We have choices in life, so let’s choose to give the downtown development plan a go. Tonight about 125 citizens attended a meeting to discuss a development plan by the firm KKG. Next week the Tiffin Chamber will post phase one of the plan on their website.
Did any of our bloggers attend the meeting, and if so what did you think?
I, for one, am tired of standing by and watching our town disappear. The plan is ambitious. It involves our community working together. It involves short-term and long-term planning. And I hope our readers will put their time and commitment behind this, because as the saying goes…
If you always do, what you’ve always done, you will always get more of the same.
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Thanks Scout. I’m glad you were there and see the value in proceeding. We have to do something, and we have to do it now. Some good questions were posed, and I hope the answers convinced some folks to jump on board.
If anyone has questions, please e-mail me at michael@ritztheatre.org
Great meeting, wonderful ideas, much enthusiasm last night at the Ritz ! Finally, we have a plan that brings expertise to our town and which recognizes the unique assets here. What a breath of fresh air instead of the same old Tiffin stale thinking. Instead of dwelling on “can’t” (as Tiffinites do) we have an emphasis on “we can”.
With this new initiative and the Conaway group working on the CH and other projects, the future looks hopeful. There will be the usual coffee shop commentary and back fence second guessing, but we should support this effort and be thankful that our community leaders have finally got a good plan.
And, it is refreshing to see the Chamber playing a central part,
To paraphrase a great Irish novelist, “bleep the begrudgers!”
It’s not just a plan for the downtown but the entire community, because each and every element of Tiffin has to work in unison to make this community great!
I attend the meeting. I came with great reservation to hear what they had to say. I was not entirely taken in by the portions that were more pep rally than informative. I did leave with the feeling that good people are trying to make positive changes. They have a plan which is better than doing nothing. Good Luck, Tiffin Tomorrow.
Michael, one important wild card in the plan is the industrial sector. I wish that more had been said about how downtown development plays a role in attracting industry and especially the connection between hi tech jobs and the culture of a community. Those of us who have lived elsewhere understand this, but many locals do not get it.
Also, some local industrial concerns have been hostile to historic preservation. These sectors must be on board and not fighting a rear guard action as they have been doing with the CH.
The plan is well designed and echoes 21st century community planning as I understand it. It might be worthwhile to look at some of the hi-tech corridors in the mid-west that have combined main street projects to great success.
The town has been a desert as far as forward looking leadership is concerned. I think that has changed. However, the culture-jobs piece will have to be patiently explained to those in the community who still think in terms of 1950 big factory solutions.
Onward!
One suggestion. Perhaps at a future town meeting, industrialists and civic leaders from other towns where this concept has worked should be invited to a kind of “summit”. We need to hear from successful entrepreneurs who have made it work in their towns and so do our own CEO’s.
There is no deodorant like success.
Thank you to the Tiffin Tomorrow committee!
As the expression goes,
“Every situation has a good side and a bad side; each moment you decide.”
Choices made with a positive attitude attract similar opportunities.
Just when all these GOOD things/statement/goals surfaced, the morning news surfaced with a report of cutbacks in a local industry. OUCH!
Absolutely, INDUSTRY must be part of this ongoing effort. Don’t bilk industry, feed it — and it will reciprocate.
I am sorry I had to miss last night’s meeting due to a previous commitment.Sounds like a great beginning. Tiffin has so many attributes that would lend itself to urban redevelopment. We have a great stock of different architectural styles of homes and buildings that are appreciated by many visitors but not even noticed by most citizens are two universities our scenic river (that needs to be cleaned up more often ) witch is an asset that many communities would love to have. Now we all need to become a cheering section to convince more people and groups to hop on board.Finally progress!
Did any of the county commissioners attend?
yes. Sauber and Bridinger.
Thanks Scout,and good for them. I still believe it is their responsabuility to push for a 4 lane highway thru our county. Build it and they will come.
I thought KKG presentation was very informative.
Tiffin does have some great assets to use, river, universities and architecture.
Wouldn’t be nice to have an area like the river walk in San Antonio or a common area as most European cities have? If you have not been to either you need to make a trip and see what is out there. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled different areas of the States and Europe.
What a night you could have with your wife sitting at a table along the river and having a meal and a drink, much like what the Mill offers, though downtown.
I’ve taken customers to the Mill and sat out on the deck for lunch. The customers have remarked that this is a great setting and they wished they had something like this in their town.
The San Antonio Riverwalk is beautiful. I’ve been small towns in England where pubs and shops follow the River and are the focal point of the community. A series of lights along the river wall would be stunning at night reflecting off the water.
Williamston, Michigan created a major attraction by developing a “whitewater” portion of the Red Cedar River at is flows through the town. They are now a destination on weekends for kayaking and canoe enthisiasts.
How about a major fishing tournament in Tiffin built around an Ohio Outdoors theme? After WWII, Tiffin was full of pheasant hunters on opening weekend when the birds were still plentiful.
I heard the Mayor mention during one of the televised council meetings that a possible project for stimulus funding might be the purchase and removal of the dam at Pioneer Mill. What do you think about that ?
Asa:
Are you serious about a fishing tournament? What would we be fishing for, carp?!!! Maybe we could set it up with the mud chubs are spawning. I know it’s always exciting for me to see the hordes of fishermen out in their hip-waders in the river going for their limit of mud chubs during the big run!
Speak:
I think the mayor ought to tell the government to keep the dam money!
I think we would all be sad to see that dam go away, especially the Pioneer Mill.
The Sandusky River Bugle Mouth Bass Tournament….
I can see the people flocking here from yards away to attend it (maybe even hundreds of yards).
From what recesses of the mind did tearing out the dam come from? Why do these people always think out loud in front of a microphone? Look where it got Cramer proclaiming that Bear Stearns was solid as the rock of Gibralter two days before it tanked.
Okay so maybe I got carried away with the fishing idea. Why do these people always think out loud, then press send? Tell Soupy to hit me with a pie next time he’s in town.
Along with the usual talk of the city’s need for a major highway to connect it to 23 and 80/90, I think Tiffin has missed or is about to miss another big opportunity.
The governor is pushing for the restoration of railroad (commuter) service between Columbus and the major cities of Cincy and Cleveland. The plan also now includes outlines for a line connecting Toledo to Columbus. However, that branch would run through BG, Findlay, Dunkirk, Kenton, Marysville and Dublin. If we can’t get a highway, this would be a boon to our town…or are we again going to lose out to Findlay.
Where is our State Rep and State Sen. on this this.
Good point!
Good point Senator. We need General Gibson to come back and lend his silver tongue to this cause. Maybe Wagner will hear a divine voice and swing into action too.
Asa: We could have a “fishing for compliments” tournament, sponsored by one of the local hospitality houses.
Blutarsky: Good Idea!
Asa, Far fetched I will admit but I here they are taking the dam out in Fremont,which would allow the walleye to run futher upstream. I here they are giving community’s big incentives to do this.
Well, if the Ballville Dam is going, it might make sense to do the same here if it improves the health of the river and the fishing opportunities. It will, however, change the look of things around Pioneer mill. I wonder how it will affect the canoeing north of town.
The dam is what made Tiffin’s first industries possible. The grist mill and saw mill were essential to the growth of Tiffin, and the whole town sprung up around these mills.
Correct. We old timers recall the mill race that ran alongside River Road beyond the State Hospital toward the old Keller Mill. I saw it filled with garbage, old appliances, and junk in the 50′s. People would routinely drive out along the race and dump with no penalty.
Indian Mill near Upper is a great place to see how the many mills worked in our area. Knocking out the dams is the end stage for that fascinating era. We are fortunate to have Pioneer Mill in use as a reminder of it.
By the way, the Seneca County Museum has an interesting CD of the history of Seneca County Mills recorded about 40 years ago. It’s worth hearing. Same with the 1913 flood witness interviews now on CD.
Oh for cripe sakes. I suppose the historic preservationists will be trying to file a lawsuit over the damned dam if the “dam is what made Tiffin’s first industries possible.” Somebody will be worried about all the dam fish too.
I can see it now: Barga II: The Dam Sequel
Going “Green” is today’s buzzword. It might be a good idea to try and harness the energy produced by that dam.
Tail Gunner. Don’t get your shorts in a knot. It’s too nice a day to stroke out over nothing. You can get severe whiplash from over reacting.The dams will go peacefully. The river is being restored to Mother Nature, and all is right with the world
The St. Johns dam has been removed and it looks to have changed the way the river flows there, I don’t know if it is for better or worse. You would have to ask the people out there.
McCarthy, Why don’t you come up with a list of all the things the historic preservationists have done bad for this county. If the commissioners would have just done things right the first time,none of that would of happened. Deep down I think you know this
Come on Sen. Mc Carthy you have a right of opinion on the courthouse but try and be honest about THT there is a long list of things that they have done that benefit Tiffin and the quality of life for it’s residents . You are always quick to assume you are better educated then most maybe you need to get some education on what preservation means.
I learned that if the Ballville Dam is removed, the Walleye could run further upstream. Imagine the Sandusky with hundreds of fisherman in the spring as on the Maumee. Someone should research the impact of removing the Pioneer Mill dam on spawning habits.
Maybe fishing isn’t so nutty an idea here after all.
Whoa, old timer, did someone spike your Metamucil? I’m actually FOR saving the Courthouse because it appears that restoration can be done for about the same amount of money as demolition and replacement with a substandard structure. I do have the right to that opinion, right?
As far as THT — yes, that body has done some good things, but I’ll take the good with some bad. I know they’ve made some peoples’ lives fairly miserable — so much so that there’s no way I’d ever consider investing in a house or a building in the “historic” district. I’ve heard numerous other people espouse similar positions.
As far as what is “historic” and what “quality of life” is, I’ve found that they are both fuzzy words prone to elasticity. Something is “historic” if I want it to be saved. If I don’t give two rips about it, then I guess that doesn’t make it “historic.” As far as “quality of life” — I’m not sure anyone can really measure that since it is so objective and fuzzy. Will we have and inferior “quality of life” if the courthouse is replaced? Maybe, maybe not. I guess here’s how I would analogize my point: Is watching a ballgame in Detroit better now than it was in Tiger Stadium? In my opinion, no. In others’ opinions, yes. Yankee Stadium is going to get knocked down this year. That’s sad and I don’t like it. Cleveland Stadium is an artificial reef in Lake Erie, having been replaced by Jacobs Field. Tremendous!
I do have to ask you, Old Timer — why do you call the 1884 courthouse “historic” instead of “vintage” or “old”? To me, historic means that something of note happened. What will we ever put in the history books about the 1884 courthouse? I’m not aware that there was ever a trial of the century — in any century — that happened there. (I’m still for saving it…)
Senator – In answer to your last paragraph, the courthouse is historic because of its connection to such historically significant buildings as the Michigan, Texas and Colorado State Capitols, designed by nationally known architect E.E. Myers.
Historic: “having importance in or influence on history.”
Senator – Tell me the courthouse, and what has happened inside her walls, has not had an influence on this community.
McCarthy: Don’t you think the statement “made some people’s lives fairly miserable” is a rather strong statement. Have you been talking to Nutter and Sauber?
I guess I’m fired up!
The Seneca county courthouse is definitely unique as a Myers building, but it would be historic to me even if it weren’t designed by the most prolific architect of the times.
Historic Courthouses are of lasting significance and importance as seats of justice. They were often designed to be the most glorious of buildings – government temples/palaces if you will – providing a sense of awe/majesty – a place of greater good. A place that humbles and seeks to inspire.
Historic church architecture has an inspiring effect too…not many would doubt that.
OhioUSA – You might say a “cathedral of justice.”
Referring to Quality of Life .. I know it can’t be measured exactly, but the balance and the well being of the named historic district (downtown) would be in jeopardy should the courthouse be removed and replaced. There is no doubt in my mind about that.
I have always supported the opinion that we must do all we can in Ohio to preserve our historic courthouses. Fortunately, most counties have done so, or have established maintenance plans until they can do more extensive restorative work in the future. It is most fortunate that ordinary citizens and county leaders across Ohio understand the reasons for the respect and the dignity of what they represent – which is why there has not been a courthouse demolition in Ohio in many years. It is our duty not tip that scale!
Think GREEN everyone! Happy St. Paddy’s Day!
OHIO: I applaud your observation that throughout many, many years commissioners and voters in many counties throughout Ohio have demonstrated solid CARE for their courthouses and historic buildings. I’m continually impressed in noting how such people have cared.
There has been an obvious void here. Why are we banging solely on our current commissioners? A host of other so-so’s stand in their stead. We ALL KNOW who those people are, and we ought to tar and feather them too.
There are many impressive structures in counties around us. Why should we be harnessed with THIS?
McCarthy Give me one building other then the Seneca County Courthouse that the President of the United States of America spoke at in Seneca County.
It is the most significant building ever built in this county.I beg you to name one that comes even close.
I don’t think it is fair to the THT that you stated they have done bad for Tiffin.Can you be more specific?
It’s deja vu all over again. We’ve heard this broken record before. I think we’ve picked all the knits here a time or thrice. Can we get beyond the semantic hair splitting and “I’ve heard thisa and thata…”?
How bout we table the CH while the Conaway group is working on the financial package and put a moratorium on tearing each other’s guts out for a while?
For me the unnamed, incognito innueno means nothing. As I’ve opined before, we are the problem and as long as we can find no common ground to move forward on, the community east each other up and gets nowhere.
Let’s drop CH bickering until there is news to report one way or the other.
Ken – Yes, it is shameful, the years of neglect…. but fortunately the building has survived.” Why are we banging solely on our current commissioners?” Because they are the ones who decided they could just get rid of it! And…actually they have had more money and resources than previous commissioners.
Asa – I agree….with the CH Development Group moving ahead….the commissioners in a holding pattern….and Tiffin Tomorrow finding common ground, I’ll say goonight!
I know this is for another thread, but it makes my blood boil.
I love sports! Browns,Buckeyes,Indians,and Reds.It’s such a big part of my life. Why is government involved in building Stadiums? In Cleveland at the same time that they spent 250 million dollars on a stadium to host 10 games a year for the Browns. There public school system was going bankrupt.
This was for a owner that was worth 35 billion, and everyone got one.Browns,Indians, and Cavs. Meanwhile trucks can’t even travel on the 480 overpass because it is becoming unsafe. This has been going on all over the Country for the last 20 years. Yet we just let em walk all over us.Sports fans we should of said NO and now we are paying for it.
By the way McCarthy, I hate the Yankees! But they are one of the few that are funding their own ballpark.
AFKASCL: The next meeting of “Yankee Haters, Inc.” is set for Thursday, 6:30 PM. Follow the signs to the residence of Dale Williams. Steroids will be offered as party favors. Tell your friends!
FYI : Phase I of the Development Plan promoted by Tiffin tomorrow is now online from the Chamber site.
Direct link to pdf is
http://tinyurl.com/cvr39o
Ok Asa I’ll stop the Courthouse debate if McCarthy stops bashing the Tiffin Historic Trust . I just want to say that there are a lot more people who would not invest in downtown with out a ARB and there would be less funding for redevelopment and besides Sen . The ARB is not part of THT it is a city board even though we support it we have nothing to do with it’s rules.
Thank you Ohio USA for posting that link. You are a person in the know!
How does one become a member of the THT? Is it a ‘place to meet’ other singles? Age-range there is what?
Old Timer: I want to clarify one point with regard to the ARB. The design review ordinace that establishes the ARB requires that there be five members: The City Engineer, 1 member of the Tiffin Historic Trust, and 3 other members who are either, a resident, business owner or property owner in the design review district.
Ken, Is Dale providing the needles, or should I just bring a used one from home?
SadeKnipp –
Tiffin Historic Trust
P.O. Box 333
Tiffin, Ohio 44883-0333
419-447-4789
(I don’t know if there is a secret handshake, but I’ll bet they welcome new members).
Ken T – How do I get to Dale Williams house? Do I follow the trail of tears?
Regarding THT…I’ve never denied that the group has done a lot of good. By the same token, I’ve heard a lot of barking from people who are not allowed to put vinyl siding on their house, who have to put in approved replacement windows in their houses, etc. THT has made Nutter and Sauber miserable – and I am NOT saying that’s necessarily a bad thing.
The THT cared about the architectural integrity of the river bridges in Tiffin when no one else did. Thank God for that. The THT obviously cares about the CH. Great! I agree with them. I am simply not going to drink Kool-Ade to the notion that the THT is infallible. I also think it is indisputable that some of the more militant members of the THT certainly have turned-off many in the general public who didn’t really care one way or the other.
Historic preservation is like many other things. In concept, it’s a good idea. In practice, when it gets carried to extremes, it can be counter-productive. That’s the point I was trying to make about the damned dam, along with trying to make that point that “historic value” is in the eye of the beholder.
Chill out people.
Oh, by the way, ever since I poked my finger in the hornet’s nest the other day, I’m heartened to notice that no one has expressed strong feelings about keeping the dam.
Senator McCarthy – The ARB did not stop anyone from vinyl siding their house or dictate a certain type of window for a persons home. The reason I say that is because single and double family buildings are exempt from the design review ordinance. There’s too much misinformation floating around about the ARB. Anyone who owns property in the district should pick up a copy of the ordinance at City Hall, that’s what I did.
speak — I’ll take what you say at face value and as a fact. You’ve demonstrated yourself to be a straight-shooter. In any event, I still would not invest any of my money in the Tiffin “historic district” because it just seems like too much hassle.
AFKASCL — By the way, I think it’s safe for you to hate the Yankees. If you think that the taxpayers were left off the hook for New Yankee Stadium, then you probably think Roger Clemens and Barry Bonds are innocent too! ha! It seems to me that I heard the taxpayers gave some ridiculous tax abatements to the Yankees, as well as pouring all sorts of money into infrastructure near 161st Street in the Bronx…
To the sports enthusiasts – The Ohio Cultural Facilities Commission supports construction of sports venues – Communities enlist the help of their Local representatives to request the funding just like other projects. Sports is a part of culture.
http://www.culture.ohio.gov/
Guidelines are at http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/3383
Scout – thanks for the compliment about you saying I’m in the know…but….you know….anyone can learn to know more by reading, researching, listening and communicating. Of course you need to believe you can learn something new each day!
That is what is great about the blog. We all contribute, which helps make my job much easier.
“Take me out to the ball game” ops sorry must be the weather.
Senator, I thought infrustructure is what government is supposed to provide. As far as tax abatements go. Seems like everyone gets them although I must admit, since they are spending 1 billion on the new stadium. I will bet that is some gift.
By the way. I just want to say as a person interested in Historic Preservation that my opinion is to remove the dam and take the river back to its original state provided we do are homework first.
Senator McCarthy: I know it sounds like a hassle, but here’s the rationale. The design review ordinance and the architectural board of review is based the the United States Department of the Interior’s Standards for Historical Rehabilitation. When a property owner follows these standards or guidelines the improvements made to the building are eligible for a rehabilitation tax credit. I need to check the exact percentages but with the new Ohio rehabiliation tax credit it’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 50%. That means a significant credit on your income tax for properly rehabilitating an historic building. Further more, covering historic buildings with vinyl siding and installing inappropriate windows does not qualify.
Senator M – Let’s say you decide to buy and renovate a building in the historic district and that you follow the US Dept of the Interior standards and recieve your tax credit. Wouldn’t you like some guarantee that your investment will not be ruined by an adjacent property who decides to cover their windows with plywood and do other such things that detract from your property? This is where the Architectural Board of Review comes in.
Makes me wonder what stipulations the ARB really puts on buildings in the Historic District. The replacement aluminum windows from the ’50′s, the plywood panels for replacement glass, the decrepit concrete steps sporting weeds…. all suggest that the CH is not in the Historic District, OR standards for decency and decorum were waived in favor of the Commissioners.
From what I see, it’s no wonder there is any pride in the Historic District. ANYTHING goes there!
Cloyd – All the things you mention were done before the Architectural Board of Review was put in place. The design review ordinance is not retroactive, and the ABR is not going through the historic district telling owners to make changes. However when a building owner decides to make a change, then it is reviewed by the ABR. As far as deterioration and weeds, those fall under the City’s maintenance code.
So, apparently there is no City Maintenance Code — or, if there is, it is not enforced.
Cloyd, you are right the city maintenance code depends on the city enforcing the rules and with this Mayor and some on city council they don’t care they are too bizzy enforcing the sidewalk code except for there own neighborhoods and by the way I agree with the sidewalk but I think it should be enforced evenly though out the city. One thing I would like to complain about is the Mayor changing the recycling days it sounds great but it becomes an impossible thing for handicap and elderly people like me what is wrong with our criminals doing a little community service for the city?
Seems like political agendas outway doing the right thing as far as some of our city officals go
old timer – Could you please elaborate? Why would changing the day for recycling now a problem?
As the writer said a few weeks ago:
“A code is a policy, to which everyone is wholeheartedly
committed — on a tentative basis.”
Scout I know I failed to make that clear. It is not really the change of days, it is that along with the change there will no longer be any help in on loading recycling. that makes it hard for seniors and handicap people
old timer – Do you need help loading up recycling at your home, or do you mean at the recycling center?
Old Timer-If you need help loading recycling, at home or at the center, just ask. I have a crew of Boy Scouts that would love to lend a hand at either place, and they will gladly accept donations of pop cans for our troop at St Joseph School. We collect the second Sat and you just drive up and we do all the work. We gather recycling for a few people and drop it off. It is not a problem at all if you are in Tiffin.
Thank you weeblo, another great example of Seneca County working together. (I was a scout, myself).
weeblo: I seem to recall many years ago that the Boy Scouts came door to door to pick up newspapers. Would they ever consider doing something like that again?
Speak-
That is a great idea-we have the manpower and definately the energy. I am going to mention that at the next meeting. It would be a great adventure with the fun bunch I have this year. I really enjoy each and every one of them and they are keeping me young. lol
Weeblo: Thanks for looking into this idea! You could publish a notice in the newspaper stating pick-up days, and people could leave the papers on their porch.
And the SCB sure will post any information you provide.
Thank you for the great ideas Speak and Scout and I will definately take you up on the offer to post the info. I think we could easily handle it the same Sat we do pop can drop off. We had tossed around the idea to collect recycling from the elderly/handicap by call in basis so the newspapers could be the same way until we learned the regulars. I can not brag enough about the great guys I have involved in scouting this year.
Famous former Girl Scouts – Linda, Here are some women I am familiar with, you might also try accessing the GSUSA web site and posting the question on their bulletin board, you may get more.
Women in public service – Corinne “Lindy” Boggs, Congresswoman from Louisiana; Helen Boosalis, Mayor of Lincoln, NE; Marilyn Lloyd Bourquard, Congress. from Tenn.; Beverly Byron, Cong. from Maryland; Jane Coon Ambassador to Bangladesh; Millicent Fenwick, Cong. from New Jersey (she was also the model for “Lacey Davenport”, a Doonesbury cartoon character); Dorcas Hardy, Asst Scty, Human Dev. Serv. H&HS; Marforie, Cong. from Maryland; Nancy Landon Kassebaum, Senator from Kansas; Patricia Schroeder, Cong. from Colo.
Women in the Arts – Martina Arroyo, Candice Bergen, Polly Bergan,Carrie Fisher, Helen Hayes, Celeste Holm, Shari Lewis, Debbie Reynolds, Dinah Shore, Cheryl Tiegs
Women in Public Life – Tricia Cox, Julie Eisenhower, Princess Grace of Monaco, Linda Bird Johnson Robb, Luci Johnson, Ethel Kennedy, Joan Mondale
Women in Sports – Dorothy Hamil, Nancy Lopez
Women Astronauts – Dr. Anna Fisher, Dr. Rhea Seddon, Dr. Kathy Sullivan
Women in Business, Journalism or Broadcasting – Mary Wells Lawrence, Erma Bombeck, Phyllis George, Barbara Walters.
And some famous Boy Scouts
President John F. Kennedy
Boy Scout
President Gerald Ford
Eagle Scout
J. Willard Marriott, Jr.
President of Marriott Corporation
Eagle Scout
Sam M. Walton
Chairman/CEO, Wal-Mart
Eagle Scout
Neil A. Armstrong, First
person to set foot on the Moon
Eagle Scout
Steven Spielberg,
Director, Producer
Eagle Scout
William C. Devries, M.D.; Transplanted
First Artificial Heart
Eagle Scout
Barber B. Conable, Jr.
President, World Bank
Eagle Scout
* Henry Aaron – Baseball player, home run king – the Mobile Press Register quoted Henry as saying that the greatest positive influence in his life was his involvement in scouting
* Gary L. Ackerman – U.S. Representative from NY
* Bill Alexander – U.S. Representative from Arkansas
* Lamar Alexander – Lawyer, Governor of Tennessee, Secretary of Education, presidential candidate
* Neil Armstrong – astronaut, first man on moon, from Wapakoneta, OH
* Willie Banks – Olympic & world record holding track star
* Albert Belle – baseball player
* Charles E. Bennett – U.S. Representative from Florida
* William Bennett – Secretary of Education
* Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr. – Treasury Secretary & U.S. Representative from Texas
* Michael Bloomberg – Mayor of New York City, founder of Bloomberg News
* Bill Bradley – Pro basketball star and U.S. Senator from NJ
* James Brady – Press Secretary to President Reagan
* Stephen Breyer – US Supreme Court Justice
* Milton A. Caniff – Comic strip artist “Steve Canyon”
* Barber B. Conable – President, World Bank
* John W. Creighton, Jr. – President & CEO of Weyerhaeuser Company
* William E. Dannemeyer – U.S. Representative from Cal.
* William Devries – M.D., transplanted first artificial heart
* Michael Dukakis – Governor of Massachusetts, presidential candidate
* LTC Aquilla James Dyess – WWII Marine & Medal of Honor recipient (deceased)
* Arthur Eldred – First Eagle Scout
* Daniel J. Evans – Senator and Governor of Washington
* David Farabee – Texas State Representative
* Robert Edward Femoyer – WWII Army Air Force Navigator & Medal of Honor recipient (deceased)
* Rear Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey – WWII Submarine Commander & Medal of Honor recipient (deceased)
* Thomas Foley – Speaker of the House and U.S. Representative from Washington
* Gerald Ford – U.S. President (1st Eagle to be President) (deceased)
* Steven Fossett – Flew solo nonstop around the world in a hot air balloon and in an ultralight airplane, won the Chicago to Mackinaw boat races, competed in the Iditarod dog race, and competed in several iron man triathlons, and among other things lived the Scouting mottos both Cub and Boy Scout by doing his best and being prepared (deceased)
* Murphy J. (Mike) Foster – Governor of Louisiana
* Robert M. Gates – Director of Central Intelligence (CIA) and Sec’y. of Defense
* Richard A. Gephardt – U.S. Representative from Missouri, Minority Leader
* Michael Kahn – stage director, Oscar winning film editor
* William Henry Keeler – Roman Catholic Cardinal and Archbishop of Baltimore
* Dr. Alfred Kinsey – insect biologist, human behavior researcher
* John Koncak – basketball player
* Sheldon Leonard – actor, director, producer, 3 time Emmy award winner
* Steven W. Lindsey – Astronaut – He was the pilot for STS-95 when John Glenn returned to space as a Senator. He made Eagle in Troop 161 in Temple City, California.
* Gary Locke, Governor of the State of Washington, the first Chinese-American Governor in the contiguous United States, and selected as a Distinguished Eagle Scout by NESA
* James Lovell – Navy pilot and astronaut, President of National Eagle Scout Association. Flew on Gemini 7, 12 & Apollo 8, 13 At one time had seen more sunrises than any other human being
* Richard Lugar – Senator from Indiana (presidential candidate 1996)
* J. Willard Marriott, Jr. – President, Marriott Corp.
* CDR William McCool, USN – Astronaut, Pilot of U.S. Space Shuttle Columbia
* W. Walter Menninger – Physician, civil servant
* Michael Moore – Author and filmmaker, nominated for an Oscar for “Bowling for Columbine”
* Jim Mora – NFL football coach
* Oswald “Ozzie” Nelson – actor
* Sam Nunn – U.S. Senator from Georgia
* Ellison Onizuka – Astronaut aboard the U.S. Space Shuttle Challenger (deceased)
* Steve Oswald – Astronaut, Navy Rear Admiral
* Mitchell Paige – walked 200 miles to enlist in Marines on his 18th birthday in 1936, retired as a Colonel, Medal of Honor. Presented his Eagle award in 2003 after it was verified that he’d not received it in 1936 because he’d joined the Marines. (deceased)
* Steve Oswald – Astronaut, Navy Rear Admiral
* Francis J. Parater – nominated for Sainthood by Diocese of Richmond, VA. died at age 22 in 1920 in Rome, while at seminary.
* H. Ross Perot – Self-made billionaire and presidential candidate
* Rick Perry – Governor, State of Texas
* J. J. Pickle – U.S. Representative from Texas, proudly displays his Eagle plaque inside his office
* Samuel R. Pierce – Former Sec. Housing & Urban Development
* Frederick Reines – Nobel Prize winner in Physics
* Gary Rogers – Chairman and CEO of Dreyer’s Ice Cream
* Jim Rogers – CEO of Kampgrounds of America (KOA)
* Mike Rowe – Star of “Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe” on the Discovery Channel
* Donald Rumsfeld – Secretary of Defense
* Harrison Salisbury – Pulitzer Prize winning author
* James Sanderson – Vice Admiral, US Navy (Ret), Deputy Chief US Atlantic Fleet
* Dr. Benjamin Lewis Salomon – WWII Army front line surgeon & Medal of Honor recipient (deceased)
* Jeff Sessions – Senator from Alabama
* William Sessions – FBI director
* Sam Skinner – Secretary of Energy during the Bush administration and now CEO of Commonwealth Edison
* Steven Spielberg – Movie producer, from Scottsdale, AZ, made a movie of his troop while getting Photography MB. Helped to design requirements for the cinematography MB.
* Wallace Stegner – Writer and college professor, won Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for “Angle of Repose”
* Percy Sutton – Attorney, Chairman of the Board of City Broadcasting Corp.
* John Tesh – TV celebrity and pianist
* Meldrim Thomson, Jr. – 3 term governor of New Hampshire (deceased)
* Leo K. Thorsness – Vietnam War Air Force Colonel, POW, & Medal of Honor recipient
* Sam Walton – Founder, Wal-Mart (deceased)
* Togo West – Secretary of the Army and Secretary of Veterans Affairs
* Edward O. Wilson – Pellegrino University Professor and curator of entomology at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University
* Jay Zeamer Jr. – WWII Army Air Force pilot & Medal of Honor recipient (deceased)
* Elmo R. Zumwalt, Jr. – Admiral, Chief of Naval Operations
i didn’t see Bluto Blutarsky on that list.
Thank you everyone for your concern and offer to help. I will mange to do alright with the help of friends and family. Thank you weeblo I was a scout leader myself for many years and I know that Scouts can always be counted on. Some of the greatest people in the world have been Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts.
I would have made the list, but I grew-up in a community that did not have a Scout program. We did other things, and stayed out of trouble..
Ken T : Is there a Scout badge for “blogging?”
Living ‘outside the loop’ on such matters, I have no idea.
Scout-
The list of former Scouts is amazing and I have printed off copies for the boys. Anytime you want to attend a meeting, you are more than welcome. We would love to have you…male or female!
Ken – Maybe the blog doesn’t like me inserting urls within a post….anyway, nobody needs to be out of the loop in the days of technology. Scout technology badge info is available online from the comfort of Seneca County. Just type “Scout technology badge” into a Google search box. Now, if it could be just that easy to find specific information on Seneca County.
Why how kind of you.
sorry….slipped into negativity for a moment or two.
Reading the reports of the great turmoil caused by the toxic Chinese drywall prompts me to ask if any of our area “FISH FRY” events are featuring fish from the South China Sea. Chinese-caught and processed fish are being served in other Ohio communities.
It has been a long time since I have seen shrimp from anywhere other than Thailand or Hong Kong.
I came across a 1957 news item revealing that China was starting the export of a popular fish, a form of carp, called Tilapia. 52 years later it is one of the most popular items on America’s seafood menus.
Also, how much of the fish we consume today are harvested from “fish farms”? More than we’d like to know about. Most Salmon is grown in ponds in countries where there is no Pure Food and Drug Act.
As with vegetables, fresh is best with fish. Next time you hit the seafood counter, ask the store about their sources.
Speaking of vegetables – The next time you buy a bag of frozen vegetables check the country of origin. I have found veggies that have traveled from as far as China. Buying these products is a real slap-in-the-face to America’s farmers.
Trade with China doesn’t trouble me as much as their flagrant violation of pure food and drug laws does. We know what they DUMP into the drywall they are selling us! What do they DUMP into the South China sea that gives-rise to the food we eat?
The toxins and corrosive materials in Chinese drywall amounts to a subtle form of terrorism.
At the risk of arousing a sleeping Tank, we might consider the role of WalMart and other nefarious big box peddlers in enabling the Chinese manufacturing machine to produce goods at rock bottom prices at any cost to the health and well-being of the American consumer. When you add offshore food production to the retail mix, it ups the ante. Food chain terrorism is only one shipload of bad beef away. What would hungry locals eat if a mad cow outbreak shuttered the grease parlors on West Market Street?
The good news is that there is a growing movement encouraging the growth and use of organic foods in the United States. However, that must be accompanied with a complete re-education of the population about nutrition and healthy eating, especially among the young. Many schools are developing curricula to do this as early as elementary schools. If that sounds like the “nanny state” in action, so be it. American families have dropped the ball, and it is costing us a fortune in health care. Next time you pass by the local high school at lunch, witness the flight to fast food by hundreds of our kids. Also, note the size and lack of fitness among the non-athletes in the local youth population. A growing number of kids could pass for middle age. That can’t be good for them, their families, or the future of the republic.
Talk about “sleeping…..” I know everyone bangs on WalMart, but…. I can’t find a U.S. label on KROGER either. Seems to be a universal virus.
Where’s Upton Sinclair when we need him?
Excellent point Speak. The muckrakers of the progressive era used investigative journalism to prompt reform. Today, newspapers are disappearing daily. Maybe blogs like this one will fill the void. Certainly, with the greed on Wall Street and breakdown of regulation of the food industry there are many similarities between 1909 and 2009.
All of us are guilty of wanting everything we purchase for as cheap as we can get it and we justify it as free trade. Unless we want to continue our down hill slide to third world economy we might have to rethink our philosophy and be willing to pay a little more to maintain our way of life
No politician in recent memory has asked for shared national sacrifice or contribution to the greater cause. Living healthy, buying American, developing local communities could be seen as patriotic. However, narrow self-interest and “greed is good” has become a national obsession since the 80′s.
“I got mine” is the slogan from Bernie Madoff to Joe Six Pack. Maybe we should all reread the Scout Oath and make that our national philosophy.
It’s a real dilema trying to buy American. Do I buy a Japanese Honda manufactured in Ohio, or an American Chevrolet manufactured in Mexico?
Yes speak it is a dilemma of sorts and I’m not sure what out ways what the Honda built in America but the profits go to the Japanese economy and viceversa . I still think we need to object to American industry shipping our jobs over seas and then shipping there products back here to sell. Take American Standard for example There is no American Standard products made in the USA anymore and what was ones quality is now terribly poor
They may as well call it what it really is – Bulgarian Standard.
On my honor I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country
and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong,
mentally awake, and morally straight
Boy Scout Oath
Is anybody mentally aware of the 2 mill Bucyrus just got for downtown development? Tiffin Tomorrow – might want to think about selling something like unique Tiffin boxes for some hometown lunches….we can use products from Seneca County ….including produce from all the little gardens cropping up around to beat the prices at the grocery stores.
Ohio USA – Tiffin cannot include produce without permits and such – liability issues.
Some Ballreich’s chips perhaps?
Good point Scout. I just liked the term “tiffin boxes”:-) Seems like one could use it for a marketing gimick somehow.
Just read an interesting article about the Updayton Young Creatives Summit to be held on April 18 at the convention center there….planned for folks ages 18-40 to brainstorm ideas to make Dayton a better place to work, live and play. It will be interesting to see how well attended and what ideas come to fruit from it. Something of this type locally might be of benefit to those of us who are older and a bit set in our ways.
WOW….Commissioners, Mayor, and Wagner share optimism in todays A-T! That’s great news! Maybe they got the perk about the Capitol Theater restoration in Wheeling on Friday – now there’s another story about getting fired up about downtown revitalization!
A-T Breaking News…..Amazing…mayor’s optimism as published in this morning’s A-T sure was short-lived!
Seneca County #1 again…are we proud?
http://tinyurl.com/kq68a6
Will the Great Hall at Heidelberg handle the overflow of an optimistic crowd when Tiffin Tomorrow hosts their next big meeting on June 9th? It would be great to overthrow all the negativity and truly have a Tiffin for Tomorrow! Don’t you think?
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