Entertainment

LIMA — Remember and honor.

LIMA — The Chevy Nova was introduced in 1962 and ran for five generations, through 1979, and then again in 1985 through 1988. Chevrolet needed a model to compete against compact cars such as Ford's Falcon. The Nova was the top model in the Chevy II lineup through 1968. The Chevy II was one of the fastest new-car development programs in GM history. Just 18 months after the designers got the green light, the first production Chevy II came off the assembly in in Willow Run, Mich. in August of 1961 to debut Sept. 29, 1961. The Chevy II was intended to give buyers a simple back to basics car. The sportiest looking Chevy II was the Nova. The 1963 models came out with minor changes and a new addition, the Chevy II Nova SS. The Nova did not originally have a Chevrolet V8 engine, but it wasn't long before these V8 engines were offered as dealer-installed options. The addition of the V8 power and the Nova's light weight made the Nova a popular choice of drag racers.

LIMA — Everything about the trucks coming this weekend to the 4Wheel Jamboree Nationals is monstrous, from their size to their sound to their fuel consumption.

LIMA — Even the great parties need refreshment from time to time.

LIMA — Mercury was originally created in 1938 as a premium offering to Ford. Postwar styling of Mercury models changed during the 1949 model year compared to the 1948 models. The cars were swoopier and sleeker, wider and lower and had a completely new front look. Mercury's highest production year to date was in 1950, with 344,081 vehicles built. In August of 1950, Mercury sold its one-millionth car. In 1955, James Dean drove a customized 1949 Mercury in the movie "Rebel Without A Cause," which made the model very popular with the young drivers of that day. Early 1950s Mercurys are a good collectible, being usable daily drivers with good colors and modest lengths when compared to later years. The car’s engine and mechanicals are straightforward. The cars sold well in their day, but to find one now to restore can be a challenge since early Mercs were popular choices among period hot rodders.

LIMA — The Lima Area Concert Band kicks off its expanded season on Saturday with a concert of epic proportions, as they “Summon the Heroes” to Veterans Memorial Civic Center.

LIMA — The Amil Tellers end their season with a raucous comedy guaranteed to give audiences a hearty belly laugh in the side-splitting comedy, "The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940," opening today at Encore Theatre.

The Story

VAN WERT — The Pontiac Firebird was built by Pontiac between 1967 and 2002. The Firebird was introduced the same year as Chevrolet's Camaro. The first generation Firebirds (1967 to 1969) had a Coke bottle style. The bumpers were molded into the design of the front end and its rear taillights were inspired by the Pontiac GTO. Some car enthusiasts consider the 1968 Pontiac Firebird the best compact muscle car of the year.

BREAKOUT

BELLE CENTER — The Dart was Dodge's entry in the growing compact market. Introduced in 1960, the first Dodge Dart was actually a small full size car. It was "reborn" in 1963 as a true compact. The Dart lineup would grow to include the Demon and Swinger models, as well as the Dodge Sport and Dart GTS. The Dart was introduced as a lower-priced, shorter wheelbase, full-sized model. It became a mid-size car in 1962, and then a compact car between 1963 and 1976. The Dodge Swinger was introduced in 1969. Dodge updated the front and rear styling of the Darts in 1970. The hood featured long, narrow hood scoops, replacing the smaller vents. The Swinger also came standard with a three-speed manual gearbox.

LIMA — More than a first robin sighting, spring is officially here when ArtSpace/Lima opens its annual Spring Show.

LIMA — Get your motors running for this year’s Northwest Ohio Independent Film Festival with the kick-off event, the “Grand Prix Tour,” starting Saturday at The Meeting Place on Market.

LIMA — Stewardship of the land has grown in popularity in the last decade, but Earth Day is still important to keep people aware that this is a world worth saving.

LIMA —“1979 Pontiacs. Our best get better,” was the slogan for Pontiac during this time. 1979 marked the 10th anniversary of the Pontiac Trans Am. To mark the occasion, Pontiac created a silver exterior with charcoal hood bird decal and body striping. The interior had embroidered seats. Breaking the $10,000 mark, the 10th’s base price was $10,620.00. Although Pontiac produced 7,500 of the tenth anniversary cars, a handful of cars were prepared as pace cars on the NASCAR circuit, most notably those which wore the Daytona 500 guise. The T-tops were also a special mirrored finish instead of the "smoked" finish of T-tops seen previously. The 10th Anniversary Trans Am was also the first time you saw the "Turbo" wheels seen on later Special Edition Turbo, Pace Car and other Turbo Trans Ams. This wasn't your ordinary "run-of-the-mill" Trans Am. Just about everything on this car was taken to the next level to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of this popular muscle car. This car could easily be identified by using the VIN number as a reference. Instead of the normal "S" or "W" to signify Firebird or Trans Am, the 10th Anniversary had a "X" as the second digit in the VIN number to signify it is special.

VAN WERT — Glimpses of life that most people miss is what Joel Sartore works to capture through his camera lens. And it’s those frozen moments in the life of a National Geographic photographer that Sartore will discuss on Sunday at Niswonger Performing Arts Center.

LIMA — Car enthusiasts love to talk “car talk.” Because he knows this, Bob Montgomery, of Lima has built a room just for “car talk.”

LIMA — Disney draws kids.

The story

HARROD —The Ford Fairlane was sold between 1955 and 1970. It's competitor was the Pontiac Tempest GTO, which was a mid-sized car. Ford had been concentrating on their Mustang in the mid '60's, that a re-work on the Fairlane was all but halted, until success was seen in their Mustang. After the Mustang success continued, in 1966 the Ford Fairlane was give a completely fresh look for 1966. The headlamps were stacked at the front, and for the first time, a convertible model was offered. The 1966 Ford Fairlane was hot with its new sporty look with a base price of $2,843. The sales brochures read, "Quiet quality ... powered by Ford." There were 78 million cars registered in the United States in 1966, and gasoline was 32 cents a gallon.

LIMA — They say everything old is new again. And such is the case with the 30-year-old show, “The Foreigner,” running this weekend in the Martha Farmer Theatre at OSU-Lima.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation — PG-13

LIMA —The Ford Thunderbird was first introduced in 1955. The military men returning from fighting in World War II longed for a European type vehicle. Chevy answered with their Corvette and Ford answered with the Thunderbird. Throughout the years, the styling of the Thunderbird evolved and changed. In 1976, the “Big Bird” was debuted. The 1976 Ford Thunderbird grew in every conceivable way, from size and luxury to weight. These cars weighed around 5,000 pounds, and they averaged from eight mpg to 12 mpg. With the energy crisis’ of the 1970’s, this gasoline consumption was dismal. Of course, Ford made up for it with the looks. These new “Big Birds” rode on a 120.4 inche wheelbase and measured 225 inches overall. The starting price for a 1976 Ford Thunderbird was $7,790 without options. There were a total of 52,935 Thunderbirds produced in 1976.

FINDLAY — Roger Powell’s annual Easter sand sculpture is more inspiration than perspiration, and in the 14 years he’s been doing this, the returns have been massive.