BY STEPHANIE GROVES

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DELPHOS—The Green Thumb Garden Club members are celebrating their 65th year and looking forward to a season filled with aromatic, profuse flower buds, an array of diversified educational programs and engaging city officials and residents with conservancy projects.

President Judy Jester said that the club has a long-standing tradition within the community and is 65 years old this year. Of the 18 members, the majority have been in the club for decades—some are in their 80’s—and are retired. At this time, the organization is growing and there are second-generation club members joining the ranks.

The club is a member of the Ohio Association of Garden Clubs (OAGC) Region 2, a non-profit organization that promotes interest in knowing, growing, showing and sharing and to encourages youth in the same areas. Jester said the group is very interested in having younger members join and have discussed adding an auxiliary branch that would meet in the evenings.

“We’ve had younger people join, but those who work full-time have difficulty getting to the meetings,” Jester detailed.

They have discussed a variety of conservancy projects including a street tree planting project with goals that would benefit the city. A project of this nature would be a collaborative enterprise with the city carefully planned and designed. They would like to work with an organization or organizations who would donate or offer low-cost smaller caliper trees. “Delphos has always been a tree city,” Jester stated. “It’s an area we can really work on.”

Over the years, Delphos has lost many street trees or they are in decline due to age or an insect infestation. Many Elm, Maple and Ash trees have been lost to diseases like Dutch Elm disease, Maple tree borer and most recently, Emerald Ash Borer. Jester said that the organized effort with the city would help guide residents to re-plant trees in accordance to municipal regulations.

The group is not just about gardening. They promote diversified educational programs and field trips exploring many ecological facets. One topic the members have a keen interest in teaching kids and adults, is the difference between Honeybees and Yellow Jackets.

“People may not know that Yellow Jackets are not really bees, they are wasps,” Jester said.

Vice President Laura Roach explained the each year the group chooses a project to work on. In the recent past, the group has donated landscape to the Delphos Public Library—planted roses around the gazebo—and furnished the labor and plants to beautify the signage at Delphos-Gilmore Reservoir.

“The projects beautify areas of Delphos so people who live here can appreciate them,” Roach said. The members also bring in guest speakers who share personal insights and perspectives on informative topics. In the past, John Nomina spoke on how farmers conserve land. Experts from the county extension office and local people share all kinds of information, like techniques to improve gardens, the kinds of plants their implementing into their gardens and how to deal with environmental issues.

Last year the club was in charge of the Flower and Garden Show at the Allen County Fair, which is a lot of work and must be pre-planned and approved by the Fair Board. During the show, a panel of judges evaluate samples of flowers and arrangements. The grand prize winner last year was Louis Shroufe, who submitted a large Hydrangea flower. “She (Shroufe) kept and dried the flower. We used it as the topper on our Christmas Tree display at the Canal Museum this past year,” Roach said.

Secretary Treasurer Karen Hartman elaborated on the reservoir sign planting and the club’s Christmas tree display at the museum. “We planted tulips and daffodil bulbs, daylilys and low-growing evergreens,” Hartman added. “On the tree display, we use all natural, dried flowers.”

The next meeting will be held from 1-3 p.m. May 20 in the 1st addition at the library. Dessert and beverages will be served. After the meeting, members will carpool together for a short jaunt out of town to tour an extensive residential rose garden. On June 17, the club will hold their meeting from 1-3 p.m. and then travel to Van Wert to tour Louise Hartwig’s gardens.

For additional informational, please contact Judy Jester at 419-692-2913, Laura Roach at 419-692-8351 or Karen Hartman at 419-692-6407.

BY STEPHANIE GROVES

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DELPHOS — The Delphos Canal Commission held a meeting Monday night to inform and hold an open discussion with a diverse group of interested citizens about a strategic plan for the Miami and Erie Canal.

Miami Erie Canal Corridor Association Executive Director and facilitator of the committee, Neal Brady led the discussion with a presentation outlining the ‘Strategic Plan to Restore the Miami and Erie Canal in the Greater Delphos, Ohio Area’, which is comprised of six main goals, objectives, action steps and cost estimates. The plan addresses trails, green spaces, open public areas, education, economic development, history, aesthetics, water flow, signage and other issues that will help to shape the future of the canal.

The canal was constructed from 1825-45 and propelled the economy of Western Ohio to new heights, enabling the transportation of farm goods and basic materials to all parts of the young nation and the world. It increased Ohio’s population by 4,000 percent from 1800-50.

The first settlers in Delphos, established between 1836 and 1842, were German pioneers and construction workers drawn to the work being done on the canal. Soon after, the industrial revolution made its way to Delphos with merchants and industrialists propelling the city into a major port along the Miami and Erie Canal, with transshipment facilities for railroads.

By 1879, there were over a hundred factories churning out goods, which were transported, beginning in 1912, by the first transcontinental paved highway, the Lincoln Highway. Since 1987, the Delphos Canal Commission has maintained the goal of restoring and utilizing this section of the Heritage Corridor to spur economic development of Delphos and the surrounding areas.

After the presentation, residents took part in an open forum where committee members, Brady, Greg Berquist, Lou Hohman and Steve Dorsten fielded questions ranging from funding the project to large item littering.

Dennis Pathoff asked about funding the plan.

“How do we fix the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) problem for the canal program?” Pathoff added. “How do we gain priority?”

Dorsten fielded this question.

“The county park systems will be in charge since the funding is shifting,” Dorsten said. “We will have better control.”

Dorsten elaborated on the effect of the plan’s first goal, which is to stabilize the banks of the canal.

“We can accomplish a lot on a local level, he said. “We get that done and you’ll have what you want.”

Bob Ulm spoke on canal littering, a topic that has not been addressed in previous meetings. Ulm believes that serious steps need to be taken in reinforcement of large item littering. In keeping with goal 6 —Promoting Appreciation for the Canal—monitoring the canal, increasing fines and punishing offenders to the greatest extent of the law would make an impact.

Hohman explained that citizens have been throwing grass and weeds into the canal. In addition, there were Christmas trees pulled from the canal this past year.

“So where do we go from here?” Brady asked.

Safety Director Greg Berquist gave a brief synopsis of the past conversations and future goals. Berquist said that for many years they have been looking at projects to connect Spencerville to Delphos. In the next few years, with the help of the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT), the city will have a walking path through Delphos, connecting Waterworks Park to Stadium Park. In addition, the commission would like to leverage paths to the schools.

“With the exception of Jefferson High School, each school is 3 or 4 blocks from the towpath,” Berquist detailed.

At the end of the meeting, committee members agreed the first goal of the strategic plan is to create a voice by educating and informing the constituents who will be proactive in the cause.

Hohman said that the first step is to design a flyer or brochure explaining the plan, showing comparison photos of a south portion of the canal with a revitalized north section of the canal and listing state and local contact information. The flyer or brochure will serve as a vehicle to gain the interest of the community and empower the residents with the resources to be proactive and contact representatives with concerns regarding the “Strategic Plan” for the canal.

Donna Pohlman, left, Shelley Kreeger and Sue Hempfling prepare baskets for the 36th annual St. John’s Benefit Auction on Saturday in the All Saints Building. This year’s theme is “Kentucky Derby” and there will be a Kentucky Derby hat contest. Dinner and beverages will be served from 6-7:30 p.m. with games of chance and raffle drawings at 7 p.m. Total prizes will be $3,800. Tickets are still available by calling the office.

Partygoers hit the dance floor at Ottoville’s prom. This year’s theme was “A Night to Remember.” (Delphos Herald/Dena Martz)

Fifty St. John’s High School seniors left at 7 p.m. Sunday night for their class trip to New York City. The students will stay in New Jersey and travel into the city for three days of sightseeing. The itinerary includes seeing the Broadway play “Spiderman,” visiting and touring the Today Show studio, the Empire State Building, Madison Square Garden, Times Square, Rockefeller Center, 911 Memorial, Central Park and China Town. The students are looking forward to spending some fun, quality time together. (Delphos Herald/Stephanie Groves)