Mary Bramstedt's Car

An encounter with Mary Bramstedt always brightens my day.

I need your support!

It is with great excitement that I announce my participation in bike MS: Pedal to the Point 2010! 

This Bike MS event will take place on August 14th and 15th. I am asking you to join the movement by making a contribution to support my efforts.

The National MS Society is committed to building a movement by and for people with MS that will move us closer to a world free of this disease. Donations collected for Bike MS continuously fund research for a cure, while also providing services and support for those currently living with MS. I am riding this year because I believe in the mission of the National MS Society. More than 400,000 Americans live with MS and every donation will help us find a cure.

Please help by making a donation.  I greatly appreciate your support and I will keep you posted on my progress.

Click Here To Visit My Donation Page

If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can copy and paste this web address (via tinyURL) into your browser:         http://tinyurl.com/ms150-p2p


Thanks!

Chardon in Google Earth

I'm a big fan of  Google Earth.. It appeals to both my geekiness and curiosity about the world.  I could  (and have) easily spend hours zooming around, looking at aerial photographs of far away places. It's even fun to look at your own neighborhood;  "Hey, look at this picture of our house!  You can see our deck and the car parked in the driveway!"

If you have a DSL internet connection and a decent computer, I urge you to download the free Google Earth program and start exploring.  You'll soon get hooked!   Here's just a few samples of what you'll see if you explore the city of Chardon.

Chardon Football Field:

St. Mary's Church

Chardon Cemetery:

Chardon Square:

Google Earth also has lots of cool features that you can turn on, like 3D Buildings.  If you turn on this feature in the menu and take a look at downtown Cleveland, you'll be amazed to see that nearly all of the buildings are modeled in 3D graphics, allowing you to zoom in and take a close look at them from any angle. Here's a view of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

At first, the folks at Google did all of the work creating these models, but they soon found out that lots of people wanted to make them too so they could  model the buildings in their own home town.   

I was disappointed to find that there weren't any 3D models completed for the Chardon area, but then I got excited because I figured if I could learn how to do it, I would be the first!  So I downloaded Google's free "Building Maker" and SketchUp programs and went to work on the Court House.  I think it came out pretty good!

I submitted the model to Google Earth, and after about a week I received a notice that it met all of their requirements and was accepted!   So, now Chardon has one 3D building on Google Earth.  Check it out sometime!  I'd like to make more when I have time, maybe model all of the buildings along the Square.

I'd love to have some help!  There are lots of resources on the internet for people interested in learning how to model buildings in Google Earth.  Feel free to send me an email if you need some advice!

Chardon's Square And Proud Of It!

Rachael Masek recently sent me some wonderful pictures that she took of the beautiful hanging planters along Main Street, and a bluegrass concert in progress at the bandstand. This area is officially known as the "Chardon Courthouse Square District" and is listed on the National Register, but most Chardonites simply refer to it as "The Square".  Thanks to the hard work of many volunteers, merchants, and support from the city, the Square has become one of the most attractive and vibrant areas in town.  Thanks for the pictures Rachel!

Look! It's the Chardon Maple Blimp!

Chardon Man Builds Giant Igloo (Feb 2010)

"I don't know, I think this igloo might be here until June or July"

Sorry...I just checked...just a puddle of water and some empty beer cans is all I can see.

Burger Crematorium?

Make mine "well done" please...

Chardon Oil : )

Chardon Laundromat

One of Chardon's classic establishments. It has looked like this for as long as I can remember.
I hope it stays this way forever!

Sky Diver Grounded

Two girls injured when a safety cage on the Sky Diver ride opened while they were suspended upside down.
Thanks to Bob Rogish for this picture!

Maple Stir

Wrong Way in reverse