19 and perserveres

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD 12 | Black Cat Vintage

GET OUT 26 | How Tweet It Is

Behold, birding in Southeast Ohio

28 | Free Range

The ins-and-out of mindful foraging

31 | Farm Fresh Living

Hocking County agritourism is a labor of love

Cambridge’s shop strikes gold with a winningly whimsical assortment of merchandise

14 | A New Quest Ohio sees the revival of fantasy tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons

16 | Growing Care Local initiatives help combat health problems in Appalachia

TALKING POINTS 18 | Vance Veers Right Hillbilly Elegy author and venture capitalist J.D.Vance tours the state vying for a Senate seat

WHAT’S YOUR STORY? 46 | Norm Emmets

Ohio University’s O-Zone leader spreads cheer

OFF-CANVAS ARTS 34 | The Ohio Art Corridor

Our writers tried to explore the Ohio Arts Corridor before it was on display

38 | Cold Cuts

Marietta’s Whistler Ice Works creates mind-melting sculptures

40 | Embracing the Grain

Spirit of the Hill’s woodcarvings are worth a thousand words

42 | A New Lease on Life?

The many lives of Hotel McArthur

THE SCENE

Through the

Pumpkin Glass

How Court Street’s favorite Tabby cat went from rescue to reigning the Athens County Board of Elections

Move over, Rufus the Bobcat. This is the story behind Athens’ beloved, Story by SALEM PARKER| Photos by EMI BARON unofficial mascot.

P

umpkin the cat, a viral internet sensation on Twitter and Reddit and the winner of several Athens News Best of Athens Awards, sits regally in an uptown office window and surveys what can only be described as his kingdom.

The orange Tabby has become a popular public figure during the last decade—both within and beyond the city of Athens. Since 2012, he has resided in the Athens County Board of Elections (BOE) office, where he is taken care of by office staff and admired by the public.

But make no mistake, Pumpkin comes from humble beginnings. Board of Elections Director Debbie Quivey and late Deputy Director Penny Brooks first encountered Pumpkin while they were returning from a trip to the

post office, Quivey says. When the two overheard a couple from a nearby apartment arguing about the feline’s future, Quivey and Brooks decided to step in and rescue him.

Initially, they hoped to find Pumpkin a home elsewhere. But that changed after an attempt to hide Pumpkin temporarily in a closet while they searched for potential owners failed, and the cat escaped and made his first appearance in the window of the Board of Elections’ Court Street office.

Quivey says it was one of Pumpkin’s most memorable moments, as passersby quickly snapped photos. Following his very public debut, Quivey says board members voted to approve Pumpkin’s permanent residence in the office.

“

I don’t know how to explain it other than he owns the place. I mean, he’s just been here, lived here, for so long. He’s just like a mascot for the Board of Elections.”

-Debbie Quivey Director, Athens County Board of Elections

BELOW | Pumpkin’s Twitter account.

Tony Brooks II, Penny’s son, currently serves as the BOE’s deputy director. Quivey says Pumpkin is typically less affectionate toward men due to a suspected past of abuse prior to his rescue. However, despite this, Quivey says Pumpkin is warming up to Brooks.

“Well, he owns the place. I don’t know how to explain it other than he owns the place. I mean, he’s just been here, lived here, for so long. He’s just like a mascot for the Board of Elections,” Quivey says.

Quivey says Pumpkin is generally robust, experiencing only a few minor health issues during his time at the Board of Elections. She hopes to see him remain in the office well into his old age.

That’s a sentiment we can all vote for.

BEHIND THE BITE

Spirits and Conversations Sixth Sense Brewery taps in to Jackson

Story by LEXI POTOPSKY | Photos by SOPHIA ENGLEHART

A

fter a day at the Cavalier Roller Rink or supporting local Jackson athletics, people start trickling into Sixth Sense Brewery to unwind.

One customer sits at the table with a menu, penciling in their desired toppings for the special of the day: tacos. Another sits at the bar, chatting with the bartenders while sipping on a craft beer. Large chalk murals hang on the walls with depictions of wizards and dragons drawn by a local tattoo artist.

For owners Jamey and Jennifer Ratcliff, this particular vibe is intentionally low-key. “You can have a conversation with somebody and just chill and have a beer,” Jamey says.

Although the brewery’s name certainly conjures up images of the fantastical, the creation of this brewery and taproom was hardly due to magic. Rather, it a culmination of more than 22 years of restaurant ownership. “Over time, we kind of just said, ‘OK, let’s go for it,’” Jamey says.

But Jamey is quick to point out that selling craft beer in a restaurant is very different from actually producing it. And despite the couple’s interest in craft beer, opening and operating a brewery and taproom isn’t something that can happen on command.

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OPPOSITE PAGE | Owners Jamey and Jennifer Ratcliff in front of the list of that day’s featured craft brews. Photo provided by the Ratcliffs.

ABOVE LEFT | The exterior of the brewery and taproom.

ABOVE RIGHT | Not your average welcome sign, but inviting nonetheless.

BOTTOM LEFT | A taco bowl from Taco Tuesday at Sixth Sense Brewery.

RIGHT | Derrick Allison, owner of Farm the Ridge, supplies the chorizo.

“I’m not a brewer. I don’t brew beer. I’m not technical in any way, shape or form,” Jamey says.

Fortunately for Jamey and Jennifer, different homebrewers from the region shared with them their knowledge of the technical aspects of brewing, including developing test batches.

When an opportunity arose in 2017 and the two had enough space and equipment, they opened Sixth Sense Brewery—today the sole brewery and taproom in Jackson.

Jamey describes the atmosphere as being laidback and relaxed. Jackson is a close-knit town, where regular faces from the community pop in and out of the brewery. The couple recognizes the local impact that comes with being a communityoriented business.

“

We’ve actually done a beer with five other businesses, where we would use an ingredient from each of them.”

-Jamey Ratcliff, Owner

Sixth Sense has smoked its grain at Jackson’s Rowdy’s Smokehouse and used local coffee and donuts in its beer. Jamey says any time there’s an opportunity to utilize other local products, they jump on it.

Take the chorizo, for example. Served from the brewery’s outside kitchen, the sausage comes from a local pig pasture, Farm on the Ridge. The owners, Derrick and Elise Allison, breed and raise heritage pasture-based pigs on grass, using no antibiotics and no fillers.

“They were like, ‘Hey, we want some local sausage,’” Derrick says, as he credits Jamey and Jennifer for partnering with Farm on the Ridge and supporting them throughout their journey.

There’s a touch of Jackson incorporated everywhere in the brewery. From the chalk drawings on the walls to the food items on the menu, Sixth Sense makes it a priority to showcase the resources the community has to offer.

Sixth Sense Brewing & Taproom 175 E Main St, Jackson, OH 45640 (740) 577-3681 https://sixthsensebrewing.co w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z i n e . com | 7

BEHIND THE BITE BEHIND THE BITE

Marietta’s Delicious Downtown Diamond 8 | S o uthe ast O hio S o uthe ast O hio | 8

Tampico Mexican Res tough times with time support, and satisfied

staurant endures eless recipes, family d, satiated customers

LEFT | Tampico owners Mayra and Luis Salas stand on solid ground with their family business.

Story by AARON BRANDENBURG Photos by CARRIE LEGG

W

hile driving down Second Street in Marietta, a restaurant with colorful exterior paintings pops out like a visual oasis in between a white office building and a bricked LLC. The top paints a blue sky that transitions into an orange for a sunrise, while the bottom shows waves crashing onto a beach. Painted green leaves on trees occupy the sides of the painting, almost serving as the bottom border for the red letters spelling “Tampico” in the sky. On this day, its contrast with the brownish Ohio River nearby is duly noted.

Although the sign below the painting indicates the building is a Mexican restaurant, it does little to indicate the deeper story of determination and family support that keeps the business operating.

The owners of Tampico Mexican Restaurant are Luis and Mayra Salas. They pride themselves on offering recipes —from steaks to soups, chicken dishes to vegetarian dishes and even fried ice cream—made with local products.

Unfortunately, just like for any small business, the past few years have been rough. “In the pandemic, for almost six months, we were only able to sell as carryout, and I only had two or three people to keep working with me,” Luis says.

According to a 2021 report by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Office of Advocacy titled “The Effects of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Small Businesses,” the percentage change in the total number of self-employed people working showed a decrease of 20.2% between April 2019 and April 2020. For self-employed Hispanic people like Luis and Mayra Salas, the decrease was 26%.

The total employment of the food services and drinking places industry echoed this negative transformation. According to the report, the change in employment for food services and drinking places between April 2019 and April 2020 showed a decrease of 48%. w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z i n e . com | 9

“

In the pandemic, for almost six months, we were only able to sell as carryout, and I only had two or three people to keep working with me.”

-Luis Salas, Owner

According to Luis, the biggest problem he faces is hiring the right staff. Despite labor shortages, the Salas family has seen some major success with two chefs.

Chef Samuel Amaya has worked for Tampico for over 10 years, and Chef Ricardo Solórzano has worked for Tampico for over 20 years.

“The biggest strength we have as business owners is by keeping the same employees in our kitchen,” Luis says. “We consider them like family members.”

Solórzano now only works part-time for Tampico because he has medical issues. “Lately, after too many years working, what I like to do, I think it’s affecting me somehow,” Solórzano says.

The Salas family has experienced troubling times before the recent pandemic. In 2004, their business had

10 | Sout heas t Oh io

to deal with a flood in Marietta. The family managed PICTURED | then, and even waiter though they had to sell their location in A Tampico delivers both lunch and lighthearted banter.during the 2020 pandemic, Parkersburg, West Virginia, the Marietta location survived.

“In 1998, when we started business, we decided to do whatever we had to do to make success,” Luis says.

FUTURE PLANS

Looking toward the future, Tampico plans on updating its menu and website soon. Luis wants to add a bit more business from a certain demographic.

“I really want to conquer more young people, the new generation. I want to try and do some deals,” Luis says.

One such deal is any Marietta student gets 10% off.

At Marietta’s Tampico Mexican Restaurant, the

paintings outside and inside the restaurant exude a warm feeling while the festive Mexican music matches the vibe of the paintings by not being overly loud. It is a business that has undergone many hardships and has continued to serve Mexican dishes with local products that hold as much love as the family has for the community.

“We are proud to be in (the) Mid-Ohio Valley for so long. We want to continue to provide and improve our customer service,” Luis says.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP | The restaurant exterior’s Technicolor portrait faces 2nd Street in Marietta.

OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM | Lunch hours (and the lunch menu options) are 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday, and 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

THIS PAGE, TOP | The family and staff at Tampico.

THIS PAGE, MIDDLE | Margaritas, daiquiries and beers flow.

THIS PAGE, BOTTOM | The dinner menu features dishes such as pollo primavera, pictured, along with fresh salads and standard favorites, as well as numerous desserts. such as flan and churros.

Tampico Mexican Restaurant 221 2nd St, Marietta, OH 45750

www.tampicomexicanrestaurant.com PHONE: (740) 374-8623 w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z ine.c o m | 1 1

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Lucky Finds

ABOVE | A view from the balcony.

BELOW | Black cats watch over their eclectic home.

Cambridge’s Black Cat Vintage Strikes Gold Story by GABBY HAYES | Photos by CARRIE LEGG

T

he towering brick buildings and picturesque view of the horizon that can be seen from Cambridge’s Wheeling Avenue only scrape the surface of what the quaint town has to offer.

Alongside the bustling road sits Black Cat Vintage, a vintage clothing boutique that opened in June 2021.

The two-story boutique houses over 55 unique vendors, offering a wide array of goods; from vintage clothing and antiques of all kinds to macrame and vinyl records (old and new), Black Cat Vintage has it all.

After earning a bachelor’s degree in business in December 2020, owner Paige Moore knew she wanted to open a business of her own. It had been part of her plan for as long as she can remember.

“I always saw myself one day doing something on my own,” Moore says. “I would rather answer to customers in the community and my vendors than to corporate America.”

Before Moore opened the doors to her physical shop, she started a virtual one. She first began selling vintage clothing on Depop, a second-hand fashion marketplace app. She found she had a knack for antique hunting and business management. Moore’s online success led her to the idea of running a vintage store in real life, where she only saw the success continue to grow.

12 | S o utheast Oh io

“

It’s not your typical antique mall.

It’s definitely a vintage store.”

-Paige Moore, Owner

Cambridge’s tight-knit community loves Black Cat Vintage, and Black Cat Vintage loves the community right back. Moore says her fellow locals are one of her favorite parts of running a small business; she has a couple regular customers who she specifically keeps in mind when antique hunting for her own booth.

“It’s really fun to bounce ideas off of other people and feel like I’m part of something,” Moore says. “The downtown community in Cambridge is really close-knit when it comes to small businesses.”

Being a one-of-a-kind shop in Cambridge naturally draws in plenty of the natives, but Moore says many of her customers come in from out of town. Not only are residents of surrounding counties stopping in, but people are making the drive out of state for a look around Black Cat Vintage.

“It’s not your typical antique mall,” Moore says. “It’s definitely a vintage store.” Moore hopes to see her business expand in the years to come.

Whether it’s staying close to home and opening a new location in Marietta or taking a larger leap and opening a location in Pennsylvania, this is just the beginning for Moore and Black Cat Vintage.

BELOW | Black Cat Vintage owner Paige Moore poses in her shop.

Black Cat Vintage 637 Wheeling Ave, Cambridge, OH 43725 www.blackcatvintage.com PHONE: (740) 995-8370

w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z ine.c o m | 13

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

A New Quest

Dungeons & Dragons Communities Reemerge

Story by SALEM PARKER | Photos by SAMANTHA GARCIA

A

few years shy of five decades since its initial release and after several variations and versions along the way, Dungeons and Dragons has returned to prominence in pop culture.

Commonly referred to as D&D, the game is a fantasy tabletop roleplaying game in which players can create their own characters with personalized skills and backstories. The game is typically played in groups of four to six people.

Wizards of the Coast, the parent company of D&D, reported 2020 as its best year yet for the game with an increase in sales by 33%, continuing a multi-year trend of growth in the game’s sales, according to CNBC. The growth has been present since the release of the D&D’s fifth edition in 2014.

Benjamin Klaus, a senior at Ohio University, was one of the first officers of the student organization Battles and Bobcats. Klaus formed the group with other friends

“

If we have to kill that dragon sometimes, we’ll do it together.”

-Stacey Carter-Kimball, Librarian

1 4 | S o uthe ast Oh io

in 2019 to have a group devoted primarily to D&D as well as other tabletop games. Klaus says the group struggled during the pandemic but has since begun to thrive again.

“We didn’t really know what to do at the time because, at the time, I don’t think many of us knew of some of the online resources we could use. So, the club went on hiatus and was pretty much dead. It wasn’t until this year, [fall] semester, when the club was revitalized,” Klaus says.

Gathering around a table in person to play was very missed during the pandemic, as Klaus says operating online isn’t always the same. Another aspect of D&D that Klaus enjoys is the personalization it allows in character customization and world-building as well as interacting with other players.

“It’s very gratifying because you get to sometimes take people out of their comfort zone or have them do out-ofthe-box thinking. They get to have meaningful interactions ... It’s catered to them. And when they enjoy it, it feels great because you feel like you did a good job,” Klaus says.

On Feb. 7, The Plains Public Library held its first inperson session since the library first shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.

Librarian Stacey Carter-Kimball helps organize the campaign as well as work on other teen programming.

The D&D group meets once a week on Mondays and allows for players to rotate in and out of session as they wish or schedules permit.

Carter-Kimball says the most recent series of D&D campaigns began following a popular program at the library featuring another fantasy game, Magic: The Gathering, when another interested patron inquired about the game in 2016. Carter-Kimball says her initial reaction was one of excitement after hearing little about the game since the first time she played in 1985.

“Oh, it’s totally different. I mean just the fact that you can do so much more with the game now. And it really has become a more modernized version … It’s an ever-changing game. Playing in the ‘80s was just very simplistic as compared to this,” Carter-Kimball says.

As far as the campaign, Carter-Kimball says she prefers to participate as a player rather than a dungeon master, the title that belongs to the person who creates and steers the story for others.

Instead, Carter-Kimball wishes to allow other players to take the lead in the campaign and focus on collaboration among a party of champions.

She says what she enjoys the most is turning the campaign into a teaching opportunity and the game’s potential to be an area of growth for some participants.

“Some of the kids that I work with at the library, some of them don’t have a lot of social structure, and I think this gives them a lot. So, that was my main thing and, like I said, playing teamwork. Right, guys?

Teamwork. If we have to kill that dragon sometimes, we’ll do it together,” Carter-Kimball says.

ABOVE | Dungeon master Cory McKibben sets the scene of the campaign for players in the The Plains Public Library conference room.

OPPOSITE PAGE | A Player’s Handbook and Polyhedral Dice await play.

BELOW | Dungeons and Dragons dice set, dice tray, and character sheet.

Want to play?

Ohio University’s oncampus group Battles & Bobcats, president Korey Hajduk: kh934318@ohio.edu.

The Plains Public Library branch Dungeons & Dragons campaign, librarian Stacey Carter-Kimball: scarterkimball@myacpl.org

w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z ine.com | 15

IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD

Growing Care How Local Initiatives are Combating Health Problems in Appalachian Communities Story by JORDAN SCHMITT Photos by CARRIE LEGG

S

heila Ingraham is the current psychology coordinator for Hocking County Behavioral Health. Since 2001, she has specialized in substance abuse issues of the region, citing opiate use, overdoses and an increase in fentanyl presence in drugs as significant issues of the region that require medical care. For Ingraham, becoming trained as a community health worker was about expanding her knowledge of her community’s needs.

Three specific target populations are of high vulnerability in the Appalachian region: those with chronic illnesses, substance abuse issues and older adults, Ingraham says.

Melissa Kimmel, executive in residence and aging lead of the OHIO Alliance for Population Health, helped to identify these three populations.

Working with the alliance since 2019, Kimmel is also the founder of the Southeastern Ohio Older Adult Coalition.

“We picked those target areas because it is specific to community resiliency for COVID and other types of illnesses,” Kimmel says.

The OHIO Alliance for Population Health of Ohio University’s College of Health Sciences and

“

ABOVE | Community health workers undergo a first aid training session in Athens.

Professions dates back to 2017, and it aims to address local health needs and create partnerships to tackle these needs. Through the alliance, the Jackson County Health Department was awarded a $4.5 million grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Kimmel says. This grant has allowed for 13 community health workers to be trained and stationed in various counties in Southeast Ohio.

A lack of resources, information, transportation and overall poverty also contribute to the state of public health in Southeast Ohio and Appalachia as a whole.

We are under-resourced, and we At the OHIO Alliance for Population Health, community health worker lead Kerri Shaw don’t have the access to the same oversees the training of the region’s community level of health care as more urban health workers.

“We are under-resourced, and we don’t have areas around the state.” the access to the same level of health care as -Keri Shaw, more urban areas around the state,” Shaw says.

Community Health Worker Lead “I think what we see is chronic diseases that go

1 6 | S o uth east Oh io

“

It just bridges a gap between what’s going on in doctors’ offices and what’s going on in actual homes in our community.”

-Shanda Lewis,

Athens County Integrated Services for Behavioral Health undiagnosed or untreated for a longer period of time, cancer rates that are high and some vaccine hesitancy that is affecting COVID rates, which is part of the reason that we have this CDC grant to address these things.”

Though Appalachia experiences novel health concerns related to the geography and culture of the region, its uniqueness also encourages communities to be innovative when it comes to finding and establishing health solutions.

“I think relationships are a factor when it comes to health resiliency,” Shaw says. “There’s a lot of opportunity to grow our health in ways that also align with Appalachian values. Because we’re under-resourced in a lot of ways, we have a lot of creative organizations that are figuring out how to make people healthier through mobile health clinics, mobile produce delivery and programs like that. I think community health workers serve as that soft tissue of getting those things all connected to the people that they want to be serving.”

ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY

Shaw says community health workers are “frontline workers” who are trusted by the people they’re treating because they look and talk like them. “[They’re] just getting a feel for what the health issues are in the community from the perspective of the community — kind of the eyes and ears,” Shaw says.

Because of the relational nature of the position, workers purposefully do not have excessively large caseloads so that they can spend quality time working with and getting to know patients and those in the areas they serve.

“Having someone who is really going to listen to you and help figure out what you need and how to get to that point is huge — and that’s something that people are lacking,” Shaw says.

Shanda Lewis of Athens County Integrated Services for Behavioral Health is currently undergoing her community health worker certification and believes the area needs more people out pursuing this type of work.“It just bridges a gap between what’s going on in doctors’ offices and what’s going on in actual homes in our community,” Lewis says,

ABOVE | Shanda Lewis, of Athens County Behavioral Health, discusses the benefits of community health workers in an area such as Appalachia.

Another program that aims to locally elevate health care is the addition of a bachelor’s in nursing program at OHIO Eastern. Through allowing more access to a nursing degree in Southeast Ohio, students have the opportunity to live and work in their own communities.

Jenna Cunningham of St. Clairsville is a current junior studying nursing at OHIO Eastern. She feels that public health is often overlooked within the area due to a lack of awareness and the fact that most issues within health care tend to get referred to other states for supplementary treatment.

“Advances in technology and health care education would be a great asset to the area and would help promote overall health and management of one’s health,” Cunningham says.

By having an intimate perspective on health issues of her region, Cunningham has a better understanding of the region she will serve upon completing her nursing degree.

“This has inspired me to advocate for better nurseto-patient ratios,” Cunningham says. “It can improve outcomes and give a better overall quality in health care. Having a sufficient amount of staff and health care resources can help improve public health.”

For more information, visit: www.ohio.edu/chsp/alliance w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z ine.c o m | 17

TALKING POINTS ABOVE | J.D Vance’s run for Senate campaign card

Vance Veers Right

Hillbilly Elegy author J.D. Vance tours the state vying for outgoing Senator Rob Portman’s seat Story and Photos by SARAH DONALDSON

Disclaimer: This story was written in March of 2022, before Donald Trump had endorsed J.D. Vance for his senate run.

T

he words of J.D. Vance, the author, and J.D. Vance, the candidate, just don’t read the same.

After publishing his widely read and regularly criticized memoir Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis in 2016, Vance catapulted into the public eye.

The Southwest Ohio native from Middletown — an alumnus of the Marines, Ohio State University and Yale Law School — appeared regularly for sit-down interviews and as a cable commentator with what he deemed answers to the questions Americans have about our rural regions.

He moved back to Ohio in 2017.

And in February 2022, nearly five years later, Vance is running to be the GOP nominee for the U.S. Senate race in the state.

Vance on Tour

With its cream clothed tables and muted blue brick walls, Levee House Bistro in Marietta sits just above the Ohio River. Diners inside can look across the water to neighboring state West Virginia from a seat by the bank of windows near the restaurant’s entrance.

On Feb. 16, a long table by those windows — reserved for Vance and voters — was the only one occupied, beyond two opposite the room taken over 18 | So uthe ast O hio

by a few younger campaign organizers traveling with Vance.

The hour-long midday conversation ensued between him and a dozen who showed, at times, fights for dominance over the clanging of silverware back in the kitchen as daytime workers scrub dishes.

And as a barge on the water outside carries loads of resources a few miles downstream to a colony of power plants, inside, talk centers on a few central themes: public schools and the hot-button critical race theory, the economy and jobs, and gridlock in Washington, D.C. It’s his second event of the day and his 24th since January.

The candidate has zigzagged around Ohio on what he’s branded the “No BS Tour,” intimate town halls that seem to draw 10 or so people per event.

That same morning, just a few hours before, the Cincinnati Enquirer broke the news: Outgoing U.S. Sen. Rob Portman endorsed Jane Timken in the GOP primary for the seat he currently holds.

In this crowded field of pro-Donald Trump candidates — and in mid-February, when this race is still absent an endorsement by the man himself — Portman’s word, surely, had to carry some weight.

But nothing like the former president’s word will, Vance says when asked.

“

I’ve been very open about this fact: I was a late adopter of Donald Trump.”

- J.D.Vance, U.S. Senate candidate

“Rob Portman endorsed Jane Timken because I’m not trying to be a senator like Rob Portman,” Vance says, adding that he sees Portman and Timken as moderate, contrasting how he sees himself.

One of Vance’s big endorsements, so far, is that of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Greene, a freshman lawmaker from Georgia, regularly makes headlines in Washington, D.C. for everything from refusals to wear a mask in the halls of Congress, verbal altercations with other lawmakers and antisemitic remarks about the Holocaust.

In a broader, quick and noticeable turn to the far right, Vance has welcomed Greene’s endorsement, even after backlash over a rally she joined him at in the suburbs of Cincinnati.

Once vocally critical of the previous president, Vance now shrugs that off as he tries to defend his position today, voicing that he’s squarely behind former U.S. President Trump.

“I’ve been very open about this fact: I was a late adopter of Donald Trump,” he says to those in Levee House Bistro, in reference to an anti-Vance advertisement by the Club for Growth that highlights older comments made by the candidate about Trump.

When Vance is asked about political campaign finances that Wednesday, he says he sees “real problems” with the money flowing in and out of politics, yielding too much power to large companies and corporations.

But Vance himself previously received $10 million from PayPal co-founder and billionaire Peter Thiel via the Protect Ohio Values PAC, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

What of this has resonated in the Appalachian regions of Ohio? Has Vance?

“I’m committed. I’m committed, and I told (Ohio Sen.) Matt Dolan that the other day,” Washington County Job and Family Services Director Flite Freimann says to Vance about settling on a candidate.

Vance has had fierce critics in the region he calls home long before he added “candidate for public office” to his professional resume.

Although his book likely propelled him into running for public office, a large number of Appalachians have called foul on the last four words in the title: “A culture in crisis.”

Vance’s memoir is rooted in stories of his abuse as a child, his mother’s battle with addiction and his “Mamaw,” who

ABOVE | J.D.Vance sits at Levee House Bistro before addressing voters at a town hall event in Marietta in February 2022. raised him. But his critics in Appalachia have said what he prescribes for the rest of Appalachia is a pill too one-sizefits-all for a diverse region touching 13 states.

It’s been illustrated in everything from regular negative posts by local podcasters on Twitter to entire books such as Appalachian Reckoning: A Region Responds to Hillbilly Elegy.

As a candidate, Vance talks briefly about how he wants to see investments in Appalachia, though he doesn’t go into detail that day about policies he’d prioritize if he makes it to the U.S. Senate.

“I won’t forget the region, and I won’t forget the people who live here. There’s this idea going around elite circles that Appalachia is done,” Vance says in an interview after the event, “That the proper response to economic problems in the region is for everybody to get the hell out, get a U-Haul and move to somewhere else.”

About halfway through that event Wednesday, Vance asks if everyone in the room has settled on a candidate.

Other than Freimann, nobody chimes in. w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z i n e . com | 19

Second Chances at Sierra’s Haven Scioto County facility offers help to four-legged friends in need Story by AARON BRANDENBURG | Photos by CARRIE LEGG

Hotel McArthur’s garden, overgrown with ivy.

Read the full story on page 46. Photo by Emi Baron.

2 0 | S outheas t Oh io

w w w. s o uth e a s to h i o m a ga zin e.c om | 21

PICTURED | Nikki Taylor and some feline friends.

W

ilbur had a much better Valentine’s Day than he thought he would.

After he was covered in mud and poop, thrown in a burlap sack and abandoned shortly after birth, Wilbur was rescued and taken to Sierra’s Haven in Scioto County. He could not stay there for very long because he is a pig, and Sierra’s Haven is designed for cats and dogs.

Despite this, Chrystal Brown-Dixon, shelter supervisor, took him in and cleaned him up. Wilbur took quite a liking to Brown-Dixon in the short time he was there. After all, he went from starving in a sack to being fed, cleaned and loved.

On Valentine's Day, Linda Cottle, a volunteer for the shelter, transported him to Homeward Bound Animal Rescue in Adams County. If it weren’t for these two and the other staff at Sierra’s Haven, Wilbur would not have been saved, and neither would have so many other animals.

Dr. Gail Counts founded Sierra’s Haven in 2006 and is still the executive director to this day. Over the years, the not-for-profit has saved over 20,000 cats and dogs.

“I just never thought it would ever be as big as it is, being able to house this many animals and actually move them,” Counts says.

Sierra’s Haven has a nice piece of flat land in the hills.

It does not take long to hear the dogs outside when arriving. Most of the animals, with some exceptions for the young and sick, have cages or rooms that lead outside.

They love going outside, even in frigid weather.

22 | Southeast Ohio

ABOVE | Sierra’s Haven provided a life-saving anctuary for baby Wilbur.

BELOW | The building’s welcome sign spells out the notfor-profit’s basic mission.

OPPOSITE PAGE | Thanks to Sierra’s Haven’s active Facebook page, dogs like this beagle eventually find homes.

Other than the main building, Sierra’s Haven has another building called the Puppy Pavilion. Despite being just as energetic toward strangers, the dogs inside and outside bark less than those in at the other building — but just barely.

Sierra’s Haven has an active Facebook page, which contributes to its success. The page has over 20,000 followers and posts multiple updates per day. Cottle runs the Facebook and helps with transports.

“Facebook consumes my every waking moment,” Cottle says, “From the time I get up in the morning to the time I go to bed, which causes my husband a lot of grief.”

The Facebook page helps animals move to different shelters or find owners who fall in love with them.

“As our Facebook page grew and more people shared posts, then other rescues in the Columbus area and around the state would see our posts and offer to help,” Cottle says.

One way the shelter makes money is through adoptions. Each animal is different, so it can be difficult to find the right owner for some. A German shepherd will be at the shelter for two years in July 2022.

“Some people come expecting to just click with an animal, and you have an animal like that [the German shepherd] who doesn’t like strangers. So, you have to come

To me, it’s just the biggest reward.

To see the pups go home, especially the long-termers or the dogs that we’ve just about given up on, and to see somebody come in and the animal just loves them, it warms my soul to see that.”

- Dr. Counts, Sierra’s Haven Veternarian visit him several times, but we’ll find him somebody,” Brown-Dixon says.

The shelter also makes money through fundraisers, which had to be canceled at the start of the pandemic but are finally back. At its Pot of Luck fundraiser in the spring, people donate items and participate in an auction to purchase them.

Another big way the shelter makes money is through grants. Grants are how the Puppy Pavilion got built.

PetSmart Charities has helped Sierra’s Haven with over

www.southeastohiomagazine.com | 23

$325,000 in grants in the last 10 years, according to Sierra’s Haven’s website.

Still, the not-for-profit faces a set of major challenges. The volume of stray animals in the county dominates conversation. In Southeast Ohio, it’s literally raining cats and dogs. Despite Cottle transporting over 1,000 animals in 2021, Sierra’s Haven still operates around max capacity.

The overpopulation of stray animals is such a big problem for Scioto County that on Jan. 24, Portsmouth City Council passed an ordinance prohibiting feeding stray animals and pigeons, with a $50 fine for the first offense.

“People tend to place blame other places, and we’re only so big,” Brown-Dixon says. “We can only take in so many cats. Ultimately, we need a spay-neuter program in this area.”

Sierra’s Haven only has one veterinarian: Dr. Counts. But she is a full-time veterinarian elsewhere, only coming to Sierra’s Haven on Wednesdays. Counts has always tried her best to make spays and neuters affordable, as low as $20 for low-income families.

“I pretty much committed that I didn’t want any pets going out of there without being spayed or neutered because that would just add to the overpopulation problem in our county,” Counts says.

24 | Southeast Ohio

Labor shortages have been a continuous problem. Volunteers and minimum-wage workers handle a lot of the work, and Counts has also made an effort to make work available for those who have faced drug addiction.

Despite all the challenges, after 40 years of being a veterinarian, the 68-year-old Counts still loves working with the animals.

“To me, it’s just the biggest reward. To see the pups go home, especially the longtermers or the dogs that we’ve just about given up on, and to see somebody come in and the animal just loves them, it warms my soul to see that,” Counts says.

FAR LEFT | During the past decade, PetSmart Charities helped Sierra’s Haven with more than $325,000 in grants,which is how they funded the Puppy Pavilion.

NEAR LEFT | Volunteers and minimum-wage workers handle a lot of the work, which does come with cuddle benefits.

OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM | Sierra’s Haven is designed for cats and dogs.

BELOW | Most of the animals, with some exceptions for the young and sick, have cages or rooms that lead outside. They love going outside, even in frigid weather.

Sierra’s Haven information: • • • •

80 Easter Dr, Portsmouth, OH 45662 (740) 353-5100 HOURS: Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Sunday, closed www.sierrashaven.org

Southeast Ohio | 25

GET

C

OUT !

OVID-19 brought about a great deal of change to the way humans operated over last two years. We locked ourselves away for days, weeks, and months at a time, becoming more reliant on our digital screens than ever before.

Meetings, phone calls, work, reading, texing, shopping, social media – it all happens on a screen just inches away from our eyes. You may find yourself feeling distant from the physical world, longing for a warm breeze on your face or the itch to just Get Out! Welcome to Southeast Ohio’s great outdoors! Southeast Ohio is perhaps best known for its nature spots and miles of sprawling hiking trails surrounded by luscious forests and unique wildlife. This feature package brings together stories that have to do with embracing and celebrating Southeast Ohio’s natural outdoor playground.

26 | Sout he as t Oh io

Calls of the Wild

Birding provides an escape through melodies in the trees

Story by LEXI POTOPSKY | Photos by CARRIE LEGG

K

aren Mammone often finds herself outside, with her camera and binoculars, during her free time — just in case she gets a glimpse of a feathered beauty.

Birding in Southeast Ohio is a common activity. Between Wayne National Forest, Strouds Run State Park, Hocking Hills, Lake Snowden and so many more, there are a lot of hot spots to choose from.

Bird-watchers put different levels of time and energy into their hobby, with most of them starting small and progressively working up over time.

Mammone, a biology professor at Ohio University, is part of a local bird-watch group, the Athens Area Birders.

Prior to the pandemic, the Athens Area Birders would hold educational seminars as well as locally led bird outings.

She has had a passion for bird-watching for around seven years now. She started small: As any new birder would do, she would look at birds in her backyard or go to local hot spots.

It wasn’t until she went to a festival right off Lake Erie, called The Biggest Week in American Birding, that her love and drive for birds skyrocketed.

“I went to this festival, and I got exposed to all these birds, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m hooked,’” Mammone says.

The Biggest Week in American Birding is usually at the beginning of May on the edge of Lake Erie in Northwest Ohio, just in time for spring migration. Migrating birds will stop to fuel up at the lake for a day or two.

“You’ll have a huge concentration of birds that you don’t usually see before they fly over,” Mammone says.

This event attracts a lot of avid bird-watchers across the state of Ohio in hopes that they will get to see new species and hear new songs.

Mammone says most people have a “spark bird,” or a bird that kickstarts their interest in birding. Often, birders will ask other birders what their spark bird is or which bird made them want to learn more about a certain species. As for her, she says she has a spark group: warblers. These bird species are small songbirds, bright and colorful with unique songs. “Even if you weren’t a birder, you would love it,” Mone says.

Warblers are one of the various types of birds whose distinct song can be heard before the bird is spotted. Some birders don’t necessarily go out looking for different birds but, instead, listen to the distinctive songs of each bird to identify them.

“When you actually get really into birding, you start birding by sound and sight. In fact, you can go out and, some days when you don’t see much, all of your birding might be by songs and calls,” Mammone says, adding it’s not always easy.

“

I went to this festival, and I got exposed to all these birds, and I was like, ‘OK, I’m hooked.”

- Karen Mammone, Bird-watcher, Ohio University Biology Professor

ABOVE | A male Cardinal perched in tree brush.

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology tracks data to assist bird research and conservation efforts through an app called eBird. A lot of birders use it, too, by tracking the list of birds they see, sharing their list with other birders, connecting with birders all over, and viewing pictures and audio recordings of different birds to help identify them correctly.

This app can help birders in the same community keep each other up to date with what birds they heard or saw and also allows users to compete against one another to see who spots the most species.

Once a year, there is a Great Backyard Bird Count in which the challenge is to spot as many different species as they can and log them. The Great Backyard Bird Count celebrated its 25th anniversary of collecting data in February 2022.

Joe Brehm is the environmental education director at Rural Action and part of the Athens Area Birders. He and around 15 volunteers have put up 60 nest boxes around Athens and Hocking County, and some are placed on the Hockhocking Adena Bikeway. The nest boxes are set in place to attract the prothonotary warbler.

S ou th ea s t O h i o | 27

“It’s a bird that is otherwise pretty hard to find, but if you walk the bike path… you’re almost guaranteed to see some in the late spring and summer,” Brehm says.

Being outside has educational and mental health benefits, Brehm says, especially when doing an activity such as birding that doesn’t require much besides patience and concentration.

Rural Action is making it a priority to get people outside and learn again after the ongoing pandemic. A festival called Birds in the Hills, which takes place in Hocking County, is a family-friendly weekend learning about the birds in Southeast Ohio.

“A deep knowledge about birds can and should lead to questions about other species that the birds rely on,” Brehm says.

Birding teaches people about how all of the elements in an ecosystem depend on one another. A person can learn a lot just by stepping outside. One thing is for certain: Birds will make their presence known.

Often, the human ear will catch the bird’s song before the eye sees the one behind it.

ABOVE | Two Robins cross territory in-flight

Free Range Foraging ‘the fat of the land’ Story by HALLE DRAY | Photos by CARRIE LEGG & PROVIDED

F

olk artist and business owner Talcon Quinn is about as resourceful as resourceful gets.

As an eighth-generation Athenian, foraging and wildcrafting using traditional techniques, objects and living beings from her environment has been a lifelong sacred practice.

Whether it’s selecting weeds and roots for wellness tinctures or utilizing junk wire and deer bones for jewelry, Quinn is creative with how she celebrates the land.

“The fact that I’m Appalachian is a huge piece to my business. I really like expressing my roots in my heritage through my work. And as well as that, my larger spiritual belief, which is that we are interconnected with the world, and our community is not just humans and what humans make but also the plants, the rocks, the animals, everything that is on this planet,” Quinn says.

Within the Appalachian wilderness lives a lush and unique cornucopia of edible plants and fungi, which people have reaped the benefits of for generations.

Foraging has stood the test of time and remains a highly cherished way of sourcing food in Southeast Ohio.

Quinn grew up knowing her Appalachian grandmother and great grandmother, who both passed down the tradition of using local plants and fungi as food and

28 | S o utheast Oh io

ABOVE | Morel mushrooms found foraging. medicine.

Quinn’s expertise also comes from her studies at Columbines School of Botanical Studies and Hocking College, among other local classes she’s taken. She now pays it ward by teaching her own wildcrafting classes and mentoring people who want to live off the land.

Quinn believes foraging is an act of stewardship and that in order to celebrate nature, we must respect it.

“I think it is a good trend. There’s things to be aware of. Harvesting is a huge issue … Most people didn’t grow up knowing their great grandmother, didn’t have an elder who was like, ‘Go out and pick this for me,’” Quinn says.

Ramps, or scallion-like plants, are particularly sensitive to reaping. Quinn says a good rule of thumb is

ABOVE | A backpacker on the lookout for edible plants and fungi.

“

My larger spiritual belief... is that we are interconnected with the world... our community is not just humans and what humans make but also the plants, the rocks, the animals, everything that is on this planet.”

- Talcon Quinn, folk artist and business owner

to refrain from digging the bulbs if people have not been mentored on how to do so, as “harvesting the root can be damaging to the stand.”

Quinn also says the commonly known “one-in-10 rule” is not always accurate, especially in cases in which the item being picked is extremely popular, such as Appalachian spring morel mushrooms.

Homer Elliott is a Hocking College Natural Resources faculty member and teacher of wild and edible plants, dendrology, field biology and mycology.

Elliott says overharvesting is likely an issue in the area with spring morels.

“There’s so many people looking for them and not really caring. It just makes it more of a challenge for everybody. It’s all about numbers,” he says.

Pat Quackenbush, parks and museum education

program manager at Hocking College and Elliott’s friend and colleague, compares the popularity of hunting morels in Appalachia to the popularity of hunting deer.

“I always say there are two big hunting seasons over here,” Quackenbush says. “Some people who do this regularly, you have to physically torture them for a long time to figure out where their patch is.”

All things considered, both Elliott and Quackenbush are extremely passionate about the benefits of mushrooms. Elliott says mushrooms, such as spring morels, chanterelles and chicken of the woods are especially tasty to cook with and are easy enough — with some patience — to find in the area.

But Elliott says oyster mushrooms, which can be found from late fall through the winter, are particularly special because they are good for lowering cholesterol.

Elliott says aside from being great for health, mushrooms are essential to the environment. “We wouldn’t have the soils that we have or the ecosystems that we have in the first place from the very beginning, when plants colonized land and made terrestrial habitats happen,” Elliott says.

“Pretty much all your woody species out there have a relationship with mushrooms, and they linked each other.”

Weeds can be more useful than their reputation leads people to believe. Starting in the green of one’s own backyard can be a great place for beginner foragers, Quinn says. Beginners avoid the risk of

w w w. s o uth e a s to h i o ma ga zi n e . c o m | 29

BELOW | Vitamin-rich nettles await. improper harvest and learn to distinguish different basic greens.

Quinn says one can commonly find yarrow and clover in a yard, which is two-thirds of her wellness “trinity.” The third are nettles.

Nettles and clover are two vitamin- and nutrient-rich herbs that Quinn recommends for starters. Nettles’ leaves contain every vitamin and mineral humans need aside from B-12 and can be used for toning the liver and uterus. Clover is high in protein and also heals the liver.

“My grandmother used to have me pick red clover. She used to say it was to help move her blood,” Quinn says. “It’s an old Appalachian term for how our systems get stagnant. It [clover] gets us moving in a more productive way.”

Quackenbush even describes enjoying cattails. “I think it tastes like super sweet celery. [It’s also really good] with peanut butter,” Quackenbush says.

Aside from harvesting, two other vital aspects of foraging that beginners need to be mindful of are legality and poisonous lookalikes.

For the most part, foraging is completely legal and even encouraged by professionals like Quackenbush, especially if the species is invasive. However, a Wayne National Forest representative says at the park, there are certain areas, such as research or special interest areas, that are off limits.

It is also crucial to be mindful of poisonous plants when foraging. There are many toxic look-alikes, so Elliott, Quackenbush and Quinn all recommend bringing a guide out into the woods for first-time foragers.

Besides the obvious — such as poison hemlock, the infamous flower that killed Socrates — there are many more unknown villains. Elliott mentions “false morels,” jack-o-lantern mushrooms, death angel mushrooms and gallerias.

“They’re pretty common around here.

They wouldn’t even taste bad if you were to cook them up. They would taste good. But then you start developing flu-like symptoms, and then after several days, it feels like you’re getting better, but then your liver fails,” Elliott says.

Despite the risks, these modern huntergatherers still take to the woods in all seasons to scout the fat of the land. Whether it’s spring morels or pawpaws — or simply wild dandelions — Southeast Ohio foragers diligently harvest.

3 0 | So uthe ast O hio

Farm Fresh Living

Agritourism is a labor of love for those in the Hocking Hills area Story by ABBY MILLER | Photos by CARRIE LEGG

O

n Sam Carr Road in Laurelville, there’s a recently installed sign that’s proven to make some vehicles slow down to get a better look.

A Bigfoot silhouette stands, carrying a small, pale sign, emblazoned with the website address “HOCKINGHILLSCBD.COM.” Hocking Hills CBD is the newest business venture from Eric and Brenda Schmidt, owners of Laurel Springs Farm, which is just a few turns away from the eye-catching sign.

The Schmidts got into CBD products as a way to manage Brenda’s arthritis pain. Business is booming more and more as visitors of Laurel Springs Farm learn of the Schmidts’ company and subsequently purchase products.

The couple dreams of soon opening a greenhouse on their 72-acre farm, allowing them to grow their own hemp onsite and further expand Hocking Hills CBD. “I would probably find that fun,” Eric says with a smile.

And just as the Schmidts’ business ventures are expanding, so is the emphasis on agritourism across Appalachia.

In The Hocking Hills, Agritourism Blossoms

Simply put, agritourism is any relationship between tourism and the agricultural community, Karen Raymore, executive director of the Hocking Hills Tourism Association, says. That relationship can include anything from petting zoos to farms like Laurel Springs and much more.

“I think what we have in Southeast Ohio is this very authentic Appalachian culture, and so much of that is grounded in agriculture,” Raymore says.

At Laurel Springs Farm, Eric and Brenda strive to offer a relaxing, private experience to all who visit. As of February, the property has one cabin available for rental:

“

I think what we have in Southeast Ohio is this very authentic Appalachian culture, and so much of that is grounded in agriculture.”

- Karen Raymore, executive director of Hocking Hills Tourism Association

ABOVE | What’s farm living without a few cows?

BELOW | Bigfoot advertises the newest business venture from Eric and Brenda Schmidt, owners of Laurel Springs Farm.

Simply put, agritourism is any relationship between tourism and the agricultural community, Karen Raymore, executive director of the Hocking Hills Tourism Association, says.

BOTH PAGES | Snapshots of the Cabin on the Hill at Laurel Springs Farm.

3 2 | So uthe ast O hio

The Cabin on the Hill. The cabin stands two stories tall — one stone, the other the original wooden cabin frame built by a young Amish couple. On the inside, old tools from the farm’s two barns hang on the walls, and large, red leaves dot the paper floor.

Renters of the cabin can find additional living space upstairs, complete with a balcony overlooking the property. During the warmer months, guests can relax on a large wooden swing and watch the sun dip below the hills lined with trees.

“It’s just beautiful,” Brenda says. “You just watch it all summer long.”

Laurel Springs Farm also offers multiple opportunities for guests to get out of their cabin and engage in farm living. The farm boasts a large blueberry field, where guests can pick their own berries during blueberry season. The expansive acres also have chestnut trees, elderberries and a pond for fishing. In the past, the Schmidts have planted other crops, such as raspberries, on the property.

The definition of agritourism, however, isn’t just limited to farms like the Schmidts’. Raymore says agritourism is all about giving tourists an experience, and she believes the popularity of farm-to-table restaurants offering unique experiences will continue to be in demand in Appalachia.

“Really, that’s a great example of merging agriculture and tourism … where you create this experience,” Raymore says. “And by virtue of the product that’s being served, it brings the agricultural community into it.”

Other forms of agritourism, such as wineries and distilleries using local ingredients grown on-site, also hold a large presence within the Hocking Hills.

In Logan, land that has been in the Davidson family

since 1960 is now home to Hocking Hills Winery. Here, the Davidsons grow their own hybrid varieties of grapes, which are crossbreeds between vinifera and native grapes.

Blaine Davidson, CEO of Hocking Hills Winery, says the Davidson land was originally used for his grandparents’ cattle farm. No one in the family wanted to continue to raise cattle, but the desire to keep the land’s agricultural roots was evident.

“The vineyard idea just really kind of sparked an interest,” Davidson says. “It was something unique that I didn’t think anybody else was doing around here, and we were the first in Hocking County that I know of anyways.”

Davidson says the original plan was to grow grapes and have the land operate as a vineyard. However, upon realizing how much work went into maintaining about 4 1/2 acres of grapes and how much of a tourist draw the Hocking Hills are, the vineyard evolved into Hocking Hills Winery in 2015.

Davidson says the winery prides itself on its customer service. It offers a large outdoor patio with fire pits, charcuterie boards as well as the option to bring in outside food, live music and an enclosed patio for the cooler months.

“From the minute you get a step onto the property, it’s kind of like Disneyland: we want you to be happy, smiley and have a great experience,” Davidson says.

For both the Schmidts and Davidson, the ability to offer a one-of-a-kind, meaningful experience in the region is paramount to what they do.

“I’ve been a farmer since I was a kid. I like creating food for people. Once you do that, it’s something that’s hard to explain to people,” Eric says. “But it’s part of the sustainability of Earth and life. It’s sort of cool to be a part of that food chain.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.laurelspringsfarm.com www.hockinghillswinery.com

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The art of Southeast Ohio doesn’t conform to any rules as is the nature of true art. It exists boldly, unapologetically, and as a passionate love letter to the region from which it hails.

Artists in our “Arts Off the Canvas” package issue have taken on art forms that exist in our three-dimensional world-conquering the craft of sculpting with metal, wood, and even ice. Read on to learn about their incredible work.

AR Off the Canvas

TS

I tried to explore the Ohio Art Corridor before it was on display.

I ended up with a cheeseburger in McConnelsville.

S

Story by SCOTT THOMAS | Photos by ANDREW ALLISON

A

PICTURED: The story’s writer speaks with the artist David Griesmyer in McConnelsville.

ndrew and I made our biggest mistake when we set our car’s GPS. At about 10 a.m., my roommate/cameraman Andrew Allison and I headed to Nelsonville for our first stop on the scenic Ohio Art Corridor that runs 132-miles through Southeast Ohio. To our dismay, when we arrived at the address ready to ponder some art, all we found was a Kroger.

After this misstep, we decided not to be discouraged and went into the Kroger to purchase road snacks. We emerged with a large box of Goldfish crackers and an eight-pack of Orange Lavaburst Hi-C and set the GPS once again .

We then ventured to Glouster in hopes of seeing something artistically extraordinary and new. We did not.

It was at this point we noticed “coming soon” labeled next to the two points on the map of the Ohio Art Corridor that we downloaded from its website.

Now, our story looked as if it was in jeopardy. We had already driven 25 miles and seen no art. Regardless, we ventured on to McConnelsville.

As we drove, we saw flooded fields that will bring a bountiful harvest in the fall, a bus that had been fashioned into a traveling library and an alpaca farm.

(Or was it a llama farm? I’m not sure.)

Eventually, we arrived at our destination, where we were set to meet with Rebekah Griesmyer, the executive director of the corridor. We found a parking spot, walked into the Chatterbox Tavern and asked for three menus.

A few minutes after sitting down, we were approached by a man named David Griesmyer, brotherin-law to Rebekah. David is the artist behind most of the installations on the route and the artistic director of the Ohio Art Corridor.

As we sat with David, he told us stories about his life. Even though he was an Ohio native, he had lived in almost every part of the country, including Idaho, Utah and Florida. He was pulled back to Ohio after missing the feel of a small community.

David started crafting giant statues in 2013, when his daughter asked him to make her a dragonfly statue. He bega mapping out the dimensions on the floor, and when he finished, he had drawn out wings that were 12 feet long. w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z i n e . com | 35

ABOVE LEFT | One of David’s stainless steel ballerinas on display. ABOVE CENTER | David Griesmyer stands next to his Locks of Love display outside Chatterbox Tavern. ABOVE RIGHT | A soon-to-be addition to the Ohio Art Corridor - a 20 foot stainless steel buck that will be installed in Malta. OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM RIGHT | David explains the process behind his work and shows some unfinished pieces inside his workshop.

Six months later, he smuggled the 20-foot-tall and 24-foot-wide dragonfly statue into a nearby park under the cover of night. The next day, he got a call from the mayor, who didn’t appreciate the piece of art that David had, in his words, “gifted” to McConnelsville. David told us that, sometimes, he has to use guerilla marketing — marketing without asking first — and go big.

While we finished our cheeseburgers and talked with Rebekah for a bit, we learned more about what the Ohio Art Corridor does. Rebekah and David described standards for art installments along the route. An installment must be a statue at least 12 feet tall or three separate installments, easily accessible and free. David looks to match the culture of the community into which the art is going and seeks to create art that fits in where it’s installed.

One of the biggest challenges the Griesmyers have faced is the price of stainless steel, their main building material, has skyrocketed since the pandemic. The Ohio Art Corridor is a nonprofit, so it is mostly funded through donations and grants.

Before we leave, David tells us that one of his pieces, Locks of Love, is just outside the tavern. As David, Andrew 3 6 | S o u t h e ast O hio

and I head back into the brisk weather, he describes the artwork and its purpose. Two large hearts, one pink and one red, were made with an open design, so people can fasten their own locks onto the bars. Indeed, the hearts contain smaller padlocks, and David says he saved a spot in the middle for a lock of his own with his six children’s names written on it.

David then invites us to his shop, so we follow behind his silver Volkswagen Jetta across the Muskingum River and into the village of Malta. As we reached town, we make a quick detour by Rebekah’s dance studio, where David had installed two ballerinas made from stainless steel in the front windows.

I knew we had arrived at David’s shop when we made a right turn toward a building with a giant metal dragonfly perched upwards in front of it.

We entered the workshop area, and David showed us the next addition to the corridor: a stainless-steel buck that was set to be 20 feet tall once the antlers were installed. Andrew and I marveled at what we saw before us. The buck was originally meant to be in McConnelsville, but the city built something else in the spot David had planned. Instead, it will be installed in Malta, and the

police will have to shut down a road to transport it.

Other objects of note were the five metal ducks with bills made of vaginal speculums and the wall dedicated to his cat, who was listed as employee of the month.

But for me, one of the most impressive moments of the trip was when David casually dropped that he had “quite a large following on TikTok.” I whipped out my phone and followed him (@davidgriesmyer) to see he had just over 100,000 followers. He was humble about it — much more than I would be if I had that many followers.

David showed us a few more of his projects, both in person and on TikTok, before Andrew and I thanked him for the tour and returned to our car.

As we pulled away from the shop, exactly three hours and 25 minutes after we embarked, I didn’t feel so bad about our mistake at 10 a.m. Instead, I sang Jimmy Buffett’s “Cheeseburger in Paradise” as we drove back to Athens, enjoying the scenery of Southeast Ohio.

For more information:

www.theohioartcorridor.org

Cold

Cuts

Tyson Whistler brought his independent ice sculpting business to life from the basement of his Marietta home

T

Artist Tyler Whistler using a power tool to carve fine details into the ice.

Story by HALLE DRAY | Photos by CARRIE LEGG

yson Whistler is an artist, and his tools are chainsaws, chisels and water. With these items and a Clear Ice 300 ice block maker, he has built Whistler Ice Works, an independent ice sculpting business located in the basement of his home in Marietta.

Whistler’s artistic endeavors started during his childhood years, when he was encouraged to pursue art of all mediums, such as drawing, painting and even some wood sculpting. Eventually, he found his way into the culinary arts business after graduating from mechanical engineering school.

It was actually the restaurant industry that brought Whistler to ice carving.

“I started purchasing ice, and the executive chef at the time and I did one together. After that, he looked at me and said, ‘You’re much better at this than I am,’ so we bought a set of chisels and some tools and started buying ice, and I would do a carving a week,” Whistler says.

For 14 years, roughly, Whistler’s ice carving and culinary career coexisted, as he continued to do pieces for local hotels as well as donation pieces for United Way and the Eve Corporation. It was two years ago when he started to gain more recognition for his work.

“I began having regular business. We did the Fire and Ice [Festival] in Marietta. That was a First Friday event for Marietta Main Street,” Whistler says.

The creator and event promoter of Marietta Main Street eventually worked with Whistler to create even bigger events to showcase ice sculpting, which catalyzed his forward movement.

“Now, Marietta has their first ice show. This year was 38 | S o utheast Oh io

the third time we’ve had the Marietta Ice Show. That kind of developed a bit of a basis for the business,” Whistler says.

It was in January 2021 when Whistler stepped aside from his culinary career and took on an opportunity to create sculptures on tour with another company.

After the tour, Whistler and his wife determined his ice carving had taken off enough and that he had enough clients to begin Whistler Ice Works and pursue it full time.

“

That’s the beauty of the ice sculpting: It’s all temporary art that transforms.

It changes as it melts.”

Tyson Whistler, artist

“I kept thinking, ‘Drawing isn’t necessarily going to bring in resources to support my family.’ But, now, it is. Creating art has always been what brought me enjoyment. I want to make sure that I can still do that,” Whistler says. “The goal is to create customized art in its natural form … I want to be able to support our local community and supply our area with something unique and different.”

Chef Kate Augenstein, Whistler’s wife, says Whistler did a live ice carving at the Marietta Community Career Center in February.

“He showed them a different aspect of something you could do with your life,” Augenstein says.

Whistler and Augenstein collaborated on a sculpture

for a Toys for Tots drive in the past, but Augenstein jokes she is much better at cooking than carving ice.

Besides community-building events, Whistler’s main clientele are people who hire him for weddings, birthday parties and anniversaries.

Big events require immense preparations. To make a single ice sculpture, Whistler needs complex machinery and time. A detailed sculpture for an event takes twoand-a-half days to produce in the ice machine, which is in Whistler’s basement. Whistler does have a storage freezer but says he is constantly running out of room and ready to upsize soon.

Before Whistler can begin carving, he must wait for the ice blocks to “temper.”

After pulling the ice out of the freezer, which is between zero and 20 degrees, the ice is extremely sensitive to temperature changes in the surrounding atmosphere.

Whistler says it is subject to cracking “like an ice cube would if you dropped it in water.”

But it’s not just the ice that is Whistler’s concern. Its brittle state can damage tools, too.

“You pull the ice block out, and you put a cloth over it and wrap it and let it sit for two hours,” Whistler says.

“Then, the ice cuts a little bit more smoothly. It cuts more like butter.”

Whistler says sculptures have cracked several times in the past after hours of hard work because of how sensitive the ice is.

“We break a lot of ice,” Augenstein says.

Whistler says, however, one of his favorite parts of the job is learning from mistakes like these.

“That’s the beauty of the ice sculpting: It’s all temporary art that transforms,” Whistler says. “It changes as it melts.”

As for his next steps, besides buying a bigger freezer, Whistler mentions doing more wedding sculptures, possibly participating in the Medina Ice Festival and getting into craft ice for cocktails at restaurants. Whistler also wishes to create bigger, cleaner sculptures as he progresses.

To view Whistler’s portfolio, you can find him under “Whistler Ice Works” on Facebook or on his website, www.whistlericeworks.com.

ABOVE, ALL | Whistler throughout the process of carving a dragon into blocks of ice and assembling each piece together. w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z ine.c o m | 39

LEFT | Spirit and one of her cats, Peaches, sitting in front of Spirit’s carvings

OPPOSIDE TOP | Spirit’s in-the-round wood sculpture inspired by her daughter

OPPOSITE BOTTOM | Spirit’s studio offers a glimpse of the many tools of her artistic trade.

Embrace the Grain

Spirit of the Hills woodcarving embraces a connection with nature

Story and Photos by EMI BARON

T

wo months, an X-Acto knife and a hunk of scrap wood were salvaged from a construction site. These are the supplies master wood sculptor Spirit relied on to carve one of her first projects 53 years ago, at age 27. Spirit used the uncommon tool to whittle away not only at the core of the wood but at the core of her being, revealing an immutable passion for the art that she has not dropped since.

“Spirit. Like Cher. Madonna. Spirit,” the incisive Spirit says about how she is referenced.

Like these other mononymously addressed women, Spirit is driven and hard-working. Her lifestyle, however, is not that of fame and glamour. Her gallery and studio, Spirits of the Hills, is nestled in the countryside of Hocking Hills, and she defines artistic success with one word: happiness.

The gallery leads to her living room, encapsulated by a slew of sloping, shelved bookstacks along art-adorned walls. A charcoal gray cat named Smoky whisks her tail side to side as she makes herself comfortable in Spirit’s lap.

“We aren’t crazy cat ladies because we only have eight, not twelve,” Spirit says — with a wink.

Now 80 years old, Spirit has produced hundreds of carvings with advanced tools, like flared, concave-bladed gouges in varying sizes. Her work ranges from picturesque

“relief” carvings to working “in the round,” or threedimensionally.

Spirit was inspired to pick up the hobby knife and embark on a wood carving journey when her ex-boyfriend’s friend lost his legs in a sailing accident.

“They started him on carving because it is a wonderful therapy. So, I saw him carving, and he wouldn’t let me touch his tools. He said I would get them dull,” Spirit says, jovially laughing at the memory. “I went to the library, of course, and got a book. The first line said if you cut yourself more than twice, you should quit. Ugh! Didn’t look at another book for years.”

Before discovering her aptitude for woodwork, Spirit worked for an insurance company for “10 whole months.

It was hell.”

After selling her first piece, Spirit left her job, worked as a waitress to get some money in her pocket and then began to wood sculpt for a living.

Spirit’s studio is surrounded by rock faces, a vegetable garden and wildflower patches. She pushed open the door to her wood shop after shuffling past weathered beekeeping hive frames. The musky aroma of earthy lumber and dried lemon balm permeated the air of her workspace.

Hand-gouged, wooden slivers scattered and curled across the floor like confetti, rippling outward from the

table where Spirit was working on her latest commission.

Despite living with chronic fatigue syndrome, she has recently worked up to an hour and a half in the shop.

Spirit sifted through the menagerie of side projects, wood stacks, scattered tools and, of course, a couple of cats. This is where Spirit prepares her herbal tea — her current favorite is made of dried lemon balm leaves from her garden — before beginning to carve and participate in a remarkably intimate relationship with her medium.

“There is such a deep connection with wood … Like fire and water, it’s intrinsic to our natures. I couldn’t imagine living in a desert and not having wood around me,” Spirit says.

Spirit consciously acknowledges her chosen medium as a sentient being or entity, noting how trees communicate underground through root systems. She respects the way wood services humanity by providing oxygen and shelter.

“You know The Giving Tree. It’s true. They are so there for you in every aspect of your life,” Spirit says.

Spirit can craft anything one’s heart desires, from grandiose commissions for churches to etchings of people’s trucks. Her favorite is depicting living subjects like people and wildlife with a free-flowing composition. She prefers to use locally-sourced, native woods — especially smooth basswood.

Spirit has a penchant for marvelous detail in portraits.

Though she can spend countless hours making a project, her favorite creation is a self-portrait carved in just three hours.

“It just fell into place. It was perfect,” Spirit says.

She stresses the importance of working with — not against — the wood. While one might see a knot in the wood, Spirit sees the cliffs of the Oklahoma farm she grew up in. While one might perceive grain in the wood, Spirit perceives an encoded, rippling blueprint of flowing hair.

And if one fails to listen, the wood is prone to split.

“That is the essence of art: actually looking and actually seeing what you’re looking at. Suddenly, I began to understand people better — because I was actually looking instead of assuming, like most people do,” Spirit says.

Spirit has pieces that have traveled overseas to individual buyers in Europe, Asia and Australia. A sculpture of hers is currently valued at $84,000. Despite her mastery of the art and prolific body of work, Spirit has never seen anywhere near those numbers in compensation for her carvings. It is not money, however, that calls Spirit to create.

She has a theory for why the “starving artist” trope exists: Artists will create “because they have to. The art will be there whether it’s paid for or not,” Spirit says.

She believes wood carving is the oldest art, tracing back to when hunters would mark trees to find their ways home, and yet she sees it as simultaneously the least-respected art because people view it as a hobby rather than a way of life.

“When I’m doing a show and somebody walks past my booth with just a glance, I think: ‘Even if you don’t like my carvings, how could you walk past the wood?’ Wood is just so beautiful,” Spirit says.

“

There is such a deep connection with wood... Like fire and water, it’s intrinsic to our natures.”

- Spirit, Wood Sculptor

w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z ine.c o m | 41

A New Lease on Life?

At nearly two centuries old, the Vinton County landmark Hotel McArthur readies for change. Those in the area have mixed feelings.

Story by EMI BARON Photos by EMI BARON and BO KUHN

P

rominently located in the heart of McArthur, on the corner of U.S. Route 50 and State Route 93, rests the village’s oldest surviving structure: Hotel McArthur.

“This is a really fascinating place. You walk in, and it wraps its arms around you. It’s hard to explain,” current tenant Beth Gilliland says.

Gilliland has worked in the establishment on and off since 1996, developing a strong affinity for the L-shaped building constructed in 1839 that predates the county.

Vinton County was formed in 1850.

She has access to previous owner Kathryn Matteson’s handwritten notes on the hotel from a conversation with Paul “Hoagie” Hogan, the owner from the 1900s who made significant additions to the hotel, such as a hand-dug basement, in the 1960s.

On Dec. 17, 2021, the building was purchased by the Vinton County Convention and Visitors Bureau after over a year of negotiation initiated by Marketing Director Caleb Appleman. The city has plans to renovate the building back into a functioning hotel with a restaurant and gift shop as well as the visitors bureau headquarters in the lobby.

Hotel McArthur’s major renovations are projected to cost up to $2.5 million. The city officially closed in on the property March 31. The visitors bureau is looking to secure funding so the construction can begin as early as this summer.

Appleman says the vision is to blend elements from the 1800s with modern-day amenities, such as adding an ADAcompliant ramp for entering the building, while preserving as much of the original interior as possible.

As a lifetime Vinton County resident, Appleman extensively researched how to most accurately renovate the building to make it resemble what it looked like back in the late 1800s.

“There’s not a whole lot of photography from the 1800s of historic hotels, but I did what I could to fill in the gaps.

The earliest photograph we have of Hotel McArthur went back to about 1914 and, at that point, it had already gone under many renovations,” Appleman says.

The building used to have a mansard roof, but it burned in the late 1800s. The renovation plans include rebuilding this roof along with historical lamp posts, horse-hitching

“

This is a really fascinating place. You walk in and it wraps its arms around you. It’s hard to explain.”

Beth Gillilan, Tenant

posts and a traditional wooden sign, with careful attention paid to the traditional font used to spell the hotel’s name.

Inside is the original grand staircase composed of four different woods: The banister is walnut and cherry, the steps hard oak and the side extending the length of the staircase poplar. The floors are original hardwood, with the exception of some areas covered with linoleum or carpet.

“The base structure [we think] was originally like a log cabin. Now, it has about four layers of bricks added around it and, at some point, a layer of stucco was added as well,” Appleman says.

Hotel McArthur has lived many lives, housing several businesses over the years, including barber shops, saloons and newspapers. But it currently houses Gilliland and others, who will be evicted as a result of the renovation project.

“I’ve cried over this. Cried, cried, cried. I was angry, then I was crying. I just went through it. It’s hard,” Gilliland says.

Gilliland’s relationship with Hotel McArthur is deeper than an appreciation for its architecture or history. In fact, she believes the current tenants and she share the space with previous inhabitants who have not quite finished checking out.

“There are spirits here. I can tell you firsthand about that.

I talk to them myself,” Gilliland says.

Gilliland believes everyone currently living in the hotel, especially those who have been there a long time, would testify that paranormal entities dwell in the halls.

Back in 2013, a psychic came to the hotel to conduct a reading. He reported none of the presences are evil or bad, Gilliland says. The adoration for this building allegedly extends beyond life.

4 4 | S o uthe ast O hio

Pgs. 42-43 | The entrance to Hotel McArthur, a structure that dates back centuries and has served a multitude of purposes and businesses over the years.

OPPOSITE PAGE, TOP | The downstairs hallway leading to the bathrooms.

OPPOSITE PAGE, BOTTOM | The grand staircase banister is walnut and cherry, the steps hard oak and the side extending the length of the staircase poplar.

ABOVE | A blue stool and a very happy Schefflera plant sit in front of a window.

ABOVE RIGHT | View of an exit door within the building, just beyond assorted items readying transport.

BELOW | More items from previous tenants await the next chapter.

“According to the psychic, the only thing they want to do is look after the hotel. They want to make sure it’s safe, I guess,” Gilliland says.

She has encountered ambient noises of cowboy boots with spurs rattling across the dining room, echoes of footsteps down the empty staircase, the indistinct hum of chattering voices, repetitive shutters of a vintage camera and the drags of shifting furniture on hardwood.

“I was with this really religious woman — her and her husband would come in here every day — and she goes, ‘Beth, did you hear that? Nobody came down those steps,’” Gilliland says.

Gilliland even reports that people, including herself, have seen figures fleeting through the hotel corridors.

“My son just saw a woman at the top of the stairs last night. There is a woman spirit here, and I believe that it is Mr. Hogan’s wife. The guy who lives by the stairs says, ‘Oh, that’s nothin’! I see that spirit all the time,’” Gilliland says.

But she says she’s not scared of the spirits she thinks she’s encountered. On the contrary, it is one of the only places she feels completely safe. “Once you come in here, you have a connection with it that makes you not want to leave,” Gilliland sighs.

She plans to relish her remaining time in the hotel, marking the start of a momentous transitional period, not only for the building but for Gilliland, as she moves on from her beloved home of over two decades.

w w w.s o u thea s to hio m a g a z i n e . com | 45

The New

‘NORM’

WHAT’S YOUR STORY?

High school teacher and coach Norm Emmets taught for 44 years at Groveport Madison School District.

Since retiring, he’s been active with Ohio University and Ohio Athletics, the alma mater of his son Rob.

Story by CLAIRE GEARY | Photo by CARRIE LEGG

A

t each home football and basketball game for the Bobcats, you can find Norm Emmets in the front row of the student section, leading the cheers and chants throughout the game. It’s a tradition that Danny Lowe (better known as D-Lo), Emmets’ son Rob’s best friend, started at OHIO.

How did you start leading the O-Zone at Ohio?

When my son went to school here with D-Lo, there were hundreds upon hundreds of kids. And it was exciting. Over the last 15 years, there’s been ebbs and there’s been flows. The O-Zone used to be unbelievable; it used to be like Duke University. Before the chairs were there in front of the students, they could almost reach out and touch the players just like Duke. I said to myself, I don’t know how many years back, “Let’s try to get it going again.” So, I sat up on Court Street in a chair, just yelling at people, “Go to the game tonight!”

The biggest thing is I continued D-Lo’s spirit. He had more spirit in him than you could ever imagine, and I take it every time I walk into this place. I always try to bring D-Lo’s spirit.

Why did you take over D-Lo’s responsibilites?

Danny Lowe is the main student who founded the O-Zone. Not only that, but he was my son’s best friend here at OU. He was working on his graduate degree in sports administration, [and] unfortunately passed away in the middle of a scrimmage game against the OHIO assistant coaches one day. They played in the Convocation Center, and he collapsed in front of the O-Zone section. From what I understand, he started it [the O-Zone] back in 2000. He would be the first seat, first row to every basketball game at the Convo. Danny was the leader. And I said we got to keep it going.

What kind of chants do you cheer on gameday?

One of the biggest cheers recently has been, “OU? Oh yeah!” It’s a great cheer here. You got to have it at a certain point. The Marching 110, even all through 4 6 | S o uth east Oh io

the years, has always picked up the cheering. Whether there are students here, no students; the 110 you can count on. There’s a guy that likes to do the scoreboard cheer at the end of each basketball game. When you get the crowd going, they say, “Is that not the scoreboard? / Yes, that is the scoreboard!

Is that not an 88? / Yes, that is an 88!

Is that not a 77? / Yes, that is a 77!

Is that not the winning team?/ Yes, that is the winning team!

Is that not the losing team? / Yes, that is the losing team!

Winning team! / Losing team!

Winning team! / Losing team!”

It’s a lot of fun, and it’s a great way to end the game.

What has affected the fluctation of student attendance over the years?

You could say winning. But yet in football, we didn’t have a great winning season this year. We had a good season, but we had a losing record. That was the best crowd noise (Ohio v Syracuse) for many years. Now, in basketball, it’s been kind of up and down. I think it’s just the kids, because as I sit out here with these kids, the O-Zone here that’s really sold into what we’re trying to do, it’s just them when you get right down to it.

If you could pinpoint one thing about Ohio sporting events, what would it be?

Oh, there’s a number of them. The ride down from Dublin with my wife every game allows me to think of the great games and the great students cheering in here over the last 22 years. I go back to the first ESPN, I think it was Sean McDonough on the call. We beat the University of Pittsburgh here at Peden Stadium and it was on ESPN. So going down, I think about all those things. But once I’m here, I got D-Lo inside of me.

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