It pays to shop around for gas. On Saturday, Feb. 28, the price of gas at several stations on the east side of Lima was $2.09 while on the west side it was $2.49---40 cents per gallon difference in the same city. That's $8 a fillup. Used to be gas companies tried to get loyal customers to stick with their brand, nowadays drivers seek out the best price. Remember the jingle: Texaco, you can trust your car to the man who wears the star?
Postage Stamps
Why buy common, run-of-the-mill postage stamps when you can get distinctive commemoratives for the same price? If you ask at the post office window, the clerk will show you several kinds of commemoratives to choose from. My current favorite is the Circus series; they are oversized and colorful, picturing some of the famous circuses, such as Ringling Bros and Barnum & Bailey.
Snowmobiles
Are snowmobiles allowed in the Village of Ada? The law about driving them can be found at adaoh.org. Click on Documents. Next page, click on Codified Ordinances. Then, click on document 375.04 and following sections. These tell about where snowmobiles can be driven, license, registration, accident reports, etc. Be careful. A friend of mine lost her teenage daughter in a snowmobile accident in Hardin County a few years ago.
Huge Farm Conference
Neatly 800 farmers, consultants, industry representatives, and government officials met at ONU on March 3 and 4 for a tillage and technology conference. Attendees listened to university specialists, industry representatives, and producers discuss new products and ideas for agriculture. All parking near McIntosh Center was filled, even extending beyond the Freed Center lot. To no one's surprise, pickup trucks were the favorite means of transportation for the farmers, many of their vehicles new, expensive ones. What they learned at the conference will provide more, cheaper food for us as consumers, help USA stay competitive in a world market, and provide more profit for hard-working farm families.
Fireworks.
11:15 pm, Saturday, Feb 28. Bang, bang, bang, 6 to 8 loud pops go off, a few seconds apart, each followed by a flash in the sky. Someone in Ada celebrating the end of a cold February, but couldn't wait til midnight? Someone got a good deal on "blasts" at the fireworks store? Someone heralding spring but couldn't tarry another 19 days and 18 hours? Yes, that's gotta be it, a pre-spring celebration. Ah, spring, burst forth!
Sidewalk Repair at Half Price
Over time, has your sidewalk been damaged and become unsafe due to freezing and thawing or from tree roots? If so, the Village has a program to help some people replace their sidewalks by paying half the cost, April 1 is the deadline to be considered for the cost-sharing program. Call the Village office at 419-634-4045 for details.
Easter--Early or Late?
Easter can fall between March 22 and April 25. This year it is April 5...about in the middle. How is the date determined? Churches celebrate Easter the first Sunday after the paschal full Moon on or just after the vernal equinox. For simplicity, the equinox is considered March 21. Confused? I am, think I'll simply go by the calendar on my dresser.
Greenland
In January and February you may have thought you were living in Greenland. Why is such a snow-covered country named GREENland? There are a couple of theories. Eric the Red, a Viking, was banished there after he murdered someone. He wanted company, so he told others it was a beautiful, green land. Others surmise that when the Vikings arrived there a thousand years ago, Greenland was truly green. Other interesting facts: it's 80% ice-capped, the world's largest island, only 58,000 people live there yet it is about one-fourth the size of the USA, least densely populated of any country in the world, gained its independence from Denmark not long ago, and polar bears roam there. You want to see what it's like? Look out the window.
Cancer Research Benefit
There will be a spaghetti dinner and auction to support basic cancer research from 5 to 7:30 on Saturday, March 21, at the VFW. For details call 419-233-1301. Also, call that number to find out about the Dana-Faber marathon challenge to be held on Monday, April 20.
Zumba
Lynne Scott leads Zumba fun fitness classes from 9 to 9:40 on Thursdays at ReStore. These classes are for senior citizens and people with mobility problems (less strenuous than the usual Zumba). For details call her at 419-757-1305.
A Matter of Balance
If you are concerned about falling, take advantage of a free program at Community Health Professionals. The 8-week sessions begin Tuesday, March 17, from10 am until noon. For details call 419-634-7443. The program emphasizes practical strategies to manage falls.
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