​Beatty Community Recreation
247 N Ohio Ave
Columbus, OH 43203

Written and Photographed by Doreen Dawkins

​I arrived a few minutes early to observe and get the vibe of the meeting. Looking back, I would have probably been able to blend in a little better if I didn’t wear a bright orange sweat shirt. Before I knew it Ms. Blunt was in front of me with hands stretched out welcoming me and stating she’s a hugger. This reminded me of churches that have greeters on the door that are excited that you have decided to come to worship service. The volunteers were friendly and busy setting the room up. 

​Tell me about Brown Girls Mentoring.
I wanted to help out the community and help girls become a better version of themselves. I want to help them avoid making the same mistakes I made and to let them know that we can get along as women. If I am uplifting another woman that doesn’t mean that I am downing myself.
 
When and where do you meet? Is there a typical agenda?
As of now, we meet at Beatty Community Recreation Center on Saturdays from noon to 2:00 pm. We do basic practical life lessons. We just launched a creative arts department. We cover topics such as generosity, gratitude, mental health, etc. We usually run until around 1:30, then we do a takeaway. We say our pledge, then we have a snack.
 
I see older women as well as young women. What is the age for participation?
This is all volunteer based. We usually have between 5 to 7 volunteers per session. Sometimes the older people you see are parents or volunteers. The mentoring piece is usually outside of the weekly meeting. Mentors are connected with families and meet on a one to one basis.
 
Brown girls is for girls between 5 and 15 years old.
 
How many young ladies typically participate each Saturday?
Between 35 and 45.
 
What is the criteria for becoming a mentor?
You have to have a heart and be able to pass the Brown Girls and Columbus Recreation and parks background check. It depends on what your strengths are. We have a foundational team that consists of older seasoned women who don’t work in the field per say but help with administration, social media, etc. Some volunteers are hands on during the Saturday sessions and help outside for the mentoring piece. In order to mentor with us you need to have served a year prior to.  Then you can apply for the mentor piece.
 
How do people donate?
You can donate via paypal on browngirlsmentoring.com or you can automatically cash app us at browngirls614.
 
Anything that I didn’t ask that you would like to add?
We were just recognized by city council and received a certificate of resolution from Priscilla Tyson. We launched our first website this past January (www.browngirlsmentoring.org) and are launching a second chapter today in Tampa Florida (813).
 
I noticed you greet everyone that comes in with what greeting?
Give me my hug.

​The meeting started with a writing prompt. A leader explained the importance of writing and each girl was given a journal and given the topic. After given a few minutes to write in their journal, a few girls were encouraged to share.

​Sidebar: Confidence on display. I love it! 

​Next, everyone (including leaders) participated in an ice breaker. Participants were asked to go to the left side, or the right side of the room based on preferences. For example, coke or pepsi, Wendy’s or McDonalds, etc. Once on that side of the room, they were asked to introduce themselves to a few people in that group that they did not know.

​Sidebar: Great ice breaker! There is no way a brown girl could have left the meeting without meeting a few people.
 
Next, they asked for a volunteer to read about Maya Angelo.

​Sydney Al-Lateef recited “Still I Rise” by Maya Angelo. She has been reciting since she was 3 years old, and she is currently seven.

Sidebar: Confidence on display. I love it! I know, I know I’m repeating myself, but it’s true.
​
Next, each brown girl was asked to join one of three groups based on their interest. The choices were: art, writing, or dance. During that time, I talked to a few of the participants.

​What was your process in getting involved? What is the impact that participation has made on your child?
 
It was a blessing in disguise. I saw brown girls on Facebook a few times. At that point in time, my daughter had begun some therapy sessions and was going through a tough time in her life. As  her mother, I was looking for some outlets for her to just be herself. At first, I overlooked it because it was kind of far. I like to stay in my little area. Brown girls came back up on Facebook a Friday before the Saturday session. I clicked interested. Then, I received a reminder. I decided we would go. Literally, the love and the way my daughter was comfortable on the first day with Ms. Jamie particularly. My daughter is laid back and shy. She really doesn’t take to people. She usually puts up wall. I saw her hug her and talk to her.
 
I work with children as part of my profession. I just saw the love. The fact that they look like me is a perk.
 
Now here we are. I hope I have a permanent position to continue to spread love and be a part of this family; forever.
 
Anything else?
Programs like this are often looked down upon, not necessarily by those who look like me, but by those on the outskirts. They question why we need a program that is just specific to brown girls. We are not saying that we are better, we are different. And not from a negative aspect. Our brown girls need something different. Usually, we come from a different background. We have some variations to our inside as well as our outside. How we do things is different. It needs to be understood that it is not a separation, a drawn line if you will. It is something that enhances every brown girl that we come in contact with.

Why get involved with Brown Girls? Why become a mentor?
I used to get free lunch here (Beatty Community Recreation Center). My grandma still lives on Mt. Vernon. We used to walk over here and get free lunch. I made it out of the hood. Once I heard about this, it was a chance for me to serve and give back where I made it out of. It brings me joy. I came in not only wanting to teach them something but to learn something. That put me in a whole different mindset.
 
I get joy, peace, clarity and happiness out of it.
 
Are you a millennial?
Yes, absolutely I am 26. I’m a 90s baby.
 
From a millennial perspective, can you encourage another millennial to volunteer?
With social media, we are constantly looking at everyone else to get where they are at. Not realizing that there are people who want to get to where we are at. We have already completed things. God has brought us through. Why not help other people to get here?
 
Anything that I didn’t ask that you want to include?
You didn’t ask what is my favorite color.
 
What is your favorite color?
Black. I love everything black. It is an amazing color. 

​What do you want to tell me about Brown Girls?
It makes people confident. It empowers us and tells us being black is not a bad thing.
 
If I am shy and its my first time here, are people going to be friendly to me?
Yes.
 
Do you come every week?
Yes
 
Anything else?
Sometimes we get to go on field trips. A while ago we went to a museum. We watched a lady that does something like poetry acting.
 
Is that what you want to do, poetry acting?
No. I just like drawing and doing art.

​Why do you enjoy Brown Girls?
I enjoy Brown Girls because you can say stuff that is on your mind. You can write stuff in your journal that you want to express.
 
If you don’t know anybody, do you think this is a friendly place to come to meet friends?
Yes.

​Do you enjoy Brown Girls?
Yes.
 
Why do you enjoy Brown Girls?
When I am at Brown Girls, I feel confident.
 
How long have you been coming to Brown Girls?
Since it started.
 
Has it been some months some years, help me out.
Some years.
 
What is your favorite thing to do when you come to Brown Girls?
Give advice.

​Next, the Pledge.  The following pledge is read and repeated by each person in attendance while standing in a circle:
 
The Brown Girl’s Pledge
I am a Brown Girl. Starting today, I will respect myself and others. I will be a leader and not a follower. I will carry myself with class and dignity. I will strive for excellence in everything I do. I will encourage and empower others around me. I am a Brown Girl. I am bold. I am confident. I am fearless. I am excellence. I am beautiful. I am Love! I am a Brown Girl.
 
I don’t remember if the snack came before or after the pledge, but a snack was provided.
 
Next the hug line. 

​My take: Wonderful! Great! I wish I participated in Brown Girls mentoring when I was younger. Truth be told, I wish they had a Brown Women’s Mentoring for ages 45 to 55. 

Category: Things

​Multi Media Studio
(lower level of Columbus Hall)
Columbus State Community College
291 Jefferson Ave, Columbus, OH 43215

Written and Photographed by Doreen Dawkins

​I arrived a few minutes early planning to support an event my friend, since the fifth grade, was hosting. Light refreshments were provided. There were over twenty presenters (I think the final count was 24 and Dr. Clark made 25).
Here are a few of my favorite presenters from the event:

​The poem was too long to include in this blog. My starting paying attention when I heard this excerpt from Countee Cullen’s “Heritage”:
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
So I make an idle boast;
Jesus of the twice-turned cheek,
Lamb of God, although I speak
Sidebar: I love the community this group modeled.

​Pat Parker’s, “For the white person who wants to know how to be my friend”
The first thing you do is to forget that i’m Black.
Second, you must never forget that i’m Black.
You should be able to dig Aretha,
but don’t play her every time i come over.
And if you decide to play Beethoven – don’t tell me
his life story. They made us take music appreciation too.
Eat soul food if you like it,
but don’t expect me to locate your restaurants
or cook it for you.
And if some Black person insults you,
mugs you, rapes your sister, rapes you,
rips your house, or is just being an ass –
please, do not apologize to me
for wanting to do them bodily harm.
It makes me wonder if you’re foolish.
And even if you really believe Blacks are better lovers than
whites – don’t tell me. I start thinking of charging stud fees.
In other words – if you really want to be my friend – don’t
make a labor of it. I’m lazy. Remember.
Sidebar: I had to give her “dap” (a fist bump) after this reading. Enough said.

Assotto Saint’s, “Heart and Soul”,
every day
every time i leave my house
everywhere i go
i pin on my knapsack
twin petal-small flags
to which my allegiance is pledged
whole
these flags are not monkeys on my back
i carry them as a coat of arms
mantles of double brotherhood
they shield like second skin
to drape my dreams
one floats rainbow
the other wings tricolor
both bold with movement
i am not ashamed
of what they stand for
when their meaning is
questioned
these flags are not chips on my shoulders
i carry them as beauty spots
markings of double brotherhood
they shine like mirror beads
to reflect prejudice
one unfurls the future of the queer nation
the other salutes african ancestors
both wave s.o.s. signals
i am not afraid
to stand my ground
when their beauty is
challenged
these flags are not crossbones on my life
i carry them as amulets
emblems of double brotherhood
they spellbind like stars
to stripe america
glory
that becomes me in tribal rituals
& battle against bigots
i have honored with my blood
everywhere i go
every time i leave my house
Sidebar: Regardless of what makes you unique, embrace who you are. Enough said.

​Tell me about the event.
It started in February of 1999. I was working with Dr. Al Simmons who is now retired. 

​He was the Vice President over Multicultural Affairs, then his title changed, but I can’t remember the name. Every year he tried to come up with a different project that would speak to black history month but that was positive. Sometimes we would have a speech contest or an essay writing contest. At some point we were brainstorming. I suggested we try a poetry and fiction reading and have it showcase famous or African American writers that I am familiar with. It wasn’t just your regular open microphone. It was a little more orchestrated and focused on specific writers. 

We invited the Columbus State Community to come and participate. I have anyone who is willing come and read. It might be someone that reads from the budget office, or an instructor who is teaching environmental science, or a math instructor, or one of the administrators. The president has read several times. It is made up of faculty, staff, administrators, students, and people from the community. Ninety to ninety-five percent are writers that most are familiar with, and maybe five percent is made up of an original piece. Some students share their material, and some of the faculty members who are writers.

I think too often when we go into those things that concern African Americans or people of color in our community we focus on the negative. We look at the numbers of those that are incarcerated, the numbers that are drug addicted, the numbers that come from broken homes, the numbers that are failing in some capacity. We are not ignoring those chief concerns because the poetry and prose speak about those concerns. We focus on the positive, activism, and uplifting the people. We focus on what makes the African American experience beautiful and wonderful, and sometimes ugly and horrible too. It still must be presented in such a way that when we leave the experience we leave with hope. You don’t leave the experience and say, “Oh my God let me find the nearest cliff and jump off it.”

It has gone on every year. This will be our twenty first gathering. This event is racially diverse, it is diverse in term of positions on the campus, and the range of expertise varies.

​What makes the event special and well attended?
Part of it is relationship building. When I normally put out a call for readers, there is something about me posting a flyer, or I have had it listed in the Columbus State Update, but there is a difference between I saw you in the library and I have cornered you and say, “I have sent you ten invitations or the last ten years and I can’t get you to read. Are you going to read for me this year?” That is different because it becomes relational. I have asked you specifically to come in all your brownness and read some of this material.  I go to the people who have read for me for many years or to go to people and say, “I need your voice, I need your presence. I need people to be able to see you in this particular light, sharing this kind of information.” So often the readers will find poets or prose writers that they want to read and will share the background and biographical information with the audience. You will be surprised how much instruction comes out of the folk before they even read their material. They will share an artist that they have loved for years and a piece that speaks to them or has spoken to them over the years that has provided encouragement about living this life.

Tell me about your professional background that prepared you for your current level of success.
I have several degrees if that is where you want to start. My undergraduate degree, although I spent the first three and a half to four years in Engineering is in English from Ohio State University (OSU). I have a master’s degree in English from OSU. Later I earned a master’s Degree in Theological Studies. Most recently in 2017 I earned a PHD in Higher Education Administration.

Part of my background that has prepared me for the work that I do is I am an educator. More specifically English professor. If you keep it within that ball park of Educator. I have been a lifelong learner. My college experience started in the 1980s, and then I tell you that I just completed the PHD in 2017. You see all these years of constantly studying, trying to acquire additional information. Not so much to benefit myself, although that is part of the benefit, but to make sure that what I bring to teaching experience helps to benefit my students.

It is constantly looking for tools to speak to the next generation of students, so they can receive the information. For example, I am teaching the Personal Experience Narrative. I have been teaching that class for 26 years. Here I am teaching a fresh crop of students and they are not the same students I had 25 years ago, 15 years ago, or 10 years ago. This is a different group of students with a different mentality. Even though I am teaching the same thing, I must come up with new and exciting ways to bring it to this audience.

​I ran across and excerpt from Stephen Curry’s Book called Underrated. In the beginning of the book he provides the context from which he begins telling the story. In it he has performed horribly at a tournament or something. I think he is thirteen. He talks about the conversation that his parents have with him in the hotel. He was down and depressed. At some point his mother says to him, “This is your story. Nobody else gets the right to tell this story but you, it is yours. It doesn’t make any difference what any writer says, any other player says, any other coach says. It doesn’t make any difference. This is your story.” In introducing the narrative to my students, I have presented to them, here is an excerpt from Stephen Curry who tells you about his own failure, but he understands that it is his story. What becomes of it is up to him. How he interprets it. How he uses it. That is his. He gets to own that. I use that as a means of encouraging my students tell their story according to what they understand their truth to be.

Being a lifelong learned allows me to always consider myself as a learner, my students as leaners, and to come up with things that will help them be able to do the tasks that we are asking them to do. All of that has been formed by the degrees in English, the degree in Theology, and the continued education with the PHD. Having to write that dissertation was no joke.  It made me go through the process and sit in that same place of vulnerability as my students when their work is being critiqued. Learning how to receive the criticism in a way that doesn’t cripple me going forward. It also helped me remember to be sensitive as it concerns how I am critiquing somebody else’s work who is in a place of vulnerability that I recently experienced. Lifelong learning had formed my ability as a learner and as an educator how important it is to be sensitive to the person who is sitting in that seat and yet still be in a place where I can receive information. I am not an old dog that can’t learn new tricks. 

In case you missed it, click on the link to see Dr. Clark’s commencement address (Columbus State Community College Autumn 2018): 
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ysR4AFOHskaJNziRHq5eJ1g8rjXw3LDN/view

My take. This is a wonderful event to support not only because of the diversity that Crystal Clark mentioned but because everyone seemed so relaxed, friendly and purposeful. 

​Crystal Robinson Clark is one of the people who make 614 a better place to live. My mind goes back to the days of Innis Elementary school. We were the students who earned the highest grades on a consistent basis. When the teacher left the room, Crystal was trying to build relationships and I was trying to get my work done. In the 1980s when we attended Ohio State University it was believed that unless you graduated in business or engineering you were destined to be a bum. I am extremely proud that the Lord has rewarded Crystal beyond many of her peers for being obedient to the path less traveled. I am also proud that she is still one of my closest friends.

Categories: People and Things

Written and Photographed by Doreen Dawkins

​One Sunday afternoon I was experiencing cabin fever. Just bored! I decided to walk around Franklinton. I parked my car at a free meter. Here is the view from where I parked my car (a space near Rich Street):

​According to Wikipedia Franklinton is bordered by the Scioto River on the north and east. Greenlawn on the south and Interstate 70 on the West. I didn’t walk that far. I decided to walk where I saw color. I walked a few streets to the West then walked North to East Broad Street, then I walked one street over to the East and walked South to my car. Here is what I saw:

The Vanderelli Room is a local art gallery ran by an amazing artist named A.J. Vanderelli. She showcases all different types of artists. They have jazz on Thursdays. There are also community events that are hosted her, such as yoga and guided meditation. I give classes donation based guided meditation classes here.
​
What speaks to you regarding the outside of the building?
Harley. This is A.J.’s pup or dog Harley Jean.

Anything else?
I can’t say enough about A.J. Vanderellie. She does so much for the community and she is an amazing woman.
 
More pictures from my journey:

​My take: Franklinton is an Arts district! In times past, I would have been concerned with the criminal element, but I didn’t see anything close to that. My disclaimer is that I went on a Sunday afternoon and was in my car by dusk. This is something I will do again. I usually try to interview and take as many portraits as possible when doing street photography. This is a different take on street photography as I didn’t see many people outside. Franklinton is a great place to just enjoy art.

Category: Place

​National Veterans Memorial and Museum
300 W Broad St,
Columbus, OH 43215

Written and Photographed by Doreen Dawkins

​Tell me about your experience with the Tuskegee airmen.
About 10 years ago I had the opportunity to meet some of the old Tuskegee airmen. I purchased a picture of them for my granddaughter. It was signed by a few of the original Tuskegee airmen that were alive at the time. My understanding is Lockbourne Army Air Base was a gateway for them. Lockbourne is now Rickenbacker. There is a sign on 104 that lists the Tuskegee airmen. I guess it was a way to get to and from the base.

​In 1946 the Tuskegee Airmen were stationed at Lockbourne Army Air Base (named changed to Rickenbacker in 1974).

​After visiting the Veterans Museum, I started thinking about my grandfather’s service. My grandfather, Odell Dawkins, served in World War II from 1943 to 1945. He drove a truck. He was at the invasion in Normandy. He was on a ship to go to Japan, but the war ended. He was in shock when he returned home. Looking back, he probably had PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). As a youth I don’t ever recall him saying much, but he sure started talking later when we would go on golf outings. 
 
I attend game night with a few Veterans. One game night I decided to start a conversation about their experience in the military.

Tell me about your experience in the armed forces.
I served in the Airforce from 1954 to 1974. I was a ground radio operator. Stateside I worked air ground traffic talking to airplanes. Overseas in Vietnam I was in SAC. I worked U2s (Lockheed U-2. A single jet engine aircraft).
 
I’m going to have to stop you there. I have no idea what a SAC is, and it sounded like to me you said YouTube and I know you didn’t say that.
SAC stands for Strategic Air Command in the Airforce. They handle all the bombers. U2 is a spy aircraft. When we were in Vietnam, we worked U2s and other so-called spy aircrafts, drones, and stuff like that. SAC has two bases there, so we handled the traffic between the two bases. While I was in SAC, I was assigned to downtown Paris because SAC had planes that went to the Paris air show. I was in Bermuda twice. I was in Fairbanks Alaska. I decided that if I ever did 10 years, I was going to go the whole nine yards and enlist for 20 to get the retirement. After Bermuda, I was assigned to SAC headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska. When I went to Bermuda the second time, the SAC squadron deactivated. I received my pay every payday, but they didn’t have any place to send me.
 
Did the Tuskegee Airmen pave the way or impact your experience in the military?
In most cases when people bring up the Tuskegee airmen, most people think about the flyers. Tuskegee airmen also had maintenance crews that were black. Knowing what I know about the Airforce, they had to have more than a few maintenance guys and other support people. We know the Tuskegee airmen had a remarkable record because white pilots were requesting them for escort.  They are something that blacks in the Airforce can be proud of because they set the standard.
Back then overseas we were one big knit family. The same guy that lived next door to you overseas, probably wouldn’t live next door to you when you come back to the states.
 
Anything else?
I entered at a time where it had just become Airforce and it just left the army.
I wasn’t born in the continental United States. I was born in the Virgin Islands. The Virgin Islands had to sue the US government in order to participate in the service. It didn’t affect me because I left when I was eight years old. Gaum and Marianas were the same thing.

I went into the service as a mechanic. The first unit I was assigned to be part of was a maintenance company. I got attached to an Engineer brigade. They built runways. We took care of all the maintenance on the dozers and all the trucks.
 
Every work on any planes?
All the planes that were in the Airforce.
 
Sidebar: I know, I just showed my ignorance. But maybe you didn’t know that either.
 
When we went in, privates pay was $72 a month. When you made PFC (Private First Class) it went up to $78 a month.
 
Did people make the same amount regardless of race for the same position?
Yes.
They asked for volunteers to try out for Airborne. Everyone’s first reaction was, “we don’t want to jump out of no planes”. We were told that it was an extra $55 per month in pay. When I heard that I said, “What the heck I’ll try. It is something different”. About 480 of us went to jump school; but only 125 passed.
 
I’m confused. They had you jump out the airplane to fix a truck?
Let’s say you go into combat on an island. You can’t drive there. When you are in an Airborne Unit, you pack everything up like your equipment and vehicles (small tanks and small dozier). We would jump in on the first pass. On the second pass, the planes would drop all the equipment. Then, they would build the landing strips so the planes could land and drop off supplies. The Airborne units were responsible for their own security.
 
When they dropped tanks, why didn’t the tires get flat? Did they just fly low?
The cargo chute for the vehicles are a lot bigger. You have one on the front and one on the back. As soon as the equipment hits the ground in a combat area, you must run and unhook it quickly. You must get in it and drive it away.
 
Did you serve in any combat missions?
A few… Vietnam.
 
How was the military from a racial perspective?
In the 1960s we could go to the movies at the Palace and sit wherever we wanted, go to the drug stores, go to eat, etc. When I went to the service it was all fine. When I got into Kentucky, they had the sign up right outside the base, “KKK country”.  After I finished my basic training, they sent me down to Fort Bennett in Georgia, that was the first time I saw areas marked “colored” or “whites only”.  Of course, the drinking fountain for the coloreds was rusty and bad looking. The one for the whites was nice.
 
The military was further advanced in integration than it was on the outside. The rule in the military was that everybody plays together, lives together, and stays together. Some of the clubs off base were segregated.  The commanders would put the club off limits for the blacks and the whites. When the clubs started losing money, that forced them to integrate.
 
Once I was on a train going from Fort Campbell to Fort Bennett. A group of us were wearing our uniforms. I was the only black, there were two Puerto Rican guys and the rest were white. When we got to Birmingham, Alabama, the conductor told me I had to move to the back car. I ignored him. He came back a second time and said again, “You got to move to the back car”. I told him, “I ain’t going nowhere”. Everyone else started saying, “He ain’t going nowhere”. The conductor walked away and didn’t come back and bother me after that.
 
It was weird that here (Columbus, Ohio) we didn’t have any issues, but if you wanted to go to the movies in Kentucky or Georgia you had to sit in the balcony.

Tell me what you did in the military.
Most of the time I worked for the provost Marshall’s office which is kind of like the Sheriffs office.
 
Which branch?
Army
 I primarily typed reports, checked violations, processed tickets, and worked with the MPs (Military Police). I served on a task force where all four branches of the service traveled together.
 
Did the Tuskegee Airmen have an impact on your experience in the military?
I did not know about the Tuskegee Airmen until I got out of the military. I found out about them by meeting a few of the Tuskegee Airmen. From what I hear they didn’t lose any of the planes that they were guarding.
 
Did you see any combat?
No. We stayed in the jungle before the Vietnam war processing prisoner war camps. I got out right before that.

What years did you serve?
I served from 1955 to 1977.
 
What did you do in the military?
 The first two years, I was in the Amphibious Construction Battalion, then the next eighteen years I served in the Seabees.
 
What is the Amphibious Construction Battalion?
These were the guys that landed the marines on the base.
 I was a landing boat craft operator for about 6 months. I never got transferred because I got scared and put in for school and became a mechanic.
 
What are the Seabees?
 The history of the Seabees is during the second World War. They needed construction people. They went out and got union people: electricians, plumbers, drivers, etc. That was the first formation of the Seabees. They need someone to get out there and build runways, huts, etc. for the marines. Blacks didn’t get into the Seabees until after 1948 when President Truman desegregated the services.
 
Have you seen the Tuskegee Airmen exhibit at the Veterans museum?
No, but I was reading about the Tuskegee airmen when I got out of high school. That is one of the reasons that I wanted to get into the Airforce. My scores weren’t high enough, so I never made it.
 
What scores?
I didn’t take the right math classes in high school. I needed Trigonometry and Geometry. I also didn’t take ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) and two years of college.
 
Where did you serve?
In 1960, my first assignment was in Cuba. That is when Fidel Castro was doing his thing. We were building perimeter fences. After that I went to the South Pole. We were putting in a PM3A site which is a nuclear reactor plant. I did a tour in Vietnam. I went to Bermuda then Japan. I spent some time in the Philippines, England, and Thailand.
 
What was the private pay when you enlisted?
The pay was so bad that when a lot of guys got drafted in the service, their wives had to go on food stamps. The pay scales went up over the next 5 or 7 years to 60% of the rated civilian occupation (what you would be paid on the outside).
 
Did you experience any prejudice in the military?
I entered the military about 10 years after integration. Prejudice was still there because the civil rights movement hadn’t started. That was the late 1960s. Prior to that you were promoted by your commander. It was called command promotion. Most of the commanders where white so…. To make it equal they started making everyone pass tests.
 
My take: The Veterans Museum is thought provoking. It is an opportunity to learn about different stages in history and service and sacrifice of those who served and continue to serve. It can serve as a conversation starter to take time to hear the stories of those around us.
 
Here is my practical advice. If you plan to park in the lot closest to the museum, bring a valid credit card. Signs clearly state that is the only form of payment. On my visit, there were two people in front of me trying to get out of the parking lot who ignored the signs. I had to wait 10 minutes to get out of the parking lot.

​Categories: Place and Things

​Written and Photographed by Doreen Dawkins

​I arrived at Sharon Woods with great anticipation. I remember the many times my family walked the trail during my youth. Depending on the time we walked on Saturday we would either go across the street for a double scoop of the ice cream of our choice or go home to have my dad’s famous pancakes and sausage breakfast.

​It looks like I was not the only one that was excited to be at the park:

​My favorite pictures during the walk:

Tell me about the winter hikes.
This is one of the traditional things that Metro Parks does every winter. If you were at Blacklick last week, you saw 3,000 plus people. I’m not sure how many people we have here today; but it is probably a record crowd. The whole idea behind winter hikes are to get people out during the winter. In the past few years, they have really caught on with people. We are getting people outside to enjoy their metro parks. We have a whole series of these hikes for the rest of the winter.
Completing all 13 hikes to earn the walking stick is tough. What if there is a level 3 snow emergency?
You can do these hikes on your own. Just find the ranger when you complete it.
How do you find the ranger in each park?
Whenever the park is open, at least one ranger should be on duty. If not, if you contact our headquarters in the north part of Sharon Woods, we can take care of you.
Anything else?
It is just great that people are coming out and enjoying their metro parks.  It’s fun. This is a winter hike. Last week was not so much a winter hike. It was more like an early spring hike. 

Tell me about the Friends of the Metro Parks
We are the non-profit partner of the Metro Parks. We are here to advocate for the parks to make sure the levy that funds the parks get passed every 10 years and that there are activities for everyone to explore these wonderful places.
Are you the person handing out the walking sticks?
Yes, that is our organization. If you are a friend of the metro parks ($10 membership), and you complete all 13 hikes, you get a Metro Parks branded walking stick. At the end of the park series, you get a unique medallion. Each year we do a different park’s medallion. This year it is a Clear Creek Medallion,
Any advice for those who want to do the 13 but have only completed 2?
They are on the weekend, so you have all week to get ready for the hike. It may be cold when you get here, but when you get done there is hot soup after every hike. It is a great way to warm up afterwards.
Anything else?
I think Prairie Oaks has the best soup (chicken noodle). It is worth the trip and doing one of the hikes there.
You didn’t’ give a shout out for the Sharon Woods soup. What do we have today?
I think they have chicken vegetable? I will say I have done all the winter hikes for the last 5 years and Prairie Oaks does it right.

​Any rebuttal sir?
Anyone is entitled to their opinion. That is a bold statement from the president of the friends of the Metro Parks to point out one park. I just think each park has its own distinct soup. Within the park world there is a little degree of competitiveness on who makes the best soup. I guess Aryeh has put that to rest.

​The soup, refreshments and fellowship at the end:

​A few pets and owners:

​My take:
I arrived 50 minutes before the official time (10:00 am). The first lot was full. I was impressed with the number of volunteers, rangers, employees, etc. directing traffic. It appeared that this was not their first-time orchestrating parking. It was very organized. I enjoyed walking the trail and taking pictures of the scenery and seeing the dog owners walking their dogs and the little dog outfits. It’s a great time to get out the house, walk, and enjoy the metro park to avoid cabin fever.

​Categories:  Place and Things