Hint: Helen, John, and Dave.
Last week’s Where Am I? August 11, 2010 was the clock tower at Dayton Children’s Medical Center. The best nurses in Dayton work at Children’s, and parents can find a world of helpful information on their website.
Community
Dayton Spiritual Leader Celebrating 25 Years
In 1985, Father Tandoh completed his Novitiate year in the religious order of the Holy Sprit Congregation in Ghana. He took his first vows of poverty, chastity and obedience as a layman before he began his studies at the School of Philosophy in Insukka, Nigeria.
Dayton became Fr. Tandoh’s home in 2000 when he became the Religious Education Director at Resurrection Catholic School. By the end of the year, he was appointed the Pastor of Resurrection and St. James parishes. Today, he is the pastor of five parishes in Montgomery County: St. Mary’s Camden, St. Mary’s Dayton, Holy Family, St. Augustine and St. Benedict the Moor.
To improve the quality of life for the first community that welcomed him, Fr. Tandoh lead a $4.5 million fundraising campaign to build a new church for the 500 families of St. Benedict the Moor parish. Completed in 2005, it stands as the only predominantly African-American Catholic Church in Ohio built by African-Americans. During this time, Fr. Tandoh continued to serve the children of the Dayton urban area by teaching at Mary Queen of Peace School.
Fr. Tandoh’s civil rights service has been greatly demonstrated by his work with Leaders for Equality and Action in Dayton (L.E.A.D.). One of his first acts with L.E.A.D. involved working with the city commissioner to increase the removal of dilapidated homes from 75 in 2004 to 800 abandoned structures in 2008. He called upon the Dayton Police Chief in 2008 to outline a plan to implement a Community Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP) program in the city. Chief Richard Biehl has reported that the first steps of the program have begun.
Montgomery County has no publicly funded medical detox program for the thousands who suffer from drug addiction. Fr. Tandoh asked Dayton Commissioner Dan Foley to create a comprehensive plan to provide effective, quality treatment for those suffering from substance abuse. Commissioner Foley and his task force have devised a plan and started implementing it.
Throughout his service to the community, Fr. Tandoh has used the power of his vows to help him, “Vows make your life easier. In every situation, you know the right thing to do because of the vows. No confusion. Just do the right thing.” His 25 years of spiritual service will be celebrated during the Sunday service on August 22 at 12:30pm at St. Benedict the Moor Catholic Church, followed by a reception.
Want To Help?
The Ronald McDonald House provides a temporary home-away-from-home for families of critically ill, hospitalized children and supports efforts that improve children’s health within our region.
Over the next 4 weeks they are in need of volunteers to help them on a large upcoming project. Volunteers are needed between 8am – 5pm Monday through Friday. If you’ve got as little as 2 hours to help, you’ll be put to work on a mailing project or perhaps making phone calls. Minimum age is 16 and small groups are welcome to volunteer together.
If you are available please contact Brandy McFall at 937-224-0047 x 20 or email her.
The Ronald McDonald House in Dayton, Ohio is able to keep the doors open for families in the Miami Valley Region because of generous donations from individuals, groups, businesses and corporations in our community.
They are an independent, not-for-profit organization. The families that utilize our facilities while their children are hospitalized do so at no cost. There are many ways you can help provide this home-away-from-home for families in their time of need. If you are not available at this time, please keep them in mind for future volunteer projects.
Where Am I? August 11, 2010
Hint: It takes a village
Last week’s Where Am I? August 4, 2010 was Winston Heat Treating. You’ve seen the sign, 711 East 2nd Street- right across the street from the 2nd Street Public Market. What do they do? They heat things up for food processing, medical tooling, aerospace industries to name a few. Kinda cool, er, I mean, hot, right?
How Do You Get YOUR News These Days?
Sitting around the pool last week, my friends and I were discussing the Dayton region news media options. We all agreed that since we have young children, watching the evening news introduces too much violence and complex subject material. Most of us had canceled our newspaper subscriptions long ago and use the web as our primary news source. The conversation went something like this.
“Do you find yourself getting your news from your Facebook newsfeed more than DDN?”
Practically in unison, my 3 friends replied “yes.” One said “The news covered in DDN isn’t really news for me… it is like reading the police blotter. And a house fire on the other side of town just isn’t news.” Another said “I connect with the Facebook pages for news sources that I like – NPR, DMM, and Huffington Post. Then I read the stories that are of interest to me.” My other friend said “You don’t get neighborhood specific news anymore from a newspaper… but you don’t really need it because you have your neighbors as your Facebook friends and they tell you the news… or you have the city of Dayton as your Facebook friend and they give you the news. With so little in-depth investigative reporting, the traditional media just doesn’t have much more to offer.”
While I live in something of a bubble devoid of news sometimes, I hear about the important things… Proposition 8, toxic fires causing air pollution where I live, LeBron James going to Miami (ok, not important but keeps me from “living under a rock” status)… etc. all from Facebook first… then I go to another source to get more details.
Here are some interesting statistics…
- Facebook is considered the 4th largest source of traffic for news and media sites after Google, Yahoo! And MSN.
- 44% of news readers say they share news and information via social networks (usually Facebook and Twitter)
- Traffic to news sites directed from Facebook has grown to over 3.5% from .5% in the last year. Google News has not seen significant growth in the same time period (only 1.39%.)
What about you? Do you still rely on traditional media sources, or do you find yourself using social networks to get local and national news? Do you now Google or Facebook more?
Calling all Crafty Dudes and Divas of Montgomery County
My Best of Show cookies from the 2009 Montgomery County Fair
Hello, I’m Holly Michael – farm wife, mother, blogger , DMM crazy headline writer and communications professional who has worked at some of Dayton’s largest companies. I straddle the sometimes equally stinky worlds of agriculture and corporate life, so you don’t have to.
As you might have imagined, the Montgomery County Fair is an important event to a farm family like mine. And while it isn’t practical to invite all our friends from DaytonMostMetro.com to visit us on the farm or accompany us to the Ohio State Fair, we CAN encourage you to visit us at the Montgomery County Fair—happening September 1-6 in downtown Dayton.
And guess what! You don’t have to be a farmer to participate in the fair and even earn some blue ribbons.
Photos, antiques and more on display in the historic Roundhouse at the Montgomery County Fair
The Montgomery County Fair is currently accepting entries for everything from cakes and pies to giant pumpkins; antique collections to photography; crocheting to quilts. Entries are a bargain at $1 each (although, if you get ambitious like me, the one-dollar entries start to add up) and pay out premiums for first through fourth place (this varies by category).
So even if you don’t have three barrows (boy pigs), two gilts (girl pigs) and two dairy heifers (girl cows) to enter, you can still take on the Michael family with a scarecrow, decorated cupcakes or photos.
Visit the Montgomery County Fair website to download the fair book PDF. Mail-in entries are due by August 16. Walk-in entries are accepted August 12, 13, 16, &17, 9 am – 5 pm. NOTE: you don’t actually take your goods to the fairgrounds until fair time—see the book for details.
If you are a regular fair-goer or have never checked it out, try making an entry this year. The fair is an important part of downtown Dayton and nothing beats the thrill of seeing your chocolate cake take the top prize (trust me, I’ve done it!)
Be a part of the Mu Crew!
This article written by Mu Crew member Matt Grimm.
The Mu Crew is a Mpowerment program with AIDS Resource Center (ARC) Ohio. This LGBTQ group is designed for young gay men between the ages of 18 and 29, however all are welcome. Founded in 2004, the program’s mission is to create a happy, healthy and united gay community through education and empowerment.
The Mu Crew hosts meetings the first and third Tuesdays of each month at the Kuhn’s building in Downtown Dayton; where the group has an official meeting place that they refer to as the Pi House. The meetings consist of crew member discussions around a variety of topics including upcoming events, social events and fundraisers; relative “hot” topics for gay men and anything else the group feels is important.
The group holds annual outings and events such as a weekend-long retreat held every year in May at the Glen Helen nature preserve in Yellow Springs Ohio. They also host an all-day LGBTQ conference at the Pi House each year called the Blue Conference. The Blue Conference brings in a variety of speakers to share information and hold discussions on a variety of relative subjects for the group. From performing in Drag shows, organizing an internet based reality show, organizing parties and various other outings, the Mu Crew knows how to have a great time!
The Mu Crew also participates in fundraisers and activities hosted by the LGBT Center of Dayton, as well as
local bars such as Masque, Aquarius and MJ’s. The Mu Crew has marched in the Pride parades of Dayton, Cincinnati, and even Columbus.
The Mu Crew’s meetings are held at the Pi House, 15 West 4th Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402. They start at 7:30, but don’t feel pressured to be on time. Many participants come and join in throughout the entire meeting. After the meetings end, the Mu Crew will go out for a bite to eat or head out for some Karaoke!
Coming events include a weekend camping trip at Cedar Point August 13th-15th. The cost is $60.00 and includes admission to Cedar Point on Saturday.
The Mu Crew’s next scheduled meeting is on Tuesday, August 17 at 7:30pm. Make sure to mark your calendars now!
For more information on the Mu Crew or to contact the coordinator please refer to the links listed below:
Coordinator: Ben Adams
Telephone: (937) 461-2437 ext. 2015
E-Mail: [email protected]
Home Office: AIDS Resource Center Ohio
Web Site: http://www.arcohio.org
Myspace: www.myspace.com/TheMuCrew
Also Online At: Facebook
Saving the World, One Armpit at a Time
Hello, I’m Holly Michael – farm wife, mother, blogger , DMM crazy headline writer and communications professional who has worked at some of Dayton’s largest companies. I straddle the sometimes equally stinky worlds of agriculture and corporate life, so you don’t have to.
Much to the chagrin of some of you, especially the guy who occasionally buys pizza for the DMM contributors, I haven’t posted much this summer. But I have an excuse. I’ve been saving the planet.
Oh, and I’ve been hot. Real hot. Eighty-four degrees in my kitchen H-O-T. Why? Well, we don’t have air conditioning. I’ll let that sink in. We. Don’t. Have. ANY. Air Conditioning. In 2010.
Our decision is one part economics (the cost to retrofit our old farmhouse would be high), one part physical (Husband works outside, so coming in and out of the AC would make him feel sick on hot days), and two parts stubborn (we didn’t have AC growing up and we do fine without it now).
I thought we were just sweaty country bumpkins who prefer to keep the windows open, but it turns out we have been saving the planet—who knew?
Salon published a great article in early July about Stan Cox’s new book titled “Losing our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths about our Air-Conditioned World.” According to Salon, Cox’s book points out the “dizzying rise of air conditioning comes at a steep personal and societal price. We stay inside longer, exercise less, and get sick more often — and the electricity used to power all that A.C. is helping push the fast-forward button on global warming…”
See, every morning when I get up and attempt to apply makeup to an already sweaty face, I am saving the planet.
I do find it interesting that people consider air conditioning to be an essential home amenity. I consider not being able to look in your neighbor’s windows from the kitchen table an essential home amenity—but I don’t usually say, as people do when they hear I don’t have AC, How do you stand it?
I do agree that people with asthma, people in the hospital, people in movie theatres , people in airplanes and elderly people of poor health really do need air conditioning (there are lots of other situations, of course) but I do agree with Stan Cox that all this AC is making us soft.
When the National Academy of Engineering picked its 20 greatest engineering achievements of the twentieth century, they ranked air conditioning above the Internet, space travel and the mass production of antibiotics. I’m just not sure how the technology that made it possible for people to live comfortably in Phoenix is more important than, say, penicillin—but obviously, I don’t get it.
So come visit me in Farmersville, we’ll sit under the ceiling fan and drink a long, tall lemonade while the kids play outside (yes, my tough little farm kids play outside in this weather). You might be surprised how comfortable it can be.
Entrepreneurs Start with a Customer
I am often asked about resources to start a business. Too often the startup entrepreneur is asking the wrong questions and looking at the wrong issues. Before starting a business, a prospective entrepreneur must answer the marketing questions.
The most important issue around starting a business is the customer. Let me say this again: THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE AROUND STARTING A BUSINESS IS THE CUSTOMER! Who is the customer? What need (product or service) are you satisfying that they are willing to pay you? Why is no one willing filling that need now? Or are they? How much are they willing to pay? What makes your product or service superior to the alternatives?
Many entrepreneurs focus on financing, building, location, etc when starting a business. Instead, they should answer the questions honestly before looking at anything else. The #1 need of entrepreneurs at all levels is customers. Without customers, you have no business.
When I started Gasper Corporation, I benefited from the business classes I took at Wright State. The most important were marketing and accounting. I used the concepts of target marketing to make the business viable and effective. So here is how I answered the marketing questions.
David Gasper - Back in the day...
Who was the customer? The 500-1,000 Automatic Teller Machine (ATMs) departments in banks worldwide.
What need did they have? The ATM industry was in its infancy and availability (uptime) was not considered thoroughly when ATM networks were designed. The cost of downtime hurt their profits and bank image.
Why was no one filling that need? The startup industry offered the opening. Competitors offered offline manual products while we had a chance to offer online monitoring and management.
How much were they willing to pay? We developed a pricing model based upon the size of the network. Larger networks paid more as their problems were larger. Our pricing model also reflected a payback based upon two values that our product offered. 1. Our product reduced labor costs, so that savings was part of the price. 2. Our product increased revenues from higher availability. We factored that into our price.
What made your product superior? I started my career as an ATM programmer. I understand the sensors and status signals better than others who designed management systems with no ATM experience. I also understood the specialized switches (such as Base24) that processed ATM transactions. Finally, conventional wisdom at that time did not believe that personal computers could process online transaction. From my programming efforts in 8080 assembler and low level code of personal computers, I saw that was not true. PCs were the wave of the future with more power in smaller boxes for less cost. This specialized knowledge allowed Gasper Corporation to create unique position.
So we picked a small limited market with little competition that we could dominate. We stayed very focused on that small target market of 500-1,000 customers. We could have created monitoring products for many other markets. In doing so, we would have been wiped out by large competitors such as IBM, Hewlett Packard and Computer Associates. Instead, we chose to target one specific market and be the BEST in that market.
The rest is history. So, before you go looking for start up funding, answer the questions above honestly. If the answers are not satisfactory, then FIX them with the right honest answers.
updayton releases Year Two Report
updayton asked young creatives why they are sticking around (Photo by Joel Spitsnaugle and Val Smith)
Cities across the nation (or at least the people who acknowledge the theory of the Creative Class) are battling to attract creative, professional talent. Local volunteer organization and DaytonMostMetro.com partner updayton has zeroed in on the next generation of these creative professionals and focuses on retaining and attracting those they term the “young creatives.”
On Tuesday, updayton released their Year Two Report to highlight the latest data on the region’s “brain drain,” actions taken by updayton volunteers and others in the community to plug it, and the latest things they’ve heard from young people at the 2010 Young Creatives Summit.
The statistics they present tell two stories. One is of a brain drain gap that is growing. The Dayton region has a larger number of students attending college here – we’ve added 22,000 college students from 2005-2008. However, the number of adults with a college degree in the region has only grown by less than 8,000. This discrepancy demonstrates that students are still leaving the region after graduation. However, the data isn’t all gloom and doom. American Community Survey published that in 2008 the region gained 4,000 individuals aged 18-34. For the first time in years, the Dayton region has a positive net increase in attracting these young creatives. The gap is closing.
The American Community Survey published that the Dayton region is finally showing a net increase in young people aged 18-34,
Also included in the report, updayton takes a look back at progress made over the past few years. They update the community on the success of action plans from 2009 (including the Wayne Avenue Corridor and DaytonMostMetro.com), but they also recognize the important work done by numerous organizations throughout the region. In the 2009 report, updayton listed recommendations to address issues of utmost importance to young creative. Although they recognize that much of this work was in motion before updayton even existed, they take time in the 2010 report to acknowledge the important projects that are making Dayton more welcoming and accessible to young creatives. But although the region has advanced significantly in urban vibrancy and connectivity, there are still important steps that must be taken in cultivating greater diversity and better connecting college students to the job market.
Summit attendees discuss important issues (Photo by William Murdock)
The Year Two Report also focuses on the 2010 Young Creatives Summit. They provide the community with the complaints and concerns of the young professionals who attended the Summit, and they highlight the possible solutions brainstormed by those same YPs. For each topic: Entrepreneurship, The Dayton Scene, Neighborhoods / Community, and Diversity – updayton presents the common themes that recurred in each breakout session and recommendations for future progress. Although some of these recommendations require implementation at a higher organizational or government level, there are many steps that businesses, nonprofits, and individuals can take to make a difference.
Finally, updayton utilizes the Report to spotlight the Action Plan projects that volunteers are undertaking to make a difference in the community. Updayton prides itself on connecting young creatives back into the system to be a part of the solution.
Read the full report here or at http://updayton.com.
Where Am I – August 4, 2010
The answer to last week’s Where Am I? July 28, 2010 is Cairn’s Toys in Tipp City. An ever-changing cast of jaunty Playmobil figures are always outside greeting customers to the cobalt blue tiled building. Cairn’s has been there since 1983. I love that building- it’s such a cool and colorful addition to the historic downtown area.
Cairn’s is owned and operated by Melissa Cairns. Our unique store specializes in high quality toys and classic bears not found in common department stores. It is our vast selection, product knowledge, and personal service that attracts repeat customers who frequently travel more than 100 miles to come and visit our store.
This week’s hint: Industrial strength heat. Check out the pic below, and if you know where I am then add another hint for others down in the comments.
Meet Generation Dayton’s Spotlight Member of the Month
A program of the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, Generation Dayton encourages talented young professionals who live and work in the Dayton region to meet, network, learn, grow and establish themselves as integral components in the future success of the region. Each month we’ll introduce you to one of their members with a spotlight interview. So meet our next young professional:
- Name: Aaron Flatter
Title: Technical Sales Specialist
- Organization: Agil IT
- Community Involvement: Generation Dayton employee relations committee & HYPE of Miami County.
- Hobbies and Interests: Golf, woodworking, flying and nuclear power.
- Favorite Area Eatery: The Wine Gallery and Café.
- Favorite Weekend Activity: Spending time with my wife, golfing and enjoying almost anything that includes the outdoors.
- What do you love about Dayton?
Dayton is home for me. Well, technically I live in the middle of corn and bean fields, but its close enough. I’ve been around Dayton my entire life and just when I think there’s something missing, well, that’s when my wife usually clues me in. Dayton may be a rather small city but it’s not lacking charm, culture or diversity. There are so many wonderful organizations and local business that help make Dayton the city that it is. Of course I can’t keep my mind from wandering to all the other good things Dayton offers such as Boston Stokers coffee, the seemingly never ending beer menu at Chappys, and too many local places to even mention when it comes to delicious food. I love Dayton not just because it’s home to me and most of my family but because its home to so many other wonderful people as well. I can’t quite imagine my life without Dayton, or without Pub Fries from the Dublin Pub. - How has Generation Dayton aided your professional, personal and/or social development?
- Generation Dayton has given me the opportunities to interact with fellow young professionals that share similar morals, goals and interest.
- Tell us a little more about your profession and company…
- Agil IT designs, builds, maintains and secures information and infrastructures for ambulatory care healthcare practices. Our mission is to help these organizations leverage their investments in technology to establish themselves as leaders in their industry. Agil IT sees and understands the evolution of healthcare, especially as the federal government is pushing hard for Electronic Health Records (EHR) adoption and with potential cuts to reimbursements coming down the pike for medical practices, operational efficiency is paramount. We help those practices with those efficiencies, which in turn help them to provide the best patient care…all through technology and consulting.
- What do you enjoy about your career/profession? Employer?
- The challenges that arrive with every new technology breakthrough and having the opportunity to do this in a passionate and energetic work environment.
- Favorite quote or inspiratonal saying:
- “You can’t live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” John Wooden
“The price for success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and determination that whether we win or lose, we applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” Vince Lombardi
- Click here to view past featured professionals.
PUSH Scotch & Cigars Social
Professionals United for Sexual Health (PUSH) will host a scotch and cigar evening on Thurs, Aug. 6th from 6-8pm at Sidebar in the Oregon District. Billed as more than a tasting – you will learn about both of these devilish delights from the experts! And if that’s not enough to convince you, how about this: burlesque dancer – Champagne Shock of Timeless Entertainment will make a guest appearance!
Buy your tickets online – $30 gets you the scotch sampling and a choice of your favorite cigar. Tickets at the door will be $35, if still available.
PUSH is a group of Planned Parenthood Advocates who demonstrate their interest and commitment for the organization in unique and exciting ways. Made up of women and men from the Miami Valley, PUSH members support the use of prevention to promote sexual health and prevent sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unplanned pregnancies.
PUSH is committed to making sure individuals in the Miami Valley have access to the information and healthcare they need to stay safe and healthy.
Where Are All of the Entrepreneurs?
I keep asking myself this question. If we want to make Dayton spectacular, entrepreneurs are the key. But where are they? I can’t find as many as I would like. What is holding people back?
I am approached by numerous “wannabe” entrepreneurs. I am dismayed however that the vast majority will remain “wannabes” instead of making the leap to success. Why aren’t there more entrepreneurs?
Entrepreneurs must have a stomach, insight and passion. Starting a business is risky. You have to be willing to work long hours for low pay and take a risk to start your business. This unwillingness to struggle and risk disqualifies many hopefuls. A startup business person must have insight into a market or customers that is realistic. (Watch for my next article about marketing) . Find a niche market and become the king of that niche. Finally, the startup must have a take no prisoners attitude in its approach. No problem can get in the way.
In Dayton, Ohio we have great resources for business. We have The Entrepreneur’s Center. Small Business Development Centers (SBDC’s) in Dayton , Fairborn, Piqua and Springfield, SCORE®, Aileron, universities, access to financing and more. Yet, the population of startup companies is very small. I am baffled.
Funny thing, when I started my business, almost none of those support systems existed. I felt there were more entrepreneurs then vs. now.
I would not trade my journey for anything. The road during the first five years was hard, even brutal. In the end, I am living the American dream reaping the rewards of creating a business that increased jobs as well as security for my family for the rest of my life.
If you really want to start a business, I suggest that following:
- Ask yourself about risk and what you are willing to do. I find that the risk question is what holds most people back. They are unwilling to meet the dream because their fear holds them back. If you want the benefits without the risk, then you don’t have what it takes. Sorry!
- Examine your business skills. If they are weak, your chances of success just went down. Build your business skills. Attend classes, read and get a business mentor. Start a small micro business just to get the test market experience.
- Get customers. The philosophy of business is simple. Get customers who are willing to pay for your products and or services. Build it at a cost lower than your selling price. It starts with the customer. See my next article about marketing
- Be realistic about your competitive advantage. Guarantee that your offering is superior. If you fool yourself, the marketplace will punish you
- Be the King (or Queen) of a niche. Don’t try to take on the big boys. I have seen business plans that want to compete with Google. Unless you have a millions of dollars to start, the business will fail. Even the largest of businesses started with a niche. Walmart built store in rural market at first instead of going head to head with the established players such as Sears. Southwest flew out of an airport in Dallas that no one else wanted or could use. Your competition is smart. if you attack a large market, the will counter punch. They are more likely to leave you alone if the market is small and you have a special expertise.
- Solve the startup capital issue. Too many entrepreneurs spend all of their time raising money. Their customers become the venture capitalists or bankers instead of the true customers. I started my business with $500 and never received a penny of venture capital, yet turned the business into a multi million dollar business. I can’t tell you how many times I see entrepreneurs roll their eyes when I tell them not to use venture capital. I will write more about this in future articles.
Want to GoGo to GaGa?
AIDS Resource Center Ohio is raffling off 3 tickets to “The Monster Ball” Tour at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Michigan. It’s the hottest summer tour out there and you can purchase a raffle ticket online for just $10 or up your odds of winning by getting 3 tickets for $25.
“It’s still called Monster Ball, but it’s more of a musical and less of a concert,” Lady Gaga said in a recent interview with KIIS-FM’s Ryan Seacrest. “It has a New York theme, it’s a story, and the story is that me and my friends are in New York and we’re going to the Monster Ball, and we get lost.”
Critics around the world raved about the first leg of The Monster Ball Tour, which Gaga described as “the first-ever pop-electro opera.” The Sun called it “breathtaking stuff” and “the best live show you will see this year,” while London’s Independent wrote: “Gaga’s got it, which is why, right now, the whole pop world wants to take a ride on her disco stick.” Writing about her show at Radio City Music Hall, the New York Times noted that “her Monster Ball tour always provided something worth a snapshot: a sci-fi tableau, perhaps, or a skimpy, glittery costume. The more her image gets around, the better Lady Gaga does.”
The drawing will be held on Sat, Aug 28th during the Northwest Ohio AIDS Walk. The winner must be 18 or older but need not be present to win. If winner is not present, they will be notified by phone and/or email. Positive ID must be presented in order to claim your prize.
Covering 36 counties and with four offices in the region, ARC Ohio is geographically the largest AIDS 
Services organization in Ohio today. In the midst of growing complacency, difficult financial times, and still no cure or preventative vaccine, your help has never been more crucial!
AIDS Resource Center Ohio (ARC Ohio) is a nonprofit, community-based organization whose mission is to provide services to those infected, affected and at risk of HIV/AIDS. They provide comprehensive support services, HIV testing & counseling, prevention education, linkage to care, and advocacy.
Get Outta Town: My Trip East
My first multi-day, multi-destination road trip was a great experience and I am very glad that I am able to share it with all of you. The basis of the road trip was that we wanted to spend as little money as possible, but still go to some great places that we have never experienced. In this post you will be able to read about where I went, and also the places I ate at along the way. I tried to go to local restaurants that were well-known for their food, atmosphere and culture. My friends, and University of Dayton roommates, Tim and Matt joined me for the trip and enjoyed it just as much as I did.
Awesome view from the top of the mountain
Day 1: Thursday July 22 – Mcgaheysville
Knowing that we had a long eight hour drive to my dad’s house in Mcgaheysville, Va (the resort town in which my dad lives is called Massanutten), we started the drive from Dayton at around 10 a.m. and arrived in Virginia around 6 p.m. The scenery along the way is beautiful as you pass through the Appalachian Mountains.
After we arrived at my dad’s house, we drove to the nearby city of Harrisonburg, which is home to James Madison University, a public university which consistently ranks high in education value and for their business school. My dad is the project superintendent of construction on the additions to the James Madison football stadium, so we were able to take a look at that site. We also took a quick drive around the campus, which was very nice and had many new buildings. Later that night we rode go-karts, one of the many things there is to do in Massanutten, Va.
Day 2: Friday July 23 – Virginia Beach
On Friday we had planned to travel to Virginia Beach, Va, and stay the night at a hotel near the city. About a four hour
Statue of Neptune
drive from my dad’s house, Virginia Beach is a clean and beautiful beach. Our check-in time for our hotel was 3 p.m., so we decided to hit the beach first. We arrived in Virginia Beach at around noon, so we decided to eat lunch first. We ate at Dough Boy’s California Pizza, which…you guessed it serves up a variety of classic California-style pizzas. We ordered the Cordon Bleu Pizza, which was very delicious and topped with four cheeses.
Parking is very easy to find, whether you want to use metered parking or park in a garage. But if you insist on meter parking, make sure to bring plenty of change, as no one gives out change and it can be very frustrating trying to find it. Initially we parked at a meter about a quarter of a mile from the beach, but quickly changed to a garage as we ran out of change. The hotel we stayed at was $120 for one night for three people, which is not bad for being 10 minutes away.
Bad Ass iced coffee
We also stopped at Bad Ass Coffee, which had some great kona! Virginia Beach is a typical tourist locale, as there is a bounty of “beachwear” stores to be found, and plenty of great restaurants. We parked in a garage near Neptune’s park on the beach and were glad we did, as we were able to sit and enjoy some live music that was playing.
Delicious fish tacos from The Abbey Road Pub
Debating where we wanted to eat for dinner, we walked a long way down Atlantic Ave. to try and find something. It was then around 22nd St. that we found a great pick. The Abbey Road Pub, a Beatles themed restaurant. I figured we had to go in, mostly because I was wearing my Abbey Road Beatles shirt (which happens to be my favorite album). The atmosphere was great, as a ton of Beatles memorabilia hung on every wall, and Beatles music pumped out of the speakers. I had the fish tacos which were very good and among the best I’ve had. There are many Beatles-themed menu items, like the Sgt. Pepper (hamburger) and the Let It Be Brunch.
Day 3: Saturday July 24 – Lake Anna
After a great time and great weather in Virginia Beach, we decided to meet up with my
Driving the jet ski (Me on left, roommate Matt on right)
dad at Lake Anna, one of the largest freshwater lakes in Virginia. We set up at a small campground beach and were able to lay out on the small beach there. My dad had recently purchased a jet ski, so we were able to take that for a few runs, which was so much fun! The lake is very big and full of different ways to turn and explore, so it made for great jet skiing waters.
After driving back to Mcgaheysville, we decided to hike up one of the many mountains that litter the area near my dad’s house. The mountain we hiked up is used as a ski slope during the winter, so it was a very steep climb. It took about a half hour to climb to the top, and it was well worth it as we were able to enjoy an amazing view of the valley below. Massanutten also is great in the winter, as it is a very popular destination for skiers, snowboarders and even some tubers.
Later that night after quick Chipotle stop, we finally saw the movie Inception, which was very good! I had heard so many things about the movie and I think that it lived up to the expectations I had of it of having a deep plot and a ton of action-packed sequences thrown in.
Day 4: Sunday July 25 – Washington D.C.
Best chili/chili dog!
On our last day we decided to go to Washington D.C., only a two hour drive from my dad’s house, and do some sight-seeing. Arriving just before noon, we stopped off at Ben’s Chili Bowl for lunch. Located at 1213 U St. N.W., Ben’s Chili Bowl has been featured on many TV shows and is very highly regarded. We all ordered standard chili dogs, as this is what they are best known for. Not only was it delicious, it was easily the best chili I’ve ever had. The hot dog was cooked perfectly and the chili had just enough zing in it to make it irresistible. If you are ever in D.C., I would say that it is a must to check it out!
After our awesome lunch, we decided to park in a garage near the Smithsonian Museum, which is basically in the heart of the national mall. It was a balmy 95 degrees outside, and without a cloud in sight it seemed that it would be a perfect day…
After parking, we went into the National Air & Space Museum, which is free to the public. The museum was very crowded, as it seemed like every boy scout in America was there, but the exhibits were very interesting and
Of course we had to check out the Wright Brothers section!
informational. Near the museum was the Capital building, so we decided to check it out. We could only take pictures in front of the building, as the steps were fenced off for the day. Next we went into the National Gallery of Art, which features many modern art pieces along with many famous artists like Monet and van Gogh. This gallery is also free and is a great experience for art lovers or really anyone.
As we exited the art gallery, some dark menacing clouds approached. The wind whipped up and sand and trash were blowing everywhere. Soon after, a torrential downpour ensued and went on for a half hour. We took cover under a small information kiosk before deciding to make a run for it. We had to run about three blocks to my car in the garage and proceeded to get completely soaked. After changing into dry clothes, we unfortunately had to leave without seeing many monuments.
In the end this road trip was definitely a successful one, as we got to see many amazing things and eat a lot of amazing food. I will visit D.C. again in the future so I can check out some of the other monuments I missed because of the monsoon. I hope this inspires some of you to plan your own road trip, one that will fill your head with wonderful memories and great new experiences.
Keep it clean
I also learned a few things that will help me on future road trips:
- ALWAYS bring an umbrella with you
- Make sure you have lots of change for metered parking
- No swearing allowed in Virginia Beach
