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Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Shandon Strawberry Festival to feature model train display, June 13
The 84th Annual Old Fashioned Strawberry Festival, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13, throughout the village of Shandon at the intersection of Hamilton-New London Road and Cincinnati-Brookville Road. Free. (513) 738-2962 or (513) 738-4005. The day includes: Traditional Picnic-style supper at the Community House, 3 to 7 p.m.; Outdoor arts and crafts vendors; Local shops in historic houses with Welsh gifts, country crafts, original art and local history; Antique Tractor Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the old school yard; Live Welsh harp and organ music at various locations.
Morgan Township resident Don Guill is fond of the old joke: “When the Lord was passing out brains, I thought he said trains…”
And now that he has a pretty good collection of grand scale locomotives, he’s giving his trains back to God.
“When I was growing up, I had trains around the Christmas tree and such,” he said. “Trains have always been a love of mine, but not as much as they are now.”
In 2001 he bought his first large-scale train from a man in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada, in 2001.
“The man was a retired Canada Pacific Railroad Engineer and he built himself a replica of the train he ra n all his life,” Guill said. “I bought it without knowing a whole lot about trains, but I found out how easy it is to make them.”
Well, easy for a man who has operated a metal fabricating shop, creating custom-made trailers since 1974, and who has restored 24 antique automobiles in his spare time.
Guill makes what is known as “grand scale” model trains. His are one-fourth the size of actual engines and cars, but he used as his model not the full scale trains, but HO scale models.
“I took an HO model, a measuring tape and a pair of calipers to make my plans,” he said. “You can occasionally find drawings to work from, but mostly you have to improvise.”
Since then, he’s made several engines and cars for them to pull, some for other folks with grand scale lay-outs, some for show, and some for his own mile and a half of track that he laid on his property in Morgan Twp. between Shandon and Okeana. He’s also restored a steam engine that was built in 1966 in Denver. When he bought it, it was painted up like Thomas the Tank Engine, but Guill took it all apart and gave it a more historic look.
He built a small town to go along with his railroad, including a grocery store, a church and a school house, naming the buildings after beloved relatives, and his wife Tonia did all of the decorating of the interiors.
They now operate the For His Glory Train Ministry on the site, allowing churches and other groups to bring children in for a train ride along a route that includes miniature billboards with Bible verses and tableaus of scenes from the life of Jesus, including the three crosses on Calvary and a life-size tomb, complete with the burial garments that Jesus left behind.
To top it all off, Guill recently purchased the large train light display that was once part of the Union Terminal in Cincinnati. It had been scrapped and was headed for the junk yard when Guill made some inquiries and purchased it “for next to nothing,” then re-outfitted it with LED lights to help save energy. The display is assembled and waiting for electricity to be run to the site.
Guill will have one of his trains on display at this weekend’s Shandon Strawberry Festival, but not operational. He encourages groups to come out for a train ride by appointment by calling (513) 582-1674 or (513) 738-7322.
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Every dog is a star at Dog Fest, June 13-14
Dog Fest 2009, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, June 13-14, Voice of America Museum Park, 8070 Tylersville Road, West Chester. Free admission, $8 donation per car/van. (513) 422-7297.
Not many festivals can boast having “something for every dog.”
But at Dog Fest, there will be agility and obedience competitions, a fashion show for dogs, owner/dog and famous dog look-alike competitions. Even awards for smallest and largest dogs.
“Some dogs don’t have any talent, but they can look good,” said events coordinator Barb Young. “So we have something for them, too.”
And because the dogs coming to Dog Fest need to have owners with them, Young said the festival has expanded its children’s activities this year.
“We want to make sure that no one gets bored, so we brought back some of the children’s games,” Young said. “The ‘bounce house’ will be back by popular demand.” It’s a testament to how much we love our dogs that the event has been so successful through the years, Young said.
Dog Fest originated in 1999 as a community event for West Chester where people could bring their dog or dogs for a day of fun with just a few events and booths, exhibitors and entertainers. Dog Fest 2009 expects to draw more than 15,000 people and their canine friends.
“People love to see the dogs,” Young said. “They want to show their dogs off. They want to see other breeds that they might only have seen in books. People dress their dogs up. It’s really a family event.”
But at the center of it all is the need to raise awareness about dog issues. Dog Fest is hosted by the Progressive Animal Welfare Society (PAWS), a no-kill, nonprofit animal shelter in Butler County which houses dogs and cats until they are adopted.
“They’re all lovable and they’ll all break your heart,” Young said. “But different dogs have different needs. People will see a dog on TV and say, ‘That’s what I want,’ even though the breed may not be right for their lifestyle.”
Every dog needs exercise, she said. A Chihuahua will not need an hour walk every day, but a sporting dog will.
“So if you live in an apartment and don’t have time to walk a golden retriever, it may not be the dog for you,” she said.
So there will be booths at Dog Fest to help people make those decisions.
Journal-News file photos from Dog Fest 2008.
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Last CD given away… Thanks to all who participated
Congratulations to Randy Cook of Hamilton for correctly answering Monday’s question: When the Mormon Tabernacle Choir performs at its home venue, it is often accompanied by a massive pipe organ. How many pipes are in that organ?
Answer: 11,623
As a reward for his supernatural googling skills, Randy will receive a copy of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s latest CD, “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing.”
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir will join Maestro Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra — along with legendary aviator, engineer and astronaut Neil Armstrong and Bengals tight end Ben Utecht — for a one-night-only Pops concert 8 p.m. Thursday, June 18 to mark the orchestra’s first summer concert celebrating the 25th anniversary of Riverbend Music Center.
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