STERNWHEEL WEEKEND
Music, food, fireworks, fun at the leveeArticle Photos
By Connie Cartmell
The Marietta Times
The annual kickoff of the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival was an experience Minerva resident Rick Metzger loved and hopes to repeat.
"I like the way this is all set up, with the paddleboats and all," said the 54-year-old Metzger, who has been riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle through southern Ohio over the past week and made his first visit to Marietta Friday. "I was most impressed with the museum here (Campus Martius) and all the history. We are definitely staying for the fireworks tomorrow."
Like a colorful and bold patchwork quilt, the sights and smells of the Ohio Sternwheel Festival quickly settled over the levee end of downtown Marietta Friday - an inescapable and heady brew.
Eager vendors, offering every sort of festival food from blooming onions and funnel cakes to barbecue pork, hot wings, sausage sandwiches, french fries, snow cones, ice cream, lemon shakes and more were doing a brisk business.
"We help them out; they help us out," said Connie Grimes, with Pioneer Ladies Civitan. "It's been steady and good."
Grimes worked in the Bob Evans sausage stand along with Marietta Civitan Club members. Proceeds from sales at the festival and last week's Washington County Fair go to local community groups, such as WASCO and Ewing School.
Until two years ago, John and Doris Henderhan lived in Columbus, away from their native Marietta more than 50 years.
The couple was among hundreds of early arrivals at the festival's kickoff Friday.
"I mostly come for the music and like to look at the boats down there," said John Henderhan, 71. "I swear, I don't know anybody in this town anymore. I keep looking for a face I know. I grew up here."
Doris Henderhan, 73, said she and her husband were at the levee Thursday night and plan to return for the fireworks and festivities Saturday too.
"We came down last night to look at the boats," she said.
It was music and entertainment that drew the Henderhans Friday.
Steve and Beverly Pottmeyer crooned country, followed by classic rock 'n' roll sounds from Phil Dirt and the Dozers and the Friday headliner, country star Mel McDaniel. The levee was full.
"We first heard Phil Dirt 100 years ago in Columbus, back in 1981," said Connie Weiss of Belpre. "I've never heard them that they weren't good."
Her husband, Russ Weiss, said the couple will be back for the next two days of the festival.
"I'm bringing my '01 Mustang Bullitt to the car show Sunday," he said. "I've been coming to the show for two or three years. We're car nuts."
Most of Saturday's action at the festival gets under way at 11:30 a.m. with the introduction of the Queen Genevieve candidates. At noon, Marietta High School's Wall of Sound and show choir, Premiere, take center stage on the entertainment barge.
A day of entertainment will be capped by the New Odyssey band then fireworks over the Ohio River, beginning at 9:30 p.m. New Odyssey returns after the pyrotechnics.
"It's been great - fantastic," said Michelle Torpy of Marietta, watching Friday night's entertainment. "Phil Dirt did a great job and Mel McDaniel, who I hadn't heard in a long time, is also doing real good. It's a beautiful night down here, and the crowd is relaxed and enjoying the music."
For Torpy, who lives in Marietta, the road to the Ohio River Sternwheel Festival has been a long one - 24 years.
"I've always had to work on sternwheel weekend and this is the very first time I've been here. I'm not moving," she said with a grin.
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IsaacEastwood
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09-08-08 1:48 AM
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We were packed all weekend. Sternwheel is a great asset to the city of Marietta and all the downtown businesses. Great time. Great people!
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Jasmine
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09-07-08 10:26 PM
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I wonder why the headline group was only a three piece band doing an instrumental version of kareoke(sp?)? I would much rather hear a full "band" playing most or all the sounds you hear. I liked it better when the food vendors were back towards the sidewalk, allowinig more room for the crowd. Thank goodness it was over cast Sat., or their might have been LOTS of congestion. Great fireworks once again! Glad it was cool for the high school band and choir. I enjoyed the two-three choir soloist that had their music memorized and sang to the audiance. Maybe the others were pressed for time? Tiger lemonade once again was terrific. Thx to the committee for a fine weekend!
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tamytam33
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09-07-08 2:16 PM
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hats off to the sternwheel committee for their hard work and dedication. went yesterday and had a great time, kids loved the fireworks. that is what keeps people coming back year after year, local & out-of-state, i might add. agree with jameseddy. mtta is a nice town with a lot of nice, friendly people. i'm a transplant myself (from a city of 800,000) and i find this to be a very comfortable place to live. not without it's problems and, the economic issues are being felt all over the country - not just mtta. dont agree with the bitter comments being posted here but i suppose those people have other issues as well.
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JamesEddy
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09-07-08 11:09 AM
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I am suprised about this forum. I am a former resident of Marieta class od 1989. My parents Russ and Shirley Furler still live in Marietta.I love the city of Marietta. The stern wheel fest is a gem you should hold close to your heart. I now currently live in Jacksonville Florida on the wonderful st Johns River. But the Ohio River is a wonder in its self. Having great stern Wheel boats years after the bi gone days of that kinda of travel is grand. The econmy may not be the greatest in Marietta but what Marietta has is the heart and soul of the State of Ohio. Is it perfect no but it is and I say proudly its MY HOME TOWN. THANKS for your time Sincerly James Eddy peterpaigefanqa***mail****
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GOBUCKS
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09-07-08 10:35 AM
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O.K. Great festival, I've never been disappointed in 33 years of the festival and the sponsors and volunteers do a great job!!!! P.S. and teaglass your full of it!!!
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happygirl
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09-07-08 7:18 AM
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Man, you guys!! How about actually commenting on the article instead of arguing. Some of your comments have nothing to do with the Sternwheel Festival.
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 11:23 PM
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WashCtyRes---Have you ever heard of "satire?" I guess not. Who are these "outsiders" that move to Marietta? If I'm not mistaken, Marietta's population has decreased for the last 5-8 years. The reason? Could it be, the lack of jobs, the suffering economy, poor infastructure, lack of public transportation, or maybe the lack of incentives for businesses in ohio, or basis of all monetary income to the city derived off of "tourists," or wait, I think I have it. It must me the close-mindedness of selected individuals to which they are elected on there picturesque "views" of the area. As Harry Wilson once said: ""He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery."
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 11:11 PM
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The thing I don't understand is everyone that lives in Marietta criticizes things that happend but when you find out an "outsider" is criticizing your town, you jump on your high white horse and proclaim your community sacred. And I'm the ignorant one?
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 11:07 PM
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Actually I would have to say I bet "some" of those 400k homes are owned by ignorant uneducated people. Just because you work at a chemical plant for 50 years doesn't make you educated. I would probably bet that most of these "400k" houses you mentioned are in the Home Finder for sale because the "owner" financed something they couldn't afford in the first place in order to impress those "other" prestigious groups of people in Marietta...and the surrounding Washingont County, better add that.
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WashCtyRes
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09-06-08 11:00 PM
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also plenty of homes under $400K inhabited by people of various professions, backgrounds and education levels. doubt they belong to cliques.
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Bittersweet
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09-06-08 11:00 PM
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First of all, I said nothing about Washington County. I was referring to the town of Marietta. Not Belpre, not Washington County. I was not including ALL of the county. I don't know where you got that from. I said the town (not the county) is "filled" with sneaky brown nosers, that doesn't include everyone like you thought. Taking one's words and turning them around.... yep, that's reporter style alright.
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WashCtyRes
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09-06-08 10:19 PM
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that's ridiculous. mtta is full of "outsiders" - people who moved here due to job and/or job transfer, people who retired here (from the "big city"). i know a couple who moved here just because they had passed thru many times on their travels and loved the victorian charm. what is offensive is that teaglass constantly nitpicks, mocks, and puts down the people and the area in general. the crack about "100 years ago" v. 2008-1981=27 is just plain petty and lame. that phrase has been around forever. it's a figure of speech, not meant to be taken literally. as for the misquote, well, how do you know it was? lots of old school country people speak in that manner. take a trip down south and you will hear all kinds of grammatical variations. the thing is teaglass, if you truly lived in a city of 2 mil. there are a b'zillion things you could be doing other than haunting the mttatimes website 24/7. you're just plain obnoxious.
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Finallap
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09-06-08 10:13 PM
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Fireworks were very disappointing I thought
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Stargazer
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09-06-08 10:05 PM
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I beg your pardon, Bittersweet, but I do not live in Marietta, but do reside in Washington County. I also resent the fact that you categorize all in the county with having no values. I have strong values and convictions and am not uneducated. I am not, nor never have been, a part of a clique, also not a sneaky brown noser. I was only stating that fact that there are always so many negative comments on these posts. Please don't lump all of us together. That's taking liberties and overstepping your bounds. There is more to Washington County than Marietta and Belpre and we also support the economy and read the Times. Nuff said.
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Bittersweet
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09-06-08 9:41 PM
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After reading some of the comments on here, it just goes to show how the local Marietta people hate outsiders. Teaglass has good reason for coming on here and commenting on the reporting. He/she is just stating the obvious truth.... but don't expect the locals here to understand what that is. They don't. They are brought up with no values and lack of understanding. This town is one big clique. A bunch of high schoolers that never graduated. They think they are all that plus a taco. Marietta is FILLED with sneaky brown nosers with hidden agendas. Rude and arrogant.
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 9:04 PM
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This has nothing to do with me liking or not liking the sternwheel festival. I agree it's a great event that Marietta is and should be proud of. My comment was about the REPORTING, the misquote of someone. But as usual, you turn this into a personal attack. All I did was sarcastically mention this mistake. Sorry I offended everyone for catching it first. I figured the Times would have corrected by now after seeing these comments. Guess I should have known better.
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peppie
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09-06-08 8:24 PM
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If you don't like the sternwheel or don't want to go to the sternwheel, then stay at home and quit being so criticize. Actually, even if teaglass gave the name of a two millions plus city, I would still need more proof of where teaglass lives. Talks cheap.
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Stargazer
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09-06-08 8:15 PM
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Teaglass97 - no thanks to the surfing. Don't need to know or don't care where you live. Perhaps you are a "Mariettan" originally, and now feel the need to be critical. You can call it sarcasm if you wish. Try a little kindness sometimes. I agree with GOBUCKS - get a life.
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 7:58 PM
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I'm not negative. I just really like sarcasm. Oh, and this was contructive criticism by the way. I do read my "hometown" newspaper. That's why I read the Times. I also read the paper of the "city" I live in & make comments. Oh, I live in a city with a metro of 2 million plus, now surf on over to MSN or Wikipedia and figure out which one it is :)
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Stargazer
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09-06-08 7:40 PM
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Hey teaglass97 - care to elaborate on which "big city" you reside in? Perhaps you should be reading your own hometown newspaper instead of being a downer to the Marietta Times. Seems like you're always negative. Maybe thats the big city rubbing off on you. Go Buckeyes!!!
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 6:27 PM
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Thank you for your support Bittersweet. At least you understand poor reporting & mis-quoting which the Times is famous for.
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teaglass97
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09-06-08 6:25 PM
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GoS u c kBucks. I already live in a big city. Guess I thought this was the Marietta Times, not the high school Original. If you don't care that this article is misquoted, maybe you guys should seek help.
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Bittersweet
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09-06-08 4:01 PM
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Adding to what happygirl stated.... I did notice that they took the time to mention the Queen Candidates and the Marietta Wall of Sound performing, who happen to be there EVERY year. Big deal. But yet, I did notice too that they didn't want to mention the elementary school kids performing for the first time. You have to understand that the news reporters are all a bunch of amateurs. When do they ever get it right? They don't! Also, I noticed that they would rather take the time to quote people who are making a big deal of the fact that they always had to work on Sternwheel weekend, and now that they got a chance to go, they decided they are "not moving." Hey teaglass97, I think that's another good quote for you to add to your Famous Quotes book! I don't see why it was so important for the paper to quote someone saying something stupid like that. They don't give out trophies for that you know. Maybe she can sign up with the Sneaky Brown Noser Hidden Agenda Club.
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happygirl
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09-06-08 11:59 AM
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Too bad this article did not mention the opening performance of the Phillips Elem. choir. They did an excellent job. Did anyone else notice?? From what I understand this is the first time an elementary school choir sang at the Sternwheel Festival? Shame on the reporter that wrote this article.
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GOBUCKS
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09-06-08 9:19 AM
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Teaglass, Here's a quote for you GET A LIFE!
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