Up, down and all around town
Balloons launched from Wadsworth airport Aug. 4. Photos by EMILY CANNING-DEAN
The balloons attracted quite a crowd to the airport.
Hello Wadsworth. It seems like there have been a lot of exciting things going on in the community recently.
Educators from Wadsworth Middle School recently traveled to Los Angeles to receive a very prestigious, national award. Also people showed up in droves at Wadsworth airport to watch a very successful balloon launch.
Both of these things got me to thinking about the summer of 1990, which is the summer my family and I moved to Wadsworth. I would be starting at the middle school (Central at the time) that fall and also one of the first events I went to in Wadsworth was the balloon races that summer.
It’s funny how things have changed. Back when I first moved to Wadsworth, I wasn’t quite so enthusiastic about the middle school or the hot air balloons.
I think any of you who read my column regularly know how much I love Wadsworth. How proud I am to be a Grizzly. But I must confess to you, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.
This is really my own fault and not at all the fault of the community. I came in with a pretty bad attitude.
I had just turned 12 and I suppose was starting to feel a little naturally rebellious. I was furious that my parents were taking me from my home and friends in Akron and moving me out to some small, suburban town where I knew absolutely no one.
After a couple of weeks of dealing with my sullen attitude, my parents were trying to find some way to get me to enjoy our new community. They ended up taking me out to the airport to see the balloon races that summer.
From what I remember, the balloons were unable to launch that year due to weather conditions, but there were still plenty of other cool things going on at the event. I found myself in awe of a group of female skydivers, but was careful not to let my parents see my interest. I was trying my best to sulk.
My dad, who has a patience most saints would envy, thought I might enjoy my very first plane ride, so he had a pilot at the event take us up in his four-seater. Sadly, this also turned out to be the day we discovered I suffer from air sickness.
About a month later, I started attending Central Middle School. I must admit I spent much of those two years brooding. I wanted to go back to Akron and I was convinced my parents had ruined my life. There was no consoling me. I was convinced the reason I was so miserable was because I was in Wadsworth.
But then I remember, during my first week of high school, an oddly familiar girl sat down next to me on the bus on the way to school that morning. After a few minutes, I realized she had gone to my elementary school in Akron. Her family had just moved to Wadsworth and she said she was glad to be here. Her last two years had been awful, as well. Sometimes she hadn’t been able to go to school because of anxiety attacks. She had been attending the middle school I would have gone to if I hadn’t moved.
It finally started to hit me that I hadn’t been miserable for the last two years because I was in Wadsworth. I had been miserable because I was a pre-teen. That first year in high school brought on a huge time of change for me. I started to become more involved. I made friends. I felt like I belonged. I realize my parents did the best thing they could have for me by bringing me to a community with an excellent school district.
Talking to people over the years, it sounds like many of us were miserable in middle school. There’s just something about that age.
That’s why I’m so impressed by the proactive approach the folks at Wadsworth Middle School is taking. The school guidance counselors work hard to get ahead of any challenges middle schoolers are facing. They work tirelessly to make sure Wadsworth Middle School is a place everyone wants to be. That is why they won this special award.
For a complete story on this awesome award and also a story on the balloon launch, take a look in this week’s edition of The Post.
Now let’s take a look around town.
Historical hike and breakfast
If you’re looking for something fun to do this morning, you might want to check out the Pancake Breakfast and Historical Hike sponsored by Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
The breakfast will take place this morning, Aug. 11, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 148 N. Lyman St. and the hike will take place at 10:15 a.m. and will be led by Roger Havens.
If you are interested in learning more about Wadsworth history on this hike then you are in for a real treat. Roger has a real depth of knowledge on the days of Wadsworth’s past and always has some fascinating tales to tell.
Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under. Hike only is $2. Proceeds will be used to improve Wadsworth’s parks and trails.
Contact me
As always, I look forward to hearing from you and I’m always happy to put submissions from readers in this column. Feel free to e-mail me at edean@thepostnewspapers.com or call me at 330-620-1067 to fill me in on an event your organization hosted, an accomplishment by a special person in the city or anything else you think our readers might want to know about.
Educators from Wadsworth Middle School recently traveled to Los Angeles to receive a very prestigious, national award. Also people showed up in droves at Wadsworth airport to watch a very successful balloon launch.
Both of these things got me to thinking about the summer of 1990, which is the summer my family and I moved to Wadsworth. I would be starting at the middle school (Central at the time) that fall and also one of the first events I went to in Wadsworth was the balloon races that summer.
It’s funny how things have changed. Back when I first moved to Wadsworth, I wasn’t quite so enthusiastic about the middle school or the hot air balloons.
I think any of you who read my column regularly know how much I love Wadsworth. How proud I am to be a Grizzly. But I must confess to you, it wasn’t exactly love at first sight.
This is really my own fault and not at all the fault of the community. I came in with a pretty bad attitude.
I had just turned 12 and I suppose was starting to feel a little naturally rebellious. I was furious that my parents were taking me from my home and friends in Akron and moving me out to some small, suburban town where I knew absolutely no one.
After a couple of weeks of dealing with my sullen attitude, my parents were trying to find some way to get me to enjoy our new community. They ended up taking me out to the airport to see the balloon races that summer.
From what I remember, the balloons were unable to launch that year due to weather conditions, but there were still plenty of other cool things going on at the event. I found myself in awe of a group of female skydivers, but was careful not to let my parents see my interest. I was trying my best to sulk.
My dad, who has a patience most saints would envy, thought I might enjoy my very first plane ride, so he had a pilot at the event take us up in his four-seater. Sadly, this also turned out to be the day we discovered I suffer from air sickness.
About a month later, I started attending Central Middle School. I must admit I spent much of those two years brooding. I wanted to go back to Akron and I was convinced my parents had ruined my life. There was no consoling me. I was convinced the reason I was so miserable was because I was in Wadsworth.
But then I remember, during my first week of high school, an oddly familiar girl sat down next to me on the bus on the way to school that morning. After a few minutes, I realized she had gone to my elementary school in Akron. Her family had just moved to Wadsworth and she said she was glad to be here. Her last two years had been awful, as well. Sometimes she hadn’t been able to go to school because of anxiety attacks. She had been attending the middle school I would have gone to if I hadn’t moved.
It finally started to hit me that I hadn’t been miserable for the last two years because I was in Wadsworth. I had been miserable because I was a pre-teen. That first year in high school brought on a huge time of change for me. I started to become more involved. I made friends. I felt like I belonged. I realize my parents did the best thing they could have for me by bringing me to a community with an excellent school district.
Talking to people over the years, it sounds like many of us were miserable in middle school. There’s just something about that age.
That’s why I’m so impressed by the proactive approach the folks at Wadsworth Middle School is taking. The school guidance counselors work hard to get ahead of any challenges middle schoolers are facing. They work tirelessly to make sure Wadsworth Middle School is a place everyone wants to be. That is why they won this special award.
For a complete story on this awesome award and also a story on the balloon launch, take a look in this week’s edition of The Post.
Now let’s take a look around town.
Historical hike and breakfast
If you’re looking for something fun to do this morning, you might want to check out the Pancake Breakfast and Historical Hike sponsored by Friends of Wadsworth Trails.
The breakfast will take place this morning, Aug. 11, from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall, 148 N. Lyman St. and the hike will take place at 10:15 a.m. and will be led by Roger Havens.
If you are interested in learning more about Wadsworth history on this hike then you are in for a real treat. Roger has a real depth of knowledge on the days of Wadsworth’s past and always has some fascinating tales to tell.
Cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children 10 and under. Hike only is $2. Proceeds will be used to improve Wadsworth’s parks and trails.
Contact me
As always, I look forward to hearing from you and I’m always happy to put submissions from readers in this column. Feel free to e-mail me at edean@thepostnewspapers.com or call me at 330-620-1067 to fill me in on an event your organization hosted, an accomplishment by a special person in the city or anything else you think our readers might want to know about.
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