15 minutes with Sharon (Binkley) Zimmerly - Click on image to enlarge
Sharon and her husband, Phil, own Common Grounds coffee shop in Bluffton.
When did you graduate from Ada High School?
I was in the class of 2004.
What did you participate in during your years at Ada?
I was in cheerleading, show choir, band, where I played the flute, and in drama club.
Tell me about what you remember from Kindergarten.
(Long pause). Mrs. Shull was my teacher. That’s about it.
You lived in the country? Who was your bus driver?
Mrs. Dearth.
So, you graduated in the “old” building, right?
Yes. The same building that my dad and brother graduated from. My dad is Clair. I don’t know what year he graduated. My brother Brian graduated in 2001.
Ever get a detention?
You won’t believe this. One. When I was a senior for chewing gum during lunch. The detention was one half hour of setting in a classroom.
Describe your senior prom dress.
It was black, form fitting with some jeweled designs.
Okay, tell us about your driver’s test.
It was in a 1994 Ford Taurus. I didn’t pass the first time. The back of the car hit the right cone. I took the test in Findlay. Everyone said if you take the test in Findlay you won’t pass the first time.
What did you do after high school?
I attended Ohio Northern University where I majored in math and minored in business. I graduated in 2009. Two weeks later Phil and I bought Common Grounds coffee shop in Bluffton.
Tell me about coffee. What’s your favorite flavor?
North pole mocha. It has peppermint and chocolate in it.
How many cups of coffee do you drink a day?
Actually I haven’t had coffee in a week.
You work in a bank in Ottawa, right? Tell me about it.
I am a licensed personal banker at Huntington. I’ve worked there since 2009. Actually I graduated from ONU, Phil and I bought the coffee shop and I got my bank job within the same month.
What’s the most recent movie you saw and rate it for us.
“The Butler.” I was really good and I’m not a history person. But, it kept my attention.
How about the worst movie you saw. You know, one that you’d like your money back.
“Lincoln.” Hands down. I’m not a history buff.
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Stonehenge. I’d like to see it.
Ever get a police ticket?
In Cairo I received a warning.
Where did you and Phil meet?
We both worked at Office Depot.
What do you like on your pizza?
Pepperoni from Luke’s.
Have you ever had to ask a customer at the coffee shop to leave?
Yes. Typically junior high kids who are just goofing around.
How many hours a week do you work at the coffee shop?
From 15 to 20. Nights and weekends.
That’s on top of your bank job?
Yes. I work 40 hours a week at Huntington.
Wow. We’ll I better let you get back to work. Thanks for talking with me.
