Good

Times
August 2014
FREE
Entertainment Guide
Welcome to Wrenway:
Wiffeball Capital of Ohio
GOOD
TIMES
Vol. 8 No. 10
Nancy Spencer, Editor
A monthly publication for
Allen, Auglaize, Putnam, Paulding
Logan, Mercer and Van Wert counties.
For editorial information:
1-800-589-6950 Ext. 134
Email - news@delphosherald.com
For advertising information:
1-800-589-6950
Vicki Gossman Ext. 128
Peter Ricker Ext. 138
Marilyn Hoffman Ext. 131
or 1-800-727-2036
Tina Byrd Ext. 230
A DHI PUBLICATION
405 N. Main St.,
Delphos, Ohio 45833
Contents
5
COVER STORY
Musicians accompany natures
sounds during Acoustic Night on farm
FESTIVALS
Air and Space Museum celebrates
lunar landing anniversary
4
3
UNDER REVIEW
The Goldfnch, Transcendence
7
MUSIC
Welcome to Wrenway: Wiffeball
Capital of Ohio
Cover photo: DHI Media fle photo
2 GOOD TIMES August 2014
Weekend
Entertainment
www.delphoschamber.com/canaldays
Sponsors:
MILLER/COORS CenturyLink Childers Media Group Delphos Ace Hardware Delphos Herald Delphos Recreation Center First Federal Bank Grothouse Plumbing
Pitsenbargers/Bell Auto Supply Schrader Realty Schwinnen Electric Sign Pro Imaging St. Ritas Medical Superior Federal Credit Union K&M Tire Walmart
SEPTEMBER 18-21
THURSDAY
OFF THE WALL 5-9 pm
THE TOAST WITH JOE DENIM
SATURDAY
BASKET BINGO 2-4 pm
CAR SHOW/CRUISE-IN 4-8 pm
BROTHER BELIEVE ME 8-12 pm
FRIDAY
BATTLE OF THE BUSINESSES 6-7:30 pm
NASHVILLES JOE DENIM 8-12 pm
SUNDAY
CHEERLEADING 10-12 pm
THE GRAND PARADE 2-3 pm
DUECES WILD 3-6 pm
FREE
CAB RIDES
FRI. & SAT
Theodore Theo Decker loses his
mother to a terrorist bomb during a visit to
the Metropolitan Museum of Art at the be-
ginning of the Pulitzer Prize-winning nov-
el, The Goldfnch, and his life is forever
changed by the events of
that afternoon, especially
those occurring directly
after the bomb explodes.
In the rubble of the
museum, with the horrifc
disaster still ringing in
his ears, the 13-year-old
Theo sees an old man who
gives him a ring and mes-
sage. Believing the man is
pointing at his mothers
favorite painting, The
Goldfnch by Dutch master Carel Fabritius,
he steals the painting in the confusion and
whisks it away to safety. His father had de-
serted Theo and his mother years earlier so
with no other family nearby, he is sent to
live with the wealthy family of a friend. He
fulflls the old mans wish and delivers the
ring to his surviving family, one of which
is his granddaughter who Theo is instantly
drawn to.
Despite ongoing nightmares, Theo be-
gins to have a chance at a happy life until
the day his father reappears and whisks him
away to a new home in Las Vegas. The real
reason for the renewed interest in his son
is learned when the father attempts to steal
the money his mother left him in a fund for
his education. Thwarted and desperate for
the money, Theos father gets drunk and
dies in a car crash, leaving the young boy
an orphan for real. Afraid of being sent to
a Nevada boys home, Theo
runs back to New York to
live with the old mans
family. During the entire
ordeal, he manages to
keep the painting of The
Goldfnch with him, al-
lowing him to cling to the
memories of the happy
life with his mother.
While the novel ex-
amines Theos feelings
of abandonment and the
responsibility of bad decisions, it is hard
for the reader to feel attached to the pro-
tagonist. Author Donna Tartt attempts to
add immediacy to the plot by beginning the
novel showing Theo more than a decade in
the future and in trouble. While the plot fol-
lows all of the events leading Theo to the
moment of crisis and how he moves for-
ward in the last third to resolve the confict,
an emotional connection is never made be-
tween Theo and the reader, mainly because
of Tartts writing decisions. Because of that
lack of empathy for the characters lot in
life, this reader found himself not caring
about Theos fnal personal discovery and
attempts to escape wallowing in what ifs.
All the events
in the frst half of
the book are told
in frst person
remembrance by
Theo. Even the terrorist bombing and theft
of the painting are told through his memo-
ries and never regain the action or terror a
young boy would have felt in the moment.
Instead, the reader is left with the nagging
sense Theo may be an unreliable narrator
and what he is relating may not be the truth,
only the truth as he remembers it years lat-
er. Also, Tartt exhibits the annoying habit
of explaining everything in great detail,
never quite trusting the reader to visualize
and understand on their own. If an object or
event is worth describing, it is worth chron-
icling every minute aspect, using similes,
metaphors, and enough synonyms to make
Dr. Roget roll over in his grave.
The Goldfnch is Tartts third novel,
following The Secret History (1992) and
The Little Friend (2003), and won the
Pulitzer Prize for Literature (Fiction) in
2014. There is little doubt she has a tremen-
dous mastery of the English language and
has been highly recognized for her work.
However, this book could have easily been
cut in half from its 770 pages and not lost
an iota of action or meaning in the reduc-
tion. Anyone attempting The Goldfnch
should go in with more than a little tenacity
and a truckload of patience.
Dr. Will Caster (Johnny
Depp) is a well-known
Artificial Intelligence
researcher asking the question,
What is consciousness? and
is it possible for AI creations
to have it.
A group of anti-technology
extremists want to put an end
to his and others attempts at
this and they attack.
Will becomes his own
experiment and his wife Evelyn
(Rebecca Hall) and friend Max
(Paul Bettany) help him into
his own transcendence.
He continues, like in his
previous life, with a need for
knowledge but is it really him
or is it the technology?
The question then becomes
what can be done to stop him if
his need for knowledge is actu-
ally a need for power.
Transcendence is the same
science-fiction movie weve
been watch-
ing for years.
The days of
when technol-
ogy becomes
smarter than
those using
it is a theme
movies have
been dealing
with since the
creation of
movies.
Without any novel ideas or
surprises, Transcendence is
a flop.
It grazes by explaining
how this technology is actu-
ally working yet still tries to
use the technological terms in
the movie, which just confuses
viewers and frustrates those
who might want
to know.
The movie
ends exact-
ly as youd
expect it to
without any
e xc i t e me nt
along the way
to even make
you second
guess that it
might not.
And the biggest disappoint
of all was that these A-list
actors actually took part in it.
Depp was one of the main
characters, yet his character
ends up on a computer screen
for more than half the film.
By the way, Morgan Freeman
and Kate Mara are also in it.
Their roles are so minimal and
unimpressive I didnt even man-
age to mention them until my
second to last sentence.
Save your money and dont
bother renting this one.
August 2014 GOOD TIMES 3
Under Review
The Goldfnch
Turning
the Pages
BY KIRK
DOUGAL
Written by Donna Tartt
(Little, Brown)
Transcendence
Directed by Wally Pfster
(Warner Bros. Pictures)
Keeping
it Reel
BY ERIN
COX
BY ED GEBERT
Good Times Staff Writer
egebert@timesbulletin.com
WAPAKONETA -The Arm-
strong Air and Space Museum
celebrated the 45th anniversary
of one of the greatest achieve-
ments of mankind on July 20.
Four-and-a-half decades after the
Apollo 11 mission touched down
on the moon, crowds gathered
to remember Wapakonetas Neil
Armstrong taking the frst steps
in the lunar dust.
The Summer Moon Festival
took place at the Wapakonetas
Festival Grounds and the Arm-
strong Air & Space Museum on
July 19 and 20. The museum
offered free space infatables,
planetarium shows, model rocket
launches, paper lantern launches,
and entertainment.
Forty-fve years ago, on
July 20, Wapakonetas own, Neil
Armstrong, stepped on the moon
and made history, said Christo-
pher Burton, Executive Director
for the Armstrong Air & Space
Museum. It is an honor to rec-
ognize this historical event and
to pay a tribute of thanks to the
person who inspired, and the
community that supported, the
creation of our museum.
The term American hero is
tossed around a lot, but it is ap-
propriate when describing Arm-
strong. The man who frst set foot
on the moon had a much larger
story than just that one small
step. Since Armstrongs death on
Aug. 25, 2012, interest has been
renewed in the career of the pilot
and astronaut. The Armstrong Air
and Space Museum is open year-
round just off Interstate 75 near
the U.S. 33 interchange. Within
the confnes of the grounds are
many fascinating exhibits and in-
teractive displays that help youth
and adults gain a greater knowl-
edge and appreciation for Ameri-
can heroes like Armstrong.
Very popular exhibits include
the Gemini VIII capsule which
served as Armstrongs frst space-
craft. He and David Scott con-
ducted the frst space rendezvous
and docking in 1966. Visitors
have a chance to see the capsule
and to experience what it was like
to perform the docking procedure
with a simulator.
Another simulator mimics
the steps to land the Apollo lunar
module on the lunar surface or
visitors can attempt landing the
space shuttle in yet a third ma-
chine.
The museum itself is de-
signed to be more than a static
museum. Sound and motion are
everywhere with the three simu-
lators, 10 audio/visual elements,
and seven interactive exhibits.
The Astro Theater offers a movie
about the landing of the Eagle in
1969 and the night sky projected
56 feet high onto the dome ceil-
ing. The Infnity Room is de-
signed to give visitors a feel for
what walking in space is like,
looking around to see only stars
for as far as the eye can see.
A great deal of space history is
represented at the Armstrong Air
and Space Museum. There is a
replica of the 1957 Soviet satellite
Sputnik, along with the spacesuit
worn by Armstrong while aboard
Gemini VIII, and another space-
suit from the Apollo days. Rep-
lica capsules from both Apollo
and Gemini give people a chance
to compare the progress made in
just a few short steps at NASA.
Also inside the museum is a
real piece of space exploration. A
moon rock collected by the Apol-
lo 11 crew is on display. Visitors
can also get an up close look at
a model of the Saturn V rocket
which was the power plant used
to put Armstrong and the other
Apollo astronauts beyond earths
orbit.
Armstrong not only few
spacecraft, but also other fying
vehicles like jets, gliders, and he-
licopters. An Aeronca Champion
in which Armstrong learned to
fy at the age of 15 at an airfeld
near Wapakoneta is proudly dis-
played, as is an F5D Skylancer
experimental airplane which was
also fown by Armstrong as a test
pilot.
The museum was proposed on
the very day Armstrongs step on
the lunar surface was made. Ohio
Gov. James Rhodes proposed the
museum, not just as an honor for
the Ohio native, but also for all
Ohioans who have attempted to
defy gravity, and to provide a his-
tory of the space program. Of the
$1 million originally set aside to
construct the museum, more than
half was raised by the citizens of
Wapakoneta who wished to hon-
or their native son. The museum
opened its doors for the frst time
exactly three years after Arm-
strongs giant leap for mankind.
The museum remains dedi-
cated to the states aeronautical
history as well as Ohios con-
tributions to aviation and space
exploration from the early days
through current times.
Air and Space Museum
celebrates lunar landing
anniversary
4 GOOD TIMES August 2014
Festivals
Space inflatables were at the museum as part of the Summer Moon
Festival. (DHI Media/Ed Gebert)
The Air and Space Museum is open year-round with exhibits like the
Gemini VIII capsule. (DHI Media/Ed Gebert)
Before set up of the stadium. (DHI Media/Kirk Dougal) After the set up of the stadium. (DHI Media file photo)
August 2014 GOOD TIMES 5
Cover Story
BY ERIN COX
Good Times Staff Writer
news@delphosherald.com
WREN The tiny village of Wren
with a population just under 200 will host
five times that number of people Aug.
14-16 for the 23rd annual Wrenway Park
Wiffleball Warehouse tournament.
The Wiffleball Capital of Ohio hosts the
tournament during its Wren Homecoming
and the championship game on Saturday
draws around a thousand to 1,200 people
each year.
"You just have to see it," Jack Davis,
the tournament commissioner, said. "You
really just have to come out and see it for
yourself."
Jack's younger brother started the wif-
fleball tournament 23 years ago as some-
thing to do during Wren Homecoming.
"It got started like a backyard style
wiffleball game," Davis said.
Davis played in the first tournament.
There were 12 teams,
around two hundred peo-
ple there and not nearly as
much production went into
the tournament as is now
the custom.
Now, the wiffleball
tournament headlines
Wren Homecoming with
fireworks, between game
entertainment and a sta-
dium that's built just for
the weekend to entertain
and accommodate the large
crowd.
After playing in the
first 14 tournaments, Davis
moved over to the adminis-
trative side leading a group
of about a dozen volun-
teers to produce it.
"It's a big time com-
mitment," Davis said.
"It's all done very pro-
fessionally and it's well
organized so that something is going on
all the time."
There is a rib cook off, a pie eat-
ing contest and other little entertaining
events throughout the tournament and
when it gets to the championship game,
the real show begins.
"There's fireworks during the national
anthem, a spotlight on the players as they
get introduced, fireworks after the game,
champagne is given to the winning team;
it's a pretty big production," Davis said.
The tournament limits the teams to
just 16. The championship team from the
year before is automatically given a ticket
for the tournament but the rest have to
sign up, which isn't an easy feat as for in
the past, teams camp out days ahead of
time to make sure they are one of the 15.
When Wren Homecoming finally
arrives, Friday kicks off the tournament
play with four games and then 11 games
Saturday with the championship game
starting around 9:30 p.m.
"It's an intense, fast-paced play," Davis
said. "Let's just say the athletic teams
win."
Davis and the group of volunteers that
work alongside him try to keep the tourna-
ment fresh to keep the crowd coming back
each year.
The majority of the revenue goes to
recreation in Wren, but the production
has outgrown the revenue so they host
fundraisers throughout the year to make
sure they can still provide the entertain-
ment that is now expected of the wiffleball
tournament.
"It's rewarding when it all pulls off
right," Davis said. "We're just common
folk trying to put on a show."
Welcome to Wren: Wiffleball Capital of Ohio
The wiffleball play is fast-paced and intense
at the tournament. (DHI Media file photo)
After the championship game, a celebration is given for the win-
ning team. (DHI Media file photo)
LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
August 29th, 30th & 31st
Allen Co. Fairgrounds: 2750 Harding Highway, Lima
143 ACRES OF VENDORS!
ATTENTION SHOPPERS:
Come & fnd dogs, guns, antiques, fea market items, tools, generators, jeans,
Carhartt work clothes, dog food, gold & silver jewelry, hunting gear, candles,
golf carts, furniture, animals, crafts, horse tack, wood carvings & lots more!
MAXS FLEA MARKET
& WATER DOG RACES
MAXS FLEA MARKET
& WATER DOG RACES
ONE OF OHIOS
LARGEST FLEA MARKETS
ONE OF OHIOS
LARGEST FLEA MARKETS
NIGHT TIME WATER DOG RACES GREAT FOOD
OVER 1000 VENDORS & TRADERS
Come & Join Us...You Dont Want To Miss This!
KARAOKE ON FRIDAY
& SATURDAY NIGHT!
Located behind the Grandstand.
6 Gates Open
GENERAL ADMISSION
One Day Band: $8 3 Day Pass: $18
5 Day Pass: $25
OFFICE:
419-225-8545, 419-230-9134 OR 419-230-7405
visit our website for more info:
maxsfeamarketandwaterdograces.com
Lots of land to cover, so you can
bring a golf cart or rent one!
GOLF CAR COMPANY: 1-800-589-8833
WAREHOUSE ON WHEELS:
419-203-6136 OR 419-238-2732

August 2014 GOOD TIMES 7

Music
BY ERIN COX
Good Times Staff Writer
news@delphosherald.com
PANDORA The sounds of the night
will be enhanced Sept. 13 with the second
annual Acoustic Night on the Quarry Farm
Nature Preserve and Conservation Farm.
Set in the Seitz Pavilion on the Quarry Farm,
all are welcome to come enjoy the scenery of the
farm and the musical entertainment of musicians
from near and far for a backyard-style show.
Last year, the frst acoustic night was hosted.
We offer some visual art classes here, but
along the way have met some wonderful musi-
cians, said Anne Coburn-Griffs, facilitator for
the Quarry Farm Nature Preserve and Conser-
vation Farm. There are several in our families.
We have this marvelous pavilion complete with
rain curtains, which was designed especially for
The Quarry Farm. So my husband said one day,
We should open it up to people who want to
play for a night. So we did.
They relied on word-of-mouth to publi-
cize the event last year and held it on the same
weekend as a local applebutter festival but
Coburn-Griffs considered the frst Acoustic
Night as having a good turnout regardless.
Three vocalists/guitarists from Wapa-
koneta, one guitarist/ukulele player and
vocalist from Cincinnati and one guitarist
from Columbus performed last year.
A crowd of people showed up with lawn
chairs and we listened while they jammed
until around midnight, Coburn-Griffs said.
We supplied cookies and lemonade and
had T-shirts to paint for those who wanted
to get up and stretch their legs.
This year, they are getting the word out early
and inviting musicians to join the event now.
Obviously, you absolutely dont have to be
a professional to join in, Coburn-Griffs said.
Attendees should bring a lawn chair and a
friend and get there early as there will also be
a limited number of free kazoos at the event.
It is the goal and mission of The Quarry
Farm Nature Preserve and Conservation Farm
to provide the opportunity for people of all
ages to increase their understanding of the
natural environment of Northwest Ohio and to
interact with their fellow inhabitants in a sus-
tainable manner. The Acoustic Night gives the
group a chance to share this goal and reach it.
The more people come out here and enjoy
the music they themselves can make, surround-
ed by the music of the late summer sounds here,
all on the edge of as natural a setting as you can
fnd in Northwest Ohio, the more people come
to appreciate it for what it is and recognize that
the natural environment has a necessary role in
all of our lives, Coburn-Griffs said.
There is no cost for the Acoustic Night.
The farm is a 501 (c)3 nonproft and relies
on donations to operate.
Seitz Pavilion is 1/8-mile north of
14321 Road 7L, Pandora. The show will
start at 6 p.m. and run until around 10 p.m.
Musicians accompany natures sounds
during Acoustic Night on The Quarry Farm
Erin Coburn of Union, Kentucky, and Brian
Erchenbrecher of Columbus perform at last years
Acoustic Night. (Submitted photo)
B
o
o
k F
a
i
r
Sept. 2-6
Former YWCA - Lima
The Nautilus Area (Back of Y)
649 W. Market St.
AAUW
NOW ACCEPTING DONATIONS
THROUGH AUG. 21ST
HOURS: TUES - 9-12 AND 5-8; Thurs. 9-12
HARDBACK BOOKS, PAPERBACKS, CHILDRENS BOOKS,
SHEET MUSIC, RECORDS, VCR, DVD, SPECIALIZED MAGAZINES,
TEXT BOOKS (2009 OR NEWER)
NO encyclopedias accepted.
Also no Readers Digest Condensed before 2009 will be accepted.
Questions can be answered by calling Pat at 419-235-1470.
Proceeds provide college scholarships for area young women and
camperships for middle school girls for math,
science and engineering study.
142nd Annual
Kalida, Ohio
Sept. 4th, 5th, 6th & 7th
Always the weekend after Labor Day
One of Ohios Oldest Festivals
Northwest Ohios Largest Parade
For full details visit our website pioneerdays.com
Giant Car Show
Antique Tractor Show
Live Bands All Weekend
Big Caddy Daddy
Nashville Crush
Smoke N Guns
Fischstyx
Rides by DurantAmusement
NEW!
MOTORCYCLE
RIDE-IN
and
HARLEY BIKE
RAFFLE
J
o
in
th
e
F
u
n
!