Community Roundup: Whispering Meadows supports Hayes gardens

Whispering Meadows Garden Club keep Hayes gardens looking lovely

FREMONT – When visitors come to the museum/library building at the Hayes Presidential Library and Museums this summer, one of the striking features they notice are the immaculately manicured planters filled with bold flowers and greenery.

The tall red cannnas, white geraniums, blue salvia, elephant ears and creeping jenny in the planters at the main entrance give a stately, yet inviting, look to the historic stone building. On the side of the building at its original entrance with columns, the boxes house more red cannas, white begonias, elephant ears and other greenery.

For the past two years, members of the Whispering Meadows Garden Club have thoughtfully chosen the types of plants and flowers to place into these boxes and spend hours caring for them, from watering to fertilizing to dead-heading the blooms and pulling weeds.

“It’s a prestigious project because it’s at a presidential center,” said club member Betty Schade, of Bettsville, who helps maintain the planters. “I think it’s something the whole community can appreciate and enjoy, and really the whole world because you get visitors from around the world here.”

At least four days a week during the summer, members of the club come to Hayes Presidential to take care of the planters. It has been one of the club’s community beautification projects. Past projects include planting at the Oak Harbor Log Cabin and a local nursing home.

“This group has been great to work with, and they have a great knowledge of the plants and their care,” said John Havens, Hayes Presidential Building and Grounds superintendent. “They bring something special to Spiegel Grove.”

The club also puts on the People’s Choice Flower Show each year at Birchard Public Library in Fremont, collects food for local food pantries, participates in the Downtown Fremont Farmers Market in the fall and hosts a Gardeners Day Out field trip annually, among other events and projects.

Two years ago, the club approached Hayes Presidential about helping with its beautification.

Club members change out the plants each season, and last year, the club donated the plants for fall and winter. Hayes Presidential also gives them a budget for the spring/summer plants, and they choose what they think will work best. This year, they donated the cannas and elephant ears.

Five of the group’s members are very involved in the Hayes Presidential project: Club President Helen Duquette, of Fremont; Schade; Peggy Bliss, of Fremont; Mary Gochenour, of Oak Harbor, and Carolyn Johnson, of Fremont.

Whispering Meadows has 15 members and is part of the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs, Region 6. The club meets monthly and discusses topics ranging from pollinator plants to Christmas blooms to creative design.

For more information, find Whispering Meadows on Facebook at Whispering Meadows Garden Club – OAGC, or email whipseringmeadowssgc@gmail.com.

Pancake breakfast to support historic aircraft restoration

PORT CLINTON - EAA Tin Goose Chapter 1247 will be holding its annual "Restore the Ford" Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon Aug. 13 in the main hangar of Liberty Aviation Museum, 3515 E. State Road.

All proceeds will be used to help fund the ongoing restoration of the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft taking place in back hangar of the museum.

Breakfast includes coffee, orange juice, sausage and all-you-can-eat pancakes. Cost is $10 for adults and $5 for children ages 6 to 12. (Ages 5e and under are free.)

Also on hand will be Ford Tri-Motor souvenirs, tickets for their September Reverse Raffle fundraiser and, weather permitting, "Young Eagle" introductory airplane rides for youth ages eight to 17.

These airplane rides are free and are on a first come, first served basis. EAA volunteers donate their time and aircraft in order to introduce a whole new generation to the world of aviation.

"This is a great family friendly event," stated Lisa Benjamin, President of EAA Chapter 1247. "We encourage everyone to stop by to enjoy a hot breakfast and discover all the great activities and events that Liberty Aviation Museum and our local airport facility have to offer."

For questions or more information email tingoose1247@gmail.com.

Dollar General launches new store in Bellevue

GOODLETTSVILLE, Tennessee - Dollar General announced that its store at 1022 E. Main St. in Bellevue is now open. Normal hours of operation may be found through the Dollar General app.

DG stores reported it is providing area residents with an affordable and convenient store location to purchase household essentials including food, cleaning supplies, paper products, over-the-counter medicines, hygiene products, baby items and more. In addition to the national and private branded products customers trust Dollar General to carry, the new Bellevue location includes the company’s new stylish, on-trend home décor and an expanded party preparation selection.

The new store also features a curated assortment of fresh fruits and vegetables including lettuce, tomatoes, onions, apples, strawberries, potatoes, sweet potatoes, lemons, limes, salad mixes, and more. The produce set offers the top 20 items typically sold in traditional grocery stores and covers approximately 80% of produce categories most grocery stores carry.

To commemorate the opening of DG’s new Bellevue location, Dollar General plans to donate 100 new books to a nearby elementary school to benefit students ranging from kindergarten to fifth grade.

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: Community Roundup: Whispering Meadows Garden Club aids Hayes museums in outdoor gardens