As the 2012 GREAT Miami County Fair becomes a memory ...

Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
 

The 2012 edition of the Miami County Fair is in the books.

As we watched participants tear down, pack and clean their respective spaces on Thursday there was the familiar bittersweet feeling. On one hand, it was a relief that it was ending, for fair week is for many of us, the longest week of the year. On the other, there was a feeling of sadness. It is like parting with a friend, knowing that an entire year may pass before you see them again.

I doubt that anyone will disagree that this year’s Miami County Fair could be one of the best ever based on our weather. Moderate temperatures during day and cool nights made this year’s fair comfortable for everyone from visitors to project and show animals.

The weather certainly had a significant impact on attendance. 

Perhaps the most talked-about event at this year’s fair was the Pig & Calf Scramble. 

The event is a much anticipated one at other fairs and it was eagerly awaited here. About 1600 people packed the grandstand to watch the event. 

In these days of Nintendo, Wii and computer games, it was refreshing to watch kids of all ages, (and any of you who watched the adult division of the calf scramble, know what I mean by “kids” of all ages,) take part in a fun physical activity. 

Much fun was had by all. The animals were probably happy when the chasing stopped. Some of the human participants wore bruises and abrasions as trophies following the event but everyone came away safe and happy.

It is also great to see our local 4-H Clubs going so strong. As a former 4-H member, (the Staunton Hustlers with advisors Bill and Mary Ann Cusac,) it means a lot to me when I see our youngsters involved in a 4-H project of any sort. The resulting lessons in responsibility and accountability for their projects, as well as the interaction with fellow 4-H Club members and adults as they present their projects for judging are among the best life lessons they can get.

A 4-H project also promotes family time and family values. Very few projects are solely that of the member. I can remember my dad keeping a watchful eye on my projects and I see the same thing today. A 4-H project for one becomes a family interest for all.

As I traveled the fairgrounds this past week with my good friend Laura Sutherly, webmaster for the Miami County Fair board and a very fine photographer, as well, I was impressed by not only the crowds and the fair patrons enjoying themselves, but also by how smoothly things ran.

Many of us take it for granted when we attend the fair but every portion of the fair requires planning and hard work to make it go. We are blessed in Miami County to have fair board members who give up much of their free time to see that the fair is safe and enjoyable for all. 

They are supported by Junior Fair Board members, most of them area high school students, who rather than spend hours out of school going to parties, plan and work to make the Miami County Fair a success.

I would like to thank all of the fair board and junior fair board members and the many other volunteers for their efforts in making the Miami County Fair … the GREAT Miami County Fair.

Cheerleaders and others work just as hard as football players

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com

The "dog days" of summer are here. As difficult as it is to believe, we are just a few short weeks away from the start of another school year.

Already hard at work are many area student athletes. Many have been working all summer but schools began their first official practices during this past week.

Many of us have already seen, and read, about the obvious. Football players from around the area have donned their pads and are ready for some honest contact to augment the sweat.

What many of us don't realize, or at least acknowledge, is that while football is undoubtedly king, there are hundreds of other kids out there working every  bit as hard to get ready for their chosen sport.

Soccer players of all ages are working their tails off under the hot August sun to ready themselves for their own fall campaign. The Piqua boys soccer team has already seen a measure of success this season by winning a tournament in Urbana last weekend.

Possible some of the most overlooked athletes working to perfect their skills as the fall season approaches are our school cheerleaders.

Like most people, I have pretty much always seen cheerleaders as a fun group who cheer for the "real" athletes during a game. I saw them largely as a social group.

Over the past year or so, I have become acquainted with a number of our local cheerleaders and their parents. This has really opened my eyes. Possibly it has always been this way. Possibly it is because cheerleading has been rapidly evolving, maybe faster than other sports.

From my perspective, cheerleading has all but ceased as a rah-rah-stand-on-the-sideline group of young ladies.

I now see our cheerleading squad as a group of dedicated young athletes. Yes, athletes. The moves and the athleticism necessary to accomplish some of the cheer routines are extremely difficult.

I have also seen the pain and injuries that these young ladies suffer ... and fight their way through, as they continue to practice with all of the same grit and determination as their football counterparts.
The tumbling routines which are becoming a staple to most cheer squads add even greater physical demands.

The same can be said of our marching band members. It may seem like something that is not terribly difficult to anyone who has not tried, but the skill and concentration necessary to march a routine on a football field, stay in step, in line, (in multiple directions simultaneously,) hitting your exact marks on the field even though you cannot look down to see, while at the same time playing a musical arrangement that is, by itself, difficult if you were sitting in a chair, is a daunting task.

These young musicians put in just as many hours in the hot sun as any other athlete. For a number of weeks during the football season, they will march their show for fans on Friday night, get home after midnight, only to pack up and leave early on Saturday morning in order to compete in a marching band competition.

Many of these youngsters have the same goals as their fellow athletes - to become good enough at their chosen sport to secure a college scholarship.

Hard work and dedication to a sport that one is passionate about does not stop with football, basketball or soccer players. It includes all athletes in all sports.

Maybe an old fogey like me really does learn new things, or at least just learns to appreciate the hard work that is going on in front of my eyes.

As we approach the start of a new season of fall sports, I encourage everyone to support our student athletes, every one of them, in every sport. Think back to how much it meant to you, when you were in school, to have not only your parents in the stands, but members of the community cheering for your team.

Pro-gay bullies need to heed own advice - live and let live

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com

America lost an aviation pioneer this week. Sally Ride, America’s first female in space passed away at the age of 61.

The news following her death seemed to be less about her accomplishments as an astronaut and as a person. Instead, many media outlets chose to look into her sexual preference. Ride had been involved in a relationship with another woman for the past 27 years.

This led some pro-gay cheerleaders to criticize Ride’s decision to not go public with her homosexuality. I wonder if it ever occurred to these people that Ride and her partner decided long ago that their relationship was their personal business and their’s alone.
In bygone times, homosexuals kept their relationships quiet so as not to be ostracized by others, just as women who became pregnant were sent away by their family, in disgrace, to hide the “mistake” and have the baby elsewhere.

The world has changed. Today, young, single women get pregnant on purpose. Families support a teen who “gets into trouble,” (to use a phrase from earlier times.)

Another thing that seems to have changed is our right to express our own opinion. The pro-homosexual community has succeeded in making anyone who dares to voice a dissenting opinion look and feel foolish. They have made being “gay” cool … chic.

Personally, I have had about all that I can take of this politically correct, walk-on-eggshells-when-you-talk-about-anything-because-you-might-offend-someone crap.

I attribute much of the change to the fact that today’s American’s are more weak-minded than past generations. We are losing our ability to think for ourselves and instead, blindly follow others. History shows us that those who choose to be led like sheep to slaughter will perish. God gave each of us a mind of our own.

The issue is not about heterosexuals accepting homosexuals for who they are. This issue is about a select group of homosexuals flaunting their lifestyle and demanding that we all express equal support for them.

Too many loud-mouth, pro-gay people seem to think that we no longer have a right to our own opinion. Those same extremists also think that we have no right to privacy in our personal lives.

Did anyone stop to think that Sally Ride and Tam O’Shaughnessy may have decided that their personal lives were no one’s business but their own? What gives the pro-gay cheer section the right to determine what others choose to share, or keep private, in their personal lives?

The pro-gay cheer section loudly yells, “Live and let live,” yet anyone who dares to disagree with them is taunted and jeered. We hear much about bullying. This is classic bullying at its best.

As I grow older, I believe that it is not a matter of a man or a woman being attracted to another man or woman. An individual’s personal preference and belief is just that, their personal preference. That is not saying that I do not have an opinion as to what I believe. I am saying that another person’s business is none of mine.

When in public, I do not care to have a pair of homosexuals hanging all over each other … any more than I want to see heterosexuals “going at it” in public. That is not to say that I am offended by innocuous displays of affection for one’s friend or partner. No one should feel that they cannot express their feelings. Like everything in life — there is a time and place. What goes on behind closed doors is no one’s business.

My message to the pro-gay, ram-our-lifestyle-down-everyone’s-throat cult is, shut up and leave everyone to their own opinion. I will respect your lifestyle and your opinion … just as soon as you respect mine.

Colorado shooting suspect, if guilty, faces only one fate ... or at least that is what should happen.

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com

Most everyone has, by now, heard about the tragic shootings in a Colorado movie theatre on Friday morning.

There is no doubt that this was a very tragic event. I am sure that all of us share in the sadness, sorrow and shock at the events that transpired.

This is perhaps jumping the gun, but I am already filled with apprehension as to the stories and angles that will be sought, as well as the conclusions to be drawn by members of the media and the public as the investigation into this horrible act unfolds.

Our first concern is, as it should be, for the victims and their families. News hounds are already searching for anyone who might have known someone who went to school with the cousin of one of the victims.

And then, there is — the shooting suspect.

From our perspective on this case less than 24 hours after the shootings, we have a young man in his early 20’s who, allegedly entered the theatre after first tossing either smoke or gas, then began shooting at patrons.

Police apparently apprehended the suspect outside the theatre, still in possession of one, or more weapons.

I know that everyone, myself included, would love to know the answer to one question, "Why?" We may, or may not, ever truly know the answer to that question.

Police will investigate to learn more. Psychologists will undoubtedly get a crack at the suspect. CNN probably has Dr. Gupta already preparing his dissertation into the suspect's state of mind at the time as well as his sanity. The remaining members of the media will follow every move made by the suspect. They will probably also track down his family, if they have not already done that.

None of this is new. One has only to look at other high-profile cases over the years. Lee Harvey Oswald comes to mind. It was the media's obsession with the man who killed President John F. Kennedy that put Dallas Times-Herald photographer Robert Jackson in the parking garage at Dallas Police Headquarters to document that moment when Jack Ruby killed Kennedy's assassin.

So it shall also be with the Colorado shooting suspect. His life will be put under a microscope. His family will be hounded. Everyone will want to know why he did "it." What is sad, is that even if the suspect bares his soul, certain factions of the media will not believe him and will continue to search for their own version of the truth.

When all is said and done, will any of it matter? Sure, knowing why might answer some questions. Will knowing why a young man opened fire on a theatre full of innocent people bring back those he murdered? Will it ease the pain of the wounded or lessen the pain of family members?

Does anyone care to place a bet on the phrase, "insanity plea" being thrown about as a defense attorney or public defender weighs in on this tragedy?

Whether, or not, the suspect is sane should have no bearing at all on this case. Why he chose to massacre innocent people should not matter in this case.

This will turn out to be a prime case of how screwed up our justice system is in America. Granted, everyone is innocent until proven guilty ... beyond a reasonable doubt.

What about times where someone commits a crime, or crimes, so heinous that there is but one alternative, to remove that person from our society? What about when those crimes are committed in a situation where there is absolutely no doubt as to who perpetrated the act?

There are some acts where "why" does play an important factor. There are some acts that are so heinous that "why" should be of no consequence.

If it is determined that the young man in custody for the early morning shootings in the Colorado movie theatre, is without a doubt, the man who pulled the trigger, time, after time, after time, shooting down men, women and children, in cold blood, then there is only one fate that can be handed down.

This young man should then be executed. If he is, in fact, guilty, his trial should be held quickly. Evidence should be presented. If it is determined that he did perpetrate the crime, he should be sentenced to death, the sentence to be carried out immediately.

End of story.

After recent damaging storms - Thank You to ... most everyone

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com

This column is a little belated. I got sidetracked by last week’s 2012 Dayton Air Show so my apologies to those deserving folks who are my subject this week.

As we enjoy our recent respite from last week’s heat wave, our memories of the wind storms of June 29 and July 1 are beginning to recede, but all we have to do is look around us as we travel through the city and evidence of the storm’s fury is still everywhere.

The storms took a heavy toll in both the city and county. A number of folks suffered property damage and there were also injuries related to the Friday storm.

It is difficult to find anyone who was not without electricity at some point during the storms.

If you have not done so already, the next time that you see one of our city workers, in particular those who work for Piqua Power Distribution, take a minute to shake their hand and thank them for a job well-done.

The fact that Piqua has its own power plant gave us a leg up on everyone. In spite of unprecedented electric supply failures due to the storm, our distribution people had a majority of the city back up and running in just three hours.

Those same hard-working individuals, after making emergency repairs, began the long and difficult task of getting power restored to all customers and replacing destroyed poles, transformers and equipment. They operated on little sleep or even time away from work, until everything was repaired or replaced and the citizens of our community could get back to business as usual.

Our streets and parks departments people also did, and are continuing to do, an outstanding job of removing and cleaning up the hundreds upon hundreds of trees and branches that were down everywhere we looked. Railroad tracks, roadways, sidewalks and bike paths were all blocked by trees and our city crews worked diligently to clean up after Mother Nature.

The fire department, taking the storm, and subsequent flood of calls for service in stride, responded to everything from a man who was injured when the truck he was sitting in was struck by a large tree, to calls of power lines and transformers on fire.

The police department was also busy checking out dangerous situations such as reports of downed power lines. Minutes after the storm subsided, Chief Bruce Jamison and City Manager Gary Huff were out working alongside their fellow city workers, blocking off streets where downed trees and power lines posed a risk to motorists and placing orange traffic cones to alert motorists and pedestrians to possible danger.

Perhaps some of the least noticed but most overwhelmed workers the nights of those storms were the men and women in the Miami County 9-1-1 call center. The number of calls received during the storms was nearly astronomical, yet they sorted through the calls to “triage” and determine which of the hundreds of calls were emergency status and which could be handled later.

It should be noted that most every one of the city and county workers who were on the job that weekend, working overtime and on little sleep, did so in spite of the fact that they, too, had families and property that needed attention as they also coped with issues from the storms.

That weekend was not a whole lot of fun for anyone. Many people suffered property damage.
Fortunately, injuries from the event were minor. Most everyone was inconvenienced to some extent.

Looking back, one of the things that strikes me most is the teamwork that came into play. Every department within the city and county came together to keep all of us safe, to protect us from danger following the event, to begin the job of repairing and cleaning, almost before the storm clouds moved away.

A huge and heart-felt thank you to everyone, public employees and civilians alike, who pitched in as one team to get us through our spell of rough weather. And, an equal thank you to the families of all of these hard-working men and women. You know that your spouse/dad/mom’s job keeps them away from home at some of the most trying times but you manage to keep things going at home anyway.

Well done!

Firefighter's response to bridge fire was remarkable ... just another day at work in their eyes

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com

A tragedy of sorts occurred in Piqua this past week. The bike path bridge over the Great Miami River burned — again.

In the grand scheme of things, the fire was sad, disheartening and will again cost money out of taxpayer’s pockets to repair, but I would not call it a tragedy. The tragedy in this case was the attitude and remarks made by a few pathetic citizens regarding the fire department’s response to the fire.

Within hours of the fire, some Facebook folks were making derogatory remarks, claiming that the fire department took 20 minutes to respond to the blaze. Some questioned the amount of time that it took to actually begin to put water on the fire.

I was appalled that people actually have the nerve to question a group of dedicated professionals who, many times, are all that stand between citizens and their very life … or death. They unquestionably accept the risk to their own safety, in order to preserve life and property, yet we have local citizens with the nerve to not only question firefighter’s actions, but to embellish and possibly even lie to make themselves look “big” or “important.”

The bottom line is that our fire department was dispatched to a fire on the bridge and responded in a timely manner. There was no delay. What would they be doing to delay a response anyway? Do some folks think that firefighters are waiting on a re-run of “Emergency” to end before leaving the station?

People also need to realize that to even reach this fire, firefighters had to go more than half-way across the 530 foot span. They also had to get hoses and equipment to that location. There were also two long flights of steps to be climbed … before reaching the start of the bridge.

As firefighters reached the location of the blaze, the fact that the fire was burning under the floorboards and whipped by a stiff wind made the bridge a very dangerous place to be. Flames would pop-up at random places. At any time, a firefighter could have been cut off from a safe retreat.

Those were just some of the factors that had to be weighed while water lines were stretched, and added-to, then charged to keep flames at bey, then shut-down and additional sections of line added, then re-charged. All of this was accomplished with the thermometer sitting around 92 degrees Fahrenheit.

Working a fire scene such as that one, does take time. To a bystander, I am sure that time seems to crawl. To the firefighter on the scene using every ounce of strength and energy to haul sections of line over the length of a football field, time seems to fly. They do know that seconds count.

Perhaps it should also be mentioned that when this fire call came in, the Piqua Fire Department already had two medic units out on runs. That means that five personnel were out on other runs, protecting and saving the lives of other Piqua citizens.

Firefighters responded with everything they had, given the manpower constraints they must constantly struggle with. In spite of all of that, I do not recall hearing one gripe as these professionals worked to bring the very stubborn and persistent fire under control on one of the hottest days of the summer.

I can say all of the above with great certainty. I was on the bridge with the firefighters last Tuesday. I mention that because the rude and vocal minority who claim that they were also watching the event unfold, did so from blocks away, if they actually saw anything, as they claim.

Citizens of Piqua are blessed to have firefighters and police officers who are highly trained professionals. I can also say that to a man, or woman, they are also fine individuals. They have families, just as we do. How do you think that your children would feel if someone made disparaging and unfounded remarks about you?

These men and women put it all on the line for us. How about showing them the respect they deserve?

American History — and it is right in our own back yard

By Mike Ullery
Chief Photographer
mullery@dailycall.com
This past week, the Piqua Area Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours was held at the John Johnston Farm & Indian Agency.

Andy Hite and his wonderful staff were gracious hosts. Along with the expected mingling, sharing of business ideas and catching up with friends, was the opportunity for everyone in attendance to board the General Harrison and take an evening ride on the restored section of the canal.

Anyone who knows Andy is aware that history lessons lurk around every corner. On a personal note, that is one of the things that I enjoy about visiting the Johnston Farm. I rarely leave the site without gaining at least one new bit of knowledge about the history of our neck of the woods. Our evening on the General Harrison was no different.

A number of things come to my mind after our boat ride. First, is a fact that Andy pointed out to his audience. That fact is, the average figure for dollars spent, per person, per day, for a family visiting one of our historic sites is $80. Think about it. If a family of four spends the day at the Johnston Farm, $320.00 has come to our community. And that is just the average. Those are dollars spent in our restaurants, motels and retailers.

That fact alone makes it common sense for all of us to support our local historic sites.

Another thing that comes to mind is, I wonder how many of you really know and understand the significance of the historic places that are right on our own doorstep? I know that some will say that they don’t care. I truly feel sorry for them.

Anyone who knows me, knows that aviation is a passion of mine. While it is true that Wilber and Orville Wright made their first flight in North Carolina. Most of the research was done in Dayton and their flying machine was refined and perfected at Huffman Prairie, now a part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

Think about that. Wilber and Orville were not fictional characters now-consigned to our history books. The brothers were real people who literally made history, right here in our area. You can walk on that same ground. It is just a short drive.

The same goes for our John Johnston Farm. The grounds were the site of Pickawillany, an English trading post that earned a significant place in the history of the territory, and the history of our country. We have all read about the War of 1812 and the Hundred Year War between England and France. People and places right in our backyard played important roles in those events, and consequently, the shaping of the United States of America.

This fall will mark the 150th anniversary of the forming of the 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. They were soldiers, most from right here in the Piqua area, who marched off to fight in some of the most definitive battles of the Civil War.

Those soldiers mustered and trained on Col. John Johnston’s property. In other words, on the grounds of the current John Johnston Farm & Indian Agency. I went out to the farm about a week ago and spent some time, just looking over the land, much of it now growing soy beans or alfalfa for hay. I cannot look at that ground without visualizing the young men who, though probably scared to death, yet filled with a spirit of excitement for the unknown adventure ahead of them, learned the intricacies of becoming a soldier.

One has only to turn around to look at the Johnston farm house, then still the home of Johnston family members, and realize those young recruits saw that exact same home as they trained and drilled, and lived in tents, in the Johnston’s front yard.

Even if you do not realize it, it may have been one of your family members training for battle on those grounds. It may be that one of your ancestors first came to the Piqua area by way of a trip to Pickawillany or Fort Greenville.

People are staying closer to home these days as long-distance vacations are even more costly. I can’t think of a better time to visit some of those places that played important and historic roles in the building our our nation — right here in our own back yard.

It will be a fun experience for the entire family. Just remember to be very careful — you may just learn something along the way.