{"id":117542,"date":"2019-05-08T10:36:47","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T15:36:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevwindependent.com\/news\/?p=117542"},"modified":"2019-05-08T10:36:54","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T15:36:54","slug":"you-have-been-such-a-blessing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/2019\/05\/08\/you-have-been-such-a-blessing\/","title":{"rendered":"You have been such a blessing…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This is my final Music in Van Wert column.\u00a0After nearly 884 columns, it has come down to this last one.\u00a0Since 2002, I have been submitting my messages to The Times-Bulletin<\/em> and The Van Wert independent<\/em> news media.\u00a0Both have been very cooperative and supportive over the past 17 years.\u00a0I have worked with numerous editors at the Times-Bulletin<\/em>, including Dave Mosier, who eventually started The Van Wert Independent.<\/em>\u00a0All our local media have been valuable partners in helping spread the \u201cgood news\u201d of music and cultural events in and around Van Wert.\u00a0I can\u2019t thank them all enough!\u00a0\u00a0I am sure it will continue under new leadership here at The Van Wert County Foundation and the Niswonger Performing Arts Center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each week, I would sit at my computer and start writing about whatever was on my mind.\u00a0\u00a0Rarely did I have to search for a topic.\u00a0\u00a0When your life is about music, it is not difficult to write about life.\u00a0\u00a0I know many of you have been loyal readers of my Music in Van Wert column because you would comment to me about what you have read; sometimes, good, occasionally bad, mostly accurate, I hope!\u00a0\u00a0We have been able to keep in touch and I appreciate all of you who took time to read my thoughts, views, opinions and reflections.\u00a0\u00a0My replacement, Tafi Stober, plans to continue writing a column and I hope you will all read hers as she continues to inform you of musical events in and around Van Wert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have been asked many questions over the past several months since announcing my retirement from the Foundation and the Niswonger. People want to know what have been the most memorable events for me.  It is so difficult to name one because there really have been so many. I think back on the many artists I have had the pleasure to meet, some certainly come to mind, such as Kenny Rogers, Olivia Newton-John, Marie Osmond, Dionne Warwick, Bernadette Peters, Pete Rose, and others you didn\u2019t know and still probably don\u2019t know, but who gave memorable performances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For years, so many asked if we could ever get the Ohio State University Marching Band to perform in Van Wert. I worked for over 15 years to try and make it happen. Finally, during my son\u2019s senior year of marching and playing in the band, I got it done. It was another memorable performance as they marched down the lane between the Van Wert Elementary School toward the Niswonger and eventually gave a barn-burning performance in the Saltzgaber Music Hall.  It pleased so many Buckeye fans and made one mom and dad very proud!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the cr\u00e8me de la cr\u00e8me<\/em> came when we were able to put our Ten Year Gala Celebration together, culminating in a performance with Broadway and TV personality Bernadette Peters and the Boston Pops Orchestra.\u00a0I wasn\u2019t sure we could make that happen, but with some great local support and some answered prayers, a dream came true.\u00a0I knew I couldn\u2019t top that one!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are so many other great shows, but I have to admit, the ones I enjoyed the most were the ones I would just take in the audience and see so many people being entertained and enjoying the experience. I will forever remember standing beside the Fountain Park stage looking over the audience gathered in the park, standing, clapping, and screaming with delight at the music being played. This in my mind was \u201ccommunity.\u201d It dawned on me that it may have been exactly what Gaylord Saltzgaber would have wanted, the entire community together, from both sides of the track, if I may say, equally enjoying music together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My last thank yous must include a few who I will never forget. I remember talking with business leader and Van Wert County Foundation board member Bill Derry, explaining my vision of making Van Wert known for music. He took my vision to the board and convinced them to take a chance on me. I can never thank him and the VWCF Board enough! They were the financial backers of my dream. I think it worked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After arriving at The Van Wert County Foundation office, Larry Wendel was the executive secretary. Larry provided me all the tools I needed and allowed me to create my dream as I had envisioned. I can\u2019t thank Larry enough for his quiet wisdom and direction. My wife Annette has been a valuable partner and one of my biggest supporters. I thank her for believing in me and the love of music she shares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I leave my position as coordinator of performing arts for The Van Wert County Foundation and executive director of the Niswonger Performing Arts Center of Northwest Ohio today. It has been quite a ride! It will continue under new leadership and I am certain of its continued success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for me? We are expecting our first grandchild who will live in California. I am sure I\u2019ll want him to know his grandpa! I look forward to continue playing my trumpet in the Lima Symphony and perhaps even expand on that. I love serving the people at First United Methodist Church in Van Wert as their choir director and look forward to an increased work load as their first impressions and worship arts director. God has a plan for me and I am living to please Him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You will see me around as we are not moving. I will look forward to seeing you at many concerts and maybe even some new musical ventures in the future. Thank you all so much for blessing me with your support of Music in Van Wert over the past 17 years!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

FIN\u00c9 (a musical term which means \u201cthe end\u201d).<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This is my final Music in Van Wert column.\u00a0After nearly 884 columns, it has come down to this last one.\u00a0Since 2002, I have been submitting my messages to The Times-Bulletin and The Van Wert independent news media.\u00a0Both have been very cooperative and supportive over the past 17 years.\u00a0I have worked with numerous editors at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-117542","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-16 04:01:54","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117542","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117542"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117542\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117542"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117542"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thevwindependent.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117542"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}