MANSFIELD — This is my second year in Mansfield, and already the Final Friday concerts in the Brickyard are an unmissable fixture on my summer calendar. This local success story, courtesy of Downtown Mansfield Inc. and a bevy of local sponsors, gets plenty of attention. So much so that I was initially wary of adding […]
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Russell: Taking a Model A ride to the Shawshank site
The members of the Scioto Model ‘A’ Ford Club maintain and ride vintage cars. Based in Columbus, in the warmer months they make regular road trips. When I heard they were coming to Mansfield, I contacted club president John Baker to see if I could hitch a ride. Happy to oblige, John reserved me the […]
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Russell is buzzing about bees after journey to Kingwood Center
MANSFIELD — Last weekend was unseasonably cold, wet and blustery. Nevertheless, I trudged through the mud at Kingwood Center Gardens to check out the Richland County Beekeepers’ Association Field Day. It was not the ideal day for it. Before the event even got started a metal tent pole blew down and slammed the President of […]
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The Saffron: A Brit reviews Indian food in Mansfield
MANSFIELD — A few weeks ago I wrote about some of the British food available in Mansfield, but I left out something crucial. What any misplaced Englishman like myself really craves is the spice and flavor of Indian food. For when it comes to eating out in England, nothing can touch the popularity of the […]
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A day on the Mansfield bus line creates memorable adventure
MANSFIELD — This week I set the challenge of riding every advertised bus route in Mansfield, from beginning to end, in one day. And I succeeded. No, I can’t actually prove it but you should know I only deal in the harsh, unvarnished truth. Had I stumbled, the sad record of my failure would be […]
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Clumsy, awkward jogging still reveals Mansfield’s beauty
I like to get out and about in Mansfield, and sometimes I do it by going for a run. I’m hardwired clumsy, so most sports are out because I simply can’t coordinate with myself or others. With running all I need to do is put one foot in front of the other and, the odd […]
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Springmill Drive-In offers a warm-weather family tradition
MANSFIELD — My wife started to lose patience with traditional movie theaters during a 1999 screening of The Blair Witch Project that was blighted by talkers and mutterers. Subsequent mishaps, annoyances and the existence of phones and teenagers in close proximity have made it all but impossible to drag her back there. Luckily in Mansfield […]
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Favorite British delights can also be found in Mansfield
As an Englishman living in Ohio I’m often asked which foods I miss from from back home. Surprisingly, given Britain’s global reputation for fine dining, the answer is very little. There are however exactly four essentials that I go out of my way to get ahold of, and in recent years this has gotten a […]
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The Village Druids at Martini’s on Main made for memorable night
MANSFIELD — A week or so ago I saw local sound merchants The Village Druids play a rumbling double set at Martini’s on Main, in honor of the Vernal Equinox and The Departure of Jamos. No chickens were harmed (or to my knowledge, even present). This wasn’t my first visit to the establishment. I have […]
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Wiener King chuckles at mafia rumors
MANSFIELD — The Wiener King on Lexington Avenue has been a Mansfield landmark for the past 40 years, serving hot dogs, French fries, homemade chili and milkshakes in a back-to-basics setting that’s barely changed since it opened in 1976. This old-school joint with its distinctive retro-looking sign caught my eye the first time I drove […]