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Archive for the ‘Holiday’ Category

Remember this July 4th: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving

In Children and Family, Education, Health, Holiday, National News, Uncategorized on July 1, 2014 at 7:02 pm

bottlekeysXenia – The Fourth of July is a favorite American holiday filled with fun, food, fireworks, friends and family. But celebrating can quickly turn to tragedy when people choose to drive after drinking. The Greene County Safe Communities Coalition is urging everyone to plan ahead this Independence Day. Designate a sober driver ahead of time.

“The Fourth of July festivities can be so much fun,” said Laurie Fox, Safe Communities Coordinator. “People make plans for the partying, but too many drivers don’t plan ahead to get home safely.” In all 50 States and the District of Columbia, it is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 grams per deciliter (g/dL) or higher. Even if you’ve had a couple of drinks, you shouldn’t drive. “We’ve seen that too many drivers around Greene County think that it’s OK to drive ‘buzzed.’ The truth is you don’t have to be completely wasted to get arrested for drunk driving. Remember: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.”

Statistics from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) paint a grim picture of the effect drunk driving has on America. NHTSA reports that there were 10,322 fatalities involving drunk driving in 2012, accounting for 31 percent of the total motor vehicle traffic deaths for that year. That equals about one alcohol-impaired-driving death every 51 minutes.

Drunk driving fatalities are high year-round, but they typically spike during holidays like the Fourth of July. During the Independence Day holiday in 2012 (which ran from 6 p.m. July 3 to 5:59 p.m. July 5), 179 people were killed in motor vehicle crashes, and of these, 78 (44%) died in crashes involving at least one driver or motorcycle operator with a BAC of .08 or higher. Unfortunately 2012 wasn’t a fluke; from 2008-2012, among all crash fatalities around the Fourth of July, 40 percent—on average—involved drunk
drivers.

Certain drivers are more likely than others to drive drunk. Younger drivers (ages 18 to 34) are consistently over represented in fatal alcohol-impaired-driving crashes. In 2012, almost half (46%) of the young drivers killed in crashes had a BAC of .08 or higher.

Compared to car and truck drivers, motorcycle operators are also over represented in the disturbing statistics from NHTSA: in 2012 fatal crashes, 27 percent of motorcycle operators were impaired.

Nighttime (6pm to 5:59am) driving is particularly dangerous because of drunk drivers—and the July 4th holiday is no exception. During the July 4th holiday period in 2012, the rate of alcohol impairment among drivers involved in fatal crashes was almost 2.5 times higher at night than during the day.

“Here’s what we want people to understand,” said Fox. “Alcohol not only impairs your ability to drive, it impairs your judgment about whether you can or should drive. Sure, you may think you’re ‘fine’, but you’re not. The best thing to keep in mind is simply: Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving.” Prevent drunk driving by only driving completely sober.

Follow these simple tips for a safe Fourth of July:

• Plan a safe way home before the fun begins;
• Before drinking, designate a sober driver;
• If you’re impaired, use a taxi, call a sober friend or family member, or use public transportation so you are sure to get home safely;
• If you see a drunk driver on the road, don’t hesitate to contact local law enforcement; and
• Remember, Buzzed Driving is Drunk Driving. If you know people who are about to drive or ride while impaired, take their keys and help them make other arrangements to get to where they are going safely.

The Greene County Combined Health District is a Safe Communities grantee of the Ohio Department of Public Safety Ohio State Highway Patrol-Traffic Safety Division. To contact Greene County Safe Communities, please call 937-374-5669 or email lfox@gcchd.org. More information on avoiding impaired driving can be found at www.trafficsafetymarketing.gov.

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Crafters Lodge to host two-day t-shirt quilt workshop

In Business, Children and Family, Education, Entertainment, Health, Holiday, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, Uncategorized on April 16, 2014 at 1:20 pm

CLLOGOSugarcreek Twp., OH – Nearly every event a student attends as he or she goes through school is commemorated by a t-shirt. Crafters Lodge in Sugarcreek Township, is providing a two-day course on transforming those keepsake tees into a cherished family heirloom – the t-shirt quilt.

On Sunday April 27th and Sunday May 4th, Crafters Lodge, located at 6056 Wilmington Pike, just behind Fazoli’s, will host a t-shirt quilting class. The two-day class will provide complete instruction, from start to finish, for a fee of $35 for both days, not including materials. Participants must purchase their own supplies and costs vary based on the materials chosen.

A t-shirt quilt is made up of the artwork from cherished t-shirts commemorating everything from a student’s first day of school or high school prom to concerts and extracurricular events. The artwork is cut from the fronts and backs of the shirts and sewn together to make a quilt. Jo Beth Bryant is co-owner of Crafters Lodge.

“Registered students should stop by the store at least two or three days prior to the first class for instruction on how to prep the T-shirts,” Bryant says. “Having the shirts prepped prior to class will allow the student to begin the layout and design process sooner and thus finish the quilt in a shorter amount of time.”

Teaching the upcoming class is life-long needleworker, Wendy Crawford. A veteran of 4-H and Girl Scout sewing competitions, Crawford started making baby quilts while in junior high school.  She turned to hand quilting after inheriting a quilter’s estate and is now a certified Gammill (Long Arm) operator with more than 350 quilts under her belt. Today, she enjoys sharing her knowledge with the local community after an absence from teaching.

Crafters Lodge opened in September of 2013 and offers high-end supplies and expertise to the serious crafter. In addition to the t-shirt quilting course, the store also offers classes in fiber arts (knitting, weaving, tatting, etc.), tole painting, stained glass and more.

Registration for the t-shirt quilting class is limited and participants are required to bring their own sewing machines. Crafters Lodge is open Tuesday through Saturday 11:00 am to 8:00pm, Sunday noon to 6:00 pm and closed on Monday. For more information and a schedule of classes, visit the store’s website, http://www.crafterslodge.com or call (937) 470-2649.

 

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Local writers read in Beatnik Cafe at Books and Co. Feb 14

In Books, Children and Family, Dayton Ohio News, Entertainment, Holiday, Local News, Uncategorized on February 13, 2014 at 6:02 pm

WOWA_VAL_BEATNIK_POSTERBeavercreek, OH – Beginning at 7 pm on Valentine’s Day, Friday, February 14th, author members of the Western Ohio Writers Association (WOWA) will take the microphone at Books & Co. to present their popular, “Beatnik Café” event. Titled “Sweet Fire of Love,” the event features writers from all genres will perform through short works of fiction and poetry. The event is free and open to the public.

The live reading pays homage to the hole-in-the-wall poetry clubs of the 1960′s, but with a more modern style. Reading aloud from original work, each writer will take the stage for 10 to 12 minutes, dazzling audiences with short stories, poetry or who knows what.

WOWA_Beatnik_Dec_2013_4Greene County native, Gery L. Deer is the co-founder and executive director of the organization. A professional freelance journalist, editorial columnist and commercial writer, he started WOWA in October of 2008. “WOWA was intended to provide a regular resource for peer critique, educational programs and networking opportunities to local writers of all genres, both amateur and professional,” he says.

“Annual workshops are held all around the country, with two of the most well-known right here in the Miami Valley. But for most writers to thrive that type of support needs to come on a more regular basis,” Deer says. “Our group consists of professional writers and editors, college professors and everyone is ready and willing to offer help, a fresh eye and, sometimes more importantly, an honest opinion about the quality of the work – good or bad.”

WOWA Logo 2Writers come from all around the region – southwest central Ohio, eastern Indiana and northern Kentucky – to attend monthly critique sessions, educational lectures and write-in events. Meetings are held on the first Thursday of the month at the Event Connections, 4140 Linden Ave. in Dayton, near the intersection of US 35 and Woodman Drive. Details at the group’s website, http://www.westernohiowriters.org.

Watch the video interview with co-founder, Barbara Deer on WDTN-TV2’s, LIVING DAYTON program …

October 2013 marked the organization’s fifth anniversary and these talented scribes definitely have plenty to celebrate. In addition to the many individual members who have been published on their own, in May of this year eleven of them were featured in an anthology titled, “Flights of Fiction,” produced by GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing and published by Handcar Press (ISBN: 978-0-9885289-4-9). The book features stories set in and around the southwest Ohio region and is available in print and electronic formats from the WOWA website as well as Amazon and BN.com.

The Beatnik Café is a family-friendly, free, public presentation of WOWA and GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing. Books & Co. is located at 4453 Walnut St. at The Greene in Beavercreek. For more information, go online to www.westernohiowriters.org or call (937) 902-4857.

Follow the WOWA on Facebook and Twitter.

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Horror author sets December tour in Greene County

In Books, Entertainment, Holiday, Local News, Print Media, Uncategorized on December 11, 2013 at 12:29 pm

howtosaveaworld-bookshot1GREENE COUNTY, OH – Beavercreek author Carl S. Plumer has been a writer since childhood, beginning with his own, single-issue newspaper. Now with the release of his second work of apocalyptic fiction, “How To Save A World From Dying: A Demon Apocalypse Love Story,” Plumer is visiting local bookstores in December to read, sign and talk about his journey from cub reporter to novelist.

Plumer will be visiting two Greene County bookstores beginning at 3:00 p.m. on Saturday December 7, with Dark Star Books, 247 Xenia Ave. in Yellow Springs. On December 14th, from 2-4:00 p.m., he will stop by Blue Jacket Books, 30 S. Detroit St. in Xenia. Each event will include a reading from the novels, question and answer time and of course an autograph session.

The second in his series of, “Apocalypse Love Stories,” his newest novel is a loose collection of stories with different characters, plots, and locations. All share the same mash-up of horror, comedy, and love. Plumer said he wanted to inject some humor in to his favorite genre and, with the first book, wrote the title first, setting the stage for a new collection of horror.

Author Carl S. Plumer

Author Carl S. Plumer

“I’m a fan of horror movies and books; I love getting scared,” Plumer said. “When I first started writing, all of my characters (spoiler alert) died at the end. I think because I couldn’t figure out how to end the story, not because I was trying to write horror.” Plumer noted that there really is an important message he wants to convey to his readers, even amid all of the blood, gore and humor.

“I put my characters into dire situations – apocalypses; as bad as things get. But they rise above extreme adversity with grace, dignity, and a sense of humor. The plot may be adventure with a bit of gross horror, but my message is, ‘Carry on, regardless.’ Chin up, chest out, you know? It’s the British side of my ancestry.”

“Plus, I thought death made my stories seem cool,” he noted. “Turns out horror mashed with humor is where I’m most at home.” His first book, “Mad About Undead You: A Zombie Apocalypse Love Story,” has been on shelves for about a year. His third is planned for July 2014. Plumer’s books are released by Someday Press.

Both of Plumer’s current titles will be available for purchase at the events. For more information on his appearances and a complete synopsis of both novels, visit the author’s website at www.carlplumer.com. Watch for Carl S. Plumer on the WDTN-TV2 daytime program, Living Dayton, at noon, Wednesday, December 4th.

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Small Town Christmas returns to Jamestown, December 6 and 7.

In Charities, Children and Family, Entertainment, Holiday, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, Theatre, Uncategorized on November 19, 2013 at 6:33 pm
Jamestown ca. 1913: It may not look like this anymore, but Jamestown, Ohio residents bring back the days of old with this year's Small Town Christmas celebration Dec. 6 and 7.

Jamestown ca. 1913: It may not look like this anymore, but Jamestown, Ohio residents bring back the days of old with this year’s Small Town Christmas celebration Dec. 6 and 7.

JAMESTOWN – A Small Town Christmas celebration returns once again this year to Jamestown beginning Friday, December 6th at 5:30 p.m., downtown, with the Sensations show choir. At 6:30, the official town Christmas tree lighting will kick off a parade and the arrival of Santa Claus. Festivities continue through Saturday evening. Here is a general rundown of events:

Friday, December 6:

St. Augustine Catholic Church, 44 E. Washington St., is hosting a holiday bazaar and chicken noodle dinner from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.

Saturday, December 7:

Santa returns to visit with children beginning at 11 a.m., downtown at his cottage.

The Senior Citizen Center (located in the back of the Jamestown Opera House) and many businesses will be hosting open house hours beginning at 9 in the morning.

Arts and craft fair Saturday December 7, from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Jamestown Opera House, 19 N. Limestone Street. Vendor space is still available, $25 for a 6-foot table. Contact Sandy Williams for details at (937) 675-7141. There will also be vendors inside the Phoenix Restaurant, 13 E. Washington Street.

Several area churches are hosting bazaars beginning at 9 a.m. including Jamestown United Methodist Church and the Jamestown Presbyterian Church. St. Augustine Catholic Church will host a Tyke Shop and at 1:30 p.m., an “Old Bag” auction as well.

From 6-8p.m., the Xenia Hospitality Chorus will perform at the Jamestown Opera House.

No events are scheduled for Sunday. For more information on specific venues, contact the organization hosting the event. Complete event fliers are available from the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce website, jtchamber.com.

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Long holiday season diminishes purpose

In Entertainment, Holiday, Media, Opinion, Uncategorized on November 13, 2013 at 7:13 pm

DIH LOGOMaybe it’s because I’m getting older, but I really don’t understand the concept of having the Christmas holiday season start before the last kid has knocked on the door and yelled, “Trick or treat.” Yet, every year, its arrival seems to advance a few more days.

From artificial Christmas trees to holiday-themed tableware, it all hits the shelves even as parents are still helping the kids carve a Jack-O-Lantern. Then, as if signaled by the dousing of porch lights after Beggars’ Night, municipal workers swiftly hang garland and lamp post banners cheerfully lettered with the bland and ever faith-neutral greeting, “Happy Holidays,” so as to avoid offending anyone.

To cash in on early shoppers this year, Walmart announced it would open at 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day, no doubt in response to the flood of competitors who started opening early last season.  Over the last couple of years, many department stores were criticized for allegedly forcing employees to work on national holidays, supposedly threatening them with dismissal if they failed to show up.

It’s hard to criticize the merchant companies, however, because if people weren’t lining up around the block to get in, they wouldn’t bother opening early. Clearly, shoppers want to get in on the best deals as early as possible and store management simply met their demands. Of course, it’d be easy enough to argue that people wouldn’t do that if merchants weren’t enticing them with exceptional savings. So who is really to blame? I’d say it looks like the fault lies equally with both parties.

Even so, last year some employees went on strike, for lack of a better description, and refused to work on Thanksgiving and Christmas. Many lost their jobs when they didn’t show up for the new holiday shifts, despite intervention by civil liberties supporters.

No one wants to have to work on a holiday unnecessarily. But, and not to be too blunt about it, if you’re going to work a retail job, there are certain responsibilities that come with that – like it or not. An ever-changing, irregular work schedule is probably one of the most common aspects of a retail sales job and if that’s a deal-breaker, you may need to find some other line of work.

So why are more and more retailers backing up the shopping season? Mostly retailers are trying to cash in on a higher volume of sales and make some kind of effort to steer consumers away from online competitors.

Over the last five or six years, holiday purchases have become increasingly Internet based. Many web-savvy shoppers find it far more rewarding and easier to just point and click, even taking advantage of free shipping, gift wrap and last-minute delivery offered by online retailers like Amazon and eBay.

Perhaps you’ve also noticed that TV networks and radio stations are in on the backward rush to ring in the merry season. Networks like Hallmark Channel and Lifetime began showing Christmas-themed movies and television show episodes during the first week of November. Locally, one of the best multi-genre radio stations for in the Dayton, Ohio market, Mix 107.7, has already started playing 24-hour Christmas music.

It’s not that there’s anything wrong with celebrating, or even getting into the spirit of the season a bit early, but doesn’t all this commercialism and dragging out the festivities diminish the purpose of having a holiday? After all it is a – “Holy Day” – holiday; not a holi-month, or holi-quarter. Even Hanukkah has been lumped in with Thanksgiving this year; the whole thing is just becoming a blur of shopping and pointless present-buying.

Maybe it’s time we slow down a bit and think about the point of all of this. This season shouldn’t be about endless shopping or nonstop Christmas media. Whatever your plans may be, remember to reflect on the meaning of the holidays, especially Thanksgiving. Religious or not, be thankful for whatever prosperity you have and share it with those less fortunate however possible. That’s what Christmas is all about.

 

Deer In Headlines author, Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines author, Gery L. Deer

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s “Living Dayton” program. More at http://www.deerinheadlines.com