Column News

In the three years since I started this column, my focus has grown more toward observing what’s going on around me, and less on reporting on what’s coming up in Tipp City. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been trying out a new column style, focusing more on single topics and humorous incidents in my life. I’ve talked about not having to mow the lawn this summer, the new iPhone, a writer’s conference I attended, and Downton Abby. The column’s been all over the place … but then, so has my life!

Well, starting soon, I’m spinning off a column! It’s like when “Grey’s Anatomy” begat “Private Practice.” One column, called “What to Do in Tippecanoe,” will highlight upcoming local events here in Tipp. My current column, focused on the humor and randomness of day-to-day life, will get a new name but remain right here on the opinion page.
Big question: I need a new title for the column. Any ideas?

Goodbye, Old Friend

Here at the house, we’re getting ready to say goodbye to an old, dear friend. He’s been sitting on our kitchen counter lo these many years, providing faithful service day after day. But lately, he hasn’t been doing so well.

I’m talking about our coffee maker.

This Senseo looks like it was designed by Iron Man. And, by the way, this is not my kitchen. My kitchen is not this calm - or tidy.

As you probably know, I’m a writer, and my wife runs her own editing and writing company, both from our home, so coffee and caffeine pretty much power everything that happens around here. I’m sipping a cup of coffee now, as I write this, but I’m also sad. Lately, the coffee just doesn’t taste as good as it used to, and it’s been harder and harder to find supplies.
Why? Well, because we have a Senseo single-cup coffee maker, similar to the K-Cup makers that have gotten popular over the last two years. We’ve had this Senseo for seven years—it was one of the first single-cup coffee makers on the market. I bought it at Target, along with several boxes of the “pods” that are inserted into the machine to make coffee, and we’ve been in love with it ever since.

But the brand never really took off, and last year I noticed that Target stopped carrying the Senseo coffee maker. They dropped it to make room for more Keurig brewers, and at the same time cut back on the Senseo pods they carried.  I’m sure there are folks out there that like the Keurig, but those don’t provide that heady, cappuccino-style froth on top of the coffee that Samantha and I both prefer. We got a K-cup maker last year and tried it out, and it just wasn’t as good. The coffee was excellent, but without the froth on top, it just wasn’t the same.

So last year, Target stopped carrying the maker. And now, with their recent update, the Target in Huber Heights has stopped carrying the pods altogether. And Food Town and Kroger and Wal-Mart don’t carry them either.

I know what you’re thinking—“oh, what a whiner. Boo boo boo.” It’s true—it doesn’t really matter what kind of coffee I drink. But when your day revolves around sitting at a computer and pounding out words by the score, you need a little fuel, and a steaming mug of coffee from my Senseo always keeps me on course. But right now, I don’t have time to write any more—I have to get on Amazon and order more coffee pods before they stop carrying them too.

Around Town

• We’re having a blast over at the Get Social Radio show—we broadcast live on the Internet every Friday at noon. Tune in—this past week was mostly about the Tipp City Council, but we also covered other local news and weather. It’s like a real show! You can listen live or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes. We’re actively looking for guests if you have something you want to cover! Check us out at www.getsocialradio.com.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com to contact me, or email me at greg@gregenslen.com. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

An iPhone—from the Future?

I read the other day that the new iPhone, which is supposed to come out later this year, might be made partly of a new substance called “liquid metal.” I have no idea if this metal is some kind of breakthrough in materials design or just a clever marketing ploy, but the name certainly evokes a certain “science-fictiony” quality.

Liquid metal has been around a long time in the form of mercury, a.k.a. “quicksilver.” It’s used in thermometers and barometers—and these days, that’s about it. Why? Well, because it’s poisonous.

Hat makers in the 1800s used a mercury compound to make felt hats, rinsing animal skins in the solution. That didn’t work out too well. The symptoms of their prolonged exposure to mercury led to the term “mad as a hatter,” and possibly inspired Alice in Wonderland’s Mad Hatter.

For me, the concept of liquid metal is most tied to the shape-shifting, practically unstoppable T-1000 robot from “Terminator 2.” This James Cameron-directed sequel (he had directed the original some seven years earlier) featured a villain in the form of a liquid metal robot that could transform its shape and appendages at will. In some of the earliest advanced computer special effects, the villain chased our heroes through buildings and streets, morphing his arms into swords or hammers and using his ability to repeatedly elude capture.

In one memorable scene, the Arnold Schwarzenegger character (who, in the second movie, plays a good version of the evil robot he played in the first) is protecting Sarah and John Connor and shoots the T-1000 at point-blank range, blowing several large holes in the robot. As our heroes run away, the holes in the T-1000 begin to shrink as the liquid metal fills in and repairs the damage.

At the end, the T-1000 is caught in an explosion of liquid nitrogen, which causes the robot to freeze and shatter into a thousand small pieces. I distinctly remember sitting in the theater and watching as those small blocks of metal melted and then slowly moved toward each other, pooling and rising into the air, forming a man’s shape.

So when I heard that the iPhone 5 would be made out of liquid metal, my first thought was, “will I be able to throw it on the ground, have it shatter, and then watch as the puddles of metal ooze together and reform my phone?”

If so, that would be cool.

Around Town

• The always-fabulous “What a Girl Wants” Fashion Show for a Cure was held on May 5 to overflow crowds. My informants tell me it was the best one yet!
• The family and I got some great deals during the Tipp Community-Wide Garage Sale, held Saturday, May 5. Anna picked up some books, I found a DVD copy of “Live Free or Die Hard” for $3, and Xander scored a huge box of Nerf guns and Nerf bullets.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page, or email me at genslen@yahoo.com. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio by Greg Enslen

The Mouse that Saved My Summer

I hate mowing.  I know, it’s not very manly to admit that, but I’ve never liked doing yard work, or mowing, or planting flowers, or mulching, or the hundred billion other projects people do to keep their yards looking trim and proper.  Some men have this gene, but I’ve been tested, and it’s missing.  Anyone who has seen my yard can attest to this.

But fortune smiled upon me this winter, delivering me from one of my most hated chores—mowing the lawn.

You may not know this, but I’m married to a woman, something I thank my lucky stars for every day.  I’ll never forget that happy day when Samantha hit her head on a low-hanging branch and foolishly said “yes” to my marriage proposal—nothing else could possibly explain my good fortune.  And I have to say that, for me, my strong preference was to marry a female, so things worked out.

But being a female, she has a few quirks.  I use the word “quirks” because using a stronger and more descriptive word might very well come back to haunt me.  She eats my ice cream and Zone bars, parks her car in such a way as to take up the whole driveway, hates it when I take her to “Hooters,” and is wary of my unhealthy obsession with bacon.  And, she hates dead animals.

I don’t really have an opinion one way or another about dead animals—they just are.  Sorta like Spain and Red Lobster and knitting—they exist, but have no real bearing on my life.

One day this winter, one of our cats decided to “do us a favor” by killing a mouse and leaving it on our porch.  It was dead—actually, extra dead, because it had been ripped open.  I didn’t care that much; to me, it was just a dead animal.

But Sam cared a lot, to say the least, and my name was called.  Loudly.  She held the children back as I swept in like a good husband, called whenever something gross needs to be done or something heavy needs to be lifted.  I began the mouse cleanup when she announced (in front of several witnesses) that if I got rid of the mouse, she would mow the yard all summer.  I was happy to take her up on her offer—one dead mouse is certainly worth a summer of putting my feet up and sipping mint juleps while she schleps the lawn mower around the yard.

Thank you, cat.  Whichever one of you delivered the mouse carcass to our front porch, I owe you one.

Around Town

• The always-fabulous “What a Girl Wants” Fashion Show for a Cure will be held at Harrisons on May 5
• The Tipp Roller Mill Children’s Theater will perform “The Glass Slipper” on May 4 and 5 at 7 pm and May 6 at 2:00pm.
• The Tipp Community-Wide Garage Sale is coming up on Saturday, May 5 from 9am to 4pm.
• Ginghamsburg Church will have a truck at Tipp Plaza to accept donations, including any unsold garage sale items. The truck will be available Saturday from 3 to 7 and Sunday from 1 to 4. Tax receipts will be available, and they’ll be accepting gently used furniture, working appliances and miscellaneous items.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?”  Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page, or email me at genslen@yahoo.com.  And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio

Erma Bombeck Workshop

Last week I attended the Erma Bombeck Workshop, a writer’s conference held every other year at the University of Dayton.  I’ve always been a fan of Bombeck’s work and enjoyed her books, such as If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?  However, I wasn’t sure what to expect from the conference—especially as it focused on humor writing.

It began Thursday evening at the Marriott near Welcome Stadium, where the Dayton Flyers play, with a large dinner for all of the participants.  I arrived late (I’m not used to having to be places on time anymore, and I didn’t account for traffic and an accident on I-75) and found an empty seat at table full of women.  Being surrounded by hordes of women was to be something of a theme at this conference, I soon discovered.  Apparently, male writers should be watching their backs—evidently, women are the rising tide in new fiction.  Dinner was good and the speakers were interesting—up first was Erma Bombeck’s husband, who read his favorite column, a poignant piece about children tearing up a father’s yard.

The keynote speaker was Alan Zweibel, a screenwriter and one of the original writers on Saturday Night Live (SNL).  He described his early career writing jokes for comedians in the Catskills at $7 a joke, to getting discovered by Lorne Michaels, creator of SNL, and joining the fledgling cast, which included John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin, Chevy Chase, Laraine Newman, Gilda Radner, and Garrett Morris.  The most moving story revolved around his friendship with Radner, whom he knew from when they met on SNL until she passed away from ovarian cancer in 1989.

Friday and Saturday were taken up with coursework, broken up by lunches and dinners.  All the classes were at least 90–95% women. The downside was that I heard lots of talk about the foibles of “menfolk.”  The upside of that was that there were never any lines at the bathroom.

The courses fell into two distinct areas—working on the “craft” of writing, and marketing and publicizing the work.  I ended up doing about half and half—the “craft” courses were more interesting by far, but the marketing courses had me scribbling down notes on how to improve my website and increase the chances of getting “discovered” by a publisher.

Now I’ve got 50 pages of notes to go through and review.  First on the agenda?  A full redo/update of my website and social media presence. I’ll keep you updated on how it goes.

Around Town

• Fun Fair returns to Broadway this Friday, April 29, from 5 to 9 pm.  The Fun Fair is sponsored by PALS, Broadway’s parent volunteer organization.  See you there!
• “Growing Native Plants” course at the Tipp City Public Library, April 28 at noon.
• Tickets are selling fast for the “What a Girl Wants” Fashion Show for a Cure at Harrisons on May 5 … Kelly says only 40 tickets are left!
• The Tipp Roller Mill Children’s Theater will perform “The Glass Slipper” on May 4 and 5 at 7 pm and May 6 at 2:00pm.
• The Tipp Community-Wide Garage Sale is coming up on Saturday, May 5 from 9am to 4pm.
• The graffiti “artists” who recently decorated our downtown have been caught and charged.  They turned out to be two local kids and another from Troy.  I hope they make them clean up the mess or sweep the streets downtown all summer.
• My kids are still talking about the performance of “Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat” they attended at the high school last weekend. Bravo to all the musicians and singers who made this performance a success!

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?”  Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page, or email me at genslen@yahoo.com.  And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio by Greg Enslen

Abbot Labs Breaks Ground on New Facility in Tipp City, Ohio

Smiles and warm handshakes greeted representatives from Abbot Labs , Governor Kasich, and U.S. Representative and House Speaker John Boehner Monday morning for the ground-breaking ceremony for the new $270 million Abbot Labs production facility here in Tipp City.  The only clouds on the horizon were literal ones, as winds and rain lashed the huge tent erected over the location for the ceremonial ground-breaking.  I was there and covered the story—to read the rest, see the full article on page 1.

Downtown “Decorator” Strikes

Lots of folks woke up on Saturday morning to find an unwelcome sight—someone with way too much time on their hands had gone around Friday night and “decorated” various walls and buildings with their handiwork.  In one case, a van owner awoke to find his vehicle had been sprayed with the words “Free Candy” on the side.  Police are looking into the situation, and hopefully they catch the person responsible.  I’ve got a suggestion—“Zeek” needs to get a job.  I’m up late every night working, and I just don’t have the energy to run out and spray paint people’s businesses and homes.  I’m too tired.

Community Wide Garage Sale

It’s time to clear out those garages and start putting price stickers on all of your random pieces of furniture and knick knacks: Tipp-Monroe Community Services will be holding its Annual Community Wide Garage Sale on Saturday May 5, 2012 from 9am to 4pm.  Registrations to participate in this event will be taken at 3 E. Main Street, Tipp City.  Remember, if you want to be included in the printed location guide, your garage sale must register by April 27th, 5pm.  The cost to be listed is $5.00, which helps offset the cost of holding the event.  Location guides and maps will be available one week before the sale starting May 2nd.  For more information or to register, please contact TMCS at 667-8631.

Ham-It-Up Productions Presents “The Glass Slipper”

Harriet Bergman and Ham-It-Up Productions are putting together a presentation of “The Glass Slipper,” a twisted take on the Cinderella fairy tale.  Rehearsals are in progress on Monday nights from 6 to 7:30pm through April 30.  The show opens on May 4 with performances being held on May 4 & 5 at 7:00pm and on May 6th at 2:00pm.  For more information, check out their website at www.hamitup.org.

Native Plants Class at the Library

The Tipp City Public Library will be presenting a class on “Growing Native Plants in Your Garden” on Saturday, April 28 at noon.  Hosted by Ron Corbett, the owner of Native Ohio Plants in Tipp City, Ohio, the class will explain how you can grow native plants in your own yard.

Ron’s passion is finding native plants (trees, shrubs and wildflowers) and propagating them to maintain a diverse natural habitat for native wildlife and replace non-native invasive species. The program will be held in the John K. Senseman Meeting Room. No registration is necessary.

Downton Abby

I know this has nothing to do with Tipp City, but if you’ve tried to call the house at night lately and we don’t pick up, it’s because we’ve become completely obsessed with “Downton Abby,” a stunningly-well-produced show on PBS.  Brought across the pond from the BBC, this glittering portrait of life on an English estate follows the lives of the Crawley family and the extensive staff that keeps the huge estate running.  Similar to “Upstairs/Downstairs,” the lives of the embattled family and mostly-loyal staff at “Downton” are intricately intertwined, leading to drama, happiness and heartache.  As a writer, I can appreciate the effort it takes to maintain upwards of fifteen separate plotlines, all weaving together.

We watched the first season on Netflix Instant, and liked it so much I was dispatched to the store to find Season Two.  I was not to return until I found it.  Thankfully, the Target in Huber Heights carried both seasons-the third season is being filmed now and will be broadcast in England first this year before making it to our shores either late this year or early next year.  Unless someone is interested in flying to England and taping it for their favorite columnist!

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio Asheville, NC by Greg Enslen

Two weeks ago, my family and I headed down to North Carolina for spring break, so I thought it would be fun to change Tipp Talk to Asheville Talk this week.  Next week we’ll get back to all things Tipp City, but read on to hear highlights (and lowlights) of our recent trip…

A Long and Winding Road…to the Cabin

We headed west out of Bryson City, following the directions to the cabin, and it wasn’t five minutes before we were back on those twisty, turny mountain roads!  The directions were a little hazy, but we finally found the turn-off and started our way up the mountain on a VERY narrow gravel road.  I was only crossing my fingers that someone wasn’t coming down the mountain while we were going up!  There was literally no room for another minivan and my minivan on that tiny “road,” but we made our way up the mountain, following the directions and finally got to the top, where our cabin and two others were located.

Wow!  My sister was in charge of finding/booking the cabin and she went way above and beyond the call of duty.  It had five bedrooms, so my family, my folks, and my sisters’ family all had lots of room to spread out.  The cabin also had a large kitchen, dining room and several large sitting areas, and the kids loved one bedroom in particular—it had two sets of bunk beds, so it became the defacto kid’s room.

A separate cabin held two of the bedrooms, a bathroom and the game room—pool table, foosball table, couches and a big TV.  Now that’s what I call a vacation!

Next to the cabin, with a great view of the mountains surrounding our own, was a large open grassy area with room for the kids to run and, on one end, a fire pit and several chairs.  We would end up spending every night of the vacation out there, enjoying a roaring campfire, ‘smores and the stars over our heads.

Relaxing and Hiking

We spent the next few days just chilling-we’d brought games and toys for the kids, and along with the game room and the slopes on either side of the cabin to explore, the kids were in heaven.  I also brought along a few Lego sets for those quiet times when you just want the kids to chill and relax and do a project that will calm them down, and the sets were perfect.  I break up the kits and put them in a ziplock bag along with the instructions—no muss, no fuss, and the pieces can’t get lost or combined with other sets.

The pool table was a hit—my Mom and Dad and I spent hours around the table, chatting and sinking the cue ball more times than we should have.  The table had a bit of a tilt, so one corner was dubbed “the vortex”—any ball hit near it would get sucked in like a black hole.  And the hole on the opposite end of the table worked in the opposite way—you had to really mean it when you hit a ball in or it would just hang there on the lip of the hole, taunting you.

I’m not sure about everyone else, but the scary road up and down the mountain encouraged our family to stay put in the cabin and just enjoy the amenities instead of traipsing into town every day or running off to do activities.  Sam and I took advantage of the quiet time and got caught up on some reading in between the “hanging out” times with family.

One day we did venture down the mountain to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park to take in some hiking and to see some great waterfalls.  After lunch, I dropped Samantha off at the little coffee shop in town with her laptop and me and the kids wandered around Bryson City’s little downtown shopping area, picking up a few souvenirs and some great ice cream.

Heading Home

It probably goes without saying, but we found another way to come home.  For those of you that read last week’s column about The Dragon, we were looking for a non-vomit-inducing route, so we said goodbye to our family on Friday morning and headed east to I-40, taking that highway over the mountains.  It was much better—the kids slept, and no one was stationed on the shoulders, taking our photos.  The trip home was relaxing, and after a late lunch at Cracker Barrel we made it back to Tipp City.  And while we missed our town, it was a blast sneaking off for an entire week of playing pool, eating ‘smores and hanging out with my folks.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio Asheville, NC by Greg Enslen

Last week, my family and I headed down to North Carolina for spring break, so I thought it would be fun to change Tipp Talk to Asheville Talk this week and next week. After that we’ll get back to all things Tipp City, but read on to hear highlights (and lowlights) of our recent trip…

Off to North Carolina

Traveling is always stressful, but it seems traveling with kids is crazy, no matter how much planning you put into it. And with Katie, our third, getting bigger and bigger, it’s made things even more interesting. She’s got her own pile of stuff that has to come along now, like her stuffed duck—“Ducky Mo Mo,” that is.

This trip we drove to NC to stay in a cabin with my family, but for some reason it seems like we packed even more stuff than when we’re going to Florida—I think it’s because we’re driving, so everyone knows there’s extra room in the van.

We headed out on Sunday afternoon and stopped in at the Kenwood Mall on the way through Cincinnati.  I’m a sucker for Legos and really enjoy putting together sets with my kids (and, to tell the truth, by myself.  Here’s a confession about what I did Sunday night after everyone went to bed: got caught up on “Fringe” while building Xander’s intricate White House Lego set).

We picked up the White House set and one of the new “girl” sets for Anna, hoping to put them together during a quiet moment at the cabin.

Knoxville and Thai Food

We stayed overnight in Knoxville Sunday night, taking it easy and relaxing at a hotel before tackling the mountains Monday morning.  We managed to find a local Thai food place near the hotel and enjoyed a relaxing meal of pot stickers (Katie is convinced they’re called “popsicles”), Drunken Noodles, and spring rolls.  One thing I have to be very thankful for is that fact that my kids are brave eaters—they’ll try anything!

The next morning we picked up my brother-in-law Steve at the Knoxville airport and headed south on 129 into the mountains.  Our cabin was just outside of Bryson City, and I had studied the map, looking for the best place to go over the mountains.  I-40 is a straighter road (it’s an interstate, after all) but I wanted to swing by the Cheoah Dam, where they filmed the famous scene in “The Fugitive” where Dr. Richard Kimball jumps off a dam to escape the U.S. Marshall chasing him.

Anyway, I picked 129, not knowing that it was a famous (or infamous) stretch of road known as “the Dragon.”  Yikes.  I’m NEVER driving on a road with a name again—it earned the name by having 318 curves over an 11-mile stretch of mountain roads.  Motorcyclists come from all over the world to drive this stretch of road ON PURPOSE.   The road starts at the Tabcat Creek Bridge in Tennessee and ends at Deals Gap, North Carolina.

The Dragon

We swerved and weaved our way through the treacherous turns and steep drops, and all the while my kids’ faces were getting greener and greener.  Samantha often has a problem with motion sickness but, for some reason, she was okay—maybe it was the four cups of coffee she had at IHOP, or the giant iced mocha from McDonalds that she sipped on the entire 11 miles.  I wasn’t feeling quite as chipper—in fact, I had to pull over twice to settle my stomach and allow nutty motorcyclists to pass us.  And I was driving!

The bikers seemed to enjoy the road—they would race up behind my slow van and throw on their brakes, then go roaring around us when the road allowed it.  I could see how driving the road would be a thrill for someone on a bike—there were even photographers established at four locations along the road, snapping photographs of the bikers, presumably for sale.  And they even took pictures of our van tootling along, but I know I won’t be buying those photos.  Who wants a picture of a bunch of folks in a minivan, all looking like they’re about to lose their lunch?

After what seemed like hours, we finally made it to the Cheoah Dam and stopped to take photos.  After that we turned east and met up with my parents at the McDonalds in Bryson City, then checked in at the cabin rental place.  After a quick stop at the grocery for meats and cheeses (and supplies), we headed back into the mountains for another twisty, windy road that lead to our cabin.

And you’ll never guess what we found at the cabin…

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio by Greg Enslen

Tippecanoe Farmer’s Market Needs Help

The Market Committee got together last week and started the process of distributing the 2012 Application Packets, so drop me a line if you want one.  And we REALLY need volunteers as a couple of our folks dropped off the committee this year—if you have some free time and can help out, please let me know.  I guarantee you’ll have a blast!

The 2012 Market is scheduled to begin in June and run through September on Saturday mornings in downtown Tipp City. We’ll feature fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and other items from a great group of vendors. See you at the Market!

It’s hard to believe, but our happy group has already started meeting about this year’s Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market.  Going into our sixth season (can you believe it?), we’re gearing up to distribute Application Packets to our past vendors and anyone new interested in setting up and selling foods or other items at our Market.  I’ll have more news as it becomes available, but for now you can check out the website at www.tippecanoefarmersmarket.com, which lists all of last year’s vendors, along with the 2011 Application and the rules for being part of the Market.  I don’t think the application will change much, but wait until we post the 2012 one before your fill it out and submit it.  No need to do things twice!

If you know anyone interested in vending, or are interested yourself, please contact me and we’ll get you on the list for an application.  We’re also looking for volunteers, especially to help us set up and break down the Market each week. Interested in helping out? Want to meet some new people and get involved in the community? We could use you!

Troy McDonalds to Be Torn Down

Not sure if anyone else saw this, but the McDonalds in Troy near the highway (it’s just off the exit where you get off to go to Wal-Mart and the other stores) is being torn down at the end of the month!

On March 31, the restaurant will be closed so that it can be razed and rebuilt, with reopening projected for late June, according to Ken Roosa, operations director of The Scott Family McDonald’s, the restaurant’s franchisee.

The new restaurant will reportedly sport a double-lane drive-through and an updated, contemporary dining area.  They hope to have the new restaurant ready to open in late June, but a press release stated that the precise opening date is dependent on weather and other variables. The Piqua-based Scott Family McDonald’s operates 14 restaurants in Piqua, Sidney, Greenville, Troy, Tipp City, Huber Heights and Fairborn.

Mayor Drops the Puck at Gems Game

I didn’t see this happen, but I read about it on Tipp News Daily, a great news website run by my friend Mike McDermott:

“Mayor Dee Gillis dropped the ceremonial puck on Sunday afternoon during Tipp City Community Night at the Dayton Gems. Several members of the team and staff jokingly requested Mayor Gillis to drop the puck during every game next season as in this foray, the Dayton Gems scored more points (9-1) than any game of the season this year. Photographer Andrea Nay was at the game to capture the action on the ice.”

The Get Social Show is Back!

The Get Social! Radio Show is back on the air again after taking almost a whole year off.  Mike McDermott and I took some time off to pursue our other myriad interests– I wrote a couple of books, and Mike ran for and won a City Council seat—but we’re back on the air on Fridays at noon now, airing live on our website.

Mike McDermott and I host the weekly radio show, where we cover a variety of Tipp City-related topics, including local guests, funny stories and commentary (at least we hope it’s funny), and a round-up of local events and activities.

Check out the website at www.getsocialradio.com – it’s got a calendar for information on upcoming shows and guests, along with the Listen Live option that broadcasts the show directly to your computer when we’re on the air.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio by Greg Enslen

Farewell, Sgt. Mauro

Every week, the first thing I do when I pick up the Tippecanoe Gazette is flip to the Police Blotter and read the lengthy and excellent article written by Sgt. Mauro.  I enjoy reading about what’s going on in Tipp City and what challenges the local police force is facing on a daily basis to keep us safe and sound here in Tipp.

I’m glad that Sgt. Mauro is staying on to continue writing the column—I don’t know what I’d do without his wit and banter about some of the crazy situations and hi-jinks that happen around town.  And when tragedy strikes, such as the tragic death last week of the woman out north of town, it’s good to hear from the police how things transpired.

I was concerned to read about the youth who threatened the High School Principal last week, making “threatening moves” and telling people that he was interested in harming him.  But as I went on and read more of the article, I understood a crucial fact about small towns and small-town police forces—they knew who this kid was, and held dealt with him on multiple occasions, and for some reason that made me feel safer and more confident that the situation would be handled expertly and rationally.  I read about incidents happening in other cities and towns and I have to think that a history between this kid and our local law enforcement is a good thing—it could serve to calm nerves and keep the situation from getting out of hand.

It also helps that the police know this kid and it sounds like they have been working with the kid and his family over the past few years.

Skate Park Needs Update?

Do we need to update the skate park ramps in Kyle Park? Tipp City resident skateboard guru Cody Rowlands was in front of the Parks Board last week looking for support in his quest to get the Kyle Park skate area upgraded or updated.  I personally never see any skateboarders on that equipment—usually it’s just little kids playing on it and sliding around.  And I personally find the equipment a little “sharp and rusty” for my kids—on the rare occasions they play on it, I watch them carefully.  I’m not sure how old the equipment is or what needs to be done about it, but I’m happy to hear kids and youth engaging with the City folks to get their voice heard.  Go Cody!

Tippecanoe Farmer’s Market Needs Help

The Market Committee got together last week and started the process of distributing the 2012 Application Packets, so drop me a line if you want one.  And we REALLY need volunteers as a couple of our folks dropped off the committee this year—if you have some free time and can help out, please let me know.  I guarantee you’ll have a blast!

It’s hard to believe, but our happy group has already started meeting about this year’s Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market.  Going into our sixth season (can you believe it?), we’re gearing up to distribute Application Packets to our past vendors and anyone new interested in setting up and selling foods or other items at our Market.  I’ll have more news as it becomes available, but for now you can check out the website at www.tippecanoefarmersmarket.com, which lists all of last year’s vendors, along with the 2011 Application and the rules for being part of the Market.  I don’t think the application will change much, but wait until we post the 2012 one before your fill it out and submit it.  No need to do things twice!

If you know anyone interested in vending, or are interested yourself, please contact me and we’ll get you on the list for an application.  We’re also looking for volunteers, especially to help us set up and break down the Market each week. Interested in helping out? Want to meet some new people and get involved in the community? We could use you!

The 2012 Market is scheduled to begin in June and run through September on Saturday mornings in downtown Tipp City. We’ll feature fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and other items from a great group of vendors. See you at the Market!

The Get Social Show is Back!

The Get Social! Radio Show is back on the air again after taking almost a whole year off.  Mike McDermott and I took some time off to pursue our other myriad interests– I wrote a couple of books, and Mike ran for and won a City Council seat—but we’re back on the air on Fridays at noon now, airing live on our website.

Mike McDermott and I host the weekly radio show, where we cover a variety of Tipp City-related topics, including local guests, funny stories and commentary (at least we hope it’s funny), and a round-up of local events and activities.

Check out the website at www.getsocialradio.com – it’s got a calendar for information on upcoming shows and guests, along with the Listen Live option that broadcasts the show directly to your computer when we’re on the air.

We’re also gearing up for more guests and are looking for folks from local businesses and groups to come on the show. Interested in being a guest? Use the “Contact Me” page at my website (see below) and let us know what you’d like to cover and we’ll try to get you booked.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!

Events, activities and other hometown items going on in and around Tipp City, Ohio by Greg Enslen

Tippecanoe Farmer’s Market Planning Underway!

It’s hard to believe, but our happy group has already started meeting about this year’s Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market.  Going into our sixth season (can you believe it?), we’re gearing up to distribute Application Packets to our past vendors and anyone new interested in setting up and selling foods or other items at our Market.  I’ll have more news as it becomes available, but for now you can check out the website at www.tippecanoefarmersmarket.com, which lists all of last year’s vendors, along with the 2011 Application and the rules for being part of the Market.  I don’t think the application will change much, but wait until we post the 2012 one before your fill it out and submit it.  No need to do things twice!

If you know anyone interested in vending, or are interested yourself, please contact me and we’ll get you on the list for an application.  We’re also looking for volunteers, especially to help us set up and break down the Market each week. Interested in helping out? Want to meet some new people and get involved in the community? We could use you!

Last year we significantly reduced the cost of selling at the Market—now there’s a flat fee to “join the Market,” and we eliminated the weekly percentage.  Once you join, you can sell as often as you want – hopefully every week! The 2012 Market is scheduled to begin in June and run through September on Saturday mornings in downtown Tipp City. We’ll feature fresh fruits, vegetables, flowers and other items from a great group of vendors. See you at the Market!

Quarter Auction This Sunday

The great folks at Main Street Preschool are holding their second annual Quarter Auction This Sunday from 2 pm to 4 pm to support ongoing school needs.

Admission tickets are available now for only $2 at the preschool office and at the door on Sunday. The information I have says that along with your admission ticket you’ll get an bidding paddle, which you will to use to “bid” on items you never dreamed of for a quarter or few.  Bring your friends and your quarters!

Vendors will include Pampered Chef, Longaberger Baskets, Scentsy, Tastefully Simple, Thirty-One Gifts, Treat of the Town, Tupperware, Massage Therapy, Mary Kay, Premier Jewelry, and Thirty-One Gifts.

The Tipp City United Methodist Church is located at the corner of Main & 3rd Streets in beautiful downtown Tipp City.  Doors will open at 1:30 pm, and the auction will run from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. If you have questions, please call the Main Street Preschool at 669-4707.

The Get Social Show is Back!

The Get Social! Radio Show is back on the air again after taking almost a whole year off.  Mike McDermott and I took some time off to pursue our other myriad interests– I wrote a couple of books, and Mike ran for and won a City Council seat—but we’re back on the air on Fridays at noon now, airing live on our website.

Mike McDermott and I host the weekly radio show, where we cover a variety of Tipp City-related topics, including local guests, funny stories and commentary (at least we hope it’s funny), and a round-up of local events and activities.

Check out the website at www.getsocialradio.com – it’s got a calendar for information on upcoming shows and guests, along with the Listen Live option that broadcasts the show directly to your computer when we’re on the air.

We’re also gearing up for more guests and are looking for folks from local businesses and groups to come on the show. Interested in being a guest? Use the “Contact Me” page at my website (see below) and let us know what you’d like to cover and we’ll try to get you booked.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and drop me a line using the “Contact Me” page. And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!