Sometimes it takes a kid to show us how to enjoy a fall day: Whit & Whimsey

A 9-year-old only needs a big pile of leaves to enjoy a sunny autumn day. (Sam Boyer, special to cleveland.com)

BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- When there is a 9-year-old in the family actually asking to do some yard work, you know it’s autumn. With a lot of leaves in the yard, Izak asked me if he could use the leaf blower. I agreed, taking a rake along with me to help.

He got really busy, and soon our neighbor kids were outside with their rakes, also helping to create a nice, big pile of orange and brown leaves. And, of course, once the pile was nice and high, Izak was the first to leap in.

I’m sure this has been repeated around the area many times in the past few weeks, and it’s fun to watch.

But now it’s time to put the leaf piles out by the road for pickup. Be sure to watch for the signs the service department puts out to tell you when the crews will be around. In Brunswick, the instructions for placing them in the right place are in the latest newsletter in your sewer/refuse bill. Or you can go online to check.

And, fair warning: Izak’s already wishing for snow so he can romp with the dog and make snow angels.

Looking into the past: Did you know that October is Family History Month? The Medina County District Library’s Genealogy Team is often approached by homeowners who want to research the history of their homes and their previous owners.

From 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 30, the team will present Genealogy Slam! This is a way to find answers through three different avenues of property research: land records, previous owners and maps.

You can come in person or watch via Zoom.

This sounds interesting to those of us at local historical societies, because we often are asked about the history of homes. I’m definitely checking in for this one.

You can register at mcdl.info/Slam or by calling 330-725-0588, extension 5017.

Family history: The Brunswick Area Historical Society has begun its programs on family history, with descendants of the area’s oldest settlers providing all kinds of interesting information. The third in the series should interest people from around Medina County, because the Chidsey family stretches far and wide.

Carol Chidsey Brugner will be talking about her family at 7 p.m. Oct. 28 at Goodyear’s Big Barn, 691 Pearl Road, Brunswick. The program is also being recorded.

The September program about the Benjamin family is now on the society’s YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqjEleeUjVY.

The first presentation, which included a wide array of local families including Carpenter, Keller, Morton and more, is also available to watch.

If your family has been around for awhile, you’ll probably hear a name or two you recognize.

Everyone is invited. The program is free, but donations are always welcome to help with maintaining Heritage Farm.

Register today: Time is running out for those who want to help abused, neglected and exploited children in our community while enjoying a night celebrating local artists at the seventh annual Art With a Heart for Children Auction & Benefit.

The Children’s Center of Medina County is hosting the event at Blue Heron Event Center on Thursday, Nov. 4, with an art preview, silent auction, cocktails, music and appetizers beginning at 5:30 p.m. The Live Auction will begin at 7 p.m.

Event registration is $60 per person. Please register by Oct. 28 at https://medinacountychildrenscenter.org/.

A variety of original art will be on display and available for auction. The selection will include pieces from local community artists, including the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center’s Art Experience students.

Proceeds will benefit The Children’s Center of Medina County, with a portion designated for the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center to fund continued art therapy for detained youth.

This year’s event will also include auctions of Art Experiences, including the Art of Charcuterie, the Art of Pottery, the Art of Sushi and Sake, the Art of the Green, the Art of Tailgating, and the Art of Van Gogh.

Spinning play date: Spinners and crafters are invited to a “play date,” from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Nov. 6 at the Brunswick Library, 3649 Center Road. Everyone is invited to bring a project to work on or finish. Masks are optional but encouraged.

A healthy and happy family life: A series of programs about and for families continues at 7 p.m. Thursdays at the Medina Community Recreation Center, 855 Weymouth Road, or online with Zoom.

The Oct. 28 program is “Fostering Healthy Social & Emotional Development in Children.”

On Nov. 4, the “ABCs of Getting Good Zs” is the topic, with focus on sleep and active relaxation/meditation.

On Nov. 11, the theme is “Organization Tips for Busy Parents,” with a focus on how organization can help eliminate chaos and allow you to have better function in life and home.

There is a small registration fee. Learn more by calling 330-721-6901 or visiting www.medinarec.org.

Breakfast Kiwanis provided funds for area nonprofits at a recent meeting. (Photo Courtesy of Alan Penn)

Grants awarded: The Medina Breakfast Kiwanis Club presented grants to three local organizations from the proceeds of this past year’s Medina County Sports Hall of Fame event.

President Dennis Diso presented the grants to Stacy Bonitz from the Trinity Rose Foundation, which received $2,500; the Rev. Henry Pearce from the Medina Personal Care Pantry, which received $1,500; and Nancy Abbott from Operations Homes, which received $3,000.

The club also welcomed two new members, Darrel Waite and Stu Mohr.

Alla Boara will spend the week sharing their music with students and other audiences. (Photo Courtesy of Alla Boara)

World Tour of Music is back: Absent since October 2019 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio Regional Music Arts and Cultural Outreach’s (ORMACO) World Tour of Music one-week residency is back, this time with Northeast Ohio-based Alla Boara.

The ensemble seeks to bring recognition and new life to Italy’s diverse history of regional folk music. Their modern arrangements of near-extinct folk songs, such as lullabies, laments, hymns and festival songs, are variously surprising, playful, mournful, tender and bewitching.

Alongside projected visual images from researcher Alan Lomax’s Italian field recordings, Alla Boara’s dynamic work aims to inspire audiences of all ethnic heritages to treasure their musical roots and consider historical songs’ contemporary cultural relevance.

The vision of drummer and composer Anthony Taddeo (Helen Welch/Hey Mavis), Alla Boara also features vocalist Amanda Powell (Apollo’s Fire), guitarist Dan Bruce (Beta Collective), trumpeter Tommy Lehman (Acid Cats), bassist Ian Kinnamon and accordionist and keyboardist Clay Colley (KOBA).

Currently finishing their first record, Alla Boara has received critical acclaim for its originality and accessibility and was recently featured in La Gazzetta Italiana and predicted to have a bright future by Cleveland Magazine.

Thanks to underwriting and grant support, the ensemble will provide outreach programs the week of Oct. 25 to students in the Cloverleaf Local Schools, the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center, Marlington Local Schools and Jackson Local Schools. They will also perform for residents at the Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina.

The public is invited to the culminating concert at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 30, at OJ Work Auditorium, 151 Main St., Wadsworth. The concert is free, but registration at https://ormaco.org/z-alla-boara-wadsworth/ is recommended to assure seating.

For more information, call 419-853-6016 or visit www.ormaco.org.

Cutting edge: Armstrong is the first major internet service provider in the United States to begin providing symmetrical 10 Gig internet service into homes and businesses.

10G is the future-ready fiber broadband network that will power the bandwidth demands of an even more connected future. 10G is more reliable, more secure and 10 times faster than today’s internet.

Great cause: Access the Arts has earned the support of the Brunswick Rotary Club. Their donation will help kick-start the organization’s Fine Arts with Friends program through its Jingle Bell Gala Nov. 11. Go to https://brunswickrotary.com/Stories/jingle-bell-gala for details.

You can still support the arts in Medina County by purchasing a Dining with the Arts experience. To learn more, go to http://www.medinacountyartscouncil.org/.

Dining out: For the 118th year, Brunswick United Methodist Church, 1395 Pearl Road, will serve up a turkey dinner Nov. 6, featuring turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce and dessert for $12.

Once again, because of COVID-19, they’re going to hold this by drive-thru only and by reservations only. People will need to go to http://brunswickumc.net to place their order. Pick a time between 4 and 6 p.m. to pick up your meal, then pay online.

If you love turkey dinners, this is early enough you can have more than one.

Contact Boyer at samboyersunnews@yahoo.com

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