THE RETURN OF THE EYE

By: Laila Schwin and Valery Warner

September 30, 2021

While there are plenty of Fall festivals and events going on, Ramseyer Farms and their Fall events are definitely a top contender among the rest. Their Fall Fun Festival is already in full-swing this year with plenty of open activities for people of all ages, and it surely will not disappoint. 

Ramseyer Farms is a fifth generation, family-owned farm that was started in 1880 by Daniel Ramseyer, and it has been passed on between the different generations within the family.  As all of the years passed by, the farm has changed and improved quite a bit. 

In 2000, major changes to the farm were made, and they began what they call “agritourism,” which included educational farm tours and corn mazes. Since then, their agritourism has expanded quite extensively to include things like their current Fall festival. 

Some of the events that have joined the lineup at Ramseyer Farms are their yearly-themed corn mazes, hayrides, visits with the farm animals, pumpkin picking, the corn barn and corn chutes, and various fun games and other mazes that people of all ages can participate in and thoroughly enjoy. 

The Fall season at Ramseyer Farms started on September 1 and will be ending on October 31, so make sure you find some time to go out there and join the Fall fun before it concludes. The farm is open all days except Monday.  The hours vary in different time spans on different days of the week, so be sure to check their website for any information that you may need to know about a near-future trip to Ramseyer Farms.  

Tickets for the events can also be found on their website as well.  You can also buy season passes for the farms for the remainder of the year.

Ramseyer Farms has a near-endless supply of events with even more being frequently added. It is definitely the place to go if you are in need of some family fun this Fall season.

When it is Fall, Ramseyer Farms will be anxiously-awaiting your arrival.

By: Valery Warner and Laila Schwin

September 23, 2021

Can you smell the Fall in the air?  Yesterday, the Fall season officially began, and this upcoming weekend marks the 48th annual Johnny Appleseed Weekend at Mapleside Farms. From September 24-26, people can come visit the festival and all of the activities that it has to offer. 

This event is open to the public from 4:00-9:00 p.m. tomorrow, 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, and 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Sunday.

The Johnny Appleseed Weekend is a part of a longer ongoing event at Mapleside Farms: The Fall Festivals and Pumpkin Village. All of these events feature live entertainment and music, pig races, hayrides, and tours of the Mapleside orchards. Mapleside Farms has many other things to offer such as various shops, corn mazes, and their 311 foot long “Super Slide”.

This weekend’s events will also feature interactive performances throughout the property about historical figures and legends such as Paul Bunyan, Amelia Earhart, and Johnny Appleseed. There will also be stage productions of The Princess and the Pumpkin, which is an ongoing part of the Mapleside Fall events.

Most tickets for the Johnny Appleseed Weekend are being sold in advance for set time slots on the Mapleside website. Walk-up tickets are available but are much more limited and will not be sold anymore during the day if the farms reach a set capacity. 

While masks are not required outdoors, they are strongly recommended if social distancing is not possible. Buildings and indoor spaces will be limited to a certain number of guests at all times along with frequent sanitizing stations all around the farm. 

This year’s festival will also celebrate the 247th birthday of Johnny Appleseed. Johnny Appleseed (also known as Jonathan Chapman) was an American pioneer said to bring apple trees to North America. He planted nurseries of apple trees and entrusted their care to the local people in the areas surrounding the nurseries. He planted these nurseries throughout large parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Ontario, as well as the northern counties of present-day West Virginia.

Chapman left a lasting legacy that has been honored for the last 48 years by the annual festival at Mapleside Farms.  His story is told and exhibits honor his importance. 

The festival is sure to be a fun, family event this Fall season for anyone who decides to attend. 

Fall is here, and so is the Johnny Appleseed Weeked at Mapleside Farms!

 By: Laila Schwin and Valery Warner

September 16, 2021

Despite the continuation of the pandemic and the struggles that it has caused, the arts have found a way to persevere within the circumstances. One example of this is the FireFish Arts Festival. 

The FireFish Festival is an annual arts festival in downtown Lorain, featuring and highlighting artists from Ohio. The artists range across various mediums including visual arts, comedy, music, and fashion. 

This year, the festival took on a new form and was extended across four weekends between August 29 and September 18.  While the festival is nearly over, there is still a chance to see all of the art that it has to offer.

This Saturday (September 18) marks the end of the FireFish festival, and with this comes the burning of the fish, the namesake of the event. This is accompanied by a pyrotechnic show, as well.

The FireFish Festival does not have an extensive history; it only started in 2015, but it has grown immensely in the few years that it has been around. Within the first year, the festival brought together over 10,000 people, and it has only grown since then, both within the community and outside of it. 

The FireFish Festival has also enhanced the Lorain community, giving small businesses the opportunity to grow and expand. It has filled downtown Lorain store fronts by bringing people to the area. Lorain is truly emerging as a city re-imagined. The creativity, energy, and resources all work together to create an exciting downtown for community and surrounding areas.

This weekend’s closing events are an after-party featuring the Sammy DeLeon Band.  Additional performances, art installations, art vendors, and family-friendly activities will take place on the sidewalks and outdoor spaces throughout downtown Lorain, along with Lorain County Community College’s City Center campus.

This weekend is sure to be a great end to the festival. Hopefully, within the next few years, it will continue to expand and grow within the community and Ohio itself. 

September 18 is quickly approaching, so get out to the FireFish Festival! You will not be disappointed.

By: Laila Schwin and Valery Warner

September 9, 2021

This Saturday (September 11, 2021) marks the 20th anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and Flight 93. 

On this anniversary, we should all take a moment to commemorate the 2,997 victims of the attacks and to make sure that their memories live on through their friends, family, and general public.

This horrific tragedy is remembered every year in New York City at the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.  Families of the victims along with survivors come together, speak the names, and even tell the stories of those who perished on that evil day. 

Moments of silence are also included to remember the times of these horrific events. These times are as follows:

• 8:46 a.m. – When the first plane hit the North Tower
• 9:03 a.m. – When the second plane hit the South Tower
• 9:37 a.m. – When the third of the four hijacked planes crashed into the Pentagon
• 9:59 a.m. – When the South Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed
• 10:03 a.m. – When the fourth hijacked plane (Flight 93) was brought down in Somerset County, Pennsylvania
• 10:28 a.m. – When the North Tower of the World Trade Center collapsed

Along with remembering the victims who passed away, it is important to look at the long-term effects that this tragedy has had on the survivors and the civilians exposed to the conditions at Ground Zero. While the attacks primarily affected first responders at the scene, people in the surrounding areas have continued to suffer and even die due to their exposure to different elements while interacting with the scene of the fallen World Trade Center. 

The number of deaths attributed to the health conditions caused by proximity to the scene is unknown, but the last reported number as of September 11, 2020, was 227. Additionally, 412 emergency workers (343 firefighters) died, which is why the need to commemorate first responders on the scene of 9/11 is vital and necessary. This is why the 9/11 Memorial Glade was dedicated and first unveiled in 2019. Long overdue!  

The 9/11 Memorial Glade was dedicated on May 30 of 2019, the 17th anniversary of the official end to the recovery effort. It is made up of six monoliths, each ranging from 13 to 18 tons. To honor the recovery efforts, each stone was laid with melted steel from the ruins of the World Trade Center.

Each year since the 9/11 attacks, the victims’ families have found ways to honor and memorialize all of the lives lost. Today, the 9/11 Memorial & Museum has reopened to the public, along with the Memorial Glade and Survivor Tree which are all located near Ground Zero (in Lower Manhattan, New York). 

There are many ways to show your respect and support for both the survivors and victims.  If you would like to donate, click here. All donations and proceeds go to one of the five memorial sites along with providing assistance for the victims’ families. 

May we never forget this day in American history.

“Let’s Roll”

{Information for this article was retrieved from the 9/11 Memorial & Museum.}