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Archive for August, 2016

Plain City Peace Books Offer A Literary Representation of Our Village.

A few months ago, I happened across an article by Ken Gordon in The Columbus Dispatch about the Der Dutchman Heritage Day festivity. I was so pleased to see an article about a Plain City event that I tore the page from the Weekender section to save. My excitement quickly turned to dismay, however, when I read Mr. Gordon’s comments about how Plain City had been named.

Mr. Gordon incorrectly wrote, “Though the village was platted as Westminster in 1818 and the name changed to Pleasant Valley in 1823, Plain City was given its current name in 1877 because of the many Amish and Mennonite families (or ‘plain people’) who settled in the area later in the 19th century.”

The information was totally wrong, as I knew from listening to my good friend, Mary Mitchell, at many Plain City Historical Society meetings. It used to drive Mary crazy when people said Plain City was named for the “plain people” as it was not true.

Plain City is actually named (as Mary would tell you–and told me often) Plain City because it is located on the Big Darby Plain.

The first Amish settlements did not arrive in Plain City until 1896, long after the name had been changed in 1877 to Plain City.

I quickly typed an email to Ken Gordon and set him straight on Plain City history. He sent a gracious reply and said I was the third person who had written him about his mistake. Way to go Plain City history buffs.

You can read the Heritage Day article HERE.

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In the process of researching the exact year the Amish arrived in Plain City, I stumbled across a set of books by Stephanie Reed called the Plain City Peace series. The two books, The Bargain and The Bachelor, take place in Plain City and Hilliard in the 1970’s following the Kent State riots. I quickly ordered a copy of both books, as I love seeing our small village represented in literature. Diane Christner wrote a trio of books set in Plain City called The Plain City Bridesmaids, which I read and reviewed on this blog. The drugstore was even featured in one of her books.

The protagonist in Stephanie Reed’s Plain City Peace books is Betsie Troyer. Betsie stays with an English or non-Amish family to learn the trade of harness making after her cousin, who was set to buy the harness shop, is sent to serve in a government hospital since he has “conscientious objector” status and cannot be drafted to the Vietnam War. Betsie intends to learn all she can about harness making and teach her cousin upon his return. The harness shop is not in Plain City, where Betsie lives, but in Hilliard, and someone must pick Betsie up by car at the start of each work week. I laughed to read that Hilliard used to be called Hilliard’s Station and that some older people still call Hilliard, Hilliards, because of the former name. I have known several people who say “Hilliards” and I never knew it was because of that older name.

I was delighted to learn that the story behind Betsie Troyer was based upon a former resident of Plain City, Rachel Miller. Rachel used to own and run the harness shop on Route 42 just south of the drugstore. The building has since been torn down, as the house sold when Rachel’s sisters died and she moved in with relatives due to poor health. Rachel also just recently died this past April. 

Our former delivery driver, Paul Carpenter, became acquainted with Rachel when he took prescriptions throughout the community. Rachel was Old Order Amish and did not drive. Church services were held in her home on a rotating basis when the minister traveled to the small remaining Amish community in Plain City. She lived with two of her sisters and continued to make harnesses for the Amish and Mennonite communities for many years.

Because she did not drive, Paul and his wife, Jean, would take Rachel to Holmes County to pick up the leather goods she needed to make her harnesses. She and her sisters developed a friendship with Paul and Jean and even made Jean a quilt in appreciation for the many trips in the Carpenter car.

Stephanie Reed, who lives in Dublin, wrote an article about Rachel Miller for The Madison Press, which inspired her to write the Plain City Peace series. Ms. Reed has also written two books about the Rankin House and family in Ripley, Ohio. The Rankins were abolitionists who helped slaves escaping Kentucky find their way on the Underground Railroad to Canada and freedom. Those two books, Across the Wide River and The Light Across the River, offer insight into life in Ohio in the early 1800’s before the Civil War and are based on the true lives of the Rankin family.

To discover more about Stephanie Reeds’ adventures in Plain City, read her posting Travel Amish Country Roads with Stephanie Reed on Amish Wisdom HERE.

You can also visit her web site HERE and LIKE her on Facebook HERE.

Read Stephanie Reed’s article about Rachel Miller, which originally appeared in The Madison Press HERE.

If you would like to buy copies of The Bargain and The Bachelor, please go HERE.

Heat Related Illnesses. By Our August Student Pharmacist, Ben Coles.

With the summer swelter still in full swing, it might continue to be difficult getting and staying cool. But what happens when our bodies lose the fight to cool down and get too hot? While our bodies naturally tell us to rest and increase sweat production and secretion when the temperature gets too high, sometimes we may succumb to a heat-related illness.

There are three different heat-related illnesses of different degrees of severity:

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Heat cramps are the mildest form of heat-related illness and thus have the mildest symptoms.

The symptoms, as well as treatments, of heat cramps are explained below:

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Heat exhaustion is more severe and is caused by the loss of water without fluid replacement. If not treated, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke.

The symptoms and treatments of heat exhaustion are explained below:

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Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat-related illness and is a medical emergency that needs treated immediately.

The symptoms and treatments for heat stroke are listed below:

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Although heat-related illnesses can become very serious, the primary goal is to prevent anyone from progressing to one of these states. There are plenty of habits we can employ to stay hydrated and cool.

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Let’s do all we can to enjoy the rest of our summer while staying hydrated and cool. For more information, visit: CDC.gov/extremeheat.

 

14th Annual Classic Car Cruise-In is Saturday, August 27.

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It’s time once again for the Annual Plain City Classic Car Cruise-In. When the car show arrives, I always know that summer is winding down.

This year’s 14th Annual Cruise-In will take place in uptown Plain City on Main Street (Route 161) between Park Street and North Avenue on Saturday, August 27. The show is once again being sponsored by Bob Chapman Ford. Proceeds benefit the Uptown Plain City Organization (UPCO).

Registration is $13 the day of the show. Registration runs from 11 am to 2 pm at 204 West Main Street.

There will be tons of awards, including motorcycle awards and specially made awards. The awards ceremony will begin after 5 pm. The show runs until 5 pm.

Stop by for lots of food, fun, and super cars!

To find out more, go HERE. Pre-register and save $3 (only $10)!

To keep up on all the Car Show Events, Like the Facebook page HERE.

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Happy First Day of Classes to Our Ohio State Students.

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We want to wish our Ohio State College of Pharmacy students, Meghan, Colin, Tayler, Jessica, Chris, and Tom a great first day of classes on August 23. Meghan and Chris work at Happy Druggist on Karl Road, while Colin, Tayler, Jessica, and Tom are the friendly faces that greet you in Plain City.

Sadly, with the start of the semester, you probably won’t be seeing our loyal and devoted students in the drugstore except on Saturdays. Tayler is starting his third year of pharmacy school. Jessica and Chris are entering their second years. And Tom, who we are very proud of, is beginning his very first day of pharmacy school at Ohio State on Tuesday!

Our fourth year students, Meghan and Colin, are off doing rotations with other pharmacies until graduation next spring, so this really isn’t a back to school day for them.

We hope all of our students will have a wonderful autumn semester and a super school year in 2016-2017. We are very proud of all of you!

For the complete list of important dates for the autumn semester at OSU, go HERE.

The Signs of a Stroke. By Our August Student Pharmacist, Ben Coles.

In the United States, a stroke happens every 40 seconds, which equates to nearly 800,000 people experiencing a stroke every year. Strokes are not only the fifth leading cause of death in the US, but they are also the leading cause of disability. Although one out of every six strokes leads to death, 80% can be prevented. While it may be very frightening to experience a stroke, watching someone experience a stroke can also be upsetting. It is imperative to not only know what a stroke is, but also what the warning signs are.

What is a stroke?

A stroke is essentially a “brain attack”. A stroke occurs when blood flow is shut off to a section of the brain and can happen to anyone at any time. Just like all of our other organs, our brain has blood vessels that supply it with oxygen and nutrients. These blood vessels can become blocked with a clot or burst and then that part of the brain will no longer receive oxygen and nutrients and will die.

How a person is affected by a stroke depends on how much and the part of the brain that is affected. For someone who has suffered a small stroke or “mini-stroke”, they might have temporary weakness of an arm or leg. For larger strokes, the weakness would be long-term and more serious even to the point of partial paralysis.

There are three basic types of strokes and they are all treated differently.

Three types of strokes:

  1. Hemorrhagic stroke—a stroke caused by a burst blood vessel in the brain which results in bleeding within the brain.
  2. Ischemic stroke—a stroke caused by a blood vessel being blocked by a clot.
  3. Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA)—when blood flow stops to a part of the brain for a short period of time; also called a “mini-stroke”.

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Stroke Signs:

The most important things to know about strokes are the warning signs. It is vital to know not only for yourself, but also for your loved ones.

If you think you or someone you are with is having a stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately!

Above is an infographic that spells out the stroke signs in the acronym FAST.

  1. Face-facial drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the person’s smile uneven?
  2. Arms-arm weakness. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
  3. Speech-speech difficulty. Is speech slurred? Is the person hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Is the sentence repeated correctly?
  4. Time-time to call 9-1-1 and get the person to the hospital immediately. Even if the symptoms go away, you need to get the person to the hospital.

Beyond the acronym of FAST, there are some other signs you can look for.

  • Sudden NUMBNESS
  • Sudden CONFUSION
  • Sudden TROUBLE SEEING
  • Sudden TROUBLE WALKING
  • Sudden SEVERE HEADACHE

Since strokes happen in different parts of the brain, each person may experience a unique set of stroke symptoms. It is important to be familiar with all of the stroke symptoms to best protect yourself and your loved ones.

Remember, if someone shows ANY of the stroke signs, it is important to call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately! Remember the acronym FAST! Strokes can be a scary situation for all parties involved, but it is important to remember these stroke signs and know when to get the person to the hospital.

For more information visit: