Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Volunteer post of human rights activist. Bexley, Ohio.

TUESDAY APRIL 8. POSITION IS FILLED.

The WCRX-LP editorial collective has created a new position of human rights activist.

The position will be responsible for evaluating local public policy decisions affecting peace and justice and human rights in the Bexley area. For example, the proposed move of the police department from the East Main Street location to Delmar Drive has been evaluated only in terms of finance, operations and environmental impact. There has been no specific consideration of the move's impact on the human rights of Bexley residents and residents in the outlying City of Columbus areas.

Candidates for the position of WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM human rights activist must be familiar with international human rights law and practices. A working knowledge of peace and justice issues that affect local public policy is also necessary. A record of distinguished public service is a plus.

Interested listeners to WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM can nominate candidates for the human rights activist position.

Listeners may also submit their resumes for consideration by the WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM editorial collective.

Radio broadcast experience is not necessary.

The human rights activist is a volunteer position.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM is exempt from federal taxes under IRC Section 501(c)(3). Donations are deductible from federal income taxes for individuals who itemize. Checks may identify the payee as Bexley Public Radio Foundation WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Saturday, March 22, 2008

One Year Anniversary WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM. Bexley, Ohio

Friday was the one-year anniversary of regular broadcasts of WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM. The FCC issued the broadcast license to Bexley Public Radio Foundation and WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM began regular broadcasts on March 21, 2007. The foundation was formed in April 2000 to establish a community radio service for the Bexley area. No celebration or other festivities were schedule by the foundation because the radio station anniversary coincided with the solemn commemoration of Good Friday.

Highlights of the first broadcast year for WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM include:

"The Paw Paw Report" on Amy Maurer's Noontime Gardener Report. This feature reported the growth of Paw Paw fruit in Amy's yard from bud and blossom to harvest and baking the fruit into a pie.

Culture correspondent reports from Joanna Tornes in Alaska, Paul Peltier in New Hampshire and David Schwenker in West Virginia.

Other reports came from Cynthia Rosi, briefly the senior reporter for Bexley Public Radio, and also from the ever peripatetic Eugene Beer on a western Ohio bicycle trek and a trip to New England.

Shahyan Ahmed's live report from Karachi, Pakistan during the riots following the December 27 assassination of Benazir Bhutto. The report was aired as a live call-in from Karachi during the Joe Contino Show.

Kate Buckley's summer reading of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book.

Throughout the year, John Manning, station manager, was the regular host of weather and astronomical information from the Old Farmer's Almanac. Additionally, he and Katy Taylor interviewed Capital University professor Reg Dyck about a Gerhold lecture series speaker.

To measure local economic conditions, WCRX-LP developed the Bexley Consumer Price Index. Laura Franks did the organizational and analytical work for this measure of retail prices in Bexley. She also wrote the report for the Bexley CPI as to prices for the fourth quarter 2007 and first quarter 2008.

Stock broker Frank Ingwerson gave regular Monday though Thursday Wall Street updates. Chris Johns also assisted Frank in these reports. On Fridays, investment advisor Kevin Kale gave "end of the the week" overview on Wall Street activity.

With a refreshing breath of cynicism, the editorial page of WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM was sold to the highest bidders at charity auctions conducted to benefit the St. Catharine parish, Columbus School for Girls and Temple Beth Shalom.

The WCRX-LP community calendar, for most of the year read by Leah Edmondson, featured information on more than five hundred Bexley area cultural events. Additional calendar items were provided by Carol Betts of Bexley United Methodist Church and Laura Franks of Christ Lutheran Church. Kris Galloway of the Jewish Community Center of Central Ohio developed and produced a regular feature about upcoming events at the JCC.

A certificate of deposit interest rate report from the eight banks of the Bexley Financial District was developed. For the final six weeks of the first year of broadcast, the report was read by Jack Schultz with production assistance from Ron Allan of Big Voice Productions.

Kurt Weiland produced a regular report on the auction marketplace. The report covered charity auctions, estate and consignment auctions, and auctions conducted to benefit public agencies or ordered by public agencies. Knowledgeable Bexley residents, such as Tony Dunleavy of the Bexley boutique "Etc." provided comment on various lots offered for sale at auction.

During February, black history month, Kurt's report included extended coverage of an important auction sale at Swann Galleries in New York City. The sale included major works by African-American artists. Selected auction lots included works by such important American masters as Jacob Lawrence, Hartwell Yeargans, Aaron Douglas, Elizabeth Catlett, Faith Ringgold, Hale Woodruff and Henry Ossawa Tanner.

Throughout the year, local news reports were provided Bexley News, The New Standard, Eastside Messenger, The Catholic Times and the Bexley High School Torch.

In October, WCRX-LP recorded and rebroadcast several times, the mayoral candidates forum organized by the Bexley area chamber of commerce and held at the Bexley public library. Interviews of elected officials during the year included Representative Jim McGreger of the Ohio House of Representatives and Bexley City Councilmen Ben Kessler and Matt Lampke.

Sophisticated reports on Bexley area sports were provided by Brian Inglis of Bexley News on the Joe Contino Show.

Students who received broadcast experience behind the microphones at WCRX-LP included Abby Margulies, Jack Shultz, Jared Margulies, Lucy Frecchia, Molly Margulies, Robert Morse, Tim Nassau, Victoria Chou and Zachary Fries.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com


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Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

[where: 43209]

Friday, March 21, 2008

Ohio Maple Syrup at the Logan Brothers Family Farm.

Amy Maurer’s Tuesday guest was an Ohio maple syrup producer.

Joe Logan is a Trumbull County farmer whose family produces maple syrup. He was in Columbus to attend a meeting on the “buy local produce” marketing movement.

The Logan family farm is a fifth generation operation. Some of the farming operations are part of a family tradition, including the maple syrup production, Logan said he remembers his grandfather telling him that collecting the sap and evaporating it to syrup is good exercise to get ready for the hard work of Spring.

A stand of maple trees was on the farm when it was first established by Logan’s ancestors.

Although Ohio is fourth or fifth in gallons of maple syrup produced, Logan said that Ohio is generally not thought of as a maple syrup producing state.

Logan said that birch trees also produce a sap that is made into a pleasant syrup.

Logan discussed technical aspects of making the syrup. He said the percentage of sugar and quality of sap varies from tree to tree in the same stand of maples.

When asked about the origins of making syrup from the sap of maple trees, he said that legend attributes the practice to native Americans. Logan speculated that someone tasted sap that was “bleeding” from an injured tree and recognized the sweetness of a sugar.

When sap runs it is clear like water and tastes like water with a couple spoons of sugar diluted in it. The unit of measurement for the amount of sugar in sap is the “brix”

Logan compared the amount of sugar in a typical grape (23 ½ brix) with the amount of sugar in a typical sap (59 brix) about to crystallize.

In discussing the pleasure of maple syrup, Logan said that he thought there is probably a genetic compulsion in people to enjoy sugar. He said that if there is this compulsion, it helps us get through the winter.

Another indigenous sweetener is honey.

In discussing when sap runs in a maple tree, Logan said that the trees respond to temperature. The rules are fairly simple. When temperatures are below 32 degrees, there is no sap running. When temperatures are above 32 degrees, the sap responds. The “window of opportunity” to collect commercial amounts of sap is fairly brief. It is a period when the Winter freeze changes to the Spring thaw. When there have been three or four consecutive days of temperatures above 32 degrees, the days of collecting sap for maple syrup are over. Sap that is collected after the first few days becomes bitter with a flavor that hints of flower buds.

To collect the sap, two inch holes are drilled into the tree trunks. A “spile” is placed into the hole and buckets are hung.

A maple tree with the girth of twenty-four inches will yield two buckets of sap.

The buckets are carried to the sugar house where it is held temporarily in a 1600 gallon tank. The raw sap is then evaporated to a sugar concentration of 59 brix. A float valve releases the raw sap into a sixteen feet by five feet pan. This evaporation pan is heated by a wood fire until the syrup is concentrated at 59 brix.

Packaged for distribution to customers. Logan said that the family farm has a long established customer base in the area. He said that maple syrup has an indefinite shelf life. If the syrup crystallizes, Logan said that placing the container in warm water for a brief time will re-liquify the syrup.

The last sap collected each year yields darker, less sweet syrup. It is usually purchased by syrup dealers who re-sell it to Vermont processors for blending into commercially-produced maple syrups.

The farm is named Logan Brothers Family Farm and is located near Kinsman in Trumbull County, Ohio.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

The Men Who Tamed The Snow. Bexley, Ohio.

On his Monday show, Joe Contino interviewed two representatives of the Bexley street maintenance department, Jim McKrimmon and Bill Arnold.

They are two long-time city employees who drove some of the snow plows during the ’08 blizzard.

The crews worked in twelve hour shifts; one driver per truck and a mechanic at the garage.

Despite the almost overwhelming blizzard conditions the crews kept the Bexley streets open.

Arnold and McKinnon reported that the city was prepared with experienced staff, suitable equipment and sufficient salt supplies.

They also said that it is standard procedures that after the streets are cleared the crews return to clear access to fire hydrants and to keep the sewer catch basins open.

Click here to listen to the full interview.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Saturday, March 8, 2008

Bexley, Ohio. Technical problems prevent Friday broadcast.

Broadcast of Friday March 14 WCRX-LP programming was prevented by technical problems. Reviews films in the Fourth Annual Jewish Film Festival were scheduled. John Matuzack, Egle Weiland and Kurt Weiland had reviews. Paul Peltier's culture dispatch from New Hampshire was also scheduled.

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

Columbus, Ohio. Fourth Annual Jewish Film Festival events and film reviews to be featured on Bexley Public Radio, WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

The Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Greater Columbus will present six days of film, drama, comedies and documentaries during the 4th Annual Columbus Jewish Film Festival.

The film festival runs from Saturday March 8 through Thursday March 13. This major cultural event has been organized by Emily Schuss, film festival director for the JCC.

WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM will broadcast film previews and film reviews beginning Thursday March 6 and continuing throughout the run of the festival.

This fourth annual festival presents eleven feature films and documentaries from Argentina, France, Germany, Israel, Mexico and the United States.

The films will be shown at six venues throughout the Columbus including the Drexel Theater in Bexley and the Drexel Gateway.

To see a complete film and event schedule, order tickets, or view film trailers, visit the film festival website at www.cjfilmfest.org.

One entire day of the festival is scheduled for documentaries at the Drexel Gateway.

The documentaries will all be shown on Sunday, March 9. Free bagels and cream cheese will be provided by Block’s Bagels at this event. Appropriately, the event is called “Block’s and Docs.”

The subject matter of the documentaries include films about a father-son road trip, a boxing feature, female comics and the eviction of Jewish settlers from their Gaza homes.

There is an Opening Night Party on Saturday, March 8, at the Columbus Museum of Art. At this event, the Distinguished Arts Award will be presented.

On Monday March 10, there is a pre-screening reception at the Michael Garcia Salon in Bexley.

There will be an educational symposium on the question “Can Confronting the Past Heal a Community?” in tribute to the late Benson A. Wolman. This symposium will be held Tuesday March 11 at the Wexner Center for the Arts.

The following event schedule is provided by Kriss Galloway, manager of communications and marketing for the Jewish Center of Greater Columbus.

Opening night ‚ Saturday, March 8, at the Columbus Museum of Art, 480 E. Broad St., downtown:
My Mexican Shiva ‚ a dramatic comedy about how the death of a man results in the celebration of his life. Directed by Alejandro Springall, this feature was produced in Mexico in 2006. The 102-minute film is in Spanish, Hebrew and Yiddish, with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is PG-13. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.

The Opening Night Party‚ complete with Mexican food and drinks, will begin after the first film ends at approximately 9 p.m.

During the party, this year’s Distinguished Arts Award will be given to Dr. Wayne Lawson, Director Emeritus of the Ohio Arts Council.

The Bubble - a drama about three young Israelis who share an apartment in Tel Aviv's hippest neighborhood; when one of the men falls in love with a Palestinian man, he and his roommates conspire to help his lover stay on in Tel Aviv illegally. Directed by Eytan Fox, the feature was produced in Israel in 2006. The 117-minute film, most recently selected for both New York Tribeca and Berlin International film festivals is in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is R for graphic sexuality. Film starts at 10:00 p.m. Audiences may remember Eytan Fox film, Yossi & Jagger, which was shown at the Columbus Jewish Film Festival in 2005.


Blocks and Docs‚ Sunday, March 9, at the Gateway Drexel Theater, 1550 N. High St., on the OSU campus:
Souvenirs ‚ A documentary about a father and son who take a road trip to retrace the father’s trail with the Jewish Brigade, with which he served during World War II and the ”souvenirs” he may have left behind with the local girls. Directed by Shahar Cohen and Halil Efrat, the documentary was produced in Israel in 2006 and won an Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary. The 75-minute film is in Hebrew with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is PG-13. Film starts at 11 a.m.

Orthodox Stance . A documentary about Dmitriy Salita, a champion boxer and an uncompromising Orthodox Jew. Directed by Jason Hutt, the documentary was produced in the United States in 2006. The 82-minute film is in English and rated PG-13. Film starts at 1 p.m.

Making Trouble. A documentary that tells the story of six of the greatest female comic performers of the last century - Molly Picon, Fanny Brice, Sophie Tucker, Joan Rivers, Gilda Radner and Wendy Wasserstein. Directed by Rachel Talbot, the film also was produced in the United States in 2006. At 85-minutes, the film is in English and rated PG-13. Film starts at 3 p.m.

5 Days. A gripping documentary that captured history being made when the Israeli Defense Force moved to evict the 8,000 remaining Jewish settlers from their Gaza homes. Directed by Yoav Shamir, the film was produced in Israel in 2005. The 94-minute film is in Hebrew with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is PG-13. Film starts at 5 p.m.

On Monday, March 10, at the Drexel Theater, 2254 E. Main St., Bexley:
Gorgeous! (Comme Ty Es Belle) - A snappy romantic comedy set in Paris that celebrates the au courant Parisian woman, with tons of wit, smarts and not an insignificant amount of sexiness. Directed by Lisa Azuelos, the feature was produced in France in 2006. The 84-minute film is in French with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is PG-13. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.

A pre-film reception will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Michael Garcia’s A Salon, 2440 E. Main St., Bexley.

On Tuesday, March 11, at the Wexner Center for the Arts, 1871 N. High St., on the OSU campus:
Greensboro: Closer to the Truth. A documentary about the Nov. 3, 1979 murders of five Communist Workers Party members by the Ku Klux Klan and the American Nazis in Greensboro, N.C., and how 25 years later the horrific event has changed the lives of witnesses, spouses, and the murderers themselves. Directed by Adam Zucker, the 83-minute film in English was produced in the United States in 2007. Rated PG-13. Film starts at 6 p.m.

Following the film, a light dinner will be served at 7 p.m., with discussion leaders facilitating small group conversations based upon the theme “Can Confronting the Past Heal a Community?.”

At 7:45 p.m., Greensboro director Adam Zucker will give a keynote presentation, followed by a panel discussion and question-and-answer session at 8 p.m.

Panel members include Prof. David Goldberger of the OSU Moritz College of Law, OSU Prof. Hasan Kwame Jeffries, and Jane Ramsey, executive director of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs.

On Wednesday, March 12, at the JCC of Greater Columbus, 1125 College Ave., Bexley:
The Champagne Spy. A documentary about Major Ze'ev Gur Arie, a Mossad operative drafted in 1960 to penetrate the circle of German scientists developing weapons of mass destruction in Egypt. While his father was away, his son, Oded, was told that he must never speak about this secret because his father's life depended on it. He didn’t until now. Directed by Nadav Schirman, the film was produced in Israel and Germany in 2007 and won an Israeli Academy Award for Best Documentary. The 90-minute film is in Hebrew with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is PG-13. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.

Following the film, Oded Gur Arie will be on hand to greet filmgoers during a dessert reception.

On Thursday, March 13, at the Arena Grand, 175 W. Nationwide Blvd., downtown:
Sweet Mud. A feature about a 12-year-old boy, Dvir Avni, who lives on a kibbutz in southern Israel in the 1970s with his mentally ill mother, Miri. In this closed, unique society, bound by rigid rules, Dvir navigates between the kibbutz motto of equality and the stinging reality that his mother has, in effect, been abandoned by their collective community. Directed by Dror Shaul, the feature was produced in Israel and Germany in 2006. The 100-minute film is in Hebrew with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is PG-13. Film starts at 7 p.m.

Only Human. A wonderfully twisted Spanish comedy about the unfolding comedy of errors that occurs when a hyperactive Jewish family’s elder daughter brings home her Palestinian fiancé. Directed by Dominic Harari and Teresa de Pelegri, the feature was produced in Argentina in 2004. The 85-minute film is in Spanish with English subtitles. Rating equivalency is R for some sexual content, nudity and language. Film starts at 7:30 p.m.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

Bexley, Ohio. News from the Bexley Financial District. CD interest rates.

WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM reporter Jack Shultz will continue his regular feature on CD interest rates offered at banks in the Bexley Financial District.

The banks in the Bexley Financial District are: AmTrust Bank, Fifth Third Bank, First Bexley Bank, Huntington National Bank, JPMorgan Chase Bank, KeyBank, US Bank, National City Bank, and Westbanco.

Shultz's report is broadcast daily at 11:10 a.m on WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Bexley, Ohio. City Councilman Ben Kessler interviewed for WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

An interview with Bexley City Councilman Ben Kessler will be broadcast Tuesday through Friday in the noon to 1:00 p.m. time slot on WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM.

The interview was conducted by Timothy Nassau a student intern at WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM. Nassau is a senior at Bexley High School.

The Kessler interview includes discussion of issues facing the City of Bexley including Bexley police facilities, municipal finance and the use of paid consultants by the city government.

The councilman is also working on the Capital University proposal for zoning variance for the Sheridan Avenue condominiums.

The councilman said that city finance issues are receiving attention. Estate taxes pay on average about ten percent of the city budget or about one million dollars. The difficulty that the estate tax presents is that the proceeds are not predictable.

Kessler proposes using estate tax proceeds as a fund for capital improvements.

Kessler also said that there is a misperception in the public that Bexley has a lot of tax revenue. Unlike other municipalities, Bexley does not have large tax revenue based on commercial activities. Kessler then offered a comparison of tax revenues per resident in some other localities. Taxes per resident in Bexley are about $700 per year. For Whitehall the comparable figure is $1,000. In Worthington and Upper Arlington, tax revenue per resident is about $1,300.

As to the proposed new police station and relocation, the councilman said that there was public concern that the proposed northern location will reduce the density of police patrols in central and south Bexley. He said that if there is an effect it will be during brief periods when shifts are changed.

Kessler said that serving alcohol at Jeffrey Mansion was a campaign issue of interest to a relatively small number of residents. Although a relatively small number, the strength of their feelings on the issue made them an important part of the process. Ninety nine percent of people Kessler talks to are in favor of serving alcohol at Jeffrey Mansion. Kessler said that the Jeffrey Mansion Commission will make a proposal on the matter. He said that the second important issue about Jeffrey Mansion is the finance of repairs.

Nassau then asked about a movement for a Green Bexley. Kessler said that there isn't a specific Green proposal for Bexley but he thinks that the police station relocation involves green issues. Demolition of an existing building raises a question of getting full use out of materials in the existing structure and also disposal of those materials. He also discussed international standards for green certification of new structures. Kessler said that an advantage of the Delmar proposed site is that the new police building can be designed green.

Nassau asked about Kessler's campaign platform commitment to make it easier for citizens to get involved in local government. Kessler said that he has been in touch with the city zoning officer about placing a sign in front of the city building to announce council meetings. He said that the information that will be on the sign is currently available online. He said that the agenda for a council meeting is now available on line. He said other public documents are now available online. Kessler said that these improvements in public access are just taking the city's existing information infrastructures and populating it with information. Councilman Kessler invited comments from residents at bkessler@bexley.org.

When Nassau asked about public attendance at council meetings, Kessler said that typical attendance is five to ten residents. HE also said that some topics attract more residents to council meetings. As an example, he offered the Capital University zoning variance proposal which attracted about fifty residents to the council meeting.

Nassau and Kessler then had a brief discussion of the relative importance of national and state elections in effecting local communities. Kessler observed that state elections are more likely to quickly influence local matters. He offered an example where a new state law loosened residency requirements that quickly has an adverse impact on Bexley tax revenues.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Cascade County, Montana. Mary Fields.

A note for Women History Month.

Mary Fields was born in 1832 as a slave in Tennessee. She grew up an orphan, never married and had no children.

Mary Fields lived by her wits and her strength. She traveled north to Ohio, settled in Toledo and worked for the Ursuline convent in that city.

The nuns of the Ursuline order became her family. Mother Amadeus then the superior of that order, served as Mary’s mother.

The nuns moved to Montana and Mary stayed behind in Ohio. When Mary learned that Mother Amadeus' health was failing, she went west to help out.

After Mother Amadeus health returned, Mary decided to stay and help build the St. Peter's mission school in Cascade County, Montana.

Mary was a strong woman. She packed a pistol for protection. She was known also as a hard-drinking woman, who needed nobody to fight a battle for her.

Because of her behavior, Mary was eventually turned away from the mission but the Ursuline nuns financed a new business for her.

With the support of the nuns, Mary opened a cafe.

Mary's generous and charitable spirit drove her business into the ground several times because she would feed the hungry.

In 1895 she found a job that suited her. She signed on as a U.S. mail coach driver for the Cascade County region of central Montana.

Mary and her mule Moses, never missed a day of work. It was in this capacity that Mary earned her nickname "Stagecoach", for her unfailing reliability.

Mary loved the children of Cascade County, Montana. She supported the local baseball team as their number one fan.

Mary died in 1914 at Cascade, Montana. Her grave is marked with a simple cross.

This note is based on material available from Vernice Jackson, the Lakewood Public Library and Sister Mary Rose Krupp, Ursuline Convent Offices, 4045 Indian Rd., Toledo, OH 43606.

Additional material can be found at Robert Miller, The Story of Stagecoach Mary Fields (Silver Burdett Press, 1995) and an article in Ebony 32 (October 1977), pp.96-98. A classic photo of Mary Fields with a rifle is available on the website of Women in History provided by actress Vernice Jackson.

Contact us.
WCRX-LP Editorial Collective
Bexley Public Radio Foundation operating as
WCRX-LP, 102.1 FM, Local Power Radio
2700 E. Main St., Suite 208
Columbus, OH 43209
Voice (614) 235 2929
Fax (614) 235 3008
Email wcrxlp@yahoo.com
Blog http://agentofcurrency.blogspot.com

Copyright 2008. All rights reserved. Bexley Public Radio Foundation.