Along Our Way
Randy Bunkers, co-owner with his wife Phyllis of the Bunkers Dunkers Bakery on the east side of the courthouse square in our county seat town of Jefferson, has just turned 60 years old. On Saturday, January 14, the Bunkerses celebrated with free ''donut holes'' – the little balls punched out of their famous glazed donuts – and free coffee for much of the morning, and the place was packed. Everybody was telling their favorite ''Bunkers Dunkers'' stories.
[FOR A STORY & THE PHOTOS IN
IN LARGER FORMAT, CLICK HERE.]
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A conversation
with the Offenburgers
Chuck Offenburger was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins follicular lymphoma cancer on July 10, 2009, had six months of chemotherapy & started a maintenance program. Carla Offenburger underwent surgery on April 26, 2010, for removal of a jaw tumor which was found to contain adenoid cystic carcinoma cancer. She underwent six weeks of follow-up radiation in June and July, 2010. Since then she has returned to good health, but she continues to have close medical observation. Two days after Carla finished radiation, Chuck noticed a pain in his left hip, and within days, a small mass near his tailbone was diagnosed as more aggressive large-cell lymphoma. In the fall of 2010, he underwent intensive chemotherapy, and had a stem cells transplant in November, with follow-up radiation in January, 2011. Since then he's been doing well, too, but continues to have regular check-ups. We post updates frequently here, including brief insights from Chuck, Carla and at least one of you readers.
“Chuck, in the past year, I’ve seen you with long hair, no hair and now this short hair. This is best.”
FOR THE LATEST UPDATE, CLICK HERE.
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What's the deal with the
black & white saddle shoes?
Click here for the story of our farm in Greene County, Iowa.
Here's looking at life
at Simple Serenity Farm
We've had very little snow so far this winter. Saturday morning, January 14, brought a reminder of just how pretty a light snow can be. Just over an inch fell in the wee hours, and the countryside was beautiful at wake-up time.
Click here for larger format
Earlier photos in this series
Chuck Offenburger's
latest book on sports
legend Gary Thompson
''GARY THOMPSON: All-American'' is the new, 352-page biography of one of the state's genuine sports icons. From 1950-'53 Gary Thompson led the Roland Rockets to high school sports glory in basketball and baseball, giant-killers from one of Iowa's small schools. Then he led the Cyclones at Iowa State from 1953-'57, becoming the college's first two-sport All-American. He's had major success in broadcasting and business, from his home base in Ames. And he and his wife Janet have a family as solid as they come. "I'm the luckiest guy around," Thompson says.
CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS
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Douglas T. Bates III, Attorney
KMA Radio's ''Chuck & Don Show''
The Monks of New Melleray Abbey
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Along Our Way
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Here's a look at the
College of Wooster's
"Marching Scots" band
in 23 colorful photos
October 21, 2008
WOOSTER, OHIO
The 1,800-student College of Wooster in this northeast Ohio city has one of the finest and most unusual marching bands in the U.S., the 152-member "Marching Scots" who turn out in tartan kilts, knee socks, military jackets, tartan capes and battle caps. The high-spirited troupe also plays exceptionally well. It makes Wooster's Fighting Scots' home football games one of the most fun college sports experiences in America. Here the story is told in 22 colorful photos of last Saturday's performance around the 38-13 Homecoming victory over the Washington University Bears of St. Louis.
A poster on a campus bulletin board promotes membership in the College of Wooster Marching Scots band.
Nancy Ditmer is Wooster's director of bands and coordinator of music education. She's in her 25th year in the position, after picking up her master's degree and additional coursework at the University of Iowa, When she was at Iowa as a graduate student, she served an assistantship with the Hawkeye Marching Band. Here she has her game face on as she gets ready to send her Wooster band out for its pre-game show.
Sophomore Brett Dawson, one of three drum majors in the Wooster band, goes through warm-ups with his big baton.
The "Pipe Sergeant" is senior Galen Priest, shown here during a pre-game tune-up he conducted with other bagpipers.
One of the bass drummers in the Wooster Pipe Band, which is like a detachment of the marching band, is Bob Romeo, a junior. At his size, no one gives him any guff about wearing a kilt.
The trombone section of the Marching Scots band is shown here in a quick rehearsal of a routine in which one person swings left, and the next person ducks, then they reverse it and try not to clobber each other with the slides of their instruments.
Drum majors (left to right) Brett Dawson and seniors Taylor Madal and Sarah Papke summoned the band into ranks before its march to the football stadium on Saturday, October 18.
The 152-member band is shown here starting a three-block march that had them looping through the Wooster campus before arriving at the football stadium. Wooster fans line the streets to watch the band "go to the game," playing such anthems as "Enter Scotland," "Are you from Wooster?" and "Black & Gold."
The drummers in action on the march through the campus.
Among the flute and clarinet players are junior Julie Brezicha (right, glancing at camera), sophomore Becky Alcorn (center) and freshman Laura Miller (left).
The band made a crisp left turn off one street, and then started down a lane toward the football stadium.
The Wooster football stadium sits in somewhat of a natural bowl, with the band making its entrance from a hilltop. Here the drum majors are leading the band to that hillside.
Down the hill the band marches, while members of the Wooster Fighting Scots football team return to their dressing room after the pre-game work-out. Many of the football players and coaches cheered the band as it began its entry to the field.
On toward the field at John P. Papp Stadium.
The band covered much of the field during its pre-game show.
When the football team comes out of its dressing room to return to the field for the kick-off, the players are led down the hillside by the bagpipers from the Marching Scots band. The team spreads out in a straight line at the top of the hill, then follows the playing bagpipers down the hill, then the team breaks away in a sprint on to the football field.
The football players race on to the field, jumping to touch a banner and then running through a tunnel formed by members of the Marching Scots band.
After the bagpipers led the football team down the hillside, then the pipers themselves sprinted toward their seats just as the football players sprinted toward the field.
After Wooster had defeated the Washington University Bears of St. Louis 38-13 in the Scots' Homecoming game, the bagpipers and drummers circled the team and serenaded them with "Scotland the Brave." The football players pump their helmets to the beat of the song, then at the end, sing one of Wooster's fight songs.
As a Homecoming special, the band played a mini-concert after the football game on the plaza outside the student union. Performing in the trumpet section here were sophomore Jessica Forbes and senior Andy White.
A green-haired Scot flautist.
Freshman Ann Lewis is another of the bass drummers in the band.
During the concert on the plaza, the drum majors took turns conducting the band. While Taylor Madal was up conducting, sitting behind her were her co-drum majors Brett Dawson and Sarah Papke with band director Nancy Ditmer.
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