Starfire Council
Joe Wenning Brings History To Life
On September 8, 2018, you’re invited…step back in time to 1788 on a walking tour of Pioneer Cemetery, the oldest cemetery in Hamilton County and the final resting place of many Revolutionary and Civil War veterans and pioneers, where you will hear from historical interpreters in period dress, interact with craftsmen/women as they demonstrate their skills, and listen to knowledgeable historians share artifacts and details about daily life.
If you attend, make sure to be on the lookout out for Benjamin Stites, the man who led the first boat of settlers across the Ohio River to land in Columbia. Joe Wenning plays that historic character, a fitting role for the man who has been the passion, heart and driving force for the now annual event. “It is all because of me being interested in history and a whole team of people,” Joe told me.
That interest was first sparked and nurtured 15 years ago by Joe’s high school history teacher, Mr. Shrimpton, who appreciated and encouraged Joe’s class participation. When Joe’s classmates were nodding off in class, he was always excited about the lessons and eagerly answered questions – often correctly.
Later, it was through Joe’s participation in the Starfire Council, a Cincinnati nonprofit organization focusing on building better lives for people with disabilities, and a more inclusive community, that the idea for the event was born.
“His interest in local history basically brought this event to life through sheer force of his willpower and his amazing ability to connect with people,” Richard James, Starfire community connector told me. “Joe is just a natural born communicator who knows how to draw people out. If there’s 20 people in a room, Joe will talk to 25 of them! His knowledge of local history is vast and when he meets someone new who is into history they are invariably drawn in by his enthusiasm. He knows a ton of people around town, many of whom will tell you that Joe’s easy charm and engaging personality was apparent to them on first meeting. He takes this event very seriously and never stops brainstorming on how to expand our team and grow the event.”
Linda Wedding, a direct descendent of Benjamin Stites, came to the second event in 2015 and presented Joe with a plaque proclaiming him as an honorary Stites. Kathy Wenning (Joe’s mother) said it is his most meaningful award because it represents all of his work to do something of value to the community.
Event Details:
Saturday September 8th, 2018
PIONEER CEMETERY
333 Wilmer Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45226
Across the street from Lunken Airport
I asked Joe a few more questions about the event and why you should attend.
Lisa: This event came as a result of your passion for history. Why are you so interested in history?
Joe: Because of all the neat stuff that has happened.
Lisa: Why did you want to create this event – the Columbia Settlement?
Joe: To get more people involved with it. It brings people forward to learn and talk about the Ancestors and Pioneers who used to live in the Columbia Tusculum area. The Stites family is a big part of it too! Everyone should come! It’s all about helping and volunteering.
Lisa: Please share about the work that you have done to help create it, organize it, and volunteer at it.
Joe: I helped to get the event going, to get a team of volunteers together. I have help from Richard. (We) send out emails to committee members. (We) meet with volunteers and talk about the job they want to do for it. Volunteers are local people we meet at other events and history places. I ask them if they want to be a part of it. I portray a character called Major Benjamin Stites. He was a Revolutionary War soldier and he brought a boat load of friends and family members to Columbia.
Lisa: Why do you think people should come to the event?
Joe: Because we got reenactors; we got food and games and demonstrations. We got a whole load of games, dying fabric, paper piecing – and you got to come see it! It’s a blast! It’s free! You can walk right in! You have to see the food, gun demonstration, walking first person tour up above. You will hear the story about the first boatload of people. Look it up on our Facebook page; it is called Columbia Settlement Group.
Cincy Story Mural Unveils Project
Cincy Story Mural Design Team
Several months I told you about a project bringing Cincinnati’s diverse community together through written and visual stories. That project – Cincy Story Mural – is a between Starfire Council, DIY Printing, Public Allies, and Cincy.com, with artist Krista Brinkmeyer at its helm. And this Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at Starfire, after months of dedicated work, collaboration, artistry and mindfulness, the murals will be unveiled. (Starfire is located at 5030 Oaklawn Drive; Cincinnati, OH 45227) Everyone is invited!
The four murals will be installed at four locations:
Coalition for the Homeless, Over the Rhine
Norwood City Schools, Norwood
Santa Maria, East Price Hill
Starfire, Madisonville
About Cincy Story Mural:
The visionary behind the project, Krista is her late 20’s, and has always had a passion for expressing herself through storytelling – sometimes by capturing moments in photographs and sometimes through written word. She also has a knack for making friends, an important quality for any role let alone the role of project director.
Cincy Story Mural used harvesting events – get togethers where the public has been invited to share photos, videos, narratives, and drawings to help tell the story of their unique corner of the world in four murals.
Cincinnati’s Unique Heritage Being Told In Cincy Story Mural
Something truly wonderful is happening. It is transcending generations, bringing together diverse people from just about every local community. Our great city of Cincinnati is being told, one person, one story, one neighborhood at a time. Old shoeboxes are coming out of storage. Camcorders and iphones are popping up in storefronts and street corners. Memories are being inked in vivid detail as prose on pieces of lined paper.
It is all a part of a first-time project called the Cincy Story Mural. Through a series of what are being called harvesting events, the public has been invited to share photos, videos, narratives, and drawings to help tell the story of their unique corner of the world. And by the spring of 2012 (which is fast upon us), they will all be transformed into a beautiful mural installed in locations throughout Cincinnati with an interactive online version.
Cincy Story Mural is a collaboration between Starfire Council, DIY Printing, Public Allies, Cincy.com, and artist Krista Brinkmeyer.
Krista is the vision behind the project. In her late 20’s, she has always had a passion for expressing herself through storytelling – sometimes by capturing moments in photographs and sometimes through written word. She also has a knack for making friends, an important quality for any role let alone the role of project director.
“I like myself very much. I work hard at Starfire. I am a good person and I am happy,” she wrote in her blog profile.
I sat down with Krista and her right hand man as they say, Leah Addison, an Americorp volunteer with Starfire. The idea, they told me, was sparked when Krista was developing an idea for her capstone project in her final year at Starfire U.
“I like taking pictures and showing them to my friends,” Krista said. “I’m learning to blog and email. I’m meeting a lot of people. I’m not done yet and I need everyone’s help.”
If you have a photo or story you would like to contribute, please contact them at infor@CincyStoryMural.org.
Photo Caption:
Today my friends Aaron and Sybilka and I made a poster for our Mural Launch Party. I got my picture taken while we were working on the screen printing. The posters are blue and silver. The posters tell about the project and they have a QR code on them so people can scan with their phones and read more about the project.
About Starfire U
I really couldn’t describe it better than the words used by Starfire on their website….
Starfire believes every person has gifts that should be valued and respected. Time at Starfire is spent discovering those gifts and finding the people and places where those gifts are able to shine the brightest. Starfire recognizes that all people want acceptance and need relationships. There is great value to relationships with the community and neighbors so an emphasis on building connection runs throughout each program. Starfire strives to maximize resources and generate new avenues and networks of connections for people.
Starfire U is a new, post-secondary opportunity focused on providing relevant educational opportunities for young adults with disabilities. It combines Starfire’s expertise in advancing socialization with traditional special education techniques. This research-based program will have a positive lifelong impact on the lives of people who experience disabilities.
The Starfire U curriculum includes communication, safety, transportation, health, citizenship, technology and volunteering. The knowledge and experience gained in the program helps people to become integral parts of their community.
Over the course of the four-year program, there is exposure to new opportunities, a chance to explore and define a person’s gifts and talents, find valued roles in their community, and build a network of support. The curriculum is designed to:
- Connect with the Community
- Develop Friendships
- Increase Social Confidence
- Gain Experiences at Local Colleges, Businesses, and Non‐Profits
- Contribute through Service
- Build Occupational Skills
- Develop Personalized Future Plan
