Eaton, OH

Wow! Last night I took my 10 year old daughter to the Lakengren Halloween walk; an annual event held at the lodge offering Lakengren children the chance to trick-or-treat in a safe, fun environment.

My daughter was on the fence about attending this year. We hadn't been for a couple years. Last time around, it was just a little too intense for young ones and my daughter had someone jump out at her with a scary mask on. Granted..this was just a teenager having some fun, but for those of us who have kids that are scared by masks and the like...it was a pretty traumatic event. What seemed to be more traumatic for me in the past was parking. Ahh!

We decided at the last hour yesterday to give it one more shot. As we rounded Lakengren Drive with the lodge in site, I saw tons of cars and just started groaning. Imagine my delight when a traffic officer directed me just a wee bit further down Lakengren Dr to park, and we could get a FREE hayride to the lodge! My daughter was thrilled and I was already feeling much more relaxed about not having to fight my way into, or out of, the lodge parking lot.

So we arrived via hayride at the lodge. Several mini-tents were set up outside in a circle, with kids going from tent to tent and loading up with candy. This year it seemed much more kid-friendly; Disney music in the background, no candy-givers dressed in masks or scary apparel, and just well-organized all around.

After making rounds outdoors, we stood in a short line to enter the lodge. Inside they had a photographer taking pics of each child, then a long table set up offering more candy, pretzels, cheese crakers, not to mention your choice of cookies, doughnuts and other goodies to eat right on site. Round the corner and we were offered hot coffee, apple cider, apple juice or milk. To boot, they even had boxes of mini-pumpkins and gourds, and let my daughter pick out a couple to take with her.

Back outside the Gasper Fire Department displayed the big yelleow fire truck and offered children the chance to climb on and try it out.

With her hands full of candy, pumpkins and other goodies, we loaded back up on the haywagon for the short ride back to our car, avoiding the headache of getting out of the parking lot and the worry of hitting little trick-or-treaters on the loose.

I was just so impressed with the wonderful job that Lakengren did with the Halloween walk, and more importantly, my daughter LOVED it, and wasn't scared at all. If you have never gone to the Lakengren Halloween Walk, I encourage you to give it a try next year as it seems that Lakengren has finally got the rythym down on giving little ones a great, not-so-scary, Halloween experience.

Thanks for reading!

Well, word on the street is that the Eaton Library will be closing next week (September 20-26, 2009) due to lack of funding. The Preble County district Libraries have seen belt-tightening for months now, and in an effort to cut expenses, I guess this is what has been decided.

I guess I'm a little nervous that the shut-down will go un-noticed. It certainly wont by me and my family. Self-professed book-worms; we try to get to the library on a regular basis, even in the summer time.

I know times have changed. It's maybe easier sometimes to buy the magazine subscriptions, get the news on-line, read the latest novels on "Kindle", or order up some cheap used books on "Amazon". Truth be told though, there is something inherently GOOD to be found in the narrow aisles of the local Library.

The silence of the rooms, the smell of the books, the tranquility that comes from just perusing the rows of books, even the excitement of spotting that new release you've been watching for.

Sort of sad really, that funding for something so integral to our health, wealth and well being as READING is one of the first things cut when pocketbooks get tight. You don't notice any sports programs shutting down to cut expenses. Just makes me wonder where peoples' priorities have gone.

I don't think Neaton is out of the woods just yet. But gee, I hope there is an opening soon, and I think that associates can finally see a light at the end of the 8 month tunnel.

For a little back info on the trials of Neaton Auto, check out my past blogs. This is really just meant as an update. FINALLY, some good news.

1. My husband, and many others, have been working 40 hour weeks again. I'll tell you what...you never realize how much a 40 hour work week means to your livelihood until you get some of it taken away. Suddenly a "regular" 40-hour work week becomes the blessing it should always be.

2. People who took a voluntary lay-off about a month and a half back, have been called back to work. Its not a lot of people. The 100 plus temporaries let go last December are still gone. But I still take it as a good sign.

3. Rumor has it....that production requests from Honda will increase come fall, as well as possibly new orders from other companies Neaton supplies to. This COULD MEAN...40 hour work weeks the rest of the year. It COULD POSSIBLY MEAN...dare I say it? The potential for overtime this fall???

My family has been fortunate this year. We have been making it. It has not been easy. And I'm sure there are lots of Neaton families out there that have had just as hard a year as we have, if not worse. My thoughts and prayers are always with all of you.

I don't think Neaton is going anywhere. I think the dark days will be behind us soon. Just how soon I cant say, but Neaton Auto, and its employees, are survivors.

Kelley A. Weimer

a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

www.kelleysellspreble.com

Professional Real Estate Services for Preble County OH; including Eaton, Lewisburg, Germantown, Brookville, Camden, Lakengren and West Alexandria.

Preble County Ohio A-Z. "E" is for Eaton.

"E" is for Eaton, county seat of Preble County and the only official city of Preble County. It's really tough to do a blog on Eaton to be honest, because there is so much to offer in this little city that I hesitate to write and inadvertently leave something out. All the same, I'll start with some basic facts and data, and then I'll give you a little bit more meat and potatoes on what the appeal is.

Eaton was founded in 1806 by William Bruce. Eaton derives its name from Gen. William Eaton (1764-1811), the U.S. Consul at Tunis, who led a diverse army in a harrowing march from Egypt to Tripoli to meet the U.S. Naval forces. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.7 square miles and home to some 9000 residents.

Schools located in the City of Eaton include:

Hollingsworth East Elementary School (grades K-2)

William Bruce Elementary School (grades 3-5)

Eaton Middle School (grades 6-8)

Eaton High School (grades 9-12)

Churches in Eaton include:

Eaton Church of Christ, Eaton First Church of the Nazarene ,Eaton United Church of Christ, Evangel Assembly of God Church, First Baptist Church, First Church of God, First United Presbyterian Church, Saint Paul United Methodist Church, Gateway Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church.

The Eaton school's mascot is the Fighting Eagle and the colors are Purple and Gold. Eaton includes Crystal Lake, Seven Mile Creek, the historical Roberts Bridge, Historical Fort St. Clair and Water Works Park.

2008 cost of living index in Eaton: 78.2 (low, U.S. average is 100). Estimated median house or condo value in 2008: $115,486 (it was $83,600 in 2000).

So now let's get to the good stuff shall we?

When I moved to Eaton in 1988, this was a sleepy little town. Over the years the City has experienced controlled growth, and now offers much more diversity, without becoming so big as to compromise the values and pace that the community is used to.

Retail growth has been a bit slow in my opinion, but I do appreciate that the City government wants to protect small business. The problem with big business is that it has a tendency to push out the "mom and pops" of the area. It changes not only the "small town" appeal, but the overall dynamics of the city, from the population to the architecture to the crime rate. So although I do long for things like a shopping mall or some larger restaurants to come to town, I think the costs would ultimately outweigh the benefits.

I'm just going to take the opportunity to name a few of MY favorite things about Eaton. If you would like to add anything, comments are welcome so have at it!!

Places to eat:

Fiesta Charra Mexican Cuisine. Located in the Five Points Centre on N. Barron St. REAL, authentic, cheesy, saucy, hot, delicious Mexican food. HUGE margaritas. Salsa and fresh tortilla chips to die for. Kick butt guacamole. Best part? Cheap!!

Sonic. This just came into Eaton this past spring (2009) so I guess I'm still in the honeymoon phase. But let's be honest; ice cold drinks, really good onion rings, big juicy burgers, ice cream treats...what's not to like?

Taffy's. Located in downtown Eaton, on Main (SR 35). Just east of the Preble County Courthouse is this little gem. If atmosphere is what you crave, Taffy's has it. Intimate setting, coffees, teas and chai oh my, fresh pastries, gourmet sandwiches, home baked desserts. Plus live entertainment, Wi-Fi and more ambiance than 20 Starbucks.

Carmela's Pizza. Recently established. Great pizza and garlic bites to die for.

The Eaton Place. This little place is the talk of the town and has been for as long as I can recall. Simply put, it's a diner. Only opened from 6am to 3 pm, and closed on Sundays. Home cooked hearty food, the local watering hole, a good place for great food and interesting conversation. A place you feel good taking the kids or company.

Jels. THE sports bar of Eaton. Full bar. Cold beers. Big screen TV's. Burgers, steaks, fried mushrooms, and some delicious nachos. Getting hungry just thinking about it!

Peking Palace. Located in the Five Points Centre, a cozy Chinese restaurant. Dark and comfortable. Intimate booths. Full buffet. Bona fide Chinese cuisine.

Places to play:

Fort St Clair. Historical Park. Beautiful wooded park, with paved walking/driving road, trails, playground, covered shelters for picnics and community events. This is a beautiful park, and the "Whispering Christmas" is not to be missed.

Crystal Lake. This lake ties into seven mile creek and offers picturesque spots to lunch, fish, reflect and feed the geese and ducks.

Eaton Soccer Park. Ok, even if you aren't a soccer buff or have kids that play soccer, if you enjoy walking, are an avid runner, or just want to get Fido out for some fresh air, this park has a very nice walking path surrounding the whole area. It also offers a great playground for the little ones.

Lakengren. Eaton's own gated community. Offering lakes, lodge, security, pool, water sports of all kinds, plus spectacular real estate. I've written many blogs about Lakengren. Here is a link to one such blog.

Random places and things I enjoy:

Cato. I'm a shopaholic. This store I REALLY like. Cute clothes, great prices. Enough said.

The Preble County Pork Festival. Held annually every third week in September, this event celebrates all things Pork, plus a craft fair that cant be beat. Here is more info on this festival.

Just Teasin'. This is where I get my hair done. Located in downtown Eaton, this hair salon is contemporary without being pretentious. They cater to women, men and kids of all ages. My hairstylist, Rachel Sawesky is great, but I don't think they have a bad stylist there.

The Eaton YMCA. Opened in February of 2003, the "y" boasts a six lane, 25 yard lap pool, gymnasium, fitness center, indoor walking track and a teen center.

There is honestly just so much more to the City of Eaton that I just don't have the space or time to mention. I might just have to do a "Part II" on this one. So if you have something, someplace or someone you would like mentioned, let me know!

Today is yet another sad day for Neaton Auto. The folks who have decided to take the buy-out option are wrapping up this afternoon and calling it done after many years of loyal service.

Many of the people who decided to take the buyout option (for those who dont know of what I speak, click here) are people who were close to retirement. So this has to be a hard day. Saying goodbye to friends and the familiar surroundings they have come to know so well over the years.

It probably isn't how they had envisioned leaving Neaton. No retirement party. No big celebrations or counting down the days. Rather, the resignation that this is probably the only option they had left. That can't leave a good taste in anyones mouth.

So I wish you all well, those of you who dedicated sweat, laughter, tears and TIME to Neaton Auto Products. Your service and your dedication was appreciated more than you know, and more than the company probably showed you. Not to knock Neaton...I think they are doing probably the best they can, all things considered.

Thanks for reading!

Kelley Weimer,

a house "SOLD" name!

www.buypreblecounty.com

Professional Real Estate Services for Preble County OH and beyond; including Eaton, Lewisburg, Camden, Germantown, Brookville, Lakengren and West Alexandria.