By 1812Blockhouse
If you grew up in this area, you may remember Christmastime at Lazarus Department Store. Although the store, located at the Richland Mall, has long ago closed and was actually re-opened as the Avita Health System’s Ontario Hospital in 2017, memories of Christmases past at Lazarus remain.
A remembrance of Christmas and a local department store typically means thoughts of visiting Santa. In the case of Lazarus, though, this is also means spending some time with a talking tree. Mr. Tree, as he was generally referred to, may have frightened you as a child or fascinated you. More…
Special to 1812Blockhouse
St. Peter’s School students delivered 160 Giving Bags on Thursday to Harmony House to be distributed to those in need in the Mansfield community.
Students collected these items during December as a campus-wide Advent service project. Inside each Giving Bag are cold-weather items, including hats, gloves, socks, lip balm, and hand warmers. In addition, each bag also includes personal care items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, and soap.
“The Advent Season is one of prayer, penance, and sacrifice, in anticipation of the coming of Jesus’ birth on Christmas, said Laurie McKeon, St. Peter’s Head of School. “Our Giving Bags service project is a meaningful way to teach our students about the many blessings they have been given and that making a sacrifice to others is an integral part of being in service to others in our world.
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By 1812Blockhouse
Christmas at Kingwood, the celebration of lights, music, nature, and more, continues at Kingwood Center Gardens through December 30.
As a special treat, Christmas reindeer will be arriving at Kingwood this Thursday and Friday from 5 to 8 PM each evening. The animals are sponsored by Smile Doctors of Mansfield.
A reminder that Kingwood will be closed all day on Tuesday but will reopen during the regular event outs that evening.
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By 1812Blockhouse
With the colder weather roller coaster we have been on over the last several days, and with the business of the holiday season, there’s not always an ideal way to connect with the stories and music of Christmas.
The Mansfield/Richland County Public Library has an answer for you.
The Library’s Bookmobile brings the resources of the MRCPL to your neighborhood or local commercial center. The Bookmobile is truly a “library on the go” that visits schools, neighborhoods, events, and schools with its own revolving collection of library materials for all ages, thereby improving local quality of life.
More…Family Events, Featured, Holidays, Mansfield Richland County Public Library
Special to 1812Blockhouse
Soon Santa will be making his stop in Mansfield, and now kids will be able to send their letters directly to the North Pole through the help of Mansfield’s Imagination District partnership between the Renaissance Theatre and Little Buckeye Children’s Museum.
From now until December 20, families will be able to drop off their personal letters to Santa Claus at the North Pole Post Box located in the plaza between The Renaissance Theatre and Theatre 166. You can find directions to the plaza by heading to 154 Park Avenue West, Mansfield, Ohio 44902.
More…Holidays, Little Buckeye Childrens Museum, Renaissance Theatre
Special to 1812Blockhouse
With the holidays quickly approaching, the Ohio Department of Development is encouraging Ohioans to shop local, shop Ohio, and support the thousands of small businesses that are the backbone of our state’s economy.
“Small businesses deserve our support, and by shopping local, you are helping fellow Ohioans, their families, and communities,” said Governor Mike DeWine. “Our small business owners are passionate, dedicated, and proud to represent the best of Ohio.”
To help in your search, Development and TourismOhio are promoting a new webpage on Ohio.org to highlight products made in Ohio. The Made in Ohio page lists nearly 800 companies in categories such as apparel, snack foods, coffee, décor, and furniture.
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By 1812Blockhouse
Ohio. Find it Here. has a bright idea for family fun this holiday season — seeing the lights at one or more of 43 stops on what it is calling the “Ohio Holiday Lights Trail.”
Not only are several of these locations within easy driving distance, but one is right here in Richland County.
According to the site, “Bask in the glow of holiday cheer with the Ohio Holiday Lights Trail! 43 stops take you around Ohio to the best light shows in the state. Download the trail map and visit these dazzling displays for an unforgettable holiday experience!”’
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Special to 1812Blockhouse
Oak Hill Cottage “Ghosts” will gather once again this year for an annual lighthearted soiree at the old mansion on the hill.
The evening event on Saturday, Dec. 4, from 5 PM to 7 PM introduces the public to the characters who have made Oak Hill their home; from the Robinsons who built the house in 1847, the wealthy Jones family of the late Victorian age, down to the daughters of Dr. Jones who made it a center of social life in the early 1900s.
This year’s “Ghosts of Christmas Past” event will not form guests up into groups because of Covid precautions, and visitors will be sent through the house as they arrive. Cost is $5 for adults and $1 for children 12 and under, paid at the door.
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By 1812Blockhouse
Beginning on November 20, the rooms and hallways of Oak Hill Cottage will welcome visitors wanting to turn back the clock and experience a vintage holiday.
The house, built in 1847 by railroad superintendent John Robinson, was characterized as “the one perfect Gothic Revival house in the country” by at one prominent architect. It was then owned for over a century by the family of Dr. Johannes Jones, and is now owned and operated by the Richland County Historical Society. More…
Special to 1812Blockouse from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources
Start your holiday shopping early this year and give the gift of the great outdoors with an array of unique choices from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR). Finding the perfect gift for the outdoor enthusiast in your life has never been easier, especially with our online store.
Memorable Gifts from Ohio State Parks
ODNR’s Division of Parks and Watercraft offers a variety of gift ideas this holiday season. These items are exclusively available through our web store.
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Special to 1812Blockhouse
Downtown Mansfield, Inc. is excited to announce the opening of the Tiny Tim Christmas Shoppe for 2021! One of Mansfield’s great holiday traditions, the Tiny Tim Shoppe, will officially open on Saturday, November 20.
A great experience for families across the community, this year, the Tiny Tim Shoppe will be located at our DMI office, 128 North Main Street. All children are welcome to shop for family and friends on the Christmas list.
The Tiny Tim Shoppe is a volunteer assisted Christmas shop for children ages 12 and under. To ensure the health and safety of our guests, one reservation must be made per each child shopping. Reservations are free and 4 time slots are available per each half hour. For families with more children please reserve overlapping times. *For example, a family of six children would reserve four tickets between 10:00 AM and 10:30 AM and two tickets between 10:30 AM and 11:00 AM.
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By 1812Blockhouse
This story is a favorite of ours, and one which have previously published on Independence Day weekend.
A century and a half ago, local media writers were bemoaning the lack of activities scheduled in Mansfield to celebrate Independence Day, with one exception: a “Base Ball” game between the “fats” and the “lanks.”
This is from the weekly Mansfield Herald’s edition on July 3, 1867:
“The Fourth of July tomorrow will not be celebrated in any formal manner in Mansfield. We are sorry to say it, for many other places of less pretensions than our city, have made arrangement for a good old fashioned time. Ashland, Bucyrus, Bellfontaine and other towns have announcements out of what they intend to do, and many of our citizens will not doubt visit one of the other of these places… More…
By 1812Blockhouse
The festivities are over, and the time has arrived to clean up the old and get on with a new year.
Part of that annual process is the removal and disposition of live Christmas trees. Richland County’s three cities have announced programs to help residents with that process.
MANSFIELD — The City of Mansfield has announced that the public can bring their Christmas trees to the City Service Complex located at 480 Park Ave East for disposal from 7:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The trees must be free of all tinsel and decorations so that they can be ground into mulch. More…
By 1812Blockhouse — who else?
After 1,042 posts, 2,500 links to stories from other local media, and countless lessons learned, we’re ready to say good-bye to 2020.
As we do so, we’re taking a day off so that Thursday night can be a night of celebration and looking ahead. We will see you bright and early on Saturday morning, January 1.
We will be sending out a New Year’s Day edition of our Richland Roast newsletter, which is bound to have one or two unique posts included. We will also be updating Richland Tweets on Friday, although we suspect that the “tweetflow” will be reduced as locals celebrate the holiday.
We close our 2020 not with our words, but with the words of poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson, particularly these three stanzas from his poem “Ring Out, Wild Bells:”
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
By 1812Blockhouse
The spirit of the season is alive and well in Richland County, and certainly is strong on Park Avenue West.
The Renaissance Theatre has announced a remainaged Holiday Special to be broadcast on television and virtually. The concert will feature the Mansfield Symphony and Chorus, with additional performances from local artists including: More…
Concert, Holidays, Mansfield Symphony Orchestra, Renaissance Theatre
