We feature a story on the Johnny Appleseed Woodcarvers Saturday. This exquisite piece by Dick Strine of Ashland is of an African Lion relaxing on his perch and is hand-carved from a single block of wood. The lion is about eight inches long. Please stop by for a visit.

HAPPY
ANNIVERSARY
TO US--

Since our inaugural edition we have posted 403 items on Fogeyisms—the very first being January 15, 2007.

And, what a nice ride it has been.

With my background in journalism and a near historic interest in photography, blogging has turned out to be a very natural outlet for my creative urges. Once in awhile it even serves as my own soap-box on the news of the day.

We started out with daily postings and did that through late November with 313 consecutive publications. But, I was running out of gas. I began to fear a decline in quality would emerge to satisfy the daily deadlines.

Besides, I am retired and that frequency began to erode the enjoyment of the project.

Going to a weekly format disappointed some of you and I apologize for that. But it is allowing me to settle into a routine where I can concentrate on producing a nice feature length article for Saturdays and still post things in mid week as opportunities arise.

The new schedule also is allowing me to roam around the town, the county and beyond in search of interesting topics. That alone is soothing for my retired and sometimes lonely soul.

Recently we were able to dig into the history of the local “Opera House” and spend some time poking around the area ski lodge. Next Saturday we will be sharing a story of some local woodcarvers and the week after that should be a piece on a recent and vigorous 5 kilometer hike in our Mohican Forest.

The relaxed publishing schedule allows time for such little adventures.

Please stay tuned. I am flattered to have you as readers.

Snow Trails Ski Patrol members Doris Noe and Jim Howe are pictured atop Mt. Mansfield with the resort’s lodge far below. That’s Randy Noe; a snowboarding blur at the far left while freshly made snow appears as an opaque mist in the background.

A WEE BIT OF SWITZERLAND
ON POSSUM RUN

Since its opening in 1961 as Ohio’s first commercial ski resort, Snow Trails, near Mansfield, has matured into one of Ohio’s finest winter recreation facilities. It features 13 ski trails with a vertical drop of 300 feet spread over its 200 acre property.

Picture launching yourself off the top of a 30 story building with as much as 2,000 feet of downhill excitement ahead of you.

Four triple and two double chair lifts plus a ski carpet service its 100 percent lighted, skiable area.

And, they make their own snow. Lots of it. They can deliver 198,000 gallons of water per hour through more than 2 miles of underground pipe to well over $1 million dollars worth of modern snow making machinery.

With temperatures in the low 20s they can cover 15 acres with an inch of new snow in 24 hours. Snow bases as thick as several feet are commonly reported throughout the ski season.

Not only were they the first ski resort in Ohio they continue achieving firsts such as:

…first ski patrol in Ohio.
…first night skiing in the southern Great Lakes region.
…first chair lift and first triple chair lift operated in Ohio.
…first in the Midwest to use geothermal energy to heat facilities with snowmaking water.

They make a significant contribution to the local economy by attracting tourism dollars to the area; estimated to be several million dollars annually by resort officials. They have to operate a successful business with income largely limited to an average 90+ day ski season while employing 12 full time folks and 400 seasonal part-timers.

Check their web site here: http://www.snowtrails.com/index.php

A very rustic Alpine-style lodge provides skiers a festive place to relax beside a cozy fire. A large, adjacent building of similar design serves as a fully stocked ski shop.

Doris Noe of Mansfield, a 30 year veteran of the Snow Trails Ski Patrol, whizzes down a run while on routine patrol. Saturday we will feature our recent visit to this premier winter sports venue. Please tune in!

THE BELLVILLE OPERA HOUSE--

The upper floor of the Bellville Village Hall was jumping one recent Saturday night—up there in what is known as the “Opera House”.

The current village hall was built in 1877/78 for the town meetings and jail. About 100 of us had our own ‘town meeting’ that recent Saturday night.

Sitting in chairs plushly cushioned in red velvet with the tall vintage windows adorned in heavy matching drapes we tapped our toes and clapped our hands and ultimately gave a standing ovation to the Michigan quartet, Steppin’ In It for their rousingly quirky musical performance.

They are four young guys with the energy of an orchestra and were performing on a gaily decorated stage which is mostly a sleeping asset in the town’s 130 year old center of government on the village green.

Robert Bell arrived here from the east in 1816, laid out the town and called it BELLville naturally.

“In fact, in the 1800s around here most towns had ‘opera’ houses” explained local historian Don Palm. Most also had small “opera” companies. Our “Bellville Operetta” was still performing as evidenced by a 1921-22 picture in Don’s archives.

Like many old buildings things changed over the years. Movies replaced “operas” in the 1920s and 30s. “They continued to be popular until folks around here got cars and could drive to Mansfield for more modern facilities,” Palm explained.

Through the mid 1930s all formal functions of the Bellville High School were held in the opera house; graduations for example. Then, the school built its own auditorium and things changed again.

By the 1970s the “opera” facility had fallen into dis-repair and was used for storage while there were continuous efforts to repair its leaky roof.

In 1976 the building was named to the National Register of Historic Places and it was completely renovated in 1978 after a $9,000 fundraising campaign. Then, for awhile, the Bellville Drama Club was active—performing the old stand-by Arsenic and Old Lace in 1981.

It continues to be available for rental but a difficult stairway is a drawback; even with its one-person electric lift. Mansfield area musical promoters Fate Christan and Melanie Seaman have been the most active users over the past several years with their Highlands of Ohio Celtic Music Society.

Their next show at the “Opera House” will be January 31st, 2008 and will feature AMERICAN GYPSY.

Check here for more information: http://www.highlandsofohio.com/information.html

A professionally decorated and equipped stage is a visual treat for music lovers in the Opera House on the second floor of the Bellville Village Hall. The quartet Steppin' In It is shown performing for an appreciative Bellville audience on a recent Saturday evening.

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS—

Pakistan

The sixth most populous country with the second largest Muslim population in the world, it is bordered by India on the east and both Afganistan and Iran on the west. It has a 650 mile coastline along the Arabian Sea to the south and shares a border with China to the northeast.

To give India’s Muslim population their own country, India was partitioned in 1947 creating East and West Pakistan; the former now known as Bangladesh which achieved independence in 1971.

The country has dominated world news recently with the assassination of its popular, former prime minister who was seeking a return to power from years in exile. During the 1980s Pakistan was a crucial ally of the US during the Soviet-Afganistan War then fell into disfavor when she became the only Muslim nuclear weapons state in 1988. She has again been an ally of the US in the war on terrorism in Iraq.

Given her population of over 161 million (more than Russia), her status as a nuclear power and her long history of political instability it is likely she will remain of interest to the US news market.