Last Tuesday afternoon and evening  the Oakwood Planning Commission met to discuss “…the Hawthorn Hill controversy.”   (The Neighbors of Hawthorn Hill  vs. The Wright Family & The National Park Service).  Dot Matthews, long time President of Carillon Park, spoke in favor of the National Park Service taking over Hawthorn Hill.  So did the Don Hubers (who are neighbors on Park Ave.). Carlo McGinnis, Vice Mayor of Oakwood, excused himself from the panel as he’s a Neighbor on Harman Ave.    

It was a vocal gathering of Pro’s  vs. Cons.  Bill & Cynthia Butt,  Linda & Frank Mannarino, Lois & Bob Fenwick, Ann Kerr, the Tony Huffmans, Bob Connelly, the Henry Maimons,  Mrs. Robers Deddens,  Pam McGinnis, Laurie Blank Keller…etc.
Steve Wright and his sister, Amanda Wright Lane made their impassioned plea for turning their great, great, Uncle’s home over to the Federal Service.  The Neighbors countered with pleas against the disruption, traffic, and overall intrusion into their quiet neighborhood.  Bill Butt suggested Steve Wright move into the house thus maintaining it’s ‘residential status’. Bill pledged $10,000 to a fund to be established by the Neighbors to enhance the Wright Family Foundations ability to fund the maintenance of the historic home.

The Planning Commission ‘tabled’ their decision regarding changing the granting of a ‘Special Use’ status to the Wright Foundation.  The meeting ended at 7:30 p.m.

The Decorators Show House opened on Saturday afternoon.  It’s the bi-annual fund raising project for the Dayton Philharmonic.  This historic house was the once the home of The Ziehler family – Ginny Whalen’s grandparents. Ginny’s oldest son, Michael came up from Florida for business and was so pleased for the chance to re-visit his great-grandparents’ home.  The Patron’s Dinner was held Saturday evening at Dayton Country Club – and it was a record breaking turnout.

The Thirty-Niner’s May meeting was at the Virgil Schaeffer Farm near Farmersville. A bus picked up members at DCC for this remote and sheltered glen is hard to find.  It was once an Indian camp ground and Virgil’s arrow-head collection is fabulous. Grandson Allen hosted the party. The wild flowers were everywhere.  Ducks and geese were on the pond…Virgil forbade electricity and phones in his log cabin during his lifetime.  Well, today’s there is electricity….and everyone has a cell phone.

Moraine Country Club held their fabulous, annual, Kentucky Derby Party on Saturday afternoon.  And the rain held off – so none of the ladies fantastic HATS were ‘dampened’.  The Betting Parlor was located on the back terrace and ‘windows’ were busy until race time.  Lots-of-libations were available along with elegant hors’d ouvres.  Pat Hull, Sonnie Kash, Sudi & Lee Wiedeke, Dick Gump, Becky & John Herbert, and Elly Butt and son David were part of the ‘horsey set’.

Bob Margolis suggested watching the race in the Men’s Locker Room – a handsome walnut paneled room. Penny & John Haddock, Rita & Gayle Price, Jean, Annabell, & Chris Cummings, Judy & Bill McCormick were part of that group.

Queen Elizabeth II received as much attention as the twenty equine participants. And whatta race!  The winner had a two and a half length lead  - having eased along the rail for half the race and then making a run for the roses the last quarter mile.

Ham-lets staged another of their Academy-Award-Winning productions on Sunday evening at St.Paul’s Episcopal Church on W. Dixon Avenue.  It was ‘Dearly Departed’  or  ‘Just Re-Routed?’  And it was a spoof by the ‘old geezers’ in the group vs. ‘them young pups’ who think they’re such terrific thespians.  (Trouble is – they are!).  But Doris Skipton, Harry Ebeling, Jean O’Connell,  Harry Ebeling and Colin Campbell really did ‘bring down the house’ – however you want to translate that.

‘Ham-lets’ had done this play in ’94 and the original cast was ‘pressed into service….with the exception of ‘Hector’ – played by Harry Ebeling who reprised the Funeral Director’s role made famous by Dr. Robert Skipton.  Several Cameo Parts were added – Pete Kuntz as a Russian, Jack Heck as Dr. Kevorkian, and Weezie McGinnis as the fat retarded daughter… Carlo McGinnis, in the audience, stood up to protest ‘she’ was NOT the retarded neighbor …”…she’s my Mother!”  Rev. Jack Koepke tried to say a few words of welcome – but was ‘boo-ed’ after his ‘lengthy diatribe’!

Pete & Susan Haley and Nancy & Colin Campbell were co-hosts and served a terrific supper – lasagna, and Pete’s-Perfect-Salad.

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