“The Dude”, seen in the photo above, is a case in point.  This witty and comical  planter  is an example of the one-of-a kind items on display. And really, where would you ever find anything like that again?

If you weren’t in Medina today — here’s what you missed:

Filmy pastel tutus for the eternal princess

Popcorn -- one of the traditional smells of summer

This jewelry was a big hit. The crowd was three-deep.

Ceramic wisdom

And the Dixieland Band played on

New Mayor Dennis Hanwell, and supporters Jim Bigam and Janie Parish celebrate the beginning of a new administration at Rustic Hills Country Club.

Dennis Hanwell, who won the mayoral election by an 80% margin this fall, was sworn into office Tuesday, January 5, 2010. The swearing-in ceremony at Medina City Hall was followed by a festive reception at Rustic Hills Country Club. Over one hundred Medinians attended the reception, despite the snowy conditions.

Oh, Christmas Tree!

To see more photography of the Medina Public Square decorated for the holidays by Medina lawyer Denis Kucharski (Medina High School class of 1995), click here.

Commander Jim guards the entrance to Whitey's Army Navy store on Public Square.

Whitey’s Army- Navy store has stood on Public Square since 1949. To read more about Whitey’s:

In 1949, former Navy pilot Harold (Whitey) Thwaite opened an Army-Navy surplus store on Public Square.  Military surplus was in plentiful supply at the end of  World War II, and in great demand.

These days, according to store manager Debbie Wentz, U.S. military surplus is not as easily obtainable, and what they get comes from foreign sources like Italy and Israel. Whitey’s now sells work clothing like Carhartt’s and camping gear, as well as military insignias and quasi-military banners.  They also print dog-tags.

“However, she adds, “U.S. Navy peacoats are available and they are huge! They fly off the racks. The quality is so much better than what you find in stores, and the cost is much less.”

Whitey’s thrives on cold weather.  “Whenever there’s a blast of cold air,  the customers come pouring in for fleece and heavy socks,” Debbie Wentz observes.

It is not just men who shop at Whitey’s.  Women come in as well, to purchase fleece hoodies and canvas bags, or to buy gifts for the men in their lives.  Stephanie Doutt of Medina, shopping for heavy socks for her husband remarked, “This is a cool store. I come in here all the time. I like to shop Medina.”

Whitey’s is located in the oldest building on the square, the former county courthouse completed in 1826. The basement of the building once served as the local jail. A series of holes in the old wooden floors indicate where iron bars once confined the drunks and swindlers of frontier-era Medina.

And what about the super-sized G.I. Joe standing guard in front of the store?

“That’s Commander Jim,” Debbie Wentz replies.  “He’s become a great landmark. We found him at a military trade show ten years ago. He gets dressed in different outfits — Santa hat at Christmas, sunglasses when it’s bright outside.  He also serves as an informal lost-and-found.  If anyone leaves a scarf or hat at the store, Commander Jim gets to wear it.”

Commander Jim dresses for the occasion: Santa hat at Christmas and sunglasses when it's bright outside.

Camouflage items are very popular at Whitey's.

Whitey's offers a wide range of military insignias.

The Largely Literary Theater Company’s performance of  “A Christmas Carol” on Sunday December 6, in  St. Paul’s Episcopal Church lacked the 3-D pyrotechnics of the version currently running in the cinemas, but was undoubtedly closer to Charles Dickens’ original vision. The 1884 Gothic Revival church with its arched ceilings and stained glass windows was an appropriately Victorian setting for the British writer’s tale of the evils of selfishness and greed transformed into a Christmas Day redemption

The Largely Literary Theater Company consists of three actors –Tom Stephan (Scrooge), Sarah Showman (15 different characters) and Mark Dawidziak (Charles Dickens).  They perform  on a stage equipped with a minimum of props, and remain faithful to every word in Dickens’ short novel.

The performance was a benefit for the Scholarship Fund of the American Association of University Women (AAUW). The organization awards two scholarships annually to non-traditional women students.

For more information about the performers, click here:

left to right:

Tom Stephan (Scrooge) is a retired English and drama teacher who has appeared in numerous productions with the Akron Weathervane Theater and the Ohio Shakespeare Festival at Stan Hywet Hall.

Sarah Showman (15 different characters) is the general manager of the group and holds a degree in acting and directing from Kent State.

Mark Dawidziak (Charles Dickens), the artistic director of The Largely Literary Company,  is also the television critic at the Cleveland “Plain Dealer”.  He is the author of several books and  plays Mark Twain in the troupe’s “Twain By Three”.  He is married to Sarah Showman.

The gazebo is actually the last of a series of structures to occupy the center of Public Square Park — the three acre plot donated to the village in 1817 by Medina’s founder, Elijah Boardman.  The park has served as the community’s gathering place for close to 200 years.

Here is what came before the gazebo.  These photos are from the collection of the Medina CDC.

This first picture is an 1846 sketch of Medina as depicted in Henry Howe's book , "Historical Collections of Ohio". It shows a simple flagpole planted in the center of the village green. Originally, the park was surrounded by a fence to keep out livestock. It was the setting for the first Medina County Fair and for regularly scheduled military musters.

The second photograph dates from 1868. It shows an early band concert in progress on a crudely erected platform in the center of the park. The popular Medina tradition of summer band concerts dates back to the 1850's.

In the 1890's, this classically elegant fountain, surrounded by a fishpond, graced the center of Public Square park. Note that the fencing around the park had disappeared. Presumably wandering livestock no longer presented a problem.

In 1914, for reasons unknown, the classic fountain was replaced by this rather fanciful creation. It was constructed of local rocks gathered by the pupils of Garfield School at the request of the Medina Improvement Association.

Many Medina residents still remember this fishpond equipped with revolving colored lights which at one time stood in the center of the park. It was donated in 1951 by the civic minded Freda Snyder, owner of Medina Farmers' Exchange, and was removed in 1976 to make way for the gazebo.

Home for the Holidays

Tour five Medina County homes beautifully decorated for the holidays.

The annual holiday home tour raises money to fulfill the Medina YWCA’s mission of striving to “provide affordable programs to meet the needs of women and children,” and to reflect their “commitment to humanitarian values.”

The Y provides free mammograms and pap tests to women without health insurance who cannot afford them.  They also sponsor an annual Free Womens’ Health Fair at Medina General Hospital which provides various health screenings for free.  These include  bone density testing, cholesterol and glucose screening, blood pressure and spine checking, as well as information on healthy living.

The YWCA of Medina county has been in existence for 84 years.

Twilight on the Square

The Candle Walk marks the official kick off of the holiday season in Medina. We wish you all of the best this holiday season.

Click here to see more pictures of the Candle Walk from Sunday, November 22, 2009.

Happy Holidays!

AAUW has awarded two scholarships annually since 1991.  The requirements are as follows: the recipient must be officially registered at a college or university, and must be older than a traditional college student.  Awards are given on a basis of financial need.  Since most applicants must make considerable sacrifices to attend college, it is frequently difficult to select only two.

The Largely Literary Company features Mark Dawidziak, the T.V. and Entertainment critic for The Cleveland Plain Dealer who plays Charles Dickens as well as a number of secondary roles.

His wife, Sara Showman, and local performer Tom Stephan are the other two actors in this 90 minute, faithful adaptation of Dickens’ classic tale.  This production is performed with minimal props on a simple set that never changes.  The skilled actors, playing multiple roles, allow us to “see” everything – from Marley’s face on Scrooge’s doorknocker to the terror Marley’s spirit creates in Scrooge when he wraps his ghostly chains around Scrooge’s wrists.

The Company has toured this program in Northeast Ohio for the past nine years, but this is the first performance in Medina.

2009 Medina Candle Walk ornament

This weekend marks the 25th anniversary of the Candlelight Walk which has transformed downtown Medina into a major Northeast Ohio destination on the first weekend before Thanksgiving.  A silver-plated, limited edition ornament in the shape of Medina’s iconic Gazebo has been created to celebrate the event.

The ornament sells for $20 and comes enclosed in a gift box. Ornaments are available at the following places:  Gramercy Gallery, Interior Design Studio, Miss Molly’s Tea Room & Gift Shop, Medina County Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, Studio Knit, Tandem Trolley, and Whitey’s Army Navy store.  All these business are in Medina’s Historic District.