Dayton Most Metro

Five Rivers MetroParks’ 2nd Street Market will reopen outdoors on a much smaller scale this Saturday, May 30, so the public can buy fresh produce, meat and dairy from local farmers. The Market is located at 600 E. Second St. in downtown Dayton.

Until further notice, the Market will be open only on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., rain or shine. Shopping from 10 to 10:30 a.m. is reserved for vulnerable populations — those who have compromised immune systems and/or are age 65 and older.

Shoppers will need to plan ahead, as a number of precautions will be in place to slow the spread of COVID-19.

The outdoor-only Market can accommodate a limited number of vendors. Most vendors will be set up outdoors on the south side of the Market building. One dairy and one meat vendor will be set up outdoors on the northwest side of the building. The Market’s prepared food and artisan vendors have not yet reopened.

All shoppers must enter at the east end of the Market’s south parking lot and exit at the west end. A limited number of people will be allowed inside the shopping area at a time, so visitors may have to wait in line — while maintaining social distancing and wearing face coverings — before they can shop. Signage and volunteers will help guide shoppers.

The limited hours and other changes have been made to protect the health and safety of Market shoppers, vendors, staff and volunteers during the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Shoppers are asked to review an online Shoppers’ Oath before visiting the Market, which asks them to do such things as stay home if they’re sick or have been in contact with someone who’s sick. Other precautions and changes mean visitors should expect a shopping experience that’s very different from that of previous summers at the Market:

• Social distancing of at least six feet must be maintained at all times.
• Shoppers are asked to purchase their items and move along so that others may do the same, as well as to prepare a list to expedite shopping.
• Shoppers are asked to designate one person per household to visit the Market.
• Shoppers will not be allowed to touch products, but instead must ask vendors for what they’d like to buy.
• Shoppers cannot use their own bags.
• Dogs are not permitted other than service animals.
• Restrooms and water fountains are not available, and shoppers will not have access to the interior of the Market building.

In addition, all shoppers will be required to wear face coverings that cover their mouth and nose to protect the health and safety of the Market’s staff, vendors and volunteers, as well as their own health and safety. A vendor will be located at the entrance selling face coverings. Exceptions will be made only for those who cannot wear a face covering due to health conditions.

Those who would like to shop from local farmers but would prefer to do so online can access links to Market vendors’ websites and social media pages at metroparks.org/localfood.

Even with the necessary precautions, Five Rivers MetroParks felt it was important to reopen the Market in the largest capacity possible at this time to give the community access to fresh, local food — especially as more people are protecting their health in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“While MetroParks is asking visitors to change how they shop, what hasn’t changed is the ever-growing need to provide equitable access to fresh, local produce,” 2nd Street Market Manager Lynda Suda said. “The Market is one of only a few locations where people can shop for fresh food in the downtown area. With areas identified as food deserts just a short distance away, we have to take food equity and accessibility very seriously.”

Many 2nd Street Market vendors offer EBT/SNAP benefits and Produce Perks matching benefits — which still will be available to customers. Tokens are available from Homefull’s EBT/SNAP Exchange, temporarily located near the entrance of the outdoor market, to shop at participating Market vendors. These benefits are offered thanks to a partnership between Five Rivers MetroParks and Homefull.

The reopening also is important because 2nd Street Market helps Five Rivers MetroParks meet its conservation mission and serve as the region’s conservation leader by providing the community with access to local food, which is less taxing on the environment and often healthier.

In early May, Five Rivers MetroParks and Homefull were recognized with an Outstanding Support Organization award from the National Association of County Park and Recreation Professionals for their partnership allowing more equitable access to fresh food. The Ohio Parks and Recreation Association also awarded the partnership an Award of Excellence in early 2020.

For the most up-to-date information about the 2nd Street Market, visit the Market’sFacebook page or metroparks.org/localfood. Visitors also can call 937-228-2088 or email[email protected].

2nd Street Market shoppers and Five Rivers MetroParks visitors should always follow theCDC’s recommendations, particularly for social distancing and wearing face coverings, while spending time outdoors. For the most current information on MetroParks’ COVID-19 response and related closures, visit metroparks.org/covid-19 and follow Five Rivers MetroParks on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

As part of the Interstate 675 rehabilitation project in Greene County, a single-ramp closure at the U.S. Route 35 and I-675 interchange will go into effect later this month.

Crews will close the ramp from eastbound U.S. 35 to southbound I-675 in order to accommodate the work zone on I-675 where bridge repair will take place at structures just south of the interchange.

The ramp will be closed Wednesday, May 27, and the closure will be in effect for up to 130 days. While it is closed, motorists will be detoured by way of Research Boulevard, North Fairfield Road and westbound U.S. 35 to I-675 South.

Just prior to the eastbound ramp closure, though, the westbound U.S. 35 ramp to southbound I-675 will be closed temporarily for crews to place pavement markings and establish the traffic configuration that will be in place while the eastbound ramp is closed. This short-term closure is scheduled to be in effect May 27, as well, and traffic will be detoured via Col. Glenn Highway.

For overall project updates, visit ODOT’s project page at I-675 Rehabilitation, and for ongoing traffic, construction and weather-related information throughout the state, please check www.OHGO.com.

Mendelson’s Electronics ‘The First Place to Look for Every Last Thing!’ is re-opening Monday, May 11, 2020 at 8:30am with safety guidelines in effect.

“Like everyone it’s been a tough couple of months for us.” Said owner Sandy Mendelson. “We have millions of items that have to go now because the developer wants to get cracking at their new project.”

Mendelson’s, located in the former DELCO building at 340 East First Street in downtown Dayton, is packed to the gills with electronics, antique, historical, mechanical, clothing, retro items and much more. One of the largest outlets in the country.

If you’ve never been, this is your last chance.

“When we re-open Monday, only our first floor will be available to customers.” Mendelson said.

“Then on Wednesday, June 3, 2020 it’s our biggest on-line auction ever. We’ll sell racks of merchandise floor by floor to the walls until gone.” He added.

How is “Murphy” of Murphy’s Law tied to Charles Kettering to the Wright brothers? In the new e-book edition of “Dayton’s Children” they are among 20 innovators who changed our world. These quirky originals affected the keys, cell phones and crumpled receipts in our pockets, even the very air we breathe.

“The paperback has sold consistently since 2015,” said lead author Mark Martel, “and even took an uptick last winter. So the time is right to release Dayton’s Children as an enhanced e-book.”

The enhanced, fully-illustrated e-book is available on Amazon.com. Readers will find hours of diverting stories and local lore without leaving home. The standalone chapters can be read in any order.  The enhanced e-book links to a plethora of online videos, galleries, and articles. The softcover paperback sells online and locally at Carillon Historical Park.

The e-book comes with the passing of the book’s last living subject, 104-year-old Zoe Dell Lantis Nutter. Her story is oddly relevant, because in the 1930s she helped convince people it was safe to fly. While we wait for that to come true again, this new release is dedicated to Zoe Dell.

Martel wrote most of the book and drew original illustrations for each profile. His wife Kate contributed two interviews.

Mark Bernstein, author of “Grand Eccentrics,” wrote chapters on Arthur Morgan, John H. Patterson, and folksy Charles Kettering, second only to Edison in inventions but last at administration.

Readers will learn why the Wright brothers’ fiery bickering was so effective at solving their problems but so hard to emulate. Mary Ann Johnson used aviation history to help launch urban renewal in Wright-Dunbar while husband Rich developed the seeds of online learning. Neal Loving became a pilot and aeronautical engineer despite racism and the loss of both legs.

Curt Dalton, local author and historian, says “the book humanizes the larger-than-life men and women from Dayton who helped create the world of today. I really love the fact that you don’t have to have an engineer’s degree to understand and enjoy “Dayton’s Children.” It should be required reading for every high school student in Dayton… and beyond!”

More praise comes from aviation photographer Dan Patterson, historian Edward Roach, and Amanda Wright Lane, great-grandniece of the Wright brothers. She notes that, “to say Dayton’s children ‘changed the world’ may be the understatement of the 20th and 21st centuries.”

The book grew out of the website DaytonInnovationLegacy.org which educates students, uncovers local history, restores local pride and inspires today’s innovators wherever they live.

Recent Grant Awards Exceed $213,000; Nearly $824,000 to Date

The Dayton Foundation and United Way of the Greater Dayton Area (UWGDA) today announced grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund for Greater Dayton totaling $213,499 to 14 not-for-profit organizations responding to the region’s critical needs during the pandemic. The fund, which launched in March by a coalition of philanthropic, education and government organizations, has received more than $1.4 million in contributions and granted $823,876 to 57 local nonprofits providing vital human needs, particularly for disadvantaged individuals and families.

“We’ve all been affected by COVID-19 in one way or another, but some of our neighbors are particularly vulnerable to the wide-ranging and urgent consequences of this pandemic, including food insecurity, homelessness and mental health needs,” said Barbra Stonerock, vice president of Community Engagement for The Dayton Foundation. “It’s so important to help those nonprofits that are serving our at-risk populations so that support services continue.”

Nonprofit organizations like Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church located in West Dayton and Preble County Council on Aging in Eaton both received recent grants to ease the burden of others.

“Since the coronavirus outbreak, many families that were relying on food assistance from schools and other sources are left without essentials to thrive,” said Dr. Jamison Hunter, senior pastor of Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. “Thanks to this grant, we’ll be able to provide a month’s supply of food, toiletries and baby items to at least 500 families in our surrounding community, but our prayer is to provide for more.”

Preble Council on Aging reports that the number of home-delivered meals to area senior citizens increased nearly 60 percent since the organization received an initial grant from the COVID-19 Response Fund in March. With funds from the second grant, the organization will continue to provide three meals each day for this growing population.

“Our efforts have been successful in keeping our seniors at home and safe, and we’re reaching new residents who should have been receiving meals before the pandemic,” said Shelley Ratliff, executive director of Preble County Council on Aging. “Thanks to this additional emergency funding, we will be able to continue providing for our clients and accommodate new clients and supplemental services.”

Said Tracy Sibbing, vice president of Community Impact for UWGDA, “The needs of our community will evolve as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, so we must remain nimble in our grantmaking process and continue to stay in touch with our nonprofit partners. All applications are reviewed immediately, with grants awarded throughout the week. Also, we encourage nonprofits that have received a previous award to apply again for continuing needs.”

Recipients of recent grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund include:

Big Brothers Big Sisters ($2,500) to help deliver care packages to families in need.

Emmanuel St. Vincent de Paul Conference ($17,500) to provide support to families in need residing in the 45402 zip code.

First Baptist Church of New Lebanon ($12,150) to provide food and clothing to New Lebanon residents in need.

Her Story, Inc. ($5,500) to assist in providing food and shelter for homeless women in need.

Hope House Rescue Mission ($5,000) to purchase cleaning supplies for its emergency shelters.

Kids in New Directions ($5,000) to assist students in need.

Leaders for Equality & Action in Dayton (LEAD) ($7,500) to purchase food and health goods for immigrant families in need.

Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church ($5,000) to help provide food and toiletries to West Dayton families in need.

Ohio Restaurant Association Education Foundation ($30,000) to provide assistance for out-of-work or displaced restaurant employees.

Preble County Council on Aging ($39,600) to provide meals to Preble County senior citizens.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Dayton ($25,000) to provide families with hotel rooms and care packages.

St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church ($16,000) to aid in providing basic human needs for families in Trotwood.

Target Dayton Ministries ($25,000) to assist with emergency food delivery to individuals in need.

Xenia Adult Recreation and Services ($17,749) to help provide medical appointment transportation for senior citizens.

Nonprofit organizations are encouraged to apply for a grant at www.daytonfoundation.orgor www.dayton-unitedway.org.

Information about the ways to contribute to the fund, including online via credit card, is available at www.daytonfoundation.org. The Dayton Foundation is paying all credit card processing fees and waiving administration fees so that 100 percent of donations go to charity.

UWGDA’s HelpLink 211 also is available 24 hours a day for individuals needing information about community resources, basic needs assistance and other social services.