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Area food pantry celebrates 50 years with a new name and executive director

In Economy, Food, Health, Local News, Uncategorized on July 21, 2026 at 4:16 pm

By Gery Deer

(Photo Submitted) Volunteers at the Greene County Food Pantry (formerly Greene County FISH Pantry) continue supporting the organization’s mission during its Golden Anniversary.

The Greene County FISH Pantry, now located at 774 Cincinnati Ave., began in 1976 at Christ Episcopal Church in Xenia in response to the community’s needs following the devastating F5 tornado two years earlier.

As the nonprofit celebrates its golden anniversary, it is beginning its next chapter under a new name and branding intended to clarify its purpose. The organization is retiring the longstanding FISH (Friends in Service of Humanity) name and will now operate as Greene County Food Pantry.

Although a new logo may be the most visible change, the transition goes beyond branding. The nonprofit has officially adopted Greene County Food Pantry as its legal corporate name in its Articles of Incorporation and other official 501(c)(3) records.

Rick Robertson is the pantry’s new executive director, having assumed leadership earlier this year after serving as vice chair of its Board of Directors. Robertson said the rebranding reflects what the organization has become and the community it serves.

“Our pantry serves all of Greene County, and we felt it was time to have our name and branding more closely reflect our mission,” he said.

Robertson brings nearly four decades of leadership experience spanning banking, global profitability consulting and entrepreneurship. His background in operations, compliance and financial management positions him to guide the pantry’s next phase while building on his experience as a member of the organization’s board.

The organization is also continuing equipment upgrades begun under the leadership of former Executive Director Gail Matson. The improvements are part of a broader effort to improve how food is received, stored, and distributed to people throughout Greene County.

These milestones also provide an opportunity to recognize the volunteers, donors, and community partners who sustained the pantry for five decades, and they offer a natural point to consider what will be required in the years ahead.

Today, the pantry serves more than 30,000 people annually. Handling food assistance on that scale requires receiving and inspecting products, maintaining proper storage conditions, tracking inventory, meeting food safety requirements and coordinating staff and volunteers. The goal is to create a smoother workflow from the moment a donation arrives until food is placed into the hands of someone who needs it.

Many improvements may not be immediately visible to the public, but they are essential to the pantry’s daily work. Better equipment and more consistent procedures can improve food safety, reduce unnecessary delays and help volunteers manage increasing demand more effectively. The updates are also intended to better prepare the pantry for the future as families continue to face rising grocery costs and other financial pressures.

Regardless of new branding and operational changes, the organization’s central purpose remains unchanged. It continues to provide food assistance to Greene County residents while relying heavily on community generosity. Every donation, volunteer shift and financial contribution helps the pantry serve thousands of local people each year. The organization recently received a four-star rating on “Charity Navigator,” and a Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest-rated level of credibility for a nonprofit on Candid (formerly GuideStar). The rating shows donors that an organization is outcome-driven and publicly shares its goals, strategies, and measurable, year-over-year impact metrics.

The organization’s anniversary is not only a celebration of longevity. It is a recognition of generations of Greene County residents who have helped keep the pantry stocked, staffed and available to their neighbors. With each change, the organization is working to secure its future while continuing to combat food insecurity for the next 50 years. For more information on how you can help the Greene County Food Pantry, contact Executive Director Rick Robertson by calling 937-372-8441 or emailing gcfp@gcfp.org.

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Five Decades of Family, Loyalty, and Legacy: Double Jay Construction Celebrates 50 Years

In Business, Dayton Ohio News, Uncategorized on June 18, 2026 at 5:35 pm

ENGLEWOOD, Ohio — In an industry where companies often rise and fall with the economy, Double Jay Construction has spent the last 50 years building something more durable than roads, foundations, and infrastructure projects.

The Englewood-based company, founded in 1976 as Double Jay Excavating, is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year — marking not only a milestone in business longevity, but a multi-generational family legacy rooted in hard work, trust, and loyalty.

The company became closely tied to the Blair family in 1980, when Randy Blair joined the business as its third partner. Shortly after, Blair bought out his partners and became the owner. Over the next four decades, Blair helped guide the company through periods of growth and change while helping establish Double Jay Construction as a respected name throughout southwest Ohio.

Among the company’s recent high-profile work has been involvement in ongoing development and infrastructure improvements such as the City of Miamisburg’s riverfront revitalization, Sycamore Trails Park, and improvements on Main Street in Troy, Ohio. Each of these projects is designed to enhance public access, support future economic growth, and continue transforming the areas into community centerpieces.

Company officials say projects like the Miamisburg riverfront development reflect the kind of long-term community investment Double Jay Construction has become known for over the years.

“I had the contacts and connections to help grow Double Jay and came on as a partner after leaving Dayton Construction,” Randy said. “We started out with three or four employees, but every year we got more work.”

What began primarily as an excavation business evolved over the years into a broad construction and site development company handling commercial, municipal, and infrastructure projects throughout the region. But despite the company’s growth, family leadership remained at the center of its identity.

Today, Randy’s son, Ron Blair, serves as president of Double Jay Construction, continuing the hands-on leadership style that shaped the company from the beginning. Ron worked his way through virtually every level of the organization before taking over leadership, gaining firsthand experience in field operations, project management, and estimating along the way.

“I learned the business and management side of the company from Dad and I believe a lot of what has driven me are things that I learned from him,” Ron said. “I really just like working with family and he and I always had a great working relationship.”

Randy Blair’s daughter, Nikki Blair Gates, the Human Resources and Marketing Director, also became part of the company’s leadership team after years in education and administration. She helps maintain the company’s organizational culture while maintaining the close-knit environment employees often describe as family.

“It’s been nice to get to work with my family and I’m proud to see the work that we’ve done,” Gates said. “The industry and technology have come a long way since my dad’s time and the advice to the next generation, is to explore innovation and ways to make things more efficient.”

That culture, company officials say, may be one of the biggest reasons for Double Jay Construction’s long-term success. Many employees have spent decades with the company, creating a level of institutional knowledge and loyalty that has become increasingly rare in the construction industry.

One example is Kelly Long, the company’s field superintendent, who first started working at Double Jay Construction in the 1990s at just 16 years old. Long eventually became one of its most experienced and trusted leaders in the field. “I can’t explain how much I learned the field work from Kelly,” Ron Blair explained.

Stories like Long’s are common throughout the organization, according to company leadership, reflecting a workplace culture built on mentorship, opportunity, and long-standing relationships.

Lee Overturf, Project Manager and Estimator, came aboard in 2012 as one of the newer members of the management team. “It’s a tight-knit group. There’s a lot of continuity here and the growth that I’ve witness has been impressive.” Now, a fourth generation is beginning to emerge within the business.

Evan Jones, Nikki Gates’ son and a recent graduate of the University of Cincinnati, has already spent several summers working with the company while learning the business from the ground up. Family members say his involvement represents the continuation of a legacy that spans nearly half a century.

While the company has expanded significantly since its earliest days, the Blair family says the core philosophy behind Double Jay Construction has remained remarkably consistent: work hard, treat people fairly, and build long-term professional relationships.

As Double Jay Construction celebrates 50 years in business, company leaders say the anniversary is ultimately less about looking backward and more about appreciating the people who helped build the company one project, and one relationship, at a time.

“I don’t know if I’ll still be here in fifty years, but I’d love to keep it in the family,” Ron said. “I’d just like to see it continue in the growth path that we’re on. That’s something to be proud of.”

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Debate is not conversation

In Education, Opinion, Politics, psychology, Uncategorized on June 14, 2026 at 9:08 am

Deer In Headlines

By Gery Deer

I have family members I can’t talk politics with. That’s not because they’re bad people, ignorant people, or people I don’t care about. They’re some of the smartest, hardest-working, most generous people I know. We’d help each other move furniture, fix a flat tire, or get through a family crisis without hesitation. But the moment politics enters the conversation, everything changes.

What makes it frustrating is that I’m usually not trying to change anyone’s mind. As a journalist, I’ve spent much of my career talking with people whose backgrounds, values, and beliefs differ from my own. I’ve interviewed politicians, activists, business owners, lobbyists, farmers, teachers, veterans, and everyday citizens from every imaginable perspective. My job was never to win an argument. It was to understand why people believed what they believed.

Unfortunately, that’s not always what happens around the dinner table anymore. Some people have become so hard-wired into their political identities that every discussion feels like a loyalty test. Questioning a policy suddenly becomes an attack on the tribe – or cult, depending on how you see it. Asking for clarification becomes immediate proof that you’re uninformed. Offering a different perspective becomes evidence that you’ve been misled. The conversation stops being about ideas and starts becoming about defending a team.

That’s the difference between a conversation and a debate. A conversation is an exploration. The goal is understanding. A debate is a competition. The goal is victory. Both have value in the right setting, but problems arise when people think they’re having one while participating in the other.

I’ve watched it happen countless times. Someone mentions a news story. Another person responds with an opinion. A third person offers a different interpretation. At first, everyone is simply exchanging thoughts. Then someone decides that understanding isn’t enough. Someone begins trying to prove another person wrong. The shift is subtle but unmistakable.

Questions disappear. Statements become sharper. Opinions are tossed in as facts, lobbed like verbal hand grenades. Listening becomes, well, nonexistent. Instead of learning something, people prepare rebuttals. Rather than consider another perspective, they look for weaknesses to exploit. The discussion has transformed from a conversation into a debate.

If no one recognizes what’s happening, the debate quickly deteriorates into an argument. That’s when voices rise, and interruptions begin. People assign motives rather than address ideas. You’ve probably heard the phrases before. “You only think that because…” or “You’re just saying that because…” Once those words enter the discussion, the original topic has pretty much vanished. The focus becomes defending pride, identity, and ego.

The irony is that arguments rarely – more like never – change minds but usually accomplish the opposite. The harder people push, the more firmly others cling to their existing beliefs. Nobody wants to feel cornered, embarrassed, or dismissed. Even when valid points are being made, they’re lost beneath the emotional weight of the conflict.

Some of the best conversations I’ve ever had ended with complete disagreement. Nobody switched sides. Nobody waved a white flag. Nobody declared victory. Yet both people walked away with a better understanding of how the other saw the world. That’s not failure. That’s success.

Understanding doesn’t require agreement. It doesn’t require compromise on deeply held principles. It simply requires that we recognize that intelligent people can reach different conclusions based on their experience. When we approach disagreement with curiosity instead of combativeness, we create opportunities to learn something new.

Communities depend on that ability. Families depend on it even more. If every disagreement becomes a contest, relationships eventually become casualties. People stop talking. Gatherings become tense. Entire subjects become off-limits because nobody trusts anyone else to listen.

The older I get, the less interested I am in winning debates. Winning is temporary. The satisfaction lasts about as long as the next disagreement. Understanding, however, has lasting value. It strengthens relationships, broadens perspectives, and creates opportunities for cooperation even when agreement remains impossible.

Disagreement is healthy. But what we need are fewer debates disguised as conversations. One builds bridges while the other draws battle lines. In the end, conversations create the possibility of resolution because people are working toward understanding. Debates create division because people are working toward victory. That’s a difference worth remembering.

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One Foot Out the Door

In Opinion, psychology, sociology, Uncategorized on June 14, 2026 at 9:01 am

Deer In Headlines

By Gery Deer

There’s a type of person most of us have encountered at some point in our lives, who always seemed to have one foot out the door, no matter what they were doing. Maybe they worked beside us. Maybe they were a friend, a family member, a coworker, or even a romantic partner. No matter where they showed up, they always seemed to be either not fully engaged or uncomfortable in a stable.

You know the type. They take a new job while quietly browsing openings for the next one. They join a club but never quite invest themselves in it. They enter relationships while keeping an eye on what else might be available. They volunteer, participate, contribute, and engage, but always with an invisible escape hatch nearby.

At first glance, it can look like independence. Sometimes it’s even mistaken for ambition. In certain situations, it may be both. But there’s often something else happening underneath. Commitment requires vulnerability.

To fully commit to anything, a career, a marriage, a friendship, a community organization, a creative project, or even a personal goal, means accepting uncertainty. It means risking disappointment. It means investing time, energy, emotion, and effort with no guarantee of a rewarding outcome.

For some, the risk feels unbearable. Instead, they remain halfway committed and keep their options open. They avoid becoming too attached, and if things go wrong, they weren’t “all in” from the start. Sadly, however, life rarely rewards partial investment.

A person who constantly keeps one foot out the exit often experiences only a fraction of what commitment can offer. Relationships remain shallow because trust requires consistency. Careers stall because advancement usually belongs to those willing to stay long enough to build expertise and credibility. Community involvement becomes transactional instead of meaningful because real impact takes time. I’ve seen this countless times in professional settings.

Someone joins a team and immediately starts talking about what comes next. Before they have learned the job, they are planning their departure. Before relationships can blossom at all, these types of individuals are looking for better opportunities. Before contributing anything substantial, they evaluate whether the commitment is worth their time.

All things considered, though, sometimes a change is actually necessary. Not every job deserves loyalty. Not every relationship should continue. Not every organization is healthy. Leaving can be the right decision. But there is a difference between recognizing a bad fit and living with your track shoes already laced up. One is discernment. The other is avoidance.

What fascinates me is how often people with one foot out the door believe they are protecting themselves. In reality, they may be protecting themselves from success as much as failure.

Commitment creates opportunities that are impossible with casual participation. The strongest connections are built through years of presence – showing up. The most rewarding careers are often shaped by persistence through difficult seasons. Creative accomplishments emerge from projects that survive frustration, boredom, setbacks, and self-doubt.

None of those things happens if we leave as soon as the initial excitement wears off. The older I get, the more I appreciate people who stay. I’m not referring to those who leave a bad situation or suffer abuse or dysfunction. I mean, people who stay long enough to make a difference. People who keep showing up after the novelty disappears. People who honor commitments when doing so becomes inconvenient. Those are the people who build businesses, strengthen families, sustain friendships, support communities, and create legacies.

They understand something important. Commitment is not a feeling. It is a decision repeated over and over again. Some days that decision feels easy. Other days it feels like work. Most worthwhile things eventually require us to continue long after the excitement fades.

Maybe that’s why people with one foot out the door often seem restless. They spend so much energy preparing for the next thing that they never fully experience the thing right in front of them.

Life is not lived in the exits. It happens while staying. And sometimes the most courageous thing we can do is stop looking for the door, plant both feet firmly where we are, and see what becomes possible when we finally settle in. Be present. Engage and commit.

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The Membership Fee

In Opinion, Politics, psychology, Uncategorized on June 14, 2026 at 8:56 am

Deer In Headlines

By Gery Deer

I have never been especially good at joining things. That probably sounds strange coming from someone who has spent years involved in community organizations, networking groups, and professional associations. It is not that I dislike people. I actually enjoy being around thoughtful, interesting people. What has always made me uneasy is the moment when participation quietly becomes conformity.

There always seems to be a point at which a group stops being about shared purpose and becomes about directed thinking. That is where my internal alarm system usually kicks on. Maybe that says something about me and even more about human nature.

People join things because belonging feels good. It always has. Human beings are tribal creatures. Thousands of years ago, being accepted by the tribe meant protection, food, and survival. Being rejected often meant death. That instinct never really disappeared. It just evolved. Today, we join political parties, churches, online communities, fandoms, networking groups, social movements, and fitness cultures. We’re still for connection, identity, and the comfort of knowing we belong somewhere.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Civilization itself depends on cooperation. In fact, some of the best experiences in life come from being part of something larger than us. Healthy groups can encourage people, support families during difficult times, create lifelong friendships, and accomplish meaningful things that no individual could achieve alone.

But every group has a culture, and culture shapes behavior. Sometimes that shaping is positive. Sometimes it becomes something else entirely.

Over the years, I have noticed that many organizations, movements, and belief systems eventually develop an unspoken expectation. You are not just encouraged to participate. You are expected to align. Certain opinions become mandatory. Certain phrases become part of the language. Certain viewpoints become untouchable. Once that happens, disagreement starts being treated less like conversation and more like disloyalty.

That tendency exists everywhere. Politics may be the clearest example right now. People increasingly behave less like citizens with opinions and more like extreme sports fans defending a team. Once someone puts on the jersey, every mistake by their side gets explained away while every mistake by the other side becomes proof of evil, corruption, or stupidity.

Religion can often fall into the same trap. So can activism. So can corporations. Social media communities do it constantly. Even harmless hobbies sometimes develop their own strange culture where questioning the accepted thinking feels like breaking some unwritten law.

And the internet has poured gasoline on all of it. Social media rewards unqualified certainty, outrage, and extremist tribal behavior. Algorithms do not care whether people are thoughtful. Algorithms operate from engagement. Anger and hateful sentiments always spread faster than kindness or nuance. Slogans travel farther than complicated ideas. The loudest voices usually rise to the top, while quieter, more thoughtful conversations fade into the background.

What worries me is how easily intelligent people can start outsourcing their thinking to the groups they belong to. History is filled with examples of otherwise reasonable people following movements, leaders, and ideologies far beyond the point where common sense should have applied the brakes.

That is the real danger of drinking the Kool-Aid. It usually does not happen all at once. Most people do not wake up one morning and decide to stop thinking for themselves. It happens slowly. A little compromise here. A little silence there. Before long, people are defending things they would have questioned a few years earlier simply because the group expects them to.

Still, there is another side to this conversation. A person who refuses to join anything at all can become isolated, cynical, and disconnected from the world around them. Independence is healthy. Isolation is not. It is easy to stand outside every system and criticize the people inside it. It is much harder to participate while still maintaining your critical thinking and the ability to ask uncomfortable questions.

Maybe that is the balance we should aim for. Join things. Build community. Support causes. Believe in something larger than yourself. Just do not hand over your mind in exchange for membership. A healthy group should never require you to stop being an individual in order to belong.

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Rising AI Addiction

In Opinion, sociology, Technology, Uncategorized on June 14, 2026 at 8:48 am

Deer In Headlines

By Gery Deer

A few years ago, people worried that artificial intelligence would eventually replace human workers. Today, another possibility is emerging, and it may arrive long before robot uprisings or mass unemployment. More and more people are becoming emotionally and psychologically dependent on AI systems that never sleep, never argue, never get bored, and never stop responding.

That dependence does not always look dramatic. It rarely begins with obsession. It starts innocently, usually disguised as productivity or curiosity. Someone asks an AI chatbot to summarize an article. Then they ask it to explain a difficult topic. Soon, they are discussing politics, relationships, career frustrations, or private fears with software designed to keep conversations going as long as possible. Hours disappear.

People increasingly report losing track of time while interacting with AI tools. A quick question becomes an evening of conversation. A work assignment turns into endless prompt refinement. Students claim they are researching while actually drifting through AI-generated distractions that feel productive without accomplishing much. The machine always has another answer, another idea, another response waiting instantly. Human beings have never encountered technology quite like this.

Television entertained audiences. Social media captured attention. Smartphones made distraction portable. Artificial intelligence combines all of those features while adding something far more powerful: interaction. AI responds directly to emotions, language, interests, and insecurities. It creates the illusion that someone is listening carefully, even when no actual understanding exists behind the screen.

That illusion matters because people are wired to seek validation, reassurance, and escape from discomfort. AI delivers all three immediately. Feeling lonely? The chatbot responds warmly. Feeling insecure? The chatbot encourages you. Feeling overwhelmed? The chatbot simplifies complicated decisions. Real human relationships require patience, compromise, and emotional effort. AI companions require almost nothing. For some users, that convenience can quietly become dependency.

Teenagers may be especially vulnerable because their social identities are still developing. Adults facing isolation, anxiety, or depression may also find AI interaction easier than navigating difficult human relationships. Employees working remotely can spend entire days communicating more with machines than with coworkers. Over time, the distinction between healthy use and compulsive reliance becomes increasingly blurred. There is another concern receiving far less public attention: the erosion of silence and reflection.

For generations, boredom served an important psychological purpose. Quiet moments allowed people to process emotions, reflect on problems, and develop independent thoughts. Waiting rooms, walks, and long drives once provided mental breathing space. Today, every pause can instantly be filled with AI interaction. Questions no longer remain unanswered. Uncertainty no longer lingers. The machine is always available to entertain, reassure, or distract. That may sound harmless, but constant stimulation changes behavior.

Researchers already know excessive social media use can affect sleep, attention spans, anxiety levels, and emotional health. Artificial intelligence could intensify those effects because it feels personal. Unlike scrolling through videos or reading random posts, AI systems simulate conversation and emotional engagement. They can mirror language patterns, reinforce beliefs, and encourage users to continue interacting. The long-term consequences remain largely unknown.

That uncertainty alone should concern parents, educators, employers, and policymakers. Society embraced social media long before understanding its psychological impact, particularly on younger users. By the time researchers recognized the extent of the damage, billions of people had already integrated those platforms into daily life. Artificial intelligence is advancing even faster, while public understanding remains dangerously limited.

None of this means AI should be feared or rejected entirely. Artificial intelligence can improve medical research, education, accessibility, and workplace efficiency. Used responsibly, it can become a valuable tool. The problem begins when tools evolve into substitutes for attention, relationships, creativity, or emotional resilience.

People should begin setting boundaries now rather than wait for future studies to confirm the obvious. Limiting recreational AI use, protecting device-free time, encouraging in-person relationships, and teaching digital self-awareness may become essential habits in the years ahead.

The greatest danger may not be that artificial intelligence becomes more human. It may be that humans gradually become less connected, less reflective, and less able to exist without constant digital reinforcement. Such existence diminishes us. Getting lost in a digital world only makes the real one harder to deal with if and when you ever come out of it.

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Jamestown Café Launches First Website, Bringing Online Ordering and Community Updates to Customers

In Business, Local News, Uncategorized on June 8, 2026 at 1:59 pm

By Gery Deer

(JAMESTOWN) — One of Jamestown’s newest small-business success stories is taking another step forward.

Jamestown Cafe⁠ has launched its first-ever website, giving customers a new way to stay connected with the downtown café while making it easier to learn about menu offerings, hours, events, specials, and online ordering opportunities.  

The new site serves as a digital front door for the café, which has quickly become a gathering place in downtown Jamestown since opening in 2025. Visitors can browse menu items, learn about the café’s story, view operating hours, find contact information, and stay informed about upcoming events and seasonal offerings.  

Owner Ashley Mannier said the website represents another milestone in the café’s continued growth and its commitment to serving the community.

Located at 9 W. Washington St., the café occupies a restored historic downtown building that Mannier and her family transformed from a vacant storefront into a welcoming neighborhood destination. Since opening, the business has become known for specialty coffee drinks, breakfast and brunch selections, sandwiches, pastries, and baked goods served in an atmosphere that celebrates local history and community connections.  

The Jamestown Cafe‘s new website provides online ordering and updates on hours, and new drink, and food item information.

The website, developed by Ryan Patt Solutions, in Jamestown, allows customers to quickly check current hours, view menu offerings, and learn about featured items ranging from breakfast paninis and specialty coffee drinks to sandwiches and bakery selections. The online platform also provides a central location for announcements about new menu additions, special promotions, and community events hosted by the café.  

For customers who rely on social media for updates, the website complements the café’s existing Facebook and Instagram presence while offering a more permanent and easily accessible source of information. Future updates are expected to include expanded online ordering features, event notifications, and regular announcements about new drinks, sandwiches, baked goods, and seasonal specialties.  

The launch reflects a growing trend among small-town businesses investing in professional online presences to better serve customers and provide convenient access to information outside regular business hours. For Jamestown Café, it offers another way to strengthen the connection between the business and the community it was created to serve.

Those interested in learning more about the café, viewing menu options, checking hours, or staying informed about upcoming specials and events can visit the new website at thejamestowncafe.com.  

The café is open Wednesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.  

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Back to the Keys: Xenia Library Events Celebrate the Enduring Legacy of the Typewriter

In Books, Business, Children and Family, Dayton Ohio News, Education, history, Technology, Uncategorized on May 26, 2026 at 11:00 am

The Greene County Public Library and GLD Communications are teaming up to celebrate National Typewriter Day with two public events later this month at the Xenia Community Library, combining history, writing, and hands-on experiences centered around one of the most influential communication tools ever created.

The first event, “Typewriters in the 21st Century,” will take place Tuesday, June 23, at 6:30 p.m. at the library. The presentation will be led by award-winning journalist, author, and typewriter enthusiast Gery Deer of Jamestown-based GLD Communications. According to event organizers, the program will explore the continuing relevance of typewriters in a modern digital world and examine their role in shaping communication, journalism, business, and creative writing.

A second event, a public “Type-In,” is scheduled for Saturday, June 27, from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m., giving participants the opportunity to bring their own typewriters or try a variety of machines supplied by collectors and enthusiasts. Organizers say the event is designed to create a relaxed, social atmosphere where visitors can experience writing in a slower, more tactile way while learning about the machines and the culture surrounding them.

Melissa Fasanella, Head Librarian at the Xenia Community Library, believes the “analog lifestyle” has really made a comeback in 2026. “This year our Library started a puzzle exchange, by customer request, that’s been popular for those who want to take a puzzle home or to give new opportunities to others to assemble puzzles they have already put together at home and want to give to us for reuse,” she said.  

SEE THE VIDEO INTERVIEW HERE

“We’ve also seen several items that we loan out such as pickleball kits, telescopes, birdwatching kits, etc. circulate well this year so far as individuals and families are rediscovering more ‘unplugged’ hobbies.”

Deer added that the programs are intended to be about more than nostalgia. “With these events, we’re celebrating, not the machine so much, as what it represented and its relevance in the 21st Century,” he said. “The typewriter provided women with an opportunity to join the professional office workplace; it enabled the mass production of important legal documents and correspondence, and much more.”

“The typewriter was the forerunner of most of our modern communication equipment,” Deer said. “We still use the same QWERTY keyboard invented for the first typewriters on virtually every communications device.” He added that many people are rediscovering typewriters as a way to slow down and reconnect with focused creativity.

“And for the writer and general public alike, they’re getting a chance to disconnect and unplug from the digital noise that invades every part of our lives,” Deer said. Also participating in the type-in event will be TB Writers Plus, the only typewriter sales and service company in the region, run by Trevor Brumfield and Becca Brumfield. The business will have some typewriters on hand for attendees to try out, along with information on how to buy one.

National Typewriter Day is observed annually to recognize the invention and cultural impact of the typewriter, a technology widely credited with revolutionizing business communication, journalism, publishing, and office work throughout the late 19th and 20th centuries. While largely replaced by computers decades ago, typewriters have experienced a resurgence among writers, artists, students, and collectors who appreciate their mechanical simplicity and distraction-free writing experience.

The June 23 presentation is free and open to the public, though registration is encouraged through the library’s online event calendar. Organizers said the June 27 Type-In will also be open to the public and welcoming to both longtime enthusiasts and people who have never used a typewriter before.

Typewriters in the 21st Century Free Registration: https://greenelibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/69cac953491b809c6f23e6e0

National Typewriter Day Celebration Type-In Free Registration: https://greenelibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/69cfa70366c3387a9d05ae9b

Additional information and registration details are available through the Greene County Public Library website, www.greenelibrary.info, and the library’s online events calendar.

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Xenia Community Library presents, Typewriters in the 21st Century with Gery Deer

In Local News, Technology, Uncategorized on May 5, 2026 at 6:56 pm

In celebration of National Typewriter Day, June 23rd, join writer and typewriter enthusiast Gery Deer as he explores the typewriter’s resurgence and modern-day relevance.

Join writer and typewriter enthusiast Gery Deer at 6:30 PM at the Xenia Community Library for “Typewriters in the 21st Century,
an engaging one-hour program exploring the surprising resurgence and modern-day relevance of the typewriter. Drawing on his experience as a working writer and collector, Deer will share insights into why people are returning to analog tools in a digital world, how typewriters can enhance productivity and creativity, and what makes them uniquely appealing in the 21st century.

In an age dominated by touchscreens and artificial intelligence, the typewriter remains an enduring symbol of creativity, focus, and craftsmanship. But beyond nostalgia, these mechanical marvels continue to serve a meaningful role for writers, collectors, and professionals today.

Some of Gery Deer’s vintage typewriter collection – the newest is a 1964 Royal Safari (bottom right, blue). Deer uses the machines in his everyday work as a writer and creative director to help reduce digital fatigue and distractions.

Attendees will learn about the history and evolution of typewriters, their practical uses today, and the growing community of enthusiasts who keep these machines alive. The program also includes a discussion on collecting, maintaining, and using vintage typewriters, along with personal stories from Deer’s own journey.

Whether you’re a writer, history buff, collector, or simply curious about life beyond the keyboard, this program offers a thoughtful and inspiring look at how archaic technology continues to shape modern expression.

About The Presenter: Gery Deer is an award-winning journalist, producer, and the creative director of GLD Communications, where he leads strategic storytelling and media production for a wide range of clients. With decades of experience in print, digital, and broadcast media, Deer has built a reputation for compelling, thoughtful content that connects with audiences across platforms.

He is a current columnist and contributor for multiple regional publications, including the Xenia Daily Gazette, where his work often explores culture, community, and the human experience. Deer also serves as the editor and publisher of The Jamestown Comet, an independent online news and commentary publication focused on local issues, features, and informed perspectives.

Deer is a passionate typewriter enthusiast and collector, bringing a unique blend of historical appreciation and modern insight to his presentations. His engaging style and depth of knowledge make him a sought-after speaker on writing, media, and the enduring relevance of analog tools in a digital age.

Full information and free registration online: https://greenelibrary.bibliocommons.com/events/69cac953491b809c6f23e6e0

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Four Stars Is Enough

In Local News, Opinion, Uncategorized on May 3, 2026 at 11:35 am

Deer In Headlines
By Gery Deer

Modern society has developed a strange habit of seeking approval from people who often have no stake, no expertise, and no genuine interest in what they are judging. We have turned everyday life into a performance staged for an invisible audience armed with star ratings and comment boxes. The irony is that most of the people who hand out these ratings are just as unqualified as those receiving them, yet we treat their opinions as if they were carved into stone.

Somewhere along the way, we decided that five stars should be the goal, the standard, and the measure of a life well lived. But five stars is a fantasy. Real life is messy, inconsistent, and rarely perfect, no matter how carefully we curate it for public consumption. And yet, we chase that perfect rating as if it will unlock some hidden validation that finally tells us we are enough.

The truth is far less dramatic. You can earn five stars online and still feel empty the moment the notification fades. Nothing about your actual life changes because someone you will never meet clicked a rating on a screen. We have mistaken attention for value and validation for truth.

If you step back for a moment, it becomes clear how absurd it all is. Why are we letting strangers—whose only qualification is a profile picture and a scrolling thumb—decide how we feel about ourselves? The answer is uncomfortable: because we have built systems that reward approval over authenticity. And once approval becomes the currency, we stop asking whether it is worth anything.

Perhaps the healthier standard is not perfection, but sufficiency. A four-star life acknowledges effort, imperfection, growth, and honesty without demanding applause from people who do not know the work behind the scenes. In the end, maybe four stars is not a compromise, but a liberation—a reminder that our worth is not determined by strangers tapping glass. It is determined by how we show up when no one is watching, by how we treat others in quiet moments, and by whether we can look at ourselves with honest acceptance.

The obsession with public approval has turned many lives into performances instead of experiences. We post instead of living, we curate instead of connecting, and we measure instead of finding meaning. There is a quiet relief in deciding that enough is enough—that not every moment needs applause, not every effort needs validation, and not every choice needs a rating.

Life becomes lighter when we stop outsourcing our self-worth to algorithms and anonymous judges. The most honest score we will ever receive is the one we give ourselves after reflection. And that score does not need to be perfect to be meaningful.

So instead of chasing five stars, maybe we should aim for something far more human: consistency, kindness, effort, and integrity. Those are harder to rate, but easier to live with. When we strip away the noise of online approval, we often find that what matters has been in front of us all along—a quiet life, well lived, not perfectly, but honestly.

That is the real measure, not stars or likes, but substance. And substance does not require applause to exist. If we can accept that truth, we free ourselves from an exhausting pursuit of approval that never truly satisfies, and we return to something steadier, more grounded, and far more real: a life measured not by strangers, but by our own honest standards.

In that space, four stars is not a downgrade, but clarity. Clarity that we are allowed to be imperfect and still be whole. The world will continue to rate everything it sees, but we do not have to participate in every judgment.

We can choose instead to live beyond the rating system and rediscover what it means to be enough without external confirmation. That choice is quiet, but powerful, and it begins when we finally stop asking strangers for permission to be ourselves.

We can live more freely when we decide that our value is not a public vote, but a private truth built from daily actions, intentions, and quiet integrity—beyond the screen and beyond the noise of judgment itself.