Vermilion Views

On Monday a construction crew came in and began reconstructing the family room on our Oakwood Drive home. Note that there has been a record amount of snowfall in Northern Ohio this season. Ergo; the ground is saturated.

Our home was the first built in our development in 1963. The house is a ranch sitting on a base of hard clay. The yard was backfilled with about a foot or so of topsoil. The "family room" was - in its origin - fashioned from a large patio slab directly behind the home. This is important because (as we eventually found) the floor was level with the ground outside the house, and there was no foundation around it. Thus, over time the weight of the roof, walls, windows, doors, and siding caused the concrete slab to sink and...

water began to seep into the room after a snow melt or hard rain. To correct the problem (correctly) requires the rebuilding of the room from the ground up.

So - last Sunday we moved everything out of the room (as seen in the photo to the left). And then, on Monday, the contractor came in and began to tear the place apart.

It didn't look all that bad at first.

Our cat disappeared into one of the bedrooms. That'll probably go on for the duration. She only sneaks out at night - or to take a cautious journey out the front door for a few minutes. The rest of our house now resembles a badly decorated, and over furnished, antique shop. But that's the price one must pay for new construction.

And on the third day the room actually began to disappear.

At least the sun was shining.

And then things began to get a bit mucky. It rained. The water in the soil could only go down as far as the hard clay base. And as the contractor dug...and as he drove his equipment over the yard he began to sink...

And, as I have said,"At least the sun was shining."

But then it quit shining for a time. And he left his tractor by the pool to go and fetch a load of stone to lay down in the yard to stop his equipment from sinking.

Before he was through for the day he lay down 10 tons of stone. He reassured us that the stone would make things better in both the short and the long run(s). We sure hopes he is right.

In the meantime we'll stay inside the obstacle course we now call home with our cat, and hope that Spring - and dryer weather comes soon.

JOHN STEWART: John Stewart is not really a "familiar face" to many people. The pic is used hear because I was surprised when I came across the piece of music used in the background of this weeks "VV". It's called "One-Eyed Joe". And it's from a John Stewart recording called "Havana".

What makes any of this interesting (at least to myself) is the fact that Mr. Stewart was once a part of a folk group called "The Kingston Trio". It is, to say the very least, a stretch between a piece like the Kingston Trio's "It Takes A Worried Man" to Stewart's "One-Eyed Joe" heard here. And it is (again, at least to at least meself) a very pleasant "stretch". His evolution as both a performer and a singer-writer is appreciable.

BACKDROP TO A PARADE: This pic is taken from a Roy Kneisel slide c.1967. As best I can tell it is the Vermilion Junior High School Band marching in a Memorial Day Parade. They are just passing the corner of Grand Street / State Street (Route #60) on South Street heading west. I can't (at least at this time) identify any of the youngsters in the photo. (Although I think I do recognize a few.)

But the point of using this particular pic is not the band so much as it is the house (to the upper left) in the background. Today this house is white with black shutters, and is enclosed by a picket fence, and a great deal of landscaping. That house as portrayed in this photo is the way I remember it being for much of my youth.

Some person with a great deal of vision made it into a a veritable oasis. And whenever I pass by (which is frequently) I marvel at the change wrought to the place over the years.

ANOTHER INTERESTING BACKDROP: Another Roy Kneisel slide photo showing another Memorial Day Parade in another year. I'd guesstimate that it's somewhere around 1953.

The group in the pic is the Vermilion American Legion. I note that my father (William B. Tarrant) is marching next to a sailor. He is the fellow in the dark clothes behind the soldiers in the khaki uniforms and color guard. He marched in every parade until he could walk no more.

What I find interesting in this particular pic is not, however, the paraders. It is the car dealer / filling station in the background - upper right. It is the old Kaiser-Frasier dealership.

I can still recall seeing those cars in that showroom. And that is how I have come to give a date to the photo. I don't know if Glenn Martin still had the auto dealership at that time or not. But I distinctly recall that my piano teacher May McGraw Fletcher did own one of those cars.

This is one of the first pix that I've ever seen of the place when it was the Kaiser dealership. I don't believe it lasted too long. It was certainly gone by 1955.

SCOTT DOMMIN'S VERMILION: I've got to admit that I am envious of Scott Dommin's Kishman Fish pix. They are absolutely, unconditionally, beautiful. They seem to capture and hold the mood of both the day and the era in which they were taken: I can feel the sun and smell the air.

Scott did mention that he doesnt' have all the names of the boats he took pictures of during those years. So if anyone knows the names of the boats pictured I believe he would appreciate having them named.

But, again, these are great photographs and I need thank Scott for allowing me to access an use them. I hope everyone appreciates them as much as I do.

PODCAST #69: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #69is "me" in our Family Room telling "Seldom told Stories of Vermilion's Yesteryear" - Part Three. This week; The Miller Wilber Family. It's a terrible production...but it's just a matter of record. And (as always) these podcasts are eternally under development...

For the benefit of all - kindly take note of the fact that I have produced an archive (that can be found in the "Links" section of the page) that will allow "Viewers" an easier way to access all past podcasts.

_{Note: (1)that the podcasts are in the archives; (2)that one can easily listen to them on-line and / or copy them (for free) to their PC or Mac for later listening; and (3) that all have also been preserved, by myself, on a separate hard-drive and on CD's. Anyone unable to listen to, or acquire the audios on-line and wishes to acquire a copy of any of these audio casts and / or recordings of persons who have spoken at a Vermilion Area Archival Society meeting during the last 12 months can do so by contacting me, and paying a small cover fee for recording materials.}

LOCAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: Looking for the latest information about VHS Class Reunions, The Vermilion Area Archival Society, Eden Valley Enterprises events, and Hope Home in Kenya. Follow the link to the Vermilion Locals page. Something new (mit a few new pix added) for your enjoyment. Always changing...

Incidentally, "Viewer" Larry Hohler who is a big part of the Hope Home in Kenya wants folks to know that the children they are assisting are safe - midst the turmoil raging around them in that country. Methinks all "Viewers" should take a good look (go to the links section of "Views" for a virtual tour) at how the project really, really helps underprivileged children in this 3rd world nation. It is sincerely a worthwhile effort.

The Beat Goes On: The page is generated by the dreaded Macintosh Computer and is written and designed by (me) Rich Tarrant. It will change weekly ~ usually on Saturday. Bookmark the URL (Universal Resource Locater) and come back at your own leisure. Send the page to your friends (and enemies if you wish). If you have something to share with those who visit this page, pass it on. And if you see something that is in need of correction do the same. My sister, Nancy, is a great help in that respect. It only takes me a week to get things right. And follow the links. You might find something you like. If you experience a problem with them let me know. Also, if you want to see past editions of this eZine check the new archives links below.

If you're looking for my old links section (pictured) I've replaced it with a pull-down menu (visible in the small box next to the word "Go"). If you're looking for links to more Vermilion history check that menu.

For Persons who would like to donate to the cause (to keep these "Views" on-line you can send whatever you would like to me at the following address. And THANKS to everybody who has already donated to the cause. I doth certainly appreciate it):

Vermilion Ohio, A Good Place to Live