I think i passed the Van Wert County Armed Forces Album dozens of times before i realized what it…read morewas. It is a small building Located in downtown next to the county court house and across the street from 133 Bistro, it is certainly a high traffic area... which may partially explain why i missed it. Heck i thought it was part of the courthouse, when i first saw it. It's essentially a living album of everyone who fought for the US who lived in Van Wert County. Its full of pictures of those brave veterans who put their life on the line for our freedom. The photos are catalogued on a list, so that family members can find a photo of their loved one who is located in there. On the most recent memorial day, i decided to walk through it. I may be a new resident in the county, and i certainly did not have any family members whose picture was lined on its wall. I was struck with how many people were on these walls, rows upon rows of brave soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen who came from this county to serve their nation. It really made me reflect on how fortunate I and my family are to live in this great nation. I think having something like this is truly a wonderful idea, certainly something i don't remember seeing in my old hometown.

Coming from South Florida, getting an Ohio tag was a different experience. Down South, I am used to…read moredealing with Auto Tag Agencies, essentially a private company that assists government by selling services like titles, auto tags, etc. Doesn't seem like there are any nearby. I was told by the local BMV that i needed to go to the county title department to get a new tag... and then covid hit.... Offices closed... thankfully i got a needed and lengthy extension to get a new tag. What was the process, i needed to get a copt of the title mailed to the county office. Then i got an appointment, paid a fee and then took some paperwork and drove to the local bmv and got my new tag. Was it more work than just using a tag agency? Yes. But i have waited hours at a tag agency... this took at most 30 minutes and that was with drive time calculated in. Title Department is also located in a beautiful historic building... wonder/wish they would give tours. Absolutely gorgeous architecture!

I have come twice to my local Ohio Bmv since I moved to Ohio from Florida. For those of you outside…read moreof Ohio, the BMV is the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, their version of the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Pretty much everything is the same except for a few differences The first time I came in was because I needed a notary in order to send some documents needed on the sale of my old home down in Florida. It was last minute and I was scrambling to find a notary. I had no idea who to go to or how much it would cost me. Thankfully someone at the front desk of the hotel I was staying in told me the local BMV has a notary service. I was super happy, I went in there and in no time I had the document I needed to send notarized. The best part was that it was free! I already was beyond satisfied with the service here because of that. They really saved me! I later came back in order to get an Ohio drivers license. Small wait like (2 people). Once I gave them the required documents, I took my picture and they told me I would get my license in the mail in two weeks. It pretty similar the process like in Florida. One thing I found out from them was that Ohio doesn't have auto tag agencies? In order to change your tag, you have to go do it at the courthouse. Anyway a BMV/DMV where you don't spend hours wasting your time is great!

While the current health pandemic has certainly impacted my social life and ability to try out a…read moreton of new businesses, it's also served to help me work on some projects that have needed my attention. I've had my vision set on establishing a memorial here in Indiana for quite some time, though I'm still exploring locations, acquiring land, and design options. As a result, I've been researching and exploring Indiana's monuments, old and new, and in the process learning about Indiana history. If you know me, you know that I'm a bit of a peacenik. I do a lot of work in the area of non-violence and am pretty much drawn to anything that promotes peace. I was unaware of Decatur, Indiana's Peace Monument until I began doing some research regarding Indiana's memorials. Located at the Adams County Courthouse, the Peace Monument was dedicated on October 30, 1913 and is a cenotaph made of Indiana limestone and metal. As a fun fact, the limestone came from the same quarry as downtown Indy's Soldier's and Sailors Monument. The front of the monument is an allegory for peace represented by a woman. As another fun fact, the model for Peace was a Chicago resident named Margaret McMasters Van Slyke, who'd once been called "the best and most perfectly formed woman." The cenotaph used to house a fountain, though the fountain is no longer in place. There's a metal tablet installed on the cenotaph. As yet another fun fact, the metal came from the USS Maine. There are two urns in front of the cenotaph designed for plantings. In 2014, Boy Scout Troop 70 and Elks Lodge 993 embarked on a project to develop a directory of the names listed on the Veterans Wall of Honor. While the cenotaph is a general war memorial, it emphasizes the importance of peace and the role of women. The memorial was designed to specifically memorialize the Civil War, Spanish-American War, Mexican-American War, and the Revolutionary War. There's a small plaza directly adjacent to the memorial with a tastefully created picnic table that allows you to simply sit there and really take it all in. It's quite beautiful and the memorial has had some renovation and updating done over the past few years. Owned by Adams County Commissioners, the Peace Monument was sculpted by Charles Mulligan and carved by Charles Dodd. This is definitely worth a visit and with Berne, Indiana nearby it's a terrific day trip.