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Help Me Grow Picnic

Help  Me  Grow

The Help Me Grow annual family picnic was held on July 1st at Coldwater Park. The Help Me Grow staff and their families put on a great picnic this year with so much fun for the entire family.  They had clowns, face painting, art sand bottles, cotton candy and let’s not forget the ultimate summer cook-out, with lots and lots of food. 

This year’s picnic was considered a huge success. Thanks go out to all the area businesses that contributed and donated to Help Me Grow. Plans are already in place for another picnic next year.
Our thanks to Irene Lamm for providing the photo and info...

Grand Lake Oil Boom

Grand Lake St. Marys Oil Wells

For a brief period in history, from the 1880's to early 1910's, Northwest Ohio was the leading oil-producing region in the world. In 1896, annual production from this region reached it's peak at nearly 23 million barrels.

In 1891, at the beginning of production in the water of Grand Lake St. Marys, wells were drilled mainly by local companies such as the Bryson Company, Riley Oil, German American, and Banker's Oil. In less than 10 years, more than 100 wells had been drilled.

Well foundations were made by driving pilings into lake sediments and bedrock to form a crib, and then by constructing a standard wooden derrick on top of the crib. As illustrated by the photograph above, derricks were connected by walkways and wooden pipelines elevated above the water. Individual wells in the lake produced approximately 25 to 250 barrels each day. In 1901, the Spindletop well near Beaumont, Texas, struck oil and was producing 100,000 barrels a day, thus shifting focus from the wells at Grand Lake St. Marys.

Newly discovered oil in Texas flooded the fledgling market driving the price of oil down to 3 cents a barrel at one point, triggering the end of the Grand Lake St. Marys' oil boom.

* Information derived from The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Geological Survey

Redskin Classic 5K

Click Here To View Photos of the Redskin Classic 5K

Over 400 Photos are now available highlighting the Redskin Classic 5K Run/Walk held on Sunday, July 6th in St. Henry.

The Redskin Classic is part of the Mercer Health Countywide 5-K Challenge. The challenge is a combination of 8 races in Mercer County, Ohio. In an effort to recognize the diehard 5-K runners in our area, the race directors of the County have combined forces with Mercer Health to recognize their effort and hard work.

Click Here for Photos

Freedom Days
Freedom Days 2008
July 3rd - 6th 2008

Click here for Freedom Days photos and video coverage


New "Best of Grand Lake" Poll...where your vote counts!...The July poll "Best Family Restaurant" ends July 31st...results will follow

Best of Grand Lake Family Restaurant

Click here for website!

click here for schedule
click for schedule of events

click here for weekly Chamber Newsletter
click for Weekly Chamber Newsletter

Click Here For WebCam
Click Here For WebCam

eagles
Grand Lake Aerie No. 1291
Fraternal Order of Eagles


Click here for July- August Newsletter


Grand Lake Area Weather

Lowest Gas Prices in Celina
Celina Gas Prices provided by GasBuddy.com

Celina School News

2009 Senior Picture Changes

As this school year closes it is necessary for us to make some small preparations for next year.  Your student is about to begin his or her final year of high school, and to commemorate this event most of you will be hiring a professional photographer to do your child’s senior portraits.  For many years, the Anilec Yearbook staff has relied on students doing this entirely on their own and then submitting one of their wallet size photos to us for use in the senior pages of the yearbook.  However, due to a variety of reasons, students have been failing to turn in these photographs to us.  As of January 25, 2008, our deadline for turning in pictures, only 119 out of the 216 graduating seniors had turned in photographs.  It took an additional three weeks for us to chase down the missing 97 students and ask them to turn in their pictures, and only a fraction have followed through.  Therefore, it has become necessary to implement a change in the senior portrait procedure in order to get the pictures we need in a more timely fashion so that we can meet our publisher’s deadlines.

In September, Lifetouch comes into school to photograph each member of the student body.  On that portrait day, seniors are required to take their pictures for their school photo ID card.  So that students will take this portrait day seriously, it will also double as their senior portrait for the 2009 Yearbook.  You are not obligated to purchase these pictures, however, we will expect seniors to dress appropriately and nicely that day.  We are working with Lifetouch to do a nice senior portrait with a possible alternative background to separate their look from the underclassmen’s portraits.  If your child does not have their picture taken that day, they will not get their ID card and, therefore, will not be eligible for open lunch in the spring.

We will continue to accept professional portraits of your seniors as a substitute for their Lifetouch picture only if they meet the following requirements:  Photographs must be a head and shoulders shot of your senior—no half or full-length photos will be accepted. Portraits must be in front of a simple backdrop—no photos with multiple props will be accepted.  Photographs must be turned in by January 23, 2009—no exceptions. 

If you intend to substitute a professional picture, we suggest you book your sitting no later than November 15, 2008 to ensure plenty of time to get your completed orders back and a copy of the picture you desire for the yearbook turned in. 

American Red Cross

The Mercer County Chapter of the American Red Cross is now located at the Galleria in Celina.
*New Address*
AMERICAN RED CROSS
Mercer County Chapter
909 E. Wayne Street
Celina, OH  45822
(419) 586-2201