Hundreds of seniors enjoy fellowship, entertainment at fair

Senior citizens had no trouble filling the Masters’ Building at the Wyandot County Fairgrounds on Thursday for Senior Day at the fair.

Thursday was a day of unique entertainment for senior citizens who attended Senior Day at the Wyandot County Fair, as seniors filled the Masters’ Building at the fairgrounds for the annual event.
At 10 a.m., area officials honored Jack and Judy Mumma as the 2012 Wyandot County Outstanding Senior Citizens. The honor, sponsored by the Ohio District 5 Area Agency on Aging, recognizes senior citizens for service to the community. The Mummas were nominated by the Wyandot County Council on Aging.
Findlay High School’s steel drum band, Pantasia, entertained the crowd with the national instrument of the island nations of Trinidad and Tobago, according to the group’s website.
Since the group’s inception in 1997, it has produced five CDs, visited 12 states and the District of Columbia and performed on three Caribbean cruises. The group’s fourth cruise will be in March, Director Tim Mattis said. Group members will perform in the Bahamas in their first international performance.
Mattis told the crowd that Pantasia uses no speakers or electrical equipment — only the dents in the old oil drums that make sounds like musical notes.
According to Pantasia’s website, few musical instruments in the world can compare to the qualities of a steel drum.
“The steel drum is virtually an ‘infant’ among musical instruments, having had its creation and evolution occur since 1945,” the website says. “The broad spectrum of cultural and economical changes that have occurred since Columbus’ discovery of Trinidad in 1498 all played a crucial role in the development of the (steel band) movement.
“The steel drum’s inception was a direct response to social injustices being forced upon the island nation in the years following the 1838 emancipation from British rule,” the website says.
For a complete history, visit www.pantasia.org.
Wyandot County Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center provided meals for lunch.
After lunch, seniors were entertained by another unique bit of entertainment with His Blank Canvas art ministry. Artists Kevin Burlew and Mandy Baldwin made art to the music of Melody Road, which is made up of Bob and Mary Fry, of Fostoria.
Baldwin described His Blank Canvas as “large-size artwork in a worship setting.” She invited the crowd to watch closely as their chalk artwork unfolded on a large canvas.
“It doesn’t end up the way it starts,” Baldwin said.
The pair has been creating artwork for about six years, she said, beginning at their church, Trinity Evangelical United Methodist Church in Upper Sandusky.
To end the day, door prizes were given away before senior citizens were invited to enjoy the rest of the fair.

By ALISSA PAOLELLA
Staff writer

Posted by Daily Chief on September 14, 2012. Filed under Fair,Featured,Local News,Recent Headlines,Recent Pictures. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry