January 2022

The Quarry Farm Nature Preserve in rural Pandora is celebrating National Hat Day on January 15.

To join in the fun, wear your favorite warm hat and take part in their Annual Hat Day Night Hike from 6 to 7:30 p.m. If the sky is clear, you'll see the waxing moon just two days before it is the full January Wolf Moon. Cookies and hot chocolate will follow in the Seitz Family Pavilion.

Dress for the weather and wear waterproof hiking shoes/boots. Bring flashlights if possible. The hike will begin promptly from the pavilion. The event is free and open to the public, but donations to support Quarry Farm educational programming are welcome.

The United Way of Hardin County has announced that the 2021 campaign raised a total of $160,300. The total is $5,300 over the organization's $155,000 goal.

The nonprofit fundraising affiliate reports that donors have surpassed the goals presented on thermometer signs for two years in a row.

On Facebook the organizaiton noted, "We thank all the donors who donated at any level .The special events that were held through the campaign made a huge impact not only on the campaign goal but the community itself."

William Buford “Bill” Hawley, age 74, passed away on Thursday, January 6, 2022, at Mercy Health-St. Rita’s Medical Center, Lima.

He was born on February 13, 1947, in Lima, Ohio to the late B.G. and Ernestine (Walls) Hawley.  On December 18, 1980, Bill married Myra J. Holbrook and she survives in Ada.

Also surviving are his three daughters: Rachael Hawley of Atlanta, GA, Nicky (Buzz) Neiswander of Ada and Rhonda (Tim) Kimerling of Onsted, MI; two grandchildren Zach and Sam; and a sister, Jayne Griffin of Ada.

Bill was preceded in death by his grandson, Aubin and brother-in-law and best friend, Ronald Griffin.

By Cort Reynolds

The visiting Ada High School boys basketball team rallied with a big third period, but arch-rival Upper Scioto Valley answered with a late fourth period run hold off the Bulldogs, 63-51, on Saturday, January 8.

The Bulldogs trailed 20-14 after one period and 34-21 at halftime. Yet Ada put together a 23-point third stanza to rally within a point, heading into the final quarter at 45-44.

But the Rams were able to pull away with an 18-7 fourth quarter and remained undefeated. USV sank eight of its nine foul shot tries in the final period.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Wildlife is asking hunters in Hardin, Marion and Wyandot counties to submit their deer for chronic wasting disease (CWD) testing for the remainder of the 2022 deer hunting season.

Additional deer samples are needed in response to recent CWD positive cases, and to better understand CWD in Ohio. Samples of deer harvested from all townships in these counties are requested, which is a slight expansion from the current disease surveillance area. More information about CWD, including a map of recent positive cases, is available at www.ohiodnr.gov/cwd.

By Robert McCool

Let's celebrate librarians.

Pulitzer Prize winner Anthony Doerr's (“All The Light We Cannot See”) 2021 release, Cloud Cuckoo Land (Scribner, ISBN 978-1-9821-8967-9) is dedicated to librarians: past, present, and future. Some of the novel occurs within a library in whatever time and location is being reported in these joined stories of five distinctly different characters. 

A class to help farmers prepare to become private pesticide applicators has been planned for January 26 at the Hardin County Extension office, 1021 West Lima Street, Kenton. In Ohio, pesticide applicators are required by law to have an Ohio Pesticide Applicators License in order to purchase and apply restricted-use chemicals. These pesticides include but are not limited to herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides.

The class will begin at 12:30 pm and end at 4:30 pm. There is a $30 registration fee which covers books for those enrolled.

Juanita Marie Downing, age 69, passed away on Friday, January 7, 2022, at Lima Memorial Health System.

She was born on August 9, 1952, in Rushsylvania, Ohio to the late Tom and Juanita M. (Benton) Hollis.  On October 13, 1970, Juanita married Charles E. “Gene” Downing who preceded her in death on September 28, 2021.

By Cort Reynolds

The Ada High School boys basketball team fell behind early and lost 49-34 to visiting local rival Allen East in Northwest Conference action Friday night, January 7.

AE jumped out to a 17-3 lead over the first 12 minutes, yet Ada clawed back within 10 points behind a third period rally. 

But the Mustangs began the final quarter on a 7-0 run to stem the Ada momentum and any thought of a Bulldog comeback.

"We only had 10 points at halftime, that is atrocious," said first-year Ada head coach Vince Halliday. "My three guys who have all had 25-point games this year combined for 19."

The Hardin County Astronomy Club will meet at 7 p.m. on January 12 at the
McGuffey Community Room, which is behind the post office at 402 Courtright St. 

The meeting will include sharing sketches of the constellations Auriga and Taurus and a brief introduction to the constellation Taurus.

There will also be a postponed lecture about the effect of Christmas lights on light pollution. Citizen Science opportunities will be introduced.

Mask use and social distancing will be encouraged.

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