Regional Roundup: Wapak pupil celebrates birthday with food drive

WAPAKONETA - When Christine Knatz asked her son Charles what he wanted to do to celebrate his 10th birthday, his answer was to help others.

Knatz and her husband, Jeff, try to keep Charles updated as far as what's happening in the news. "He knows about everything that is happening with the auto industry, people losing their jobs, and he knows food banks were in demand," she said. This is how Charles came up with the idea of a food drive.

On March 6, his family held a party at the Buckland Community Center. Charles asked that guests bring a bag of nonperishable food instead of gifts. The food was donated to the Food Pantry at Mercy Unlimited. One hundred and eighty items, with a value of $235, were collected.

This isn't the first time Charles has helped. He previously collected for the St. Joseph roof fund, his mom said.

Charles is a fourth-grade student at St. Joseph Catholic School in Wapakoneta.

Elida High School graduate hosting two book signings

ELIDA - Ron Kovacs Jr., a 1983 graduate of Elida High School, will hold two area book signings. His second novel, "Chances and Circumstances and Other Select Sketches," was published in January.

The first signing will be from 1 to 3 p.m. April 4 at Walden Book Store in the Lima Mall. The second signing will be from 1 to 3 p.m. April 18 at Barnes and Noble Book Store at the University of Northwestern Ohio. Food and refreshments will be provided at both.

Goodyear Tire & Rubber retirees meet in Florida

ST. MARYS - Eighteen retirees from the St. Marys Goodyear Tire & Rubber plant met March 4 in Sebring, Fla., for an annual reunion.

Those in attendance were June Hyatt, Nellie Krauss, Elden "Red" Stolzenberg, Carol McDonald, Jewell Sullivan, Neil Cook, Jay Miller, Ken Krauss Sr., Dale Miller, Murlin Doseck, Don Nuss, Jerry DeArmitt, Paul Hirn, Ken Krauss Jr., Kenny Grimm, Tom Grunden, Nick Gillis and Rollie Hegemier.

Organizer Jay Miller said the reunions started in 1990 in Lake Placid, Fla. The group outgrew places to meet, until they discovered Homer's in Sebring. Homer Duff is the owner of the former Duff's Smorgasbord in Piqua, Ohio.

Many residents from Auglaize and Mercer counties flock to Sebring for the winter. Others have moved there full time or go down from Ohio just for the reunion.

The reunion is held at 11 a.m. the first Wednesday in March.