This morning is the first Wednesday of the month and the wind is howling fiercely outside. At noon our tornado siren should sound. This is always the test day every month. I guess we can’t complain as we have had some pretty nice days already this winter.
Lion Larry Herron and I went over to Ouabache State Park and dismantled the Zanesville Lions display on Monday. The only things left are some large parts that my grandson will use his pickup for.
Now comes the chore of getting all the components of Christmas stored. It was all worth it as the lights at the park and the town lights raised our spirits a lot. Thanks to all of you who displayed. No I do not have the Lighting Contest winners ready to announce yet but hopefully by next column.
I need to report that the two houses that had vandalism to their lights were judged before some of the displays were torn apart.
The Zanesville Lions need your help to keep an eye on the park that we supply for the community. There have been several cases of vandalism this past year but one just happened within the last few weeks. Someone drove their car or truck in the grassy area south of the pavilion. It looks like they were heading for the basketball court. They got stuck in the wet grass and ripped up lots of turf and left large ruts before getting out. We have no clue as to who it was but if you know anything about this let us know. Randy Frick will not be pleased as we will have to get the yard in order for spring mowing. Thanks to Randy as he does our mowing as a favor.
The Lions still have apple dumplings for sale at $2 each. They are cooked and ready to microwave and come with caramel topping. Call me at 638-4327.
The Lions have a few more fundraisers coming up. Look on our Facebook page or give me a call. The Club will be meeting at 6:30 tonight, Jan. 10, at the clubhouse at 3088 W VanHorn St. We do not have a program as we have lots of things to discuss for the year 2022. We need new members, so if you are interested in what we do, come on over.
Wells County lost a fun guy when on Dec. 19 at Woodcrest in Decatur Patrick “Pat” Carrico passed away.
Pat never knew a stranger. I first met him at Ellenberger’s sales. He later would told me he had been reading my column and in that column found out that Darrel Botts was my half-brother. He told me that Darrel was his teacher at Battleground. When I ask Darrel if he remembered a kid named Pat Carrico. He replied with a great big smile, “Do I ever! I had him set in the corner many times. He was case!”
Darrel had enrolled in Purdue University right after he came home from WWII. He took his wife Jane and small daughter to live in a very small trailer house in Battleground.
They made trips home many times to pick up meat from the farm. Sometimes they took me back with them for a couple days. Darrel drove a funny looking car called a Terraplane. Little Sandy would sleep in the back window all the way home.
His first teaching job was at Battleground and then he came back to Wells County to teach at East Union Center. He was at East Union when I was in high school in 1954.
Darrel left his teaching career to be vice-president of a wire die company in Waynedale that is now called Fort Wayne Metals and is one of the most prestigious companies in Fort Wayne.
Leaving that job he went on to be in involved in other companies all over the country retiring in South Bend. He said he had to come back to “God’s Country.”
Check the Zanesville Church’s websites for happenings.
Condolences to the Roy Adkins family of Zanesville at the death of Roy’s sister Sharon Ann Adkins of Warren. Sharon passed at the age of 74 on Dec. 26.
