BELLVILLE, Ohio — Richland Source was “lovin’ it local” Friday morning at the McDonald’s restaurant in Bellville.
With notepads, pens and computers sprawled out on one of the tables, we created a “pop-up newsroom” in the restaurant and looked for opportunities to talk with some of the customers.
What we’ve come to find out in this business is that everyone has a story, so we prompted a few people to share a bit about themselves, and this is what we discovered.
Each year, Clear Fork Valley High School FFA students take a trip to different venues: this year it was the Columbus Zoo. Before hitting the highway Friday morning, the 36 students made a pit-stop at McDonald’s for breakfast.
Agricultural Education Teacher Danielle Haydocy said they planned on spending the day at the zoo to learn about the habitats and healthcare of various animals.
Senior Erika Rinehart said she was looking forward to the behind-the-scenes tour of the giraffes, while sophomore McKenzie Baker said she was excited to see the monkeys.
Getting to spend the day outside the walls of a classroom is a nice perk, too, they said. “It’s funny because Wednesday I was out of class for job shadowing, Thursday was Senior Skip Day and then today we have this,” said Rinehart.
Rinehart will attend The Ohio State University Agricultural Technical Institute in the fall with the hope of eventually becoming an agriculture teacher.
As part of his daily ritual, Bellville resident Dave Hawk was also at the restaurant Friday morning. Hawk frequents the Bellville McDonald’s with a group of about 15-20 retirees.
“We come here to solve the problems of the world, but we can’t get it done in one day so we have to come back tomorrow,” he said with a laugh. He said the others normally get there at about 6 a.m., while he likes to arrive between 7:30 and 8 a.m.
Hawk worked in the maintenance department at Clear Fork Valley Local Schools for 12 years before he retired last year. He has his own plumbing business, noting, “It’s something to do.”
Another retiree and Bellville resident, former Common Pleas Court Judge James Henson, was among those who stopped by McDonald’s.
His original plans for the morning were canceled, so he said he was going to return home to cut six acres of grass.
He said he enjoys mowing the yard. “With every job I had I couldn’t look back and see what I’ve done and whether I was doing the right thing, but I can when I cut the grass,” he said with a smile.
After they purchased their breakfast, Lexington locals David and Sharon Shatzer said they go to McDonald’s before their trips, which they like to take every so often, “just to get away.” They said they were headed to northern Ohio for the day.
And while the Shatzers were on their way out of town for a nice little get-away, Nathan Glerum was headed home with his family members to New York. The 22-year-old recently completed Army basic training in Fort Benning, Georgia.
He said the training was “pretty intense” and he is looking forward to relaxing at home. When he returns to New York, he will be stationed at the 101st Calvary National Guard Unit out of Geneva, which is about 20 minutes from his house, he said.
As a Cavalry Scout, “I’m pretty much the eyes and the ears of the Army,” he said. Cavalry Scouts work to obtain, distribute and share vital combat and battlefield information on the enemy and on combat circumstances and environmental conditions.
McDonald’s Manager Jamie Monica said it’s typical for the restaurant to have customers from outside the area, like Glerum. “Last week we had people here from Australia. We’ve had people from Germany, Asia, and we get a lot of people from New York. They come from all over,” she said.
She said her father, Jeff Monica, who owns nine McDonald’s restaurants in the area including the Bellville location, encouraged her to become manager. She’s served in that position for two years, though she’s worked at the restaurant for several years, she said.
A Lexington graduate of 2005, she said she enjoys working at the restaurant and visiting with the customers who stop by.
Richland Source can now say the same.
