Fun Things To Do In Middletown on July 4, 2009

July 4th is approaching, and fast. The day we take to honor our nation's independence is a day of remembrance and pride in our country. But it is also a day I look forward to to spend with friends and family. With everybody getting ready for their cookouts, parties, and family gatherings and looking for fun things to do, I thought I might give you a list of some of the fun things I like to do during the 4th of July.

Go to a Parade - Going to a parade is the easiest things to do, and its free. I always love going to a parade, hearing the marching bands, seeing all the floats and people. I just love getting that sense of pride from seeing all the patriotism that's right here in our local community. No matter where you live, there will undoubtedly be a parade in your town or one near by.

Middletown holds an annual parade on July 4th. The parade starts between 9:30 a.m. and 10:00 a.m., beginning at Woodside Cemetery and ending at Smith Park. Other parades include the City of Hamilton 4th of July Parade, which begins at 10:00 a.m. The parade will begin at the Butler County Fairgrounds, proceed to Route 4, and end at High Street. Following the parade is a patriotic ceremony which will take place at the historic Butler County Court House. Go to the City of Hamilton Website for more information.

Have a Cookout - The good 'ol backyard cookout is one of the simplest and most enjoyable things to do on the 4th of July. Dust of the grill and break out the apron because its time to start cooking. Invite your friends and family for a good time of fun and fellowship. Nothing is more 4th of July than throwing some burgers and hot dogs on the grill (or steak and chicken if your fancy) and relaxing while enjoying some good food.

If you don't want to have it at your house, or can't, then go to a local park. Take the family out to a park, grab a picnic table and have fun. The playground equipment and wide open spaces in local parks is also a great place for the kids to play. Give them a soccer ball, a football, a baseball, anything and they can go out and have a blast! And if it's hot, then a park is a good place to pull out the super soakers. Most of the parks in Middletown have playgrounds, numerous picnic areas, and now they even have splash pads for the kids.

Have a Block Party - You all remember block parties right? It's where you gather all your neighbors on your block, they all bring food, you block off the street, and you all gather to eat, socialize and meet your new neighbors. Block parties used to big a big thing some years ago, but now everybody seems to busy. But this 4th of July, try something new, have a block party, especially if you, like myself, have a few new neighbors you haven't met. Get together with a close neighbor and plan out something that will be fun for everyone.

Take a Family Trip - Nothing extravagant is necessary, just a small weekend trip. Go camping, go to a lake, somewhere close but relaxing. Just getting away from the house and the busy day-to-day of life and going off somewhere and enjoying your time away from work and school is one of the best ways to spend your time. It is also a great way to become closer as a family. Spending that quality time with your family is one of the best experiences you can have.

Some great places to go and relax are places like Hueston Woods, Caesar's Creek, or Put-In-Bay. Hueston woods has a marina, fishing, swimming, horseback riding, paintball fields, and tons of other things to do. At Caesar's Creek you can enjoy camping, swimming, fishing, hiking, and other nature activities. Put-In-Bay offers some of the most fun and interesting things to do. You can sail in the marina, go fishing or even serve on the US Brig Niagara, a restored 1812 Naval War ship designed for the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813.

Watch/Do Your Own Fireworks - The most time honored tradition of any 4th of July celebration, fireworks are one of the best ways to celebrate your holiday weekend. Most cities have a fireworks celebration the night of July 4th. Sitting outside watching the colors explode before your eyes is a very beautiful sight to see.

The city of Hamilton will be holding a fireworks celebration after it's 4th of July celebration, visit the Hamilton City Website for more details on those. Monroe also has their own celebration, "Light Up The Sky". I went to this last year and it really was quite good. Monroe promises this year to be abundantly better than last years. Also at "Light Up The Sky" are a number of different food stands, a ton of games and rides for the kids, and live bands. Go to Light Up The Sky Monroe.com for all the details. But maybe one of the most amazing fireworks displays is at Cedar Park's Kings Island amusement Park. Kings Island puts on their fireworks display every year and it is always a spectacle to watch. Kings Island really takes pride in their fireworks and aims to please every year. If you have never been to one then I suggest you go this year because it is definitely worth it. Fireworks start at 10:00 p.m. and the park is open until midnight. Visit the Kings Island Website for all the details.

Between picnics, camping, block parties, parades and fireworks I hope you agree there is something fun for everybody. Hopefully this ideas will come in handy for your holiday and I hope no matter what you do this 4th of July weekend, that your weekend is safe and fun!

Bull's Run Sanctuary and Arboretum in Middletown

The Bull's Run Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum in Middletown features eleven acres of woods and rolling hills with short nature trails throughout and provides a relaxing get-away from the city, no matter the season. Within the sanctuary is the last free-flowing section of Bull's Run Creek. The creek was used as one Middletown's original boundaries and the area as a grazing pasture for bulls in the 1800's. The park is currently managed by a non-profit corporation, Bull's Run Corporate, which is, according to their website "dedicated to developing and maintaining the Sanctuary as an educational and visual establishment for the benefit of the community."

A visit to the park will bring you closer to nature as you may see squirrels, birds, maybe even a deer or a turtle. In the springtime, see a variety of woodland wildflowers or a garden of plants native to Ohio blooming in the fall. During the winter, the park maintains eight bird-feeding stations. At the front of the park is an arboretum with specific species of trees labeled with information. Inside, you'll find a picnic shelter and mulched trails along the creek that run about 1/3 mile as well as a meadow area that is under restoration. They also offer several nature-based education programs for students of all ages and offer free school field trips.

The Bull's Run Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum in Middletown is open daily from dawn to dusk. Admission is free. The park is located on Rosedale Road.

Kings Island Shuts Down "Son of Beast"

The Cincinnati area amusement park Kings Island has temporarily shut down its Son of Beast roller coaster. A spokesperson for the Ohio Department of Agriculture says a woman who was visiting the park on May 31 has come forward, saying she was injured while on the ride. An investigation is currently pending.

The roller coaster opened in 2000 and is said to be the world's tallest, fastest wooden roller coaster. In July 2006, the ride closed for a year to repair and remove a vertical loop that caused an accident that sent 27 people to local hospitals.

Kings Island Spokesman, Don Helbig says the park closed the ride immediately after being contacted by the reportedly injured woman because Kings Island "takes all guest comments seriously." He also added that he did not know why the woman waited so long to say anything or how long the ride would be shut down.

Ohio Deparment of Health Prescribes Summer Safety

The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is focused on keeping Ohioans safe this summer. At their website, Ohio.gov, they have listed several ways to help make sure you have a healthy but fun-filled summer.

Healthy Swimming: Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, the ODH regularly tests state parks and Lake Erie beaches for the presence of bacteria that may be harmful to your health. They recommend that beaches that receive results with higher levels of bacteria post warning signs, and results can also be found at the Ohio Department of Health website or by calling 1-866-OHIO-BCH (644-6224). If you are swimming in a lake, reduce your chances of getting sick by staying away from visible discharge pipes, keeping your head out of the water, showering after swimming, and waiting 24 hours to swim after heavy rainfall.

Mosquitoes: Take extra steps to protect yourself and your family from mosquito bites. West Nile Virus has infected people of Ohio for the last seven years and is spread only by mosquito bites. Be aware that mosquitoes are the most active during the early morning and late evening hours. If you must be outside during those hours, wear extra bug repellent and protective clothing - mosquitoes are least likely to bite people wearing lighter colors. Mosquitoes breed in standing water. Around your home, remove discarded tires, unused flower pots, and other water-holding containers. Keep roofs and gutters clean and outdoor pools and saunas chlorinated. Change birdbaths weekly.

Cookout Safety: Every year, about 140 cases of E. coli are reported in Ohio. Most of these cases come from eating undercooked , contaminated ground beef, but there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family. Wash your hands often, especially after changing a diaper, using the bathroom, touching animals, and before cooking. Cook your ground beef to 160 degrees and do not eat beef that is pink in the middle. Keep raw meat away from other foods while you are cooking. Drink only pasteurized milk and juice and drink water only from safe sources that have been treated with chlorine. Do no swallow lake or pool water while swimming. Make sure you wash all fruits and vegetables before eating them.

Middletown CodeRED Emergency Notification System

Middletown has implemented the CodeRED Emergency Notification System, a communication service that notifies residents by telephone in the event of an emergency. The system is very high-speed with the ability to call up to 50,000 phone numbers per hour. Once a live person or answering machine has picked up the call, it delivers a recorded a message.

The system makes three attempts to call each phone number and the number "999-911-9999" will appear on your caller ID. If you use any type of "Privacy Manager" service on your home telephone, it is possible that it will block the CodeRED telephone call. Residents who use those types of services are encouraged to use a different phone number such as their cell phone.

CodeRED telephone calls will only notify you in the case of an emergency when rapid information is necessary for community safety. Some examples of when this notification could take place include contaminated drinking water, utility outages, evacuation notices, missing persons alerts, fires, floods, bomb threats, hostage situations, chemical spills and gas leaks.

Sign up for CodeRED's Middletown Residential Notification Enrollment.

Middletown Christian Selects New Head Coach For '09 Season

Six year coach Eric Gwinn has stepped down as the head varsity basketball coach at Middletown Christian. Gwinn, who led the team to a 14-8 season last year, will continue to teach at the school.

Stepping in to take over for Gwinn is 18 year coaching veteran Ed Davis. According to athletic director Ray Cox, "We had seven applicants for the position. After discussing things with our board and several other coaches. we decided Davis was the best fit for us." Davis has spent a good portion of his coaching career in Christian schools, coaching two seasons at Cincinnati Christian and three seasons at Landmark Christian. I love the Christian school environment" said Davis, "When this opportunity became available I decided to go for it."

Coach Davis had his first face-to-face meeting with his players for next season and their parents. Davis gave a brief testimony in his life and his coaching experience, which includes a sectional and district championship, an induction into the Lockland High School Hall of Fame for coaching, and numerous Coach of the Year awards. Coach Davis then gave a quick rundown of how he coached and how he wanted to play the game. Davis likes to play a more fast paced get-up-and-go style game.

The varsity squad graduated seven of its eight players this year, giving Davis a fresh start with the team. Next year's team will be made up of primarily sophomores. I asked coach Davis how he felt about the younger team, "I'm excited. I know we are young and with that inexperience comes some mistakes, but I feel that all the guys are hard workers and that if they work at it then we can do some great things this season." Another way the MCS team will differ from previous seasons is in its size. The past two seasons for MCS has yielded a strong post presence and having players with some good size about them. This years players are on the smaller size, being made up of primarily guards and shooters. When asked about the drop in size in the players, Davis was optimistic. "I think we are going to be o.k. MCS has had some good post players in the past but in my experience, some big guys have trouble getting up and down the floor. These smaller guys have a lot of speed and quickness, which goes along perfectly how I like to play. I plan on using that speed and quickness to our advantage."

Nate Cox, who is the only returning player from last year's varsity squad and who played under Gwinn for the last three seasons, is happy with the decision made in choosing coach Davis. "I like him, I think he's a good coach and that he is going to be good for our team. I look forward to playing with him." Cox said. When asked about the season, Cox was also optimistic. "I think we are going to have a good season. We have a lot of good players and we all seem to fit together pretty good and play well together."

It is going to be a different season for the Eagles next year. Players and fans have become accustomed to Gwinn and his style of coaching and it will be interesting to see how the season goes.

Middletown High School Graduation 2009

The 134th graduating class of Middletown High School received their diplomas Monday June 8th, 2009, at Princeton Pike Church of God in Liberty Township. The more than 330 student class gathered for one final meeting before stepping out and taking on the world. The auditorium, packed with friends and family members of the graduates celebrated the achievements this class has accomplished over their four years at Middletown.

Clad in white and purple gowns, the graduates listened and reminisced about their time at MHS with help from the two commencement speakers, graduates Alex Landen and Myka Lipscomb. Landen reveled about the Middies football team and their 42-39 victory against Colerain High School and the basketball teams amazing 19-3 season as well as the accomplishments of the High School band and the drama department with their many plays and musicals.

Lipscomb spoke on the words she heard from her principal, Dennis Newell, and his role on molding the class of '09 into the leaders of today. "Every day he told us to be leaders" Lipscomb said. The more than 330 graduates of Middletown High School are taking many different paths in their lives, but one thing is for sure, this class, who received $1.8 million in scholarships, will certainly have an impact on the world of tomorrow.

Below is a video of Lipscomb's speech, we hope you enjoy it.

Crane At Work On Lone Star in Middletown, Ohio

It's been almost a year since the Lone Star in Middletown, Ohio caught fire in the early morning hours of August 8, 2008; as the anniversary quickly approaches, construction on the the new restaurant has picked up significantly. Today we were greeted by a large crane, taller than our 4 story office building. It has been working hard to move trusses to the roof of Lone Star where a crew of men are attaching them to the structure. Below are photographs and a video from today.

Middletown Area Teacher Recieves Cristo Self Esteem Award

Today at Middletown's Fenwick High School, Scott Walker is being appluaded for fostering self esteem in students. Mr. Walker has been received the Cirsto Self Esteem Award from the Cristo Group through the Middletown Community Foundation.

Walker teaches U.S History, Algebra II, Advanced Algebra, and Trigonometry along with coaching girl's basketball and boy's soccer at Fenwick Highschool.

The Cristo Self Esteem Award was founded by the Cristo family and comes with a crystal prism, a plaque and $1,000. Fenwick Principal Cathie Mulligan, told the Middletown Journal he (Walker) is always available to students for extra help, is more involved every year and brings out the best in students.

On behalf of MiddletownUSA: Congratulations Mr. Walker.

Check out the original story about the Cristo Self Esteem Award at www.middletownusa.com.

Insurance Coverage Information Available for Ohioans

The director of the Ohio Department of Insurance, Mary Jo Hudson, is determined to provide information to Ohioans who are facing the loss of health insurance and are seeking new coverage options. The Ohio Department of Insurance has constructed an on-line toolkit to assist those Ohioans who have lost their health and life insurance benefits. This toolkit contains coverage options, tips on finding insurance, consumer publications, and links to health insurance, life insurance, employer bankruptcy, and unemployment material.

This kit encourages Ohioans to talk with insurance agents, compare different insurance policies, and above all to not assume that they can go without insurance. It also can contact and outreach information for the Department of Insurance, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The toolkit and all the information you could possibly need can be found at www.insurance.ohio.gov. Also anyone with question about any of their coverage concerns can call the Ohio Department of Insurance consumer hotline at 1-800-685-1526.

Check out the original story about the Ohio Department of Insurance Toolkit at www.middletownusa.com.