A Rambling Mama

The South-Western City School District (SWCSD) Board of Education election on November 4, 2025, is shaping up to be a critical race, with three at-large seats open for a four-year term. What stands out in this election is the strong presence of female candidates, two of whom are incumbents and one a first-time challenger, all bringing a wealth of experience and community commitment to the table. Six candidates are running for the three available spots, and three of them are women: incumbent Camille Peterson, challenger Chelsea Alkire, and challenger Kelly Dillon. This election is noteworthy not just for the number of candidates but for the clarity of the platforms being presented, with the candidates running on two distinct slates that have received endorsements from local party organizations, despite the nonpartisan nature of the school board office. Camille Peterson, who was appointed to the board in 2023 following a resignation, is running for re-election. She is a Licensed Social W...

My family has been tremendously affected by cancer. My husband was first diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL) in 2004. He had just joined the United States Air Force and was on his way to his first duty station in Italy when the acute symptoms first appeared. He fought the disease and got into remission, where he stayed for 15 years. During that time, Keith left a bad marriage, started a new life in Columbus, and, encouraged by his best friend, he and I met on eHarmony. At the time, I was a Senior at Wright State University, and to me, Keith had it all together. He had a nice car, a place of his own, and a job. Keith told me about his cancer journey on our first date, and my response was, "We'll have to adopt." Mainly, because beyond finding a husband, I wanted more than anything to be a Mom. I was smitten with Keith right away, and it wasn't long before we became serious.  In 2009, we were married. In 2010, we bought our first house. In 2012, we brought ho...

For generations of Grove City residents, the phrase "Twin Towers" brings to mind the sights, sounds, and smells of summer at the beloved old swim club in Grove City, Ohio. Long before "The Big Splash" became the place to be, the Twin Towers Swim Club, located right next to Windsor Park, was the undisputed king of summer fun. Oh, what a golden age that was. Stepping onto the grounds of Twin Towers felt like entering a world built specifically for endless childhood joy. It wasn't a modern aquatics center; it was a classic, concrete paradise, brimming with the simple, yet profound, pleasures of a neighborhood pool. To a child, the pool seemed enormous, with the bright blue water reflecting the blazing Ohio sun. The defining features, of course, were the Twin Towers themselves—the high and low diving boards situated side-by-side. They weren't just boards; they were proving grounds. How many hours did we spend standing in that dripping-wet line, the smell of chlo...

Grove City, Ohio, like many long-established towns, is steeped in local history—stories of its founding in 1852, its ties to agriculture, and the transformation from a quiet village to a thriving suburb. The Southwest Franklin County Historical Society diligently preserves the narratives of early settlers, the advent of the railroad, and the post-WWII boom. Yet, one of the most unique and often-whispered historical footnotes involves an individual known simply as "The Pogo Stick Man." This local legend centers on a man who, during the mid-20th century, became an unofficial, eccentric icon by navigating the streets of Grove City almost exclusively on a pogo stick. Unlike the brief, novelty use of the toy by children, the Pogo Stick Man treated his spring-loaded stilt as a primary, if unconventional, mode of transportation. The exact identity of the man is often debated or lost to time, with his frequent appearances across Grove City providing a steady topic of conversation and...

Today, I want to take a moment to celebrate a truly impactful figure in my academic journey: Dr. Jacob H. Dorn, Ph.D. From 2005 to 2008, I had the incredible privilege of being his student at Wright State University, and those years fundamentally altered my trajectory in the best possible way. If you're a student, an educator, or just someone who appreciates a good story about mentorship, stick around! Dr. Dorn wasn't just a professor who lectured from a textbook. He was a master of historical inquiry, bringing dusty old documents to life with vibrant stories and critical insights. I learned an immense amount about history itself, of course, from the nuances of European intellectual movements to the complexities of American social change. But more than just facts and figures, he instilled in me the art of historical research. He taught us how to dissect primary sources, identify bias, construct compelling arguments, and, perhaps most importantly, to think like a historian. Rega...

 Having worked as a contractor to support the Buckeye Environmental Network (BEN), I gained an intimate look into the tireless and often underappreciated work of grassroots environmentalism in Ohio. The fight against big oil fracking in southeastern Ohio isn't a headline-grabbing story with easy victories; it's a grinding, deeply personal battle fought house by house, well by well. The work I did—helping to promote their initiatives—gave me a front-row seat to the resilience of a community and the dedication of an organization that refuses to back down, led by the late former Director Teresa Mills. This isn't just a story about politics and pollution; it's about the soul of a community fighting for its right to a clean and healthy home. The reality of fracking in places like Athens, Noble, and Washington counties is far from the industry's polished image. In these rural, often Appalachian communities, the promise of economic prosperity often rings hollow in the face...