Last Wednesday and Thursday mornings the ‘Centennial Park at Houk Stream’ had a big ‘pow-wow’ at the new bridge. It was a ‘Power-pow-wow’ ‘cause alot of the Centennial Committee brass was there…Norbert Klopsch, City Mgr., Carol Collins, Bill Lockwood, Al Leland, several Oakwood maintenance crew members, two huge tractors, two huge boulders, a chain saw, and a Nosey Neighbor with a yellow dog.
“No, we’re not cutting out that fallen tree beside the new bridge!” “You’d better not! That’s one of the kids favorite jungle-gyms.” “We’re just going to lop-off this end of the tree a little so folks will be able to read the plaque we’re going to affix to that boulder on the east side of the east end of the bridge!” “OK!” “You going to be around next weekend for the ‘dedication’?” “No, I’ll be in Zionsville, IN.” The Committee Member obviously heaved a sigh of relief!
By Thursday afternoon the plaque was in place on the boulder – and it read: “The Rotary Bridge - Centennial Park at Houk Stream – Gift of Rotary – Norbert Klopsch, President – William D. Lockwood, PE, Engineer – Comptek Structural Composites, Inc. – Danis Builders Construction Co. – Moraine Materials – One Source Equipment Rentals – Schumacher Crane Rental – Kevin Weaver, PE, Director – Al Leland, Project Manager.”
And also by Thursday on the west side of the west-end of the bridge the huge boulder was in place and makes a great, natural-looking ‘bench’.
On Friday a young man walking home from his job on Runnymede Road stopped to read the plaque and was heard to ask: “What’s a Rotary Bridge?”
Dr. William G. Cassel called from Connecticut on Sunday morning. “I’m spending the day at Cathy’s (That’s Bill’s daughter – Cathy Talmedge) and we thought we’d call to see how everything is in Dayton.” “Well, your old home on Ridgeway looks great…guess the new owners are in Chili for the summer… Oakwood’s gearing-up for the Centennial…had lunch with our old Longfellow/Fairview classmate, Jeanne Smith…”
Birthdays this week: The Very Rev. Joseph Goetz, and Freddy Klefeker. You’ll have to ask them the number of candles. When Joe called this week he said he was just home from his annual trek to Canada..and just on his way to Michigan to visit his sister (the owner of ‘Lindy’s’ in Columbus) and her two sons who have houses …up North. Next Joe and ‘the Maine-iacs’ will head up to Connie Breen’s fabulous home on Long Pond near Bar Harbour, Maine. On the way up they plan to de-plane in Portland and have a ‘stay‘ with Macy Janney.
And the other ‘birthday-er, Freddy, hunted her Palamino horse, ‘Martel’, with the Miami Valley Hunt. ‘Martel’ was named for ‘Charles Martel, The Hammer’ – remember your History? Freddy worked for Jim Woodhull for years and was a friend and co-worker with Phil Barnheiser (another Fairview classmate…)
The ‘card’ read: City of Oakwood, Public Safety Department…Officer Brad Liston. Whatta great young man! It was at least eleven p.m. on Thursday evening and the Olympics ‘Opening Ceremonies’ were still going on – when the dog decided she ‘…had to go out’. So, after turning on all the front lights and standing in the driveway as ‘the dog’ was busy in the center circle…a car on Oakwood Ave. stopped, backed-up, and drove into the driveway! It was an Oakwood Police car! “Everything OK? Oh, I see the dog now! I’ve never seen all these lights on this late and then you were standing out in the drive, and your back door was open, so I thought I’d better check.” How considerate, caring, concerned can our Police Dept. be? A great confab ensued and the Officer presented his card. Next morning RT called the George Listons. (Their son had been an Oakwood Police Officer.) “Is Brad Liston a relative? “No, but isn’t he the nicest chap…our son Jeff Liston had such a good time at your house the other evening for Hank Hull’s birthday
August 12, 2008
Volume 17, No. 33
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