FREMONT — Ride through the wooded estate of President Rutherford B. Hayes in a horse-drawn sleigh, as Hayes did when he lived here.
South Creek Clydesdales will offer horse-drawn sleigh and trolley rides from 1 to 4 p.m. Dec. 26 to 31 at Spiegel Grove, the grounds of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Library & Museums.
Cost is $3 per rider ages 3 and older and free for riders 2 and younger.
Tickets can be purchased Dec. 26 to 31 at the front desk in the museum and library building. Rides are given on a first-come, first-served basis. No reservations are taken.
The trolley, which can hold 16 to 18 people, could be used in addition to or in place of the sleigh, which holds four people, depending on demand and South Creek Clydesdales’ staff availability.
Sleigh rides will be offered whether or not there is snow. However, if the wind chill is zero or below zero or there are thunderstorms, rides will be canceled. For updates, visit rbhayes.org and the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums’ social media pages.
The sleigh rides are a long-standing holiday tradition at the Hayes Presidential Library & Museums. South Creek also will offer sleigh rides during Presidents’ Day weekend, Feb. 17 to 19.
Hayes often rode in a horse-drawn sleigh and noted his excursions and how much he enjoyed them in his diaries, which are kept in the Hayes Presidential Library.
The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is America’s first presidential library and the forerunner for the federal presidential library system. It is partially funded by the state of Ohio and affiliated with the Ohio History Connection. The Hayes Presidential Library & Museums is located at Speigel Grove at the corner of Hayes and Buckland avenues.
For information, call 419-332-2081, or visit rbhayes.org.
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Sleigh rides offered on ground of Hayes library and museums
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Unruly child going to the sitter's for two weeks
Here’s a column that I re-run about once every seven years. To see why I chose that interval, read on.
The privilege of writing this column every week is one of the best things that ever happened to me.
To think that anybody would care what I have to say about anything is flattering beyond belief.
To have an avocation like this that causes me to pay extra attention to the things that happen in my life (there might be a story in it!) has enriched me beyond words.
To open my email or answer the phone and have one of you saying that I wrote something that made a difference for you is a quick route to humility.
Yes, I obviously love the opportunity to share whatever happens to be on my mind at that particular time.
I know I love it because I keep on doing it. More than 2,000 columns over a span of more than 40 years.
Sometimes it feels as if I will never have another good idea.
Other times I have a brain lapse and say something in print I wish I had never said. It makes me want to crawl under a log and die.
And all the time I am reminded of what a relentless animal a newspaper column like this is: no sooner do I finish the several hundred words for this week than I have to start thinking about next week. If you think times flies for you, try to imagine how quickly Monday comes around when you have an obligation like this every single one.
Yes, I obviously love writing this column. All my complaints aside, I will probably continue doing it until they kick me out.
But people love their children, too, even more than I love this column.
And those same people who love their children are always forgiven when they want to get away for a little time in a place where there are no children.
So I hope you can understand the somewhat giddy pleasure that has come to me upon studying the calendar. What I found is that this year — as happens approximately every seven years — the holiday gods have sprung for two consecutive Monday holidays, Christmas and New Year’s.
In terms that speak most clearly to me, there will be no paper the next two weeks.
As I said, I love this unruly child that I bring to your home every Monday.
But this baby is off to the sitter for the next couple of weeks! Yippee!
The expression that comes to mind is Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to me.
And of course, I wish the same to you.
Jim Busek is a freelance writer who lives in Norwalk. He can be reached via email at jimbusek@hotmail.com.
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Will it be a white Christmas in Norwalk?
It will be most cloudy and breezy today, with a high in the upper 40s.
Tonight, the temperature will drop to the upper 20s.
Wednesday and Thursday will see highs in the upper 30s to lower 40s.
Rain is predicted Friday and Saturday, when the highs will be 52 and 41, respectively.
After that, the weather will be cooler, with Sunday having a high near 33 and a low of 23. The high on Monday, which is Christmas, will be only 29. There is a 40 percent chance of snow both days, so that could be a white Christmas for Norwalk.
Today, the sun will rise at 7:52:06 a.m. and set at 5:04:06 p.m.
On Wednesday, the sun will rise at 7:52:37 a.m. and set at 5:04:35 p.m.
Forecast
Today - Mostly cloudy, with a high near 46. Breezy, with a southwest wind 15 to 20 mph, with gusts as high as 31 mph.
Tuesday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 28. West wind 8 to 13 mph.
Wednesday - Partly sunny, with a high near 37. Northwest wind 6 to 8 mph.
Wednesday night - Partly cloudy, with a low around 25. Light and variable wind.
Thursday - Partly sunny, with a high near 41.
Thursday night - Mostly cloudy, with a low around 35.
Friday - A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 52. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Friday night - Rain before 1 a.m., then rain and snow likely. Low around 37. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Saturday - A chance of showers before 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Saturday night - Mostly cloudy, with a low around 25.
Sunday - Mostly cloudy, with a high near 33.
Sunday night - A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low around 23. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Christmas Day - A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a high near 29. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
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Details of divorce in high society
Dec. 19, 1913
The top stories in the Norwalk Reflector-Herald on this date in 1913:
Mrs. C.O. Jenkins, former Norwalkian, calls husband jealous
On the witness stand in Common Pleas Judge Frank E. Stevens’ court yesterday, Mrs. Abby Jenkins, 24, 1980 Ford Dr. N.E., declared her belief in the right of a married woman to choose her own friends and live her life as she chooses and, under certain circumstances, to go out alone with other men, says the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Mrs. Jenkins is suing Charles O. Jenkins, vice president of the Jenkins Steamship Co. for divorce, alimony and the custody of their three children.
From 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ms. Jenkins was on the witness stand, most of the time fencing, cleverly, with Attorney S.H. Helding, who represented Jenkins.
Under the fire of Helding’s questions, Mrs. Jenkins readily admitted she had written letters to her husband, professing love that she did not feel. She said this was necessary to get things she needed.
Several of the letters and telegrams she had sent to her husband while away from home visiting were read in court, as were several letters written to her by a man with whom she said she had become well acquainted while staying at Niagara-on-the-lake, Ont., last summer. …
… In making the charges that her husband was jealous of men callers, who she said sometimes came to the house, Mrs. Jenkins testified he was often rude and insulting to her guests.
She was so humiliated one night last September, she said, that she tried to kill herself by taking poison. She was saved by two doctors called by her friends.
Letters to Santa Claus from good boys and girls
Dear Santa Claus — As it is near time for you to come, will you please bring me a sled coaster and a street car on tracks and a suit of clothes and some candy and nuts. As ever, one of your good boys, V.E. Smith, 14 Harkness St.
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Dear Santa — I am a little boy 8 years old. I would like a new necktie and a stand up collar and a new story book and a mouth organ and an ax. I have a sister 9 years old, her name is Doris, she would like a silver thimble and some ribbon holders so please do not forget Doris and I. Good-bye from Lyndon Deeley, Norwalk , Ohio, R.F.D. 6.
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Dear Santa Claus — Please bring me a flying machine, gun and and a candy cane. Also a thrashing machine, but if you can’t find one, bring me some other kind of machinery. Please bring some other little boys some presents too. As I am too small to write my sister is writing for me. LeVere McCrillis
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Dear Santa Claus — I am eight years old and want you to bring me a doll and a kimona, some bedroom slippers with fur on them, be sure they have fur on them, a flexible Flyer sled and that is all. Be sure and bring the kimona and nuts and oranges, with love, Mary Birmingham, Norwalk, O.
Eight are granted teachers certificate
Eight of the eleven applicants at the December examination, held by the Huron County Board of School Examiners, were granted certificates.
Elizabeth Yanquell of this city received grades which would have entitled her to a certificate but on account of her not being eighteen years of age, a certificate could not be issued.
Those who received certificates were the following: Lillian M. Klar and Nellie Stethem, Wakeman, provisonal, one year; Emma Elmes, Wakeman; Alice Rupp, Clyde; Mrs. H.B. Cole, New London; Clara B. Long, North Fairfield; Samuel Croninger, Chicago Junction; Fred D. Boy, Monroeville, temporary.
Coming Wednesday — Dec. 20, 1913: Good roads spirit wakes up in Huron County
— Compiled by Andy Prutsok
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Augmented Reality Sandbox gives 3-D experience
The Huron Soil and Water Conservation District has a new educational tool available to use in classrooms — the Augmented Reality Sandbox.
The sandbox is an interactive, reality, 3-D exhibit. It uses a computer generated sensory input to project topographic maps of landforms onto a sand basin. Students or educators can interact with the exhibit by shaping landforms in the sand. After the colored elevation map is drawn over the landform (sand) through the projector, from computer software, virtual rain water flows down slopes, to lower surfaces, purposefully showing the distribution of water into watersheds.
The Sandbox will teach an understanding of topographic map uses in understanding erosion, land formations and non-point source pollution.
The sandbox build by the SWCD was made possible by a $1,000 grant from the Ohio Department of Agriculture. It was debuted for the first time at the 2017 Huron County Fair in the Agronomy Building on Kids Day.
Please call our office at 419-668- 4113 ext. 3 and schedule the sandbox for in classroom use, demo or teacher-in-service days. We will deliver it and set it up. The sandbox is set up in the SWCD conference room, and all are welcome to stop by the office 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to take a peek or schedule its use.
For more information, log onto https://arsandbox.ucdavis.edu/ The website has an educator resource tab for facilitation.
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Sporties for Shorties sign-ups under way
Registration is under way for the “Sporties for Shorties” program.
Lots of fun will be happening here as children ages 3 to 5 learn the basics of the sport of soccer. This five-week beginner program will also introduce some rules and coordination through different games and activities. The program will be held Saturdays, starting Jan. 27. Early registration cost is $18 for Norwalk students/members and $23 for out-of-town students.
Here is information about other programs and events:
Youth Dance — We now have youth dance classes available. This next session will have two new classes to offer, starting Jan. 13 to Feb. 17. All classes will be held on Saturday mornings. Now taking registration through Jan. 4. Cost is $30 members, $35 universal.
9:30 a.m. Beginner ballet (5 to 8 years); 10:30 a.m. Cheer technique (8 to 12 years)
Open Gym — Special holiday open gym times will start Dec. 19. Specific days and times are scheduled for the different grade levels over break. Please check out our website, www.norwalkrec.com, call or stop by the front desk to learn of the available times.
Family First Night — New Year’s Eve Party!!! That’s right, this annual event will be held for the entire family to celebrate in a fun, safe, tobacco and drug free environment at the Ernsthausen Community Center. The Norwalk Parks & Recreation department are bringing you a family-friendly event full of games, music, swimming, door prizes, watching the ball drop on the big screen, and much more. The event will be held from 8 p.m. to midnight. So gather all your family and friends and join us for a night of fun Dec. 31. Volunteers and door prizes still needed, call Niki at 419-663-6775 x1026.
The Rec, a column about activities sponsored by the Norwalk Park and Recreation Department, appears every other week. For more information on these and other programs sponsored by the Norwalk Park and Recreation Department, call (419) 663-6775.
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Save us, Congress. You're now net neutrality's only hope
Often, the mob mentality of the internet can change minds. But not this time.
On Thursday, the Federal Communications Commission did exactly what it had been expected to do for weeks: It pushed through a repeal of net neutrality, the Obama-era regulations that prohibited internet service providers from blocking, slowing or giving preferential treatment to certain websites and services. No longer will the web be treated like a utility.
Suddenly, things aren’t looking good for broadband customers and California’s tech companies, which soon could be forced to pay more money to keep using the internet as we do today. Streaming Netflix may never be the same.
And the next Netflix or the next Twitter, whatever that startup running on a shoestring budget might be, could fail before it has a chance to succeed in an environment that requires entrepreneurs to pay to be seen on the internet.
Depressing, right?
Even more depressing is that, at this point, consumers only have one place to turn to undo the damage wrought by the FCC, and that’s Congress. The same Republican-controlled Congress that’s determined to snatch money from the pockets of California’s middle-class under it’s monstrosity of a tax plan.
But pressuring lawmakers into action on net neutrality is certainly worth a shot, even though it clearly didn’t work so well with the FCC.
In a letter sent last week, the powerful Internet Association – a trade group that counts Facebook, Google, Airbnb and Uber, among others, as members – urged the FCC to reject the misguidedly named “Restoring Internet Freedom Order.” And this week, Twitter and Reddit followed up with a coordinated campaign of hashtags and pointed online messages aimed at riling up the public.
That’s on top of a letter from more than 20 technology pioneers, including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and Mozilla Foundation chairwoman Mitchell Baker, who beseeched the FCC to slow down and gain a better understanding of the way the internet works, and the 28 Democratic senators who also asked for a delay.
But alas, the Republican members of the FCC caved to the thinking of Chairman Ajit Pai.
Pai came to the FCC after working as an attorney for Verizon, a telecommunications company that stands to gain handsomely from the net neutrality repeal. He insisted that the regulations hampered innovation and investment in next-generation broadband technologies, such as the 5G wireless network being rolled out in Sacramento next year.
Instead of net neutrality, Pai has made unrealistic promises to protect consumers by working with the Federal Trade Commission to ensure ISPs disclose their business practices. Specifically, the FTC – assuming it has jurisdiction over ISPs, which remains unclear – will handle investigations and enforcement for “unfair, deceptive or otherwise unlawful acts or practices,” but only after the damage has already been done.
The chance of Pai’s plan actually working is, amazingly, even more of a longshot than getting Congress to pass legislation to restore some or all the previous net neutrality regulations.
This week, Republican Sen. John Thune broke with the deafening silence his party has had on the issue and asked that people on “both sides of the aisle” work with him on a legislative solution.
“Congressional action is the only way to solve the endless back and forth on net neutrality rules that we’ve seen over the past several years,” he said. “If my colleagues on the other side of the aisle and those who claim to support net neutrality rules want to enshrine protections for consumers with the backing of the law, I call on you today to join me in discussing legislation that would do just that.”
And on Thursday morning, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, an independent also from Maine, asked the FCC to cancel Thursday’s vote to give Congress time to hold public hearings.
Separately, Democratic Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York introduced the “Save Net Neutrality Act,” which would’ve stopped the FCC from gutting net neutrality in the first place. It went nowhere, but other Democrats in Congress, including Sen. Kamala Harris, have ramped up calls for saving the regulations in the interest of protecting a vital communications tool.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi went so far as to say after the vote that “if Republicans in Congress decide to ignore the will of their constituents, Democrats will turn to the courts.”
President Donald Trump, who on Thursday made a show of cutting red “tape” while standing in front of a stack of papers to demonstrate how many regulations his administration has supposedly cut, won’t make it easy.
But the internet is too important to California and, indeed, to the world to let profit-minded corporations be the sole gatekeepers. It’s a pity the FCC allowed that to happen.
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©2017 The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.)
Visit The Fresno Bee (Fresno, Calif.) at www.fresnobee.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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'It's all about self expression now'
Justin Phillips views his work as a “fine art,” passion and a way to give back to those who need it most.
Phillips, a 2003 Norwalk High School graduate, has been tattooing for about 10 years, working for shops throughout the state, as well as in Michigan, Arizona, California and Florida. It’s been two weeks though since he started his own business, Six More Miles Tattoo Saloon at 53-B Benedict Ave., which formally housed the Black Top Mafia.
Now that he has two children aged 2 and 4 years, Phillips said he’s ready to plant some roots where he has a “natural following” and family that’s close by.
“Opening a shop keeps me in one spot,” he said. “I’m so glad to be home. Before when I was living in Michigan, I didn’t have any family for 200 miles. Being a single daddy, caring for my two kids, maintaining the house and working, it was insane.”
Business has been “great” so far, he said, despite it being the “toughest” month for tattooing. Phillips said though even it was hard, he knew this was what he wanted to do since a friend taught him how to tattoo in 2009.
“I always loved the alternative things — music and seeing tattoos on rock stars, it was always awesome,” he said. “I was always into the punk rock kind of area. I always stood out a little bit, drawing all over everything. I’ve been drawing forever.”
Phillips still draws all of his own original tattoos and said he could even commission some as paintings.
His first tattoo was a bird, followed by a heart and a name, both of which he has since covered with a larger tattoo sleeve he inked on himself one Christmas Eve.
Other tattoos Phillips said he couldn’t cover, like a right-arm sleeve he got when he was 16 and later regretted. He had it removed years later and learned from the experience the importance of giving others the opportunity at fresh starts, too.
“It’s miserable having tattoos you hate,” Phillips said. “I’m getting ready to start a promotion actually, kind of like a start to a new year and give away a free six-hour cover up.”
The drawing date hasn’t been released yet.
“It’s not taboo anymore,” he said. “It’s almost more rare to see someone with no tattoos anymore. It’s awesome to have tattoos now that it’s not an outlaw, gangster-looking thing. Everyone’s getting them.”
Phillips said while ink on skin used to be a sign of rebellion, today it can be “all about self expression.”
“Anyone who feels one way or another about something, they can get it put on their skin and correlate it to themselves,” he said, adding many choose to get a tattoo to remember a loved one or special event in their life.
For Phillips though, he said the business is most important when it gives back to those who need it most.
“Some people have intense, underlying issues for … tendencies to self-harm and things like. Versus cutting, I think a tattoo kind of fills that void and then I’ve seen some people pull out (self-harm) because of it,” he said.
“I cover self-harm scars almost next to nothing usually, and for women who go through breast cancer and mastectomies. They lose their (breasts), so I’ve done five so far. You almost do a portrait of them and it looks real. It gives them their confidence back and makes them feel like a woman again,” he said. “I have family that has breast cancer, too, so I try to pay it forward every time I can. It gives them something back that they lost.”
On a larger-level, Phillips said he “wants to reach out and do a whole bunch of stuff” to support the community, which he kicked off by sponsoring Norwalk High School for some of their book covers. He also hopes one day to open up the other half of the shop as a place for teenagers and young adults to come in for art classes, to provide a safe and enjoyable way to spend their time.
“I had a rough come up, so it’s nice to be able to settle down and try to do something to give back,” he said.
Six More Miles has a $35 shop minimum. Phillips said his prices are reasonable for the quality of the tattoo he gives. All of his inks are organic, “meaning no one will have a reaction to them.”
The shop is open from noon to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and Sunday by appointment
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Date cake tastes like holidays, will make you forget fruitcake jokes
Despite the jokes, we enjoy fruitcake in our house. Likewise, the dark fruit flavors of mincemeat, plum puddings, stollen and lebkuchen. They prove a bold contrast to all the sugar cookies, peppermint bark and homemade fudge — which we also love.
Cakes made with dates are relatively new to our repertoire. We’ve had a few good ones this year — most recently at The Vanguard in Indianapolis. They served a warm wedge of a robust, super moist date cake with a generous ladle of warm toffee sauce. Tasted like the holidays to us!
At home, I pureed pitted dates with hot water and a bit of espresso powder for an even darker, pleasantly bitter flavor in this simple one-layer cake. A topping of diced dried dates (look for packages of diced dates with oat flour; the pieces stay separate), mixed with walnuts and cacao nibs, adds a great texture and an attractive appearance. The cake keeps well for several days. I like to serve it warm; slices can be heated very briefly in the microwave.
The whiskey-spiked toffee sauce gilds the lily. The sauce makes a nice gift packaged in small jars. Microwave the sauce until it’s warm, so it flows over the cake nicely.
I added a jar of mincemeat to my condiment collection when shopping at Waitrose in London. In the old English days, mincemeat contained chopped meat. Today, the store-bought versions are meatless — and delicious. Basically, cooked apples sweetened with raisins and molasses and flavored with sweet and savory spices, such as cinnamon, clove, caraway and cinnamon, form the base of bottled mincemeat. Often a touch of vinegar is added for tanginess. Borden’s Nonesuch Mincemeat tastes good; Amazon sells a couple of British imports that I like too.
To satisfy the varied tastes of our holiday guests, I add a cup of mincemeat to a homemade apple pie. In my experience, adding a touch of the dark condiment to a pie helps ease the guests into these flavors. I think the combination is a perfect match any time of the year.
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DOUBLE DATE CAKE WITH WHISKEY BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 1 hour
Makes: 10 to 12 servings
3/4 cup diced dates with oat flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons cacao nibs or small bits of dark chocolate, optional
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice blend
3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 package (8 ounces) whole pitted dates, about 1 3/4 cups
2 tablespoons rye whiskey or 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs
Powdered sugar, optional
Whiskey butterscotch sauce, see recipe
1. Heat oven to 325 degrees. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. For the topping, mix diced dates, walnuts and cacao nibs in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix flours, baking soda, spice blend, ginger and salt in a separate bowl. Put pitted dates, whiskey and espresso powder in a heat-proof bowl. Add 1 cup boiling water and let stand until dates are super soft, about 10 minutes. Pour date-whiskey mixture into a food processor; process to a smooth puree. Let stand to thicken, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, put butter into a large bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes total. Add half of the flour mixture and all of the date-whiskey puree. Beat to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat just enough to combine. Do not over-mix.
4. Scrap the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Sprinkle the reserved diced-dates-and-walnuts mixture evenly over the batter. Bake until cake is pulling away from the sides of the pan and a wooden pick inserted in several places comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.
5. Let the cake cool on a wire rack at least 1 hour. Remove the sides of the springform. Cut cake into wedges to serve. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar, if desired. Drizzle with the whiskey butterscotch sauce.
Nutrition information per serving (for 12 servings): 375 calories, 17 g fat, 8 g saturated fat, 93 mg cholesterol, 54 g carbohydrates, 37 g sugar, 6 g protein, 285 mg sodium, 3 g fiber
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WHISKEY BUTTERSCOTCH SAUCE
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Makes: 1 1/2 cups
You can sub bourbon or brandy for the rye whiskey, if you prefer.
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/3 cup dark agave syrup
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 cup heavy (whipping) cream
1/4 cup rye whiskey
1. Put sugar, syrup, butter, salt and 1/4 cup water into a medium-size deep saucepan. Heat to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and let simmer, 2 minutes. Uncover the pan. Add cream and continue to simmer on low, stirring often, until sauce is thick and syrupy, about 10 minutes. Stir in whiskey, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat. Allow sauce to cool at room temperature. Transfer to jars or microwave-safe container. Sauce will keep for up to one month in the refrigerator.
2. Microwave on medium (50 percent power) to warm the sauce. Serve warm.
Nutrition information per tablespoon: 92 calories, 3 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 8 mg cholesterol, 17 g carbohydrates, 17 g sugar, 0 g protein, 26 mg sodium, 0 g fiber
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APPLE CINNAMON MINCEMEAT PIE
Prep: 45 minutes
Bake: 1hour
Makes: 8 servings
You can substitute a box of frozen pie crust, about 22 ounces, for the homemade dough. Thaw the dough as directed, and roll it back into shape if it cracks when unwrapping.
1 recipe double-crust pie dough, recipe follows
3 pounds (6 to 8 medium-size) firm crisp apples, such as Empire, Mutsu or Honeycrisp
Grated zest from 1 small lemon
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup bottled mincemeat
2 tablespoons half-and-half
Coarse sugar for sprinkling
Cinnamon sweetened whipped cream, or rum raisin ice cream
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Have a deep 10-inch glass or ceramic pie plate and a baking sheet ready.
2. Roll out the larger disk of dough between two sheets of floured wax paper into a thin circle about 14 inches in diameter. Carefully fold the dough in half, then place it in the pie dish, Unfold it and fit it over the bottom and up the sides of the pie dish. Trim the overhang to leave about 1/2 inch all around the pie dish. Refrigerate.
3. Roll the other piece of dough between 2 sheets of floured wax paper into an 11-inch circle and place it (still between the wax paper) on the baking sheet and refrigerate it.
4. For the filling, peel the apples, and quarter them through the stem end. Remove the core. Cut each quarter into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put the slices into a large bowl, and add the lemon zest. Stir in sugar, cornstarch, tapioca, cinnamon and salt. Mix well. Gently stir in the mincemeat. Let stand, about 10 minutes.
5. Spoon the apple mixture and accumulated juices into the dough-lined pie dish. Pat the apples down to compact them a bit.
6. Carefully place the top crust over the fruit. Use your fingers to press together the top and bottom crusts, trimming as needed. Use a fork to make a decorative edge. Brush the top of the pie and the edges with the half-and-half. Sprinkle everything generously with the coarse sugar. Use the fork to gently poke steam vents into the top of the pie in several spots.
7. Bake pie at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees. Now slide the baking sheet under the pie to catch any drips. Continue baking at 325 degrees until the top crust is richly browned, 30 to 40 minutes more. (Use foil strips to cover the edges of the pie if they brown too quickly.) Cool pie on wire rack until barely warm.
8. Serve warm with cinnamon sweetened whipped cream or ice cream.
Nutrition information per serving: 629 calories, 26 g fat, 14 g saturated fat, 32 mg cholesterol, 99 g carbohydrates, 53 g sugar, 5 g protein, 130 mg sodium, 6 g fiber
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OUR FAVORITE, FORGIVING PIE CRUST
Prep: 20 minutes
Chill: 1 hour
Makes enough for a double crust 10-inch pie
2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, very cold
1/2 cup transfat-free vegetable shortening, frozen
1. Put flour, sugar and salt into a food processor. Pulse to mix well. Cut butter and shortening into small pieces and sprinkle them over the flour mixture. Use on/off pulses with the food processor to blend the fats into the flour. The mixture will look like coarse crumbs.
2. Put ice cubes into about 1/2 cup water and let the water chill. Remove the ice cubes and drizzle about 6 tablespoons of the ice water over the flour mixture. Briefly pulse the machine just until the mixture gathers into a dough.
3. Dump the mixture out onto a sheet of wax paper. Gather into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten the balls into thick disks. Wrap in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. (Dough will keep in the refrigerator for several days.)
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©2017 Chicago Tribune
Visit the Chicago Tribune at www.chicagotribune.com
Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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New inmates at the Huron County Jail, Dec. 18
Here are pictures and information from the Huron County Jail regarding new inmates for Dec. 18, 2017:
Harley D. Boatright, 24, of 2663 E. U.S. 224, Greenwich -— Violation of probation
Timothy J. Moore II, 29, of 5 W. Water St. -— Robbery
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Not pictured because they have already been released from jail:
Ronald A. Brewster, 62, of 36 Pearl St., Wakeman
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John T. Auble
BUCYRUS — John T. Auble, 92, of Bucyrus, Ohio, formerly of Sandusky, Ohio, passed away December 16, 2017 at Heartland of Bucyrus.
John was born March 21, 1925, in Norwalk, Ohio to the late Frank and Gladys (King) Auble. He graduated from Bolles Military School (Jacksonville, Florida) in 1943. After graduation he enlisted in the Marines. John served during WWII and saw action in Iwo Jima where he was wounded twice and received two purple hearts. He was very proud of his service in the Marines and the men with whom he served. He participated in many veteran events. He was active in the Military Order of the Purple Heart.
John attended Ohio Wesleyan University in Delaware, Ohio after his discharge from the Marines. He graduated in 1949 with a bachelor of arts in business. John’s work career started in sales for Sandusky Foundry. In 1959 he was appointed as Erie County Clerk of Courts and ran unopposed until 1970. John then took the job of Personnel Director for Providence Hospital until 1972. He became Personnel Director at Van Dresser in Norwalk until 1981. John finished his career as Personnel Director of Erie County, retiring in 1985.
John and his wife Ellen moved to Homosassa, Florida after John’s retirement. John was active for years in many organizations and social clubs including The Republican Party of Citrus County. He was an active member of Calvary Episcopal Church in Sandusky, Ohio and St. Anne’s Episcopal Church in Homosassa, Florida. He liked being with people, and he always had a sense of humor. Perhaps because of his early years growing up on a farm, John enjoyed gardening and working in his yard.
John is survived by three sisters; Agnes Johns (Parker County, Colorado), Francis Wechter (New Boston, Michigan), Winifred Kuhlman (Norwalk, Ohio), two daughters; Pam Auble (Mike Engle) of Nashville, Tennessee, Ellen Shifley (Greg) of Bucyrus, Ohio, two sons; Scott Auble (Mary Jo) of Boynton Beach, Florida, Jonathan Auble of Willard, Ohio, eight grandchildren, one great grandchild, many nieces and nephews; and his cat Koko.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Ellen C. (Jeglenski) Auble, and his granddaughter, Kristin Auble.
The Staff of the Lindsey-Foos-Kocher Funeral Service, 295 W. Tiffin Street, Attica, Ohio assisted the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be made at www.lindseyfooskocher.com
A private memorial service will be held at First Presbyterian Church, 21 Firelands Blvd, Norwalk, Ohio. Pastor David Comstock will officiate. Interment will be in the Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in the name of John Auble to the following: Purple Heart Service Foundation, P.O. Box 49, Annandale, VA 22003, Attention: Tina; Crawford County Council on Aging, 200 S. Spring St. Bucyrus, OH 44820; Heartland of Bucyrus, 1170 W. Mansfield Street, Bucyrus, OH 44820. Other donations can be made to the charity of your choice.
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Richard Lee Hall
WILLARD — Richard Lee Hall, age 82, resident of Willard, Ohio passed away on Monday, December 18, 2017 at the Gaymont Nursing Home in Norwalk, Ohio. He was born on February 10, 1935 in Broad Bottom, KY to the late Elijah and Sally (Meade) Hall. He has been a member of the Guinea Corner Church of God since 1983. Richard retired from MTD in Willard in 2000 and enjoyed spending time with children and grandchildren.
He is survived by his wife, Zena (Tackett) Hall, whom he married on September 1, 1956; a daughter, Frances (Norman) Reed of New Haven; a son, Larry (Patricia) Hall of Odessa, Texas; one grandson, James Blankenship of Willard, Ohio; five step-grandchildren, Christine Brock of Odessa, Texas, and Clifford Brock of Odessa, TX, Chris Blankenship of Shiloh, Dorothy Swank of Tiro and Chad Blankenship of Plymouth; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he is preceded in death by five sisters, Dorthola Yates, Bertha Hunt, Lucy Clark, Onetia Johnson and Marilyn Bryant; three brothers, Eugene Hall, James Hall and Russell Hall; and a grandson, Richard Hall.
Visitation will be held at the Secor Funeral Home in Willard, Ohio on Wednesday, December 20, 2017 from 5:00 P.M. to 8:00 P.M. Funeral services will be on Thursday, December 21, 2017 at 1:00 P.M. at the Guinea Corner Church of God in New Haven, Ohio with Pastor Dennis Shrader officiating. Burial will follow at the Greenlawn Cemetery in Greenwich, Ohio. Online condolences can be made to the family at www.secorfuneralhomes.com
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Woman arrested after Pakistani caller claims she buried child
CLEVELAND (TNS) — A Cleveland woman is in the city jail on suspicion of murder after someone from Pakistan called police on Monday and reported she buried her 5-year-old child in the backyard of her home on the city's Detroit-Shoreway neighborhood.
No formal charges have been filed in the case and police said they have not yet found the boy either dead or alive.
The 34-year-old woman was booked Monday in the Cleveland City Jail on suspicion of murder, jail records say.
The 5-year-old boy is developmentally disabled and is unable to speak, according to police reports.
The caller, who lives in Pakistan, told police that the boy's stepfather told him that he and the woman found her son unresponsive about two months ago and buried him in the backyard, police said.
The stepfather is in the Medina County Jail serving a six-month sentence for failing to pay child support, police and court records say.
The woman told police that her son went to Houston, Texas to visit his biological father in Houston, police reports. She told police that the boy's aunt picked him up on Dec. 2. She was unable to provide contact information for the boy's biological father or the aunt, police reports say.
She also was unable to provide any other information on her son, police reports say.
Investigators on Monday searched the home in the 1300 block of West 80th Street, just north of Detroit Avenue. A crew dug up part of the backyard, but found nothing, police said.
The woman told police she has nine children, including five who live with her, police reports say.
Investigators are trying to find the child or connect him to any other missing-person cases.
Police are still trying to identify the remains of a 4-year-old boy found Sept. 20 in garbage bags in the backyard of a vacant home on Longmead Avenue, about five miles south of the West 80th Street home.
Officials said they believe the boy died sometime in late spring or early summer.
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(c)2017 Advance Ohio Media, Cleveland
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Ex-'Today' show staffer says relationship with Matt Lauer was 'an abuse of power'
NEW YORK (TNS) — The former “Today” show staffer who took her brief relationship with Matt Lauer public says their fling was “an abuse of power.”
Addie Zinone sat down with Megyn Kelly on Monday and said she chose to come forward not to be a martyr, but to put a face and a name to the multiple anonymous women who have accused the fired TV personality of sexual harassment and assault.
Zinone, an Iraq War combat veteran, published a lengthy first-person account on Variety last week recounting how a married Lauer aggressively pursued a sexual relationship with her when she was an assistant at NBC in 2000.
She maintains all of their encounters were consensual, but that his incessant comments on her looks and his curt dismissals of her post-meet-ups shredded her confidence and eventually forced her to quit her job at NBC.
“I’m coming forward and saying yes, this was consensual, (but) it was an abuse of power,” she told Kelly. “I want to put a face and a story to these women’s accusations because I'm seeing that they’re being doubted and so I thought, ‘I’ve got to validate their claims.’ This happened and I've got to explain it in embarrassing detail because I want them to understand commonalities in our stories.”
Lauer was fired from NBC News last month following a complaint from a staffer. Once he was fired, multiple other women came forward with allegations of sexual harassment and assault.
Though Zinone acknowledges her link to Lauer is different than those accusing him of misconduct, she still said she’s faced her fair share of backlash in going public.
“I expected (blowback). I understand that people are going to paint me as a homewrecker, as a slut and a whore — those are things I have been called. It was suggested yesterday to me, ‘Please, please go get hit by a bus,’” she said.
Zinone added that she’s been contacted by other victims of sexual assault, though none of Lauer’s accusers and explained that she hopes her decision to come forward sparks a conversation about consent.
Lauer has not commented on Zinone’s account, but released a statement shortly after he was fired apologizing for his behavior and denying some allegations.
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(c)2017 New York Daily News
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Police arrest man charged with shooting adult children at their home
NORTHEAST SIDE COLUMBUS (TNS) — A man accused of shooting his two adult children at his Northeast Side home Sunday afternoon was arrested Monday night after previously threatening that he would not be taken alive.
Robert Brigham, 50, is charged with three counts of felonious assault for the shooting that took place inside his house in the 4100 block of Grayfriars Lane. He is scheduled to be arraigned on the charges on Wednesday morning.
Columbus Police arrested Brigham without incident as he exited an apartment near East Livingston Avenue and Interstate 270 at 10:16 p.m. Monday after police received a tip that he was in the area.
His son, Robert Brigham Jr., 36, was taken in critical condition to the Wexner Medical Center at Ohio State University with a gunshot that entered his back and went out through his chest, but his condition later stabilized, said Detective Anthony Roberts of the Columbus Police Division's Domestic Violence Unit.
The gunman's daughter, Toya Ingram, 26, was shot in the neck and hand and is in stable condition at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital. A third adult child, Tiffany Ingram, moved in time to avoid a gunshot fired at her, police said.
Robert Brigham and his wife had a dispute on Saturday and she left the house. When she returned, the argument between Robert Brigham and his wife resumed and three of his adult children tried to intervene, Roberts said.
The elder Brigham then went to his room, returned with a gun and fired shots at the three adult children, hitting two of them, Roberts said. Several people were at the home at the time.
Between seven to nine people, including the two injured parties, then packed into a four-door Ford compact car and attempted to drive to Mount Carmel St. Ann's hospital. Brigham Jr. started suffering seizures, so the driver purposely broke a traffic law to attract the attention of a passing Columbus police cruiser at Morse Road and Cleveland Avenue, Roberts said.
Police responding to calls about the incident at the home seized guns there Sunday. During the day Monday, the older Brigham's wife returned to the house with him, he retrieved guns that had been hidden and left, making the threat that he would not be taken alive, Roberts said.
The wife related the threat to the family, and the daughter in the hospital told authorities, Roberts said.
jwoods@dispatch.com
@Woodsnight
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(c)2017 The Columbus Dispatch (Columbus, Ohio)
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Top 10 celebrity homes of 2017
Throughout 2017, many of the world's superstars tried to sell their glamorous mansions and compounds. From Beverly Hills to Florida and New York City, there was a celebrity property for almost anyone who is extremely wealthy. Here’s a top 10.
“Taylor Swift Restores Samuel Goldwyn Mansion”
America’s #1 sweetheart, Taylor Swift, is one of the world’s richest celebrities with estimated career earnings from her music, concerts, acting and endorsements approaching $800 million. What to do with all that money? Taylor has invested much of it in real estate with homes in New York City, Rhode Island, Nashville and her most recent purchase of Samuel Goldwyn’s mansion in Beverly Hills. Included are a library-screening room, a guest suite with a private entrance on the home’s main level, a library, card room, gym and an additional private guest apartment above the garage. The master suite has a veranda that overlooks the city lights. Outside is a swimming pool and pool house with kitchenette and sunken tennis courts.
Goldwyn (1879-1974) founded award-winning Goldwyn Pictures and Samuel Goldwyn Productions - now known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer with the famous roaring lion head logo. In recognition of Goldwyn’s historical contributions to the film industry, Taylor sought and achieved landmark status for her new home to ensure its preservation for future generations of movie fans. Her home is now an official Beverly Hills city landmark.
Since purchasing the home in 2015, Swift has worked closely with architects to bring the estate back close to its condition that existed in 1934 when it was built for Goldwyn and his wife, Frances. The home was a neighborhood destination for many of the era’s Hollywood stars including Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin and used by Sam as collateral for several of his films including Wuthering Heights and his 1946 Oscar-winner The Best Years of Our Lives. After he died in 1994, the home stayed in the Goldwyn family for over 80 years until Taylor purchased it from the estate of Goldwyn’s son for $25 million.
“Ellen DeGeneres's Montecito Flip”
Ellen DeGeneres is well known for her endless energy dancing up and down the aisles of her TV show studios, headlining numerous Hollywood award shows and her frequent charity work and performances. In her spare time, Ellen is by far the #1 celebrity home flipper leaving her competitors such as Jennifer Aniston, Meg Ryan and Diane Keaton in the leftover construction dust.
Ellen and her wife, Australian–American actress Portia de Rossi’s latest real estate investment and a predominant subject in Ellen’s book, Home, is an expansive house and grounds on a Montecito, California hill overlooking the ocean and mountains and also next door to Oprah. Known as “The Villa,” it was designed by noted architect Wallace Frost after returning from Italy. Entranced by 17th-century Italian villas, this was the home he envisioned and built for himself and his family, which he replicated with great accuracy. Ellen and Portia purchased the estate in May 2013 for $26.5 million and expanded it through the acquisition of two adjacent properties, which now totals 16.88 acres. The 10,500-square-foot home includes six bedrooms, eight baths, nine fireplaces, multiple libraries, a marble-wrapped chef’s kitchen and formal rooms. An indoor-outdoor entertaining pavilion was built from stone excavated on-site with hand-made iron windows. The couple also added a lap pool, sunken championship tennis court and installed state-of-the-art irrigation, mechanical, electronic and security systems. Suzanne Perkins of Sotheby’s International Realty in Santa Barbara, California is the listing agent.
Ellen’s 1930’s Italian villa is for sale; originally priced at $45 million, it has been reduced to $39.5 million.
“Johnny Carson's Longtime Beach Home”
Unequaled late-night talk show host Johnny Carson was a standout among entertainers, to which his 30-year longevity on air is testament. Though three preceded him in the genre: Arthur Godfrey, Steve Allen and Jack Parr, it was Carson who became - and still is - the icon of late-night talk shows. He sent Americans to bed each night with a smile on their faces and was instrumental in boosting the careers of many entertainers we still enjoy today including Jerry Seinfeld, Ellen DeGeneres, Roseanne Barr, David Letterman and Jay Leno.
After he moved his show from New York City to Burbank in 1972, Carson loved to play golf and for a number of years owned a home in Bel Air. However, in the mid 1980s he bought a four-acre, cliff-top home above the celebrity-studded Point Dume community in Malibu overlooking the Pacific Ocean where he lived with third wife, Alexis, until his death in 2005. The house, designed by architect Ed Niles, is a study in wood beams, glass and indoor landscaping that blurs the line between indoors and out. On the grounds are championship tennis courts with a pavilion that has two bedrooms, kitchen, gym and locker room, a waterfall and koi pond, and another separate guest house. After Carson’s death in 2005, Alexis continued to live there for two more years before selling to film producer Sidney Kimmel and his wife, Caroline. The Kimmels restored it to its original plan and have recently put it on the market for $81.5 million. Chris.Cortazzo of Coldwell Banker, Malibu West, California is the listing agent.
“Elvis And Priscilla Presley's Palm Springs Honeymoon Love Nest”
Elvis Presley met Priscilla in Bad Nauheim, Germany in 1959 during his service in the Army when she was only 14-years-old, the daughter of an Army officer and his wife who had taken Priscilla with them to a party at Elvis’s home. Although she was only 14, Elvis couldn’t get her out of his mind and their budding relationship turned into a marriage proposal just before Christmas in 1966 — seven years later. They were married at the Aladdin Hotel in Las Vegas in May, 1967. Elvis leased The House of Tomorrow as their honeymoon house on a one-year lease for $21,000 and their child, Lisa Marie, was born exactly nine months later. The home was designed by modernist architect William Krisel and featured in a 1962 Look magazine article as “The House of Tomorrow.”
Futuristic even for today, the mid-century-modern round house is on the market with walls of glass overlooking a secluded pool terrace and views of the Santa Rosa Mountains and the Coachella Valley. The 5,000-square-foot house has five bedrooms and five baths and comes with 1.16 acres of land with private garden, tennis court and orchard in addition to the swimming pool. Mary Kay Nibley of Rodeo Realty, Beverly Hills, California is the listing agent.
Now for sale at $5.9 million, the House of the Future is also well-known as the honeymoon hideaway of the King of Rock ‘n Roll which he leased in 1966-1967.
“Jackie Kennedy's Girlhood Home”
Even though she was the first lady for less than three years, Jackie Bouvier Kennedy is one of the most famous of the presidents’ wives. After spending her early years in the New York area where her father, John “Black Jack” Bouvier, was a stockbroker, Jackie’s mother, Janet, divorced John in 1940 and two years later married Standard Oil heir Hugh Auchincloss. The marriage precipitated a move to his home in McLean, Virginia when Jackie was 13. The divorce had been hard on Jackie and it seemed to make her withdraw into herself. After moving to McLean, she found solace in the home’s location with its panoramic views over the Potomac River and the lushly landscaped seven acres she enjoyed exploring.
The 23,000-square-foot, four-level, brick-and-limestone mansion with its nine bedrooms and 13 baths was built in the classic Georgian style. Outside are terraces for dining and entertaining with full outdoor kitchen along with various long established vegetation-enclosed garden rooms along with a terrace overlooking the river. Grounds include a tennis court, indoor swimming pool with separate gym and changing rooms and an outdoor swimming pool.
Jackie slowly started to blossom at Merrywood and attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C. After college, she went to work for the Washington Times Herald as a roving reporter. In 1952, she met Congressman John F. Kennedy and they were married in 1953 after he had been elected as United States senator from Massachusetts. Living at Merrywood was the catalyst that put Jackie Kennedy in the right place at the right time to eventually become the 35th first lady of the United States.
Historic Merrywood estate, home of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis during her teen years, was listed for sale asking $49.5 million in June 2017 and sold in July 2017 for $4.25 million.
“Jane Fonda's Stunning Contemporary”
From Vogue cover model, dance teacher, acclaimed Hollywood and Broadway actress and war protester to selling over 17 million exercise videos, Joan Fonda shows no signs of slowing down. She has owned and lived in many beautiful homes over the years from her New Mexico ranch where she lived in jeans and cowboy boots to her sleek and sophisticated home in the Beverly Hills Trousdale Estates which she put on the market in 2017.
The 7,100-square-foot home’s glass walls, glass elevator and multiple covered and open terraces create indoor/outdoor living spaces to enjoy sweeping canyon and ocean views. Though very sophisticated in its contemporary design, the home is warm and inviting with multiple spaces for entertaining. In addition to the outdoor viewing pavilion with fire pit, there is yet another special place - the meditation garden. Listing agents are Jade Mills and Valerie Fitzgerald of Coldwell Banker Previews International in Beverly Hills.
Jane Fonda’s stunning contemporary home in Beverly Hills overlooking a canyon and Pacific Ocean originally listed at $12.995 million has been reduced to $9.995 million.
“The Audrey Hepburn & Eva Gabor Estate”
Since the 1920s after Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford built their Pickfair Mansion in the new town of Beverly Hills, many of Hollywood’s top stars chose the area for their trophy homes. One home on Delfern Drive attracted more than its fair share of celebrity owners including Audrey Hepburn and Eva Gabor.
Located in the celebrity-infused neighborhood of Holmby Hills, the 7,000-square-foot traditional mansion is accessed through a gated entrance down a paved drive to the motor court. The private compound includes over an acre of lawns, tennis court, swimming pool, terraces, a 700-square-foot guest house with kitchen and a detached 1,000-square-foot staff quarters/office with living, dining, kitchen, one bedroom and two baths. The main house, originally built in 1938 and designed by popular architect-to-the-stars Paul Williams, includes a grand foyer with focal curved stairwell, formal living room with fireplace and dedicated library nook, dining room, family room, kitchen, breakfast room and two staff bedrooms on the first floor. Upstairs are four bedrooms, including the master suite, totaling six bedrooms and four baths. Some rooms have glass walls overlooking mature gardens.
Not surprisingly, the house also had a strong attraction to other stars of the era who lived there including David Niven and Mia Farrow. The listing agent is Jade Mills of Jade Mills Estates through Coldwell Banker Global Luxury, Beverly Hills, California.
Traditional Los Angeles Holmby Hills legendary gated estate once belonging to Audrey Hepburn and Eva Gabor and other top movie stars is for sale, priced at $13.995 million.
“Meg Ryan's Gorgeous Soho Loft Sold”
From a jock hangout to one of the most sophisticated and dramatic apartments in New York’s Soho neighborhood, interior designer and actress Meg Ryan used her remodeling talents for a beautiful transformation. Having purchased the bachelor pad from The Simpsons Hank Azaria in 2014, Meg had the ability to visually block out the massive gym, animal skins thrown over dining room chairs, too much 70’s shag carpeting and imagine how rooms could be repurposed and restructured. She identified the bones and how they could be adjusted to get the best flow for today’s lifestyle.
Encompassing a full floor of a converted Soho warehouse, the 4,100-square-foot loft co-op has three bedrooms, three baths and is accessed by a key-lock elevator. Some of the pre-war details include a long entry gallery bathed in light from the large windows spanning the space, seven architectural columns, 12-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling French doors. After being completely gutted and built out, Meg went with a sophisticated city theme of dark color, contrasting textures and a glass wall with French doors between the living room and dining room. Brick walls were left exposed in the media room. The new open and airy kitchen is stocked with high-end appliances and leans toward more French design.
Meg Ryan, America’s sweetheart in When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail and director of Fan Girl and Ithaca, put her elegant Soho loft on the market for $10.9 million. It sold a short time later for $9.85 million.
“Marilyn Monroe - A House of Her Own”
Blond bombshell, pin-up girl, close friend of the Kennedy men and highly successful actress, Marilyn Monroe, starred in many of the 1950’s and early 60’s biggest box-office hits including Some Like It Hot, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and The Misfits. Proceeds from her films, which grossed over $200 million, would have afforded her the ability to buy almost any home her heart desired. However, she purchased only one house in her own name during her 36-year lifetime when she bought a home in the Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles in early 1962 - just a few months before her overdose death from sleeping pills. She paid $75,000 for the partially furnished home; her mortgage payments were only $320 a month.
Situated on a private gated half acre, the 2,624-square-foot house built in 1929 still retains all the beautiful architectural details that made it feel like home to Marilyn. Details include four bedrooms, three baths, cathedral ceilings with wood beams, a fireplace in the living room with Mexican tile surround, casement windows, arched doorways, Saltillo tile floors, a citrus orchard and her famous kidney-shaped swimming pool. Outside is a tree-shaded brick patio overlooking the pool and the original guest house. A poignant arrangement of tiles at the front door proclaims “Cursum Perficio,” translated, it means “My Journey is Over.”
Marilyn Monroe’s beloved home, the only one she ever purchased alone, was for sale, priced at $6.9 million and sold in 2017 for $7.25 million - $350,000 above the asking price.
“Celine's Water Park Mansion Finally Sold”
After going on the market almost four years ago, the Florida waterpark home built by Celine Dion and her husband, Rene Angelil, has finally sold.
Celine and Rene, now deceased, purchased the five-acre lot in Jupiter, Florida in 2008 for $7 million and began building the house in 2010 which includes 13 bedrooms, 14 bathrooms and golf simulator within its 20,000 square feet. The Bahamian-inspired mansion is open and airy with multiple glass walls for viewing the property and includes a tennis court and guest house. The lavish pool system requires 500,000 gallons of water and includes two swimming pools, two water slides, a lazy river, water cannons and a tree house. Gaining much notoriety over its massive water park feature and over 400-feet of Atlantic Ocean white sand beachfront, it was initially introduced at $72 million in 2013 and went through several price cuts from $72 million to $62.5 million to $45.5 million before its final reduction to $38.5 million. It sold in 2017 for $28 million.
Visit TopTenRealEstateDeals.com for 2017's Top 10 Celebrity Homes and for more historic, famous and spectacular homes. Celebrity home photos and descriptions with agent permission to reproduce available at: http://bit.ly/toptenmedia.
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Hanging upside down for luck
DELPHI — To honor the seven-year anniversary of three boys gone missing, a pastor and his wife built and decorated a live, 15-foot tree to represent "luck.”
Skelton boys, Tanner, Alexander and Andrew, went missing Thanksgiving Day in 2010. Their father, John Skelton, took the boys for the holiday from their Morenci home, near the Michigan and Ohio border. The children have not been seen or heard from since.
On Sunday, Pastor Larry and Susan Ocheske continued a tradition they’ve held for three years, creating a sign of optimism, hoping the good luck charm would bring peace to the family. The special open house event was held in the Methodist Church in Delphi.
"We decorated this upside-down Christmas tree to give luck to the boys and family wherever they are out there," Larry Ocheske said.
The Skelton brothers, also known as the Morenci boys, were 5, 7 and 9 when they were last seen.
The Ocheskes have coordinated several events for the boys and have always created upside-down trees for their own family traditions. However, after they first heard of the sad event in the news, the couple said they believed they were moved by their hearts for a greater purpose, despite not knowing the children.
“Even though the boys aren’t our family personally, we feel that we need to do this from our hearts,” Larry said. “We take our own money and treat this tree and gathering as a Christmas present to each other and to the boys each year.
“We believe the upside Christmas tree is like the cross.”
According to his wife, fir trees were first hung bottoms up from ceilings at Christmas time in Central and Eastern Europe as a symbol of Christianity and the trinity because it resembled the shape of Christ being crucified.
The locally-grown Korean fir tree is held up by a brace and a 2 by 4, creating the Christian symbol on the wall. It took three days to decorate.
“The hardest part was hanging the individual icicle tinsel,” Larry said.
Since the boys have not been found, John Skelton, continues to serve 10 to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to the unlawful imprisonment of his sons. However, he maintains he didn’t harm them.
In a sad turn of events, the Michigan State Police said they may have found the remains of the three children in Montana Thursday, according USA Today.
The news organization reported the police were investigating if the remains found in September of three young boys could be belong to the Skelton brothers. The bones, found in a shed, were estimated to belong to children aged 2 to 4 years, 5 to 8 years and 6 and 10 years, the news organization reported.
“One thing I know for a fact is that, wherever they are at, they are with God, and he is taking care of them,” Larry said.
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Light to retire Feb. 16 after 'blessed career'
Norwalk Mayor Rob Duncan announced police Chief Dave Light’s upcoming retirement Tuesday to council.
Light’s retirement is effective Feb. 16.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve the citizens of Norwalk for the past 33 years. I have worked for and with many wonderful people. I have enjoyed a very blessed career. While I still enjoy the job today as much as I did on my very first day, unfortunately, some things must come to an end,” he said in his letter to city hall dated Dec. 5.
Tuesday’s regular meeting wasn’t just the final one for 2017, it also was the last session for at-large Councilmen Chris Mushett and Dwight Tkach. Mushett, who estimated he attended 768 meetings in his 16 years, declined to seek re-election. Tkach returned to council in the interim to fill the vacancy by the resignation of Kelly Beck, who moved to Collins.
“Thank you for your service,” Duncan said.
Mushett told council he and Tkach “entered this chamber together” and have formed a special bond in their time serving the city. Mushett also said he thinks it’s neat the way it worked out for he and Tkach to leave council on the same night.
Both men said it has been an honor and privilege to serve Norwalk.
“I wish the city luck because they are going to need it,” Tkach said after the meeting.
Council president Steve Euton, in thanking Tkach and Mushett, said he appreciated the teamwork he has formed with Mushett, who “never hesitated” in stepping in to serve as president pro tem. Euton also said the two council members kept him on his toes and often asked tough questions.
In other news, the Norwalk Fire Department received its refurbished 2004 Pierce Sabre truck Monday from Tennessee. Some of the new equipment includes a starter, batteries, brakes, tires, and LED lighting. The city purchased the used fire truck after two Norwalk vehicles were placed out of service due to safety concerns.
“We’re really pleased with it,” Chief John Soisson said.
Soisson thanked Ashland Fire Chief Rick Anderson for allowing the city to use its pumper for the last 90 days.
“We’ll still have the EHOVE (Career Center) truck,” said Soisson, who expects the new truck to arrive about mid-February.
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Middle quarters doom St. Paul in loss at Perkins
By JOSH BURRIS
Special to the Reflector
PERKINS TWP. — A big third quarter lifted Perkins past St. Paul in Tuesday’s non-conference game at Perkins High School.
The Lady Flyers (5-2) were up a point after one quarter and down 25-17 at the half — but the Pirates (5-3) used a 26-11 third quarter to win by a 62-47 final score.
St. Paul coach Vicky Mahl said the loss came as a result of not bringing forth the same great effort throughout the game.
“We started off good, but we just kind of fell off. And from there it just went bad to worse,” she said. “We just got to make a choice to play hard from start to finish, and tonight we didn’t do that.”
It was the Nancy Siegel and Olivia Howard show for Perkins, as the duo scored a combined 50 points.
Siegel had a game high 26 points, including seven 3-pointers. Howard finished the night with 24 points.
Pirates coach Brian Heck had high praise for his two leading scorers.
“That’s how dynamic those two can be playing with each other,” Heck said. “Both of them played great. But that didn’t surprise me.”
Heck said Siegel has been due for a performance like that, but just had not found her rhythm until then.
“That was waiting to happen,” Heck said. “Nancy is a girl that is unbelievably passionate about the game. She loves the game, and she does everything she can to make herself better.”
Lauren Chandler was the Flyers’ leading scorer with 11 points, followed by Morgan Baxter with eight.
The game was very close to start. Both teams struggled to score in the first quarter and the Lady Flyers led 9-8 at the end of the quarter. But big second and third quarters by the Pirates made the difference of the game.
The Pirates opened the second quarter with an 11-2 run, with eight of those points coming from Howard. St. Paul fought back after that with a run of their own to cut the Pirates’ lead to 19-17. Then the Pirates scored the last six points of the quarter, all by Howard, to go into halftime with a 25-17 lead.
The Pirates were even more dominant in the third quarter. Siegel scored 18 points in the quarter, including five 3-pointers.
The 3-pointer by Siegel kicked off a 14-4 run for the Pirates, giving them a 39-21 lead halfway through the third quarter. After two free throws by the Flyers, Siegel scored the next 10 points for the Pirates to push their lead to 49-25. After a few more points from both sides, the Pirates ended the quarter up 51-28.
“We just didn’t do the things we were capable of doing tonight,” Mahl said.
The Lady Flyers were able to cut some of the Pirates’ lead in the fourth quarter. including the last nine points of the game.
St. Paul has a big game on Friday at Firelands Conference favorite Western Reserve.
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Two nice days on tap before the rain rolls in
It’s going to be warm and wet Friday and Saturday, but there is a chance of snow flurries late in the week and a possible white Christmas.
The sun will rise at 7:52:37 a.m. today and will set at 5:04:35 p.m. The sun will rise at 7:53:07 a.m. Thursday and will set at 5:05:05 p.m.
Here is the Norwalk-area weather from the National Weather Service:
Today — Partly sunny, with a high near 36. North wind around 7 mph.
Tonight — Mostly cloudy, with a low about 23. North wind about 5 mph becoming calm in the evening.
Thursday — Partly sunny, with a high near 41. Southeast wind 3 to 7 mph.
Thursday night — A chance of rain and snow showers after 1 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low about 34. Chance of precipitation is 30 percent. Little or no snow accumulation expected.
Friday — A chance of showers. Cloudy, with a high near 50. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Friday night — Showers. Low around 36. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent.
Saturday — A chance of showers before 1 p.m. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 41. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent.
Saturday night — Mostly cloudy, with a low about 26.
Sunday — Mostly cloudy, with a high near 32.
Sunday night — A chance of snow showers. Cloudy, with a low about 22. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
Christmas Day — A chance of snow showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 28. Chance of precipitation is 40 percent.
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