Tipp Talk—March 9

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From GregEnslen.com:

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

What’s Open on Sunday?

A few months back, I wrote an item about shops with Sunday hours in Tipp City. I had a lot of good luck with the Big Robot Game Café being open on Sundays—of course, my target audience was schoolkids, so weekend hours made sense. I wish more of the regular shops were open on Sunday.  Anyone have a good list of what shops and restaurants are regularly open? If so, send them in and I’ll print a list in a future column.

Spring is Coming … Slowly but Surely

This week saw some bitterly cold weather, but also some definite signs of spring. Tulips are starting to push up in our side yard. The cats want to be outside all day, and half the time they want to be outside at night, too. Most notably, we stopped by Menard’s on Sunday, and the place was packed! It looked like everyone in town was gearing up to start doing yard work. And in fact, Tipp Pride Day is coming up in just six weeks, on April 16. So start planning what you’re going to put in the yard this year … or whether it’s time to repaint the garage or the shed out back.

My own personal sign of the season is seeing Sam get spring fever. As soon as it starts getting even slightly warm, she starts madly planning all the home improvement projects she wants to do over the next few months. And that means a “honey-do” list is just around the corner …

Tippecanoe Farmers’ Market

Planning for this year’s Tipp Farmers’ Market is well under way—we’ve mailed out Vendor Applications to past vendors and folks that have contacted us since last year.  If you know anyone interested in vending, or are interested yourself, please contact me and we’ll get you an application.

We’re still 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!

Remember, this year we’ve significantly reduced the cost of selling at the Market. There’s now a flat fee of just $50 to “join the Market.” Once you join, you can sell as often as you want – hopefully every week!  The 2011 Market will 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!

Register ASAP for Flag Football … and Turbo Kick!

Reminder — for anyone who wants to try out Community Services’ new Flag Football league, registration ends this Friday, March 11. You can stop by the TMCS office, or download an application at www.tmcomservices.org under “Programs.”

The NFL-affiliated program is for both boys and girls, grades 3 through 8, and offers a more relaxed alternative to the youth football program offered through Tipp City Schools. Can’t wait for Anna and Xander to give it a try—it should be a lot of fun.

For adults who are starting to think about getting “bikini ready” (or “swim-trunk ready,” for us guys), Community Services has Turbo Kick programs starting at the beginning of April. This is another new TMCS offering, a combination of “kickboxing and simple dance moves set to heart-pounding music.” They even have a low-impact version for people who want to get moving but aren’t quite ready to start jumping up and down. You can register for these classes online, also at www.tmcomservices.org.

Gallery Opening at Studio 14

Last Friday’s opening at Studio 14 Gallery of Fine Art was great. Even though it was a rainy night, there were a lot of people who braved the weather to see the outstanding collection, which featured Sandra Picciano-Brand’s jewelry and sculptures, David Brand’s bronze vessels, fine art enamels by Evelyn Staub, and oil paintings by Rusty Harden.  If you missed the opening, no worries—the show will run from March 4 to April 24 at the Gallery, located at 14 East Main, in the loft of the Benkin Building.

I was invited to sign copies of my books and had a blast—it was great to hang out with the artists and supporters of the arts in Tipp City, including most of the Tipp City Area Arts Council.  I also collected a few preorders for my third book, Tipp Talk 2010—Dispatches from an Ohio Town, which should be coming out at the end of this month. If you’d like to place an order and save $2 on the cover price, contact me at www.gregenslen.com. I’ll reserve a copy for you, and even sign it!

Dogs in Trouble—How to Help

By now, most of you have probably heard about the two “no-kill shelters” that were recently shut down—one in Piqua, and one Clark County. Both were found to be hoarder cases, in which the dogs were not being properly cared for and were living in highly unsanitary conditions. At the Piqua location, some 100 dogs were found. At the Bethel location, it was much worse—350 live dogs were found, along with 76 dead ones. So much for the “no-kill” philosophy.

Thanks to a huge effort by the Clark County Humane Society, the ASPCA, the Emergency Management Agency (EMA) of Clark and Franklin County, D.R.E.A.M. for Pets, and countless other volunteer citizens and vets, the dogs were rescued and moved to the Franklin County Fairgrounds in Hilliard, Ohio.

The dogs now being cleaned and cared for, assessed by veterinarians, and given any medical attention required. However, the need for ongoing help is tremendous. The rescue effort is costing more than $3,500 per day, and some 700 blankets and towels are being used each day. Unbelievable. If you’d like to help, either by volunteering or making a donation, here’s what to do:

  • To help at the Fairgrounds—with feeding or just socializing with the animals—contact Lisa D’Allessandris at the Clark County EMA, at 937-605-0576.
  • To donate needed funds, make checks payable to the Clark County Humane Society Rescue Fund and mail them to CCHS, 5201 Urbana Road, Springfield OH 45502.
  • To donate towels or blankets, you can stop by a special collection point this Saturday, March 12, 9–11 a.m., at 3931 S. Dixie Dr. Or you can take them directly to the Franklin County Fairgrounds at 4100 Columbia St. in Hilliard, approximately 4.5 miles off of Exit 91 on I-70.
  • To volunteer with Miami County’s newest rescue agency, which is closely involved in this effort, contact Cindy Hartnagel at D.R.E.A.M. for Pets at Petsrrpassion@gmail.com.
  • To consider adopting one of the rescued pets, contact CCHUS at 937-339-2917 or visit www.clarkhumane.org.

Check In With Me

Hear something interesting for “Tipp Talk?” Visit my website at www.gregenslen.com and use the “Contact Me” page to let me know what you’re thinking.  And don’t worry—I won’t quote you unless you want me to!