Donuts, donations and rainbows make us happy: Whit & Whimsey

BRUNSWICK, Ohio -- Wow! That was my reaction when I learned that Amanda Rienerth at Donut Land had raised more than $2,500 in March to honor the late Bill Parschen.

The beloved teacher and principal died before he got to see the gazebo he always wanted to have at Towslee Elementary School.

The gazebo now resides at Heritage Farm in the care of the Brunswick Area Historical Society.

Society President Carl Bilski presented Amanda with a certificate of appreciation for her generosity and help.

The work to complete the gazebo project will continue once this darn weather actually stabilizes, thanks to everyone who has donated.

In the photo above, Amanda is also holding a picture of her grandfather, Bill Rienerth, who founded Donut Land.

Did you see it? We must finally have enough moisture in the atmosphere for a rainbow.

It had been a long time since I’d seen one, so when my great-grandson Izak shouted, “Grandma -- it’s a rainbow!” I grabbed my camera and ran outside.

It was a full-fledged arch and covered so much of the sky, I couldn’t get it all in my lens, but it lasted for a long time and was beautiful.

Exciting new program: The Northern Medina County Chamber Alliance has launched its inaugural Business Builders Program, which officially kicked off April 8 at the Brunswick University Center.

This innovative six-month program was created to equip local entrepreneurs and small business owners with the knowledge, skills and resources needed to succeed in today’s ever-evolving business environment.

Twenty-three businesses are participating in this first-ever cohort, representing a diverse range of industries from across northern Medina County.

The Business Builders Program features bi-monthly sessions covering essential topics.

Chamber Executive Director Debbie Boehmke said everyone is grateful to the member experts and partners who are contributing to the success of this program, as well as to the Westfield Insurance Foundation and Titan Construction and Repair for being the presenting sponsors.

Businesses participating in the program include:

• AM Dumpster Service, Adam Hymes

• Antoinette’s Coffee Service, Frank Argenzieno Jr.

• Ascend Wealth Management LLC, Connie Costanzo

• Bill Glick Painting, Bill Glick

• Boyert Insurance Group, Matt Boyert

• Brooklyn Media, Brooke Mott

• Brunswick Jazzercise, Cindi White

• Button Up Consulting, Carli Sidoti

• DTC Auto Center, Joe Arellano

• Engage Virtual Range, Brittany Brooks

• Goosefoot Acres: Home of Dandy Blend, Karin Reale

• JOSHIES LLC, Ariga Pradhan

• Medina Creative Housing, Rich Tamulewicz

• Minuteman Press-Medina, Dave Wyatt

• Move My Mess, James Koorey

• My Integrity Counseling, Phil McClelland

• Nutrient Rich Life, Amanda Liptak

• The Essence of Spirituality, Julie Marini

• The Wandering Goose, Gina Reale

• Titan Construction and Repair, Jesse Andrade

• TNT Cleaning, Tammy Trecarichi

• Uncle Crunch, Lena Wilson

• Woven with Promise, Denise Walsh.

I think it sounds like a terrific opportunity for everyone, don’t you?

Adult Safety Town: The attention-grabbing title is the first event of the Bluecoats organization in the county, where you can learn about Bluecoats while having fun interacting with first responders.

It takes place from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. May 14 at the Blair Center in Westfield Center.

At the event, you can put out a fire with the Wadsworth Fire Department, see if you can pass a sobriety test while wearing drunk goggles, test your school bus safety acumen, take a 911 call and get your mugshot taken.

You can also learn more about the Medina County Health Department, the Children’s Center of Medina County, the Medina County Juvenile Detention Center and the Medina County Police Activities League (McPAL).

Tickets include appetizers and two cocktails (cash bar available).

Register today at https://bluecoatsofmedinacounty.eventbrite.com. Tickets are limited.

Scholarship: The County Forward Fund Work Scholarship, designed to support high school students entering the workforce directly after graduation, is open for applications through April 18.

This scholarship is perfect for students pursuing careers in various trades and manufacturing industries.

Any Medina County high school senior is eligible to help kickstart their career as a skilled tradesperson and ensure they have the resources they need to succeed with this $1,000 scholarship.

Students must have a job secured after graduation to receive this scholarship.

Last year, County Forward awarded 16 scholarships to deserving students, funded by the Ken Cleveland Foundation and other local donors.

The scholarship can help cover essential work-related expenses such as boots, tools, gas and other necessary items for the recipients’ first jobs.

Applications can be submitted through the Microsoft Forms link https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=y4D-EHvpZ0SU0YK4NCS7t-vSK3d-prpPqsiO1qTtcjpUQTFBMDFTMVdDQU5VVDVXR1RaMUxaOUVNRi4u&route=shorturl

For questions or further information, contact mitchel@medinacounty.org.

Free concert: It’s time for another free concert by the Historic Medina Symphony and Symphonia of the Western Reserve.

The concert is at 2 p.m. April 27 at the Brunswick Recreation Center Auditorium, 3637 Center Road.

Conductor Shirley Ann Walker tells us that there are two guest artists for the performance: Theresa Ritchie and Dan Hild.

Ritchie will perform the second and third movements of Vivaldi’s “Concerto in C Major for Piccolo and Orchestra.”

Ritchie’s journey with music began in grade school when she started playing the piano. In middle school, she fell in love with the timbre of the flute, and the rest is history.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in music and anthropology from Heidelberg University and a master’s degree in flute performance from Wright State University.

Ritchie is an enthusiastic soloist and collaborative artist.

She has participated in numerous musical performances across the eastern United States, in Vianden, Luxembourg, and in Vienna, Austria.

As a collaborative artist, she has enjoyed performances with chamber ensembles at Palis Corbelli in Vienna, Heidelberg University, Ohio University, Oberlin College and Skidmore College.

Ritchie has also been musically active in the community by playing at church, local nursing homes, with a local Irish band and with the Historic Medina Symphony and Symphonia of the Western Reserve.

She lives in North Royalton with her husband, daughter and their two dogs, where she enjoys working as a recreation director for a local nursing home.

What Ritchie loves most about her work is the opportunity to share her passion for music with the nursing home residents.

She enjoys playing ukulele, flute, piccolo and bells with her residents, along with hosting the occasional karaoke party.

Dan Hild, Cleveland vocalist and cellist, will perform “Non piu andrai” from “Le Nozze di Figaro.”

Hild studied at Baldwin Wallace College Conservatory and also holds a master’s degree from Miami University.

A former member of the Middletown Symphony, Firelands Symphony Orchestra, Ashland Symphony, other festival orchestras and in Europe, Hild now plays cello in the Chagrin Falls Studio Orchestra and has been a member of Lakeside Chautauqua’s Summer Orchestra for many years.

While finishing school, Hild joined the (now closed) Cleveland Opera Company downtown at Playhouse Square, serving two decades as a principal baritone in the Opera Chorus.

Hild still sings as a soloist in both church and synagogue.

He began involvement in musical theater at Lakewood’s Beck Center for the arts at 13 years old and still greatly enjoys his role as pit orchestra cellist for productions.

More entertainment: Ohio Regional Music and Cultural Outreach (ORMACO) will present “Come to the CABARET: An Evening of Cole Porter” at 6 p.m. May 15 at the Corkscrew Saloon, 811 W. Liberty St. in Medina.

Join in a “De-Lovely” evening of cabaret featuring the music of Cole Porter, performed by vocalist Maria Jacobs and pianist Rock Wehrmann.

Enjoy a buffet dinner in a relaxed atmosphere. No need to travel to New York when you have great cabaret in your own back yard!

Attendance is limited to 50. Book now to avoid disappointment.

Cost is $65 per person, which includes dinner and first drink. Book online or call 419-853-6016.

Jacobs is a national Christian and jazz recording artist who has charted nationally on the Groove Jazz and Smooth Jazz Holiday Charts.

Her ninth album, “Back at the Bop Stop,“ was accepted for Grammy review in the Best Jazz Vocal album category in 2024.

She has just released her 10th, a Christian album that she wrote, entitled, “Perfect is Your Will.”

She is the vocal jazz professor at Kent State University and also a licensed music educator, church musician and Christian author.

Wehrmann, pianist/accompanist/composer, is an accomplished musician known throughout Northeast Ohio for his extraordinary repertoire.

He crosses musical genres with ease.

He is the first-call keyboardist for Northeast Ohio organizations such as Playhouse Square, Cleveland Jazz Orchestra and Cleveland Pops, as well as Broadway touring productions.

He taught at Oberlin College, the University of Akron and at Cleveland State University, and is a Professor Emeritus from Kent State University.

Get books here: For those who miss the Project:LEARN used book store in Brunswick, there is an alternative.

Friends of Medina County District Library (Medina, Brunswick, Buckeye, Highland, Lodi and Seville libraries) are all part of the Friends of Medina County District Library and sell used books of all genres.

Visit http://www.friendsofmcdl.info/ and learn more.

Time to reflect: Yes, it’s almost Easter, and Brunswick United Methodist Church -- right at the center of town -- will hold a Maundy Thursday service at 7 p.m. April 17, where everyone will have an opportunity to sit at the table for the last supper and take communion.

The Good Friday service is at 7 p.m. April 18.

An Easter Sunrise service will be held at 6:45 a.m. outside at the fire pit, followed by the indoor Easter service at 10 a.m.

More good deeds: Since opening in 2023, The Giving Place, a Medina nonprofit resale shop, has returned over $200,000 to area charities while running one of the finest resale shops you will ever visit.

Recently, Giving Place partners Stephanie Furey and Angel Kiefer made their first of what may be many donations to Western Reserve Instrument Repair and Adoption (WRIRA), with two violins that are each about 100 years old and gorgeous, according to Doc Loomis, the founder of WRIRA.

“They will be the perfect instruments for an intermediate to advanced student who appreciates superior construction and tone,” Loomis said.

“We love that The Giving Place supports our community first, and we thank them for supporting WRIRA. Y’all are simply the best!”

Time’s almost up: You only have a few days to bid on 17 fantastic baskets to help raise funds for the Brunswick Area Historical Society.

You can go online to https://www.zeffy.com/ticketing/basket-raffle-2

If you’re reading this online, you may still have time to go to the schoolhouse building at Heritage Farm from 6 to 8 p.m. April 15, where Katie Georgekopoulos and friends will be available to show the baskets to you.

Otherwise, it’s online, with the drawing April 24 at the historical society meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Goodyear’s Big Barn. (Also, an interesting program on Civil War nurses by Carol Foote).

And we want to say congratulations to Katie Kintop, who was the winner of the fun ball drop sponsored by the historical society.

I think it’s great that a college student won the $250 prize -- she said she can now afford to buy another textbook!

Don’t forget: The 19th annual Raising the Roof fundraiser for Medina Creative Housing, a Grecian Gala, is set for 6 to 10 p.m. April 26 at Creative Living Lifestyles Health & Wellness Center, 3076 Remsen Road in Medina.

This “Parthenon of Hope” includes a Greek dinner, an evening of Greek music and a chance to win 10 prizes and bid on live and silent auctions.

You can purchase tickets online at www.medinacreativehousing.com.

Contact Boyer at samboyersunnews@yahoo.com.